Post by Nicholas Gray on Nov 11, 2014 17:01:56 GMT -6
We fade into a gym, emptied of all life by this time of night, except for one man. This man stands in front of the punching bag, working out with it. He throws a few quick jabs at it, following up with two hard body shots, and a final right hook to where the “head” would considered to be before regarding the camera. He's a well-built man in his early 30s with a handsome face set into a focused expression. He's a man familiar to those who watch (R)Evolution Wrestling, who have seen him as the backup of Carey Dean, the man who referred to himself as the only bounty hunter in wrestling: Daniel Lanning. Lanning regards the camera for a moment before returning to his workout, throwing hard punches at the bag. As he works out, he begins to speak to the camera.
Daniel Lanning: Big day coming, isn't there? Biggest day out of the year for this place! And hell if it don't feel like it. A whole damned week of events just to celebrate what time it is. A full week of partying. Right now, I oughta be out there on the campus with my boys, downing some kegs and getting into trouble. But that ain't what's going on. Hell, I'll be honest, my buddies haven't seen a lot of me these last couple of days. You know why? 'Cause I've been here, in various gyms, training. Getting ready. 'Cause all this partying? That's just fluff. It's filler until the big day. Autumn Effect 2, the celebration of two years of being in business. And even that, to me, ain't important. What's important to me is that Call Your Shot Invitational.
He grabs the bag and throws a few knees into it.
Daniel Lanning: Ever since that was announced, it's been on my mind. It's crawled into my head, and it's taken up permanent residence. Got some nice IKEA furniture, nice bed, it's real cozy in there. And it's in there, in my head, and it's talking to me. And what it's saying is just how important an opportunity this is for someone like me. If I were to win this, it tells me, then that's it. I'm there. With a shot at a title whenever I want, whether it's the San Diego or the International, they'd have to give me a main roster spot. That's a contract. That's guaranteed money. And after seeing what they were talking about on Twitter a week or so back, about the money the company's just come into, I know that even a just starting out contract like the one I'd get would be more money than I've ever had.
Daniel Lanning: See that's something that I need to make clear, because I need you all to understand something, and that'll be the first bit of making you understand it. You all need to understand why I don't just need to win this, I have to. Why winning this is the only option for me. And to explain that I need to start small. I gotta start young. Y'see growing up, I was poor. Hell, poor might be nice, a cute lil' sugar-coating on it. My bed as a kid was the floor, my clothes were hand-me-downs from my daddy, who got them handed down to him from his older brother, who got them handed down from HIS daddy. We had one window that hadn't gotten smashed to bits over the years. And then later we didn't have no windows, cause that one got smashed. But, hey, nice thing about having nothing. Someone breaks into your place to steal what you got, there's nothing for them to take. Positives, right? And later we didn't even have that, cause we got thrown out the apartment when I was 13, 'cause my daddy couldn't pay. Story of my life: Daddy couldn't pay. So I gotta instead. See, my mommy and daddy are both dead, in the ground for a decade. And this whole time, I've been paying off shit they did.
At this he throws a particularly nasty punch at the bag, causing it to swing wildly back and forth.
Daniel Lanning: See that's the nice thing about debts, when they're not to an....official body, if you catch my meaning. Daddy might be dead, but his son's still breathing. Mother dead? Sorry kid, you'll have to pay it off now. So that's my life. It's been my life for 10 years, paying off things I had no involvement with, 'cause if I don't then, well...I've grown attached to my kneecaps, y'know. So for 10 years I've been using the only skill I got to try and get this monkey off my back. And that skill is my fists. I'll be the first to admit: I'm not well educated. I got through high school on average grades, and college was a dream that wasn't ever gonna come true. I would have been destined for a long career at McDonald's if it wasn't for my fists. My fists? They're gold. The one shining light I've got in this world. They can put anyone down, and believe me I have put a lot of people down. I have to, it's what pays. And all of that money, almost every red cent? That goes to paying off debts. I'm lucky if I have enough money to buy bread, let alone keep a roof over my head. Hell, I can't even afford a gym membership. Why do you think I'm training at the dead of night, I broke the lock on the door. But hell that's fine, this is California, there's two gyms on every block. Plenty to get into.
