Post by Duncan Ryder on Aug 13, 2022 14:42:17 GMT -5
Tuesday August 2nd - Milwaukee, WI
Official footage runs from backstage in the UW-Milauwkee Panther Arena. In the bottom left corner of the shot is the Level Up logo and the words ‘After Streaming Ended.’
Duncan Shepard is storming through the backstage corridors of the arena. Anger is clear on his bright red and sweat glistened face. A nasty haematoma has risen above his left eye.
Duncan: Brasco!
Duncan yells, his head whipping around wildly. A crewmember tries to slip past him but Duncan grabs the man by the scruff of his polo shirt.
Duncan: Where’s Brasco!?
Duncan yells in the man’s face.
Crewmember: I- I dunno.
Duncan: Find him.
Duncan shoves the man aside and he stumbles away. A second later the crewmember’s shouts are added to Duncan’s own, calling out the name of Level Up’s premier backstage interviewer.
Duncan: Brasco!
A few moments later and the man appears. Lenny Brasco steps in from the left side of the shot. He looks nervous but is so far doing a decent job of keeping the emotion in check.
Lenny: W-what is it Champ?
Duncan: Interview me.
Lenny: Interview you?
Duncan: Yeah, interview me. Now.
Lenny: What do you want me to ask you?
Duncan: Ask me about what just happened. Ask me how I feel about it.
Lenny: O-ok.
Lenny turns to the camera that’s been taking in the whole scene, straightens out his jacket and slaps on his best on-air face.
Lenny: Lenny Brasco here with Duncan Shepard just minutes after the dramatic events that closed out EXP 29. Commander, would you give us your thoughts-
Lenny’s question is cut short by Duncan snatching the microphone out of his hand. He then immediately steps forward and across, cutting the interviewer out of the shot. Duncan fixes his wild eyes straight down the camera.
Duncan: Bert McAlroy! You think you achieved something tonight don’t you. Check you out. Extra big celebratory bong tonight is it? Because you just pinned the Final Boss. You just became only the second person to pin me for three in my whole tenure here in Level Up. Now you’re going to tell everybody how great you are aren’t ya. How after less than two years of competition you’re the greatest to ever strap up a pair of boots. How this proved that you’re the rightful champion and I’m the so called pretender you claim me to be.
Duncan snarls and shakes his head.
Duncan: Nu-uh. No, Bert, you proved one thing and one thing alone tonight. You proved that when the chips are down and the stakes are high you can’t get the job done on your own. You proved that not only do you not have what it takes to put me away but that you know that you don’t. That’s why you took that shortcut. See I wouldn’t blame you for Joey Crash sticking his nose where it’s not needed and costing me that match, that’s not your choice. It was your choice though to take advantage of it. It was your choice to drive my face into those brass knuckles, because you’re a parasite Bert. You’re a leech, a tapeworm, you’re an infection, back once again to try to suck the life out of this company to feed your own selfish bloated ego. Well fine, you’ve got your match, but at Combat Evolved, you’re going to wish you’d let Crash hit you. It’d be much less painful than what I do to you next time we meet.
Duncan steps out of shot to the left. A second later the microphone flys back in, striking the wall next to Lenny, making him flinch. Lenny gestures to the camera to cut it and the video ends.
Saturday August 6th - Indianapolis, IN
Have you ever had those mornings where you just can’t get out of bed? You know you have things to do, things you want to do but it's like there’s a disconnect between your brain and your body. You tell your body to move, to swing your legs off the side of the bed so you can push yourself to your feet but they stubbornly refuse to respond. Instead all you can manage to do is stare blankly into the wall, occasionally rolling part way over and switching to the ceiling for a change of scenery.
This was how Duncan had awoken this morning.
He had been laid here for maybe an hour. He wasn’t sure. He wasn’t really keeping track. What was the point? Eventually he managed to will his arm to reach out for his phone sat atop the nightstand. Perhaps a little scrolling would pull him out of this stupor, give him something to think about besides whatever unconscious force was resigning him to his bed.
He laid on his back and held the phone up over his face. When it first turned on the screen was blindingly bright and Duncan squinted as he adjusted it down. Duncan wasn’t sure what he would find as he opened Twitter. Well that was a lie, it was always the same really. Johnny fiercely promoting his talent and angrily stepping to anyone who disagreed with him. Bert being a whining hypocrite with less self awareness than a single celled organism. Seb being horny on main. All in all Twitter was feeling like business as usual this morning.
