Post by Meatball-kun on Mar 22, 2014 4:33:30 GMT -6
"We're going to try something different."
Darlington looks directly into a camera.
"Normally....normally, I've tried to instill a system. I've tried to play it the way I was taught. But thanks to the actions of a certain, ah...individual, I haven't made the impact I originally had hoped. I've tried to play it by his rules. I've followed his stupid lessons. I've tried to do it his way, and where has that gotten me? I've gone 0-2 in EXODUS, and now I'm booked in a pre-show match against-"
Darlington pauses, thinking hard.
"I don't even know who the fuck she is! How far I've fallen, right? But this time...this time, I'm doing things different. I'm not putting up with the bullshit of some washed-up egotistical douchebag who thinks he's still got something to prove. This time, I do things my way."
William looks around the room, narrowing his eyes. He shakes his head, and returns his attention back to the camera.
"Alright then, Hanneman. Third time's the charm. No more of this 'take your time' 'think things through' 'play the defensive.' I played those rules, and it put me in the shitter. You, Miss, are going to feel the full extent of what I can do. You will see what happens when I don't follow someone else's orders. When I become my own man.
You're the senior official, is that right? THAT's what they've put me against? That's how low I've sunk? There's no wrestler available to fight me, so they're going to throw me a fucking referee? A striped t-shirt?
Unfortunately, Miss Hanneman...this match is going to be completely out of your element. I'm done doing what someone else tells me to do. This match, I'll be playing by MY rules. And you? You-"
William freezes. He looks up. The camera slowly turns to show Chuck Matthews standing there, watching William work.
"You're filming?"
William sneers.
"Yes, I'm filming."
Chuck takes a seat in an armchair against the wall, stretching his legs out in front of him.
"Well, go on, then."
"You're not going to give me some long speech about how I haven't earned it?"
"Nope."
"No breaking the camera?"
"Nah."
William narrows his eyes.
"What's your game?"
Chuck smiles.
"A magician never reveals his secrets."
"He does when I'm supposed to be the volunteer getting sawed in half."
Chuck frowns.
"Alright. Fine. I'll tell you what I'm thinking. I'm thinking you can take this match yourself."
"....and?"
Chuck shrugs.
"And that's about it. You've ignored my advice twice now. I have no doubt that if I give you any ideas this week, you'll ignore them again. So I'm going to let you run point on this one. Do what you want. Handle it yourself, and if you fuck it up, you'll have only yourself to blame."
"What will that prove?"
"Well, ideally, it'll prove that I do, in fact, know what I'm talking about. And that, at the end of the day, is what you really seem to be struggling with, isn't it?"
William says nothing.
"I'm not going to write your fucking speech for you, Darlington. Here's the bottom line, kid. I took you in because you're a friend of my wife, and she asked me to help you as best I could. If it was up to me, I wouldn't have trained you if you were the last professional wrestler on the face of the fucking earth. You know why?"
William remains silent.
"Because you have no respect. I've trained guys who have gone on to become world champions. You know why they succeeded? Because they acknowledged that I knew a thing or two about the business. They realized that I was a man worth listening to. It's not an ego stroke. It's not about kissing someone's ass. It's about realizing that between me, a guy who's been in the business almost ten years, and you, a guy who's wrestled all of six matches in his life, who the fuck did you think knows better about the sport? You really think you know better than I do?"
Chuck shakes his head
"Go on. Talk. Wow me. Show me that I was an idiot for ever trying to correct you."
William opens and closes his mouth several times, trying to find something to say. Finally, he shakes his head.
"This conversation is over."
He shuts the camera off.