He pauses to shake his head before going back to punching the bag.
Daniel Lanning: It's a circle, man. I get money but it goes to the guys holding me by the throat, meaning I don't have money to pay for anything I need, meaning I have to either borrow money putting myself into MORE debt, or I take the harder jobs. In bounty hunting, there are jobs that pay really well. If I did a good couple handfuls of them, I'd be out of this debt. You know why I haven't? Cause the chances of me surviving to the end of that ain't so good. And if I die? There's....there's consequences for that too, and it's just not worth the risk. So there's no win in this. Every option is just another loss. No light at the end of this fucking tunnel....until now. This invitational? This is the kind of thing dreams are made of. With this I could finally get out, I could finally get this monkey off my back, and live my fucking life. And that's why I can't lose this. Because if I do, it's back to the grind. Bounty hunting on off-days, hoping I don't get stabbed or shot by some piece of shit that doesn't wanna go back to jail. Wrestling on nights, hoping that I don't become one of those freak accidents, you know the ones. Guy takes some head bump and that's it. Paralyzed or dead, just like that. If I win this, I could finally start planning a life without needing to do things like this. I don't wanna spend my life bounty hunting, hell I don't wanna spend my life wrestling either. These are just ways to make money, to use the only skill I got to escape all the bullshit of my life. I don't wanna get killed doing this. I don't wanna stay in too long, becoming some of these guys you see, their bodies so badly busted they break down crying from the pain of putting their socks on, or they're so demented from all the head trauma they race around on a wheelchair screaming abuse at everyone they see. I don't wanna become that, man. I got things I have to do, important things. But I can't do them with having to pay money to all these people.
He starts throwing rapid shots at the bag, falling into an angry rhythm.
Daniel Lanning: And I look out at the people who're throwing their hats into this, and all it does is make me angry. These are the people that want to win this, who think they deserve it. These are the people who want to take this one opportunity away from me. These people, who have nothing pushing them, not like I do. Look at some of these people. Aries Reed, he only thing he cares about is himself, the only thing pushing him forward is his love of himself. Does that drive him enough? Hell, will it drastically change things for him if he loses? No, not really. He's lost plenty, and I'm gonna be making sure that doesn't change. And I'm not gonna lie and say I'm not gonna enjoy busting his jaw. Who else we got, Damon Alexander or whatever his name is? Only thing that guy cares about is getting laid. And that's nice and all, but I'm not gonna let him get past me. But, hey, consider it a gift. When I knock your teeth out, you can use that on your girls. Tell them you need help getting nursed back to health, put on the charm, get some extra-intensive medical care. You're welcome. I know Carey's entering, and I got all the respect for that guy. He's the only one of these people I think deserves it. But I know what I'm fighting for, and if I gotta break his jaw to get it, then so be it. No hard feelings, and no regrets. I look at these guys, and all I can ask is what's pushing them. What's driving them. What, to get famous? To get their name out there? To get women to notice them? To get on top of the business? Fuck that. I'm going in there for something deeper, something more basic. I'm going in there, so I can live. So I can put food on my table. So I can keep a roof over my head. If I don't win this, there's nothing left. There's nothing else, no option B, no backup plan. I'm going all-in on this, it's all or nothing. I lose this, and I'm just back to the unending shit that barely qualifies as a life.
He lays into the bag with one final shot, the Taskmaster, before turning to face the camera with fire burning in his eyes.