Except for one thing, the picture of a scantily clad Emily Simms, presented with nothing but a tag for Buster Gloves.
‘She’s mocking you. She’s tagged Buster but she wanted you to see it. Why else would she post it publicly like that? She knows you’ll see it. She wants you to know that you fucked up, that you’re not good enough. She’s showing you what could have been if you had been better and what someone else is enjoying because you weren’t. She doesn’t love you anymore. She doesn’t even respect you. You’re a joke to her.’
Duncan slammed the phone down onto the bed beside him, summoning every bit of self control he had not to launch it full pelt into the wall.
But anger succeeded where all other emotions had failed. Duncan threw the sheets aside and leapt to his feet.
He needed to break something.
Someone.
And he wasn’t going to do that laying here.
Monday August 8th - Indianapolis, IN
You tap the play button in the centre of your screen and the video begins. It’s cheaply shot, filmed on a mid range cell phone in which the cameraman and subject are one and the same. That someone is Duncan Shepard. Suburban Indianapolis passes by in the background as Duncan walks, the camera looking down at him from a high and right angle. Frustration, irritation, annoyance, a combination of all three are expressed clearly on his face.
Duncan: You know I haven’t given it a whole lot of thought since last show. I had to take a few days off while the huge bump on my head went down. Next week though, EXP 30 coming from Detroit, I’m going one on one with Drake Wilcox. I’m going to get to him later though because right now I want to talk to Bert McAlroy.
Duncan’s eyes had been flitting back and forth between the camera and looking where he’s going but as he says the last words he fixes the camera with a hard stare, as if he can see his next Final Boss title challenger through the lens.
Duncan: You see what I’m doing here Bert? It’s called promotion. It’s a thing I do for every match I take part in, whether I’m in the mood for it or not, because I’m a professional. That means I do my whole job, week in week out, not just the bits I feel like doing. I don’t just half ass it when the going gets tough. That’s not my point right now though.
Duncan: What I’m here to tell you Bert and hell I’ll say it to Joey Crash too because I know he’s going to kick your ass and worm his way into Combat Evolved too. Watch. My. Match. Don’t make any excuses about having to get yourself ready, it’s early, you’ve got time. You both know that I’m the best technical wrestler in this company. I rank among the best pure technical wrestlers in this business and what that means is that I can take any limb, any body part of any human being and I can destroy it. I can cripple it. I can make you tap out, I can put you on the shelf, I can end a career if I choose to. Bert, Joey, I already know which parts of you I’m gonna break and next week, you both better watch me take on Wilcox and you’re going to see that nothing I just said is hyperbole. I’m calling my shot right now. Big bastard like Drake, I’m chopping that tree down. I’m taking that leg and twisting it up until it’s nothing but a bunch of shredded tendons dangling off a bone.
Duncan: When that match is over boys you’re going to understand what’s in store for you at Combat Evolved. Bert, I want you to watch as Drake Wilcox is carried from the ring by an army of EMTs because he can walk and understand that that’s how you’re leaving next time we come face to face. The difference is that Drake won’t be able to walk because of how much he feels his legs. You won’t won’t be able to because you can’t feel them at all.
Duncan’s hand reaches for the screen and the video ends abruptly.
Omega
Shepard walked along the smoky red lit walkways of the famed Omega station. Beside him walked the Normandy’s pilot Joker.
“If there’s going to be a lead on the Salerian it’s going to be here,” said Shepard.
“What salarian?” asked Joker.
“The one that stole the empowered artefact. The one I need to find to get it back. To save the galaxy.”
Joker frowned at him. “Didn’t you find that guy already?”
“Did I- ? What? What’re you talking about? He’s still around. I fought him just days ago but he escaped.”
“No, you found him on Poe’s World. You told me. He was dead, broken neck, head hanging a hundred and fifty degrees from centre. We recovered the body.”
“I-”, Shepard hesitated, confused, “no, you must be mistaken. That was-”, he didn’t know what to say next. Conveniently a new plot device appeared ahead of them. A krogan in familiar black and red armour. “That Krogan,” he said, as if the previous conversation hadn’t happened, “I know him.”
“That what?” asked Joker.
“The Krogan, there in front of us. He’s one of the bodyguards of the Raider.”
“What’s a Krogan?” asked Joker, “What Raider?”
“What’re you talking about Joker, of course you know what a Krogan is. They’re one of the predominant intelligent species in the galaxy and how can you not remember the Raider? He smashed a huge hole in the shuttle bay almost a year ago.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about and please stop calling me Joker. I’ve told you I don’t get it,” said Joker.
“What? I didn’t call you Joker. You’ve been calling yourself that longer than I’ve known you. That’s practically how you first introduced yourself to me.”
Joker frowned at him. “Duncan, are you OK?”
“Duncan?”
No one calls me by my first name. I’m Shepard, Commander Shepard.
None of this makes sense.
Why are we here?
How did we get here?
Why is Joker off the ship?
You’re losing it.
The Cockpit of the Normandy
Yes, this makes more sense.
Shepard stood behind Joker’s right shoulder as he piloted the prototype Alliance Frigate.
“How’s our progress Joker? Have we reached the jump point for the Horse Head Nebula Relay?”
“What? We’re almost in Fort Wayne. It’s going to be about another three hours. Are you planning on talking nonsense the whole way there?”
“I- I-,” stammered Shepard.
“Are you OK Duncan?”
“Duncan?” replied Shepard.
“Yes, Duncan, you. Are. You. OK?” asked Joker with growing irritation.
Shepard didn’t respond.
“Duncan. Duncan! Duncan!!”
Saturday August 13th - Somewhere outside Fort Wayne, IN
“Duncan!!” Craig was yelling.
Why is he yelling?
“Yeah? What?” Duncan asked wearily, as if waking up from a deep sleep.
“What? You’re asking me what?” said the designated driver of the Level Up promotional tour bus, “you’ve been talking nonsense for the past twenty minutes and then you just spaced out.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Duncan.
“That’s not reassuring,” said Craig with growing agitation. “Are you OK?”
“Of course I am,” Duncan said defensively, “why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because you’re sitting there talking like a crazy person then acting like nothing happened. Are you sleeping alright?” Craig’s voice began to shift from annoyance to genuine concern.
Duncan sighed, “No, not really.”
“Well, why don’t you head up top? It’s gonna be a while before we get to Detroit. I think you need it.”
Duncan nodded slowly, “yeah. Yeah I think I’ll do that.” He got out of his seat and clambered back out of the cab towards the bus’s habitable area. “That’s Joker,” he said as he left.
“I said stop calling me that. I don’t even know what it means,” Craig complained.
“Google it,” was all Shepard said as he retired to the Captain’s Cabin.
The camera opens up on Duncan Shepard. He looks tired, his posture slumped and his eyes bloodshot red.
Everyone can tell you’re a mess. It’s embarrassing.
There’s no green screen today, just a plain Level Up logo emblazoned backdrop. Duncan carries the title limply in his right hand that hangs down by his side, the belt unfolded so the other end touches the ground. Duncan looks down at it though in doing so he turns his head from the camera and we can’t see the expression on his face.
Duncan: It’s the funniest thing…
His first words are spoken at barely more than a whisper and they trail off to a ghostly silence.
Duncan: No matter how I try to leave the Game Changers behind whenever I turn around, there they are. Have the Game Changers not made enough enemies already that I have to be placed back in their path at least once a month?
He sighs then looks up at the camera and gives a little shrug.
Duncan: I suppose I don’t really mind. It’s not like I’m short on receipts that need paying back. I’ve gotten a measure of revenge against Larry since Final Fantasy, not enough though. Same with ISAAC, it was good to get my shots in at Super Adventure Island but an elimination for simply going through a table, not even at my hands, that’s not enough for me. Don’t think I’ve forgotten what happened at Final Fantasy. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about how I was left straining to breathe and coughing up blood and still had to defend my title. I may have taken my wins since, my little victories but not my revenge, not a measure of what you all deserve. That ends at EXP 30. That starts with you Drake Wilcox.
Duncan slowly lifts the Final Boss championship belt and lays it over his right shoulder.
Duncan: If you’ve been paying attention Drake you’ll know that I already called my shot and I don’t care that you know it. It doesn’t matter if you know my gameplan, there’s nothing you can do to stop it. You may be the biggest man in the company. You may be used to that coming with a share of intimidation for your opponents, a little trepidation to go toe-to-toe with you but not me.
Duncan slaps his left hand against the title a few times.
Duncan: Do you think I won this title by being intimidated by anyone? Do you think I reached the pinnacle of this company by having a shred of trepidation in my heart any time I enter the ring? No, all I see when I look at you Drake is a tree and I’m here to cut you down.