Daniel Lanning: So go ahead. Let anyone enter this. Fiona Collins, Chris Strike, Lexy Chapel. Hell, the entirety of Gods & Monsters! Let them all enter this, and I will put every single one of them down! I will drive my fist into their jaw and rob them of their consciousness! Put an army in front of me, and I'll destroy them. Because I refuse to let anyone stand in my way. I have to win this. Or I might as well just drop dead now. And I ain't even started living yet, so I sure as fuck don't intend on dying yet. So if you enter that invitational, don't be surprised when I leave you on your back staring at the birdies. 'Cause it's time for me to start living....so I can finally make good on some promises.
Daniel Lanning: Big day coming, isn't there? Biggest day out of the year for this place! And hell if it don't feel like it. A whole damned week of events just to celebrate what time it is. A full week of partying. Right now, I oughta be out there on the campus with my boys, downing some kegs and getting into trouble. But that ain't what's going on. Hell, I'll be honest, my buddies haven't seen a lot of me these last couple of days. You know why? 'Cause I've been here, in various gyms, training. Getting ready. 'Cause all this partying? That's just fluff. It's filler until the big day. Autumn Effect 2, the celebration of two years of being in business. And even that, to me, ain't important. What's important to me is that Call Your Shot Invitational.
He grabs the bag and throws a few knees into it.
Daniel Lanning: Ever since that was announced, it's been on my mind. It's crawled into my head, and it's taken up permanent residence. Got some nice IKEA furniture, nice bed, it's real cozy in there. And it's in there, in my head, and it's talking to me. And what it's saying is just how important an opportunity this is for someone like me. If I were to win this, it tells me, then that's it. I'm there. With a shot at a title whenever I want, whether it's the San Diego or the International, they'd have to give me a main roster spot. That's a contract. That's guaranteed money. And after seeing what they were talking about on Twitter a week or so back, about the money the company's just come into, I know that even a just starting out contract like the one I'd get would be more money than I've ever had.
Daniel Lanning: See that's something that I need to make clear, because I need you all to understand something, and that'll be the first bit of making you understand it. You all need to understand why I don't just need to win this, I have to. Why winning this is the only option for me. And to explain that I need to start small. I gotta start young. Y'see growing up, I was poor. Hell, poor might be nice, a cute lil' sugar-coating on it. My bed as a kid was the floor, my clothes were hand-me-downs from my daddy, who got them handed down to him from his older brother, who got them handed down from HIS daddy. We had one window that hadn't gotten smashed to bits over the years. And then later we didn't have no windows, cause that one got smashed. But, hey, nice thing about having nothing. Someone breaks into your place to steal what you got, there's nothing for them to take. Positives, right? And later we didn't even have that, cause we got thrown out the apartment when I was 13, 'cause my daddy couldn't pay. Story of my life: Daddy couldn't pay. So I gotta instead. See, my mommy and daddy are both dead, in the ground for a decade. And this whole time, I've been paying off shit they did.
At this he throws a particularly nasty punch at the bag, causing it to swing wildly back and forth.
Daniel Lanning: See that's the nice thing about debts, when they're not to an....official body, if you catch my meaning. Daddy might be dead, but his son's still breathing. Mother dead? Sorry kid, you'll have to pay it off now. So that's my life. It's been my life for 10 years, paying off things I had no involvement with, 'cause if I don't then, well...I've grown attached to my kneecaps, y'know. So for 10 years I've been using the only skill I got to try and get this monkey off my back. And that skill is my fists. I'll be the first to admit: I'm not well educated. I got through high school on average grades, and college was a dream that wasn't ever gonna come true. I would have been destined for a long career at McDonald's if it wasn't for my fists. My fists? They're gold. The one shining light I've got in this world. They can put anyone down, and believe me I have put a lot of people down. I have to, it's what pays. And all of that money, almost every red cent? That goes to paying off debts. I'm lucky if I have enough money to buy bread, let alone keep a roof over my head. Hell, I can't even afford a gym membership. Why do you think I'm training at the dead of night, I broke the lock on the door. But hell that's fine, this is California, there's two gyms on every block. Plenty to get into.
He pauses to shake his head before going back to punching the bag.