Duncan holds up a finger and gives the camera a quizzical look.
Duncan: By the way if you’re struggling to keep up with the long words I’m using, ask Larry to break it down into single syllables you can understand.
He shakes off the digression and seriousness spreads back across his face.
Duncan: Drake, I’m going to take an example out of you. I hear people whispering, like my grip on the Final Boss title is slipping. Like Bert McAlroy’s tainted win over me two weeks ago means something. You’re how I’m going to prove them wrong Drake. You’re how I’m going to show everyone in the locker room, everyone in the back, everyone watching in the arena or streaming us on Twitch, that it doesn’t matter who I face, it doesn’t matter if you’re big and strong, it doesn’t matter if you’re fast and nimble, it doesn’t matter if you can brawl, it doesn’t matter if you can fly, I can break you. You’re all just equations to me and I can solve any equation the world sets me because I am the best, most athletic, well rounded, technical wrestler in the world and whatever part of your body I want to dismantle, I will dismantle it. You know I’m coming for your legs Drake, you know I’m coming to chop down the tree, but just like a tree can’t do anything to stave off the chainsaw there’s nothing you can do to stop me and when I leave you to be carried out of the arena this week, when I put you in a hospital bed for the next week then I’ll consider us even.
Duncan shrugs the title belt off his shoulder and into his hand then holds it up close to the camera.
Duncan: Then the rest of you might realise that as much as you think you want this belt, as much as you might think it’s everything you want in life, coming for it isn’t the fairytale story you think it’s going to be.
Duncan: Craig, cut the feed.
Duncan is stepping out of shot as the video cuts out.
You said Craig. Moron.
Official footage runs from backstage in the UW-Milauwkee Panther Arena. In the bottom left corner of the shot is the Level Up logo and the words ‘After Streaming Ended.’
Duncan Shepard is storming through the backstage corridors of the arena. Anger is clear on his bright red and sweat glistened face. A nasty haematoma has risen above his left eye.
Duncan: Brasco!
Duncan yells, his head whipping around wildly. A crewmember tries to slip past him but Duncan grabs the man by the scruff of his polo shirt.
Duncan: Where’s Brasco!?
Duncan yells in the man’s face.
Crewmember: I- I dunno.
Duncan: Find him.
Duncan shoves the man aside and he stumbles away. A second later the crewmember’s shouts are added to Duncan’s own, calling out the name of Level Up’s premier backstage interviewer.
Duncan: Brasco!
A few moments later and the man appears. Lenny Brasco steps in from the left side of the shot. He looks nervous but is so far doing a decent job of keeping the emotion in check.
Lenny: W-what is it Champ?
Duncan: Interview me.
Lenny: Interview you?
Duncan: Yeah, interview me. Now.
Lenny: What do you want me to ask you?
Duncan: Ask me about what just happened. Ask me how I feel about it.
Lenny: O-ok.
Lenny turns to the camera that’s been taking in the whole scene, straightens out his jacket and slaps on his best on-air face.
Lenny: Lenny Brasco here with Duncan Shepard just minutes after the dramatic events that closed out EXP 29. Commander, would you give us your thoughts-
Lenny’s question is cut short by Duncan snatching the microphone out of his hand. He then immediately steps forward and across, cutting the interviewer out of the shot. Duncan fixes his wild eyes straight down the camera.
Duncan: Bert McAlroy! You think you achieved something tonight don’t you. Check you out. Extra big celebratory bong tonight is it? Because you just pinned the Final Boss. You just became only the second person to pin me for three in my whole tenure here in Level Up. Now you’re going to tell everybody how great you are aren’t ya. How after less than two years of competition you’re the greatest to ever strap up a pair of boots. How this proved that you’re the rightful champion and I’m the so called pretender you claim me to be.
Duncan snarls and shakes his head.
Duncan: Nu-uh. No, Bert, you proved one thing and one thing alone tonight. You proved that when the chips are down and the stakes are high you can’t get the job done on your own. You proved that not only do you not have what it takes to put me away but that you know that you don’t. That’s why you took that shortcut. See I wouldn’t blame you for Joey Crash sticking his nose where it’s not needed and costing me that match, that’s not your choice. It was your choice though to take advantage of it. It was your choice to drive my face into those brass knuckles, because you’re a parasite Bert. You’re a leech, a tapeworm, you’re an infection, back once again to try to suck the life out of this company to feed your own selfish bloated ego. Well fine, you’ve got your match, but at Combat Evolved, you’re going to wish you’d let Crash hit you. It’d be much less painful than what I do to you next time we meet.
Duncan steps out of shot to the left. A second later the microphone flys back in, striking the wall next to Lenny, making him flinch. Lenny gestures to the camera to cut it and the video ends.
Saturday August 6th - Indianapolis, IN
Have you ever had those mornings where you just can’t get out of bed? You know you have things to do, things you want to do but it's like there’s a disconnect between your brain and your body. You tell your body to move, to swing your legs off the side of the bed so you can push yourself to your feet but they stubbornly refuse to respond. Instead all you can manage to do is stare blankly into the wall, occasionally rolling part way over and switching to the ceiling for a change of scenery.
This was how Duncan had awoken this morning.
He had been laid here for maybe an hour. He wasn’t sure. He wasn’t really keeping track. What was the point? Eventually he managed to will his arm to reach out for his phone sat atop the nightstand. Perhaps a little scrolling would pull him out of this stupor, give him something to think about besides whatever unconscious force was resigning him to his bed.
He laid on his back and held the phone up over his face. When it first turned on the screen was blindingly bright and Duncan squinted as he adjusted it down. Duncan wasn’t sure what he would find as he opened Twitter. Well that was a lie, it was always the same really. Johnny fiercely promoting his talent and angrily stepping to anyone who disagreed with him. Bert being a whining hypocrite with less self awareness than a single celled organism. Seb being horny on main. All in all Twitter was feeling like business as usual this morning.
Except for one thing, the picture of a scantily clad Emily Simms, presented with nothing but a tag for Buster Gloves.
‘She’s mocking you. She’s tagged Buster but she wanted you to see it. Why else would she post it publicly like that? She knows you’ll see it. She wants you to know that you fucked up, that you’re not good enough. She’s showing you what could have been if you had been better and what someone else is enjoying because you weren’t. She doesn’t love you anymore. She doesn’t even respect you. You’re a joke to her.’
Duncan slammed the phone down onto the bed beside him, summoning every bit of self control he had not to launch it full pelt into the wall.
But anger succeeded where all other emotions had failed. Duncan threw the sheets aside and leapt to his feet.
He needed to break something.
Someone.
And he wasn’t going to do that laying here.
Monday August 8th - Indianapolis, IN
You tap the play button in the centre of your screen and the video begins. It’s cheaply shot, filmed on a mid range cell phone in which the cameraman and subject are one and the same. That someone is Duncan Shepard. Suburban Indianapolis passes by in the background as Duncan walks, the camera looking down at him from a high and right angle. Frustration, irritation, annoyance, a combination of all three are expressed clearly on his face.
Duncan: You know I haven’t given it a whole lot of thought since last show. I had to take a few days off while the huge bump on my head went down. Next week though, EXP 30 coming from Detroit, I’m going one on one with Drake Wilcox. I’m going to get to him later though because right now I want to talk to Bert McAlroy.
Duncan’s eyes had been flitting back and forth between the camera and looking where he’s going but as he says the last words he fixes the camera with a hard stare, as if he can see his next Final Boss title challenger through the lens.
Duncan: You see what I’m doing here Bert? It’s called promotion. It’s a thing I do for every match I take part in, whether I’m in the mood for it or not, because I’m a professional. That means I do my whole job, week in week out, not just the bits I feel like doing. I don’t just half ass it when the going gets tough. That’s not my point right now though.
Duncan: What I’m here to tell you Bert and hell I’ll say it to Joey Crash too because I know he’s going to kick your ass and worm his way into Combat Evolved too. Watch. My. Match. Don’t make any excuses about having to get yourself ready, it’s early, you’ve got time. You both know that I’m the best technical wrestler in this company. I rank among the best pure technical wrestlers in this business and what that means is that I can take any limb, any body part of any human being and I can destroy it. I can cripple it. I can make you tap out, I can put you on the shelf, I can end a career if I choose to. Bert, Joey, I already know which parts of you I’m gonna break and next week, you both better watch me take on Wilcox and you’re going to see that nothing I just said is hyperbole. I’m calling my shot right now. Big bastard like Drake, I’m chopping that tree down. I’m taking that leg and twisting it up until it’s nothing but a bunch of shredded tendons dangling off a bone.