Daniel Lanning: It's a circle, man. I get money but it goes to the guys holding me by the throat, meaning I don't have money to pay for anything I need, meaning I have to either borrow money putting myself into MORE debt, or I take the harder jobs. In bounty hunting, there are jobs that pay really well. If I did a good couple handfuls of them, I'd be out of this debt. You know why I haven't? Cause the chances of me surviving to the end of that ain't so good. And if I die? There's....there's consequences for that too, and it's just not worth the risk. So there's no win in this. Every option is just another loss. No light at the end of this fucking tunnel....until now. This invitational? This is the kind of thing dreams are made of. With this I could finally get out, I could finally get this monkey off my back, and live my fucking life. And that's why I can't lose this. Because if I do, it's back to the grind. Bounty hunting on off-days, hoping I don't get stabbed or shot by some piece of shit that doesn't wanna go back to jail. Wrestling on nights, hoping that I don't become one of those freak accidents, you know the ones. Guy takes some head bump and that's it. Paralyzed or dead, just like that. If I win this, I could finally start planning a life without needing to do things like this. I don't wanna spend my life bounty hunting, hell I don't wanna spend my life wrestling either. These are just ways to make money, to use the only skill I got to escape all the bullshit of my life. I don't wanna get killed doing this. I don't wanna stay in too long, becoming some of these guys you see, their bodies so badly busted they break down crying from the pain of putting their socks on, or they're so demented from all the head trauma they race around on a wheelchair screaming abuse at everyone they see. I don't wanna become that, man. I got things I have to do, important things. But I can't do them with having to pay money to all these people.
He starts throwing rapid shots at the bag, falling into an angry rhythm.
Daniel Lanning: And I look out at the people who're throwing their hats into this, and all it does is make me angry. These are the people that want to win this, who think they deserve it. These are the people who want to take this one opportunity away from me. These people, who have nothing pushing them, not like I do. Look at some of these people. Aries Reed, he only thing he cares about is himself, the only thing pushing him forward is his love of himself. Does that drive him enough? Hell, will it drastically change things for him if he loses? No, not really. He's lost plenty, and I'm gonna be making sure that doesn't change. And I'm not gonna lie and say I'm not gonna enjoy busting his jaw. Who else we got, Damon Alexander or whatever his name is? Only thing that guy cares about is getting laid. And that's nice and all, but I'm not gonna let him get past me. But, hey, consider it a gift. When I knock your teeth out, you can use that on your girls. Tell them you need help getting nursed back to health, put on the charm, get some extra-intensive medical care. You're welcome. I know Carey's entering, and I got all the respect for that guy. He's the only one of these people I think deserves it. But I know what I'm fighting for, and if I gotta break his jaw to get it, then so be it. No hard feelings, and no regrets. I look at these guys, and all I can ask is what's pushing them. What's driving them. What, to get famous? To get their name out there? To get women to notice them? To get on top of the business? Fuck that. I'm going in there for something deeper, something more basic. I'm going in there, so I can live. So I can put food on my table. So I can keep a roof over my head. If I don't win this, there's nothing left. There's nothing else, no option B, no backup plan. I'm going all-in on this, it's all or nothing. I lose this, and I'm just back to the unending shit that barely qualifies as a life.
He lays into the bag with one final shot, the Taskmaster, before turning to face the camera with fire burning in his eyes.
Daniel Lanning: So go ahead. Let anyone enter this. Fiona Collins, Chris Strike, Lexy Chapel. Hell, the entirety of Gods & Monsters! Let them all enter this, and I will put every single one of them down! I will drive my fist into their jaw and rob them of their consciousness! Put an army in front of me, and I'll destroy them. Because I refuse to let anyone stand in my way. I have to win this. Or I might as well just drop dead now. And I ain't even started living yet, so I sure as fuck don't intend on dying yet. So if you enter that invitational, don't be surprised when I leave you on your back staring at the birdies. 'Cause it's time for me to start living....so I can finally make good on some promises.
Cut to Black