Duncan: When that match is over boys you’re going to understand what’s in store for you at Combat Evolved. Bert, I want you to watch as Drake Wilcox is carried from the ring by an army of EMTs because he can walk and understand that that’s how you’re leaving next time we come face to face. The difference is that Drake won’t be able to walk because of how much he feels his legs. You won’t won’t be able to because you can’t feel them at all.
Duncan’s hand reaches for the screen and the video ends abruptly.
Omega
Shepard walked along the smoky red lit walkways of the famed Omega station. Beside him walked the Normandy’s pilot Joker.
“If there’s going to be a lead on the Salerian it’s going to be here,” said Shepard.
“What salarian?” asked Joker.
“The one that stole the empowered artefact. The one I need to find to get it back. To save the galaxy.”
Joker frowned at him. “Didn’t you find that guy already?”
“Did I- ? What? What’re you talking about? He’s still around. I fought him just days ago but he escaped.”
“No, you found him on Poe’s World. You told me. He was dead, broken neck, head hanging a hundred and fifty degrees from centre. We recovered the body.”
“I-”, Shepard hesitated, confused, “no, you must be mistaken. That was-”, he didn’t know what to say next. Conveniently a new plot device appeared ahead of them. A krogan in familiar black and red armour. “That Krogan,” he said, as if the previous conversation hadn’t happened, “I know him.”
“That what?” asked Joker.
“The Krogan, there in front of us. He’s one of the bodyguards of the Raider.”
“What’s a Krogan?” asked Joker, “What Raider?”
“What’re you talking about Joker, of course you know what a Krogan is. They’re one of the predominant intelligent species in the galaxy and how can you not remember the Raider? He smashed a huge hole in the shuttle bay almost a year ago.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about and please stop calling me Joker. I’ve told you I don’t get it,” said Joker.
“What? I didn’t call you Joker. You’ve been calling yourself that longer than I’ve known you. That’s practically how you first introduced yourself to me.”
Joker frowned at him. “Duncan, are you OK?”
“Duncan?”
No one calls me by my first name. I’m Shepard, Commander Shepard.
None of this makes sense.
Why are we here?
How did we get here?
Why is Joker off the ship?
You’re losing it.
The Cockpit of the Normandy
Yes, this makes more sense.
Shepard stood behind Joker’s right shoulder as he piloted the prototype Alliance Frigate.
“How’s our progress Joker? Have we reached the jump point for the Horse Head Nebula Relay?”
“What? We’re almost in Fort Wayne. It’s going to be about another three hours. Are you planning on talking nonsense the whole way there?”
“I- I-,” stammered Shepard.
“Are you OK Duncan?”
“Duncan?” replied Shepard.
“Yes, Duncan, you. Are. You. OK?” asked Joker with growing irritation.
Shepard didn’t respond.
“Duncan. Duncan! Duncan!!”
Saturday August 13th - Somewhere outside Fort Wayne, IN
“Duncan!!” Craig was yelling.
Why is he yelling?
“Yeah? What?” Duncan asked wearily, as if waking up from a deep sleep.
“What? You’re asking me what?” said the designated driver of the Level Up promotional tour bus, “you’ve been talking nonsense for the past twenty minutes and then you just spaced out.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Duncan.
“That’s not reassuring,” said Craig with growing agitation. “Are you OK?”
“Of course I am,” Duncan said defensively, “why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because you’re sitting there talking like a crazy person then acting like nothing happened. Are you sleeping alright?” Craig’s voice began to shift from annoyance to genuine concern.
Duncan sighed, “No, not really.”
“Well, why don’t you head up top? It’s gonna be a while before we get to Detroit. I think you need it.”
Duncan nodded slowly, “yeah. Yeah I think I’ll do that.” He got out of his seat and clambered back out of the cab towards the bus’s habitable area. “That’s Joker,” he said as he left.
“I said stop calling me that. I don’t even know what it means,” Craig complained.
“Google it,” was all Shepard said as he retired to the Captain’s Cabin.
The camera opens up on Duncan Shepard. He looks tired, his posture slumped and his eyes bloodshot red.
Everyone can tell you’re a mess. It’s embarrassing.
There’s no green screen today, just a plain Level Up logo emblazoned backdrop. Duncan carries the title limply in his right hand that hangs down by his side, the belt unfolded so the other end touches the ground. Duncan looks down at it though in doing so he turns his head from the camera and we can’t see the expression on his face.
Duncan: It’s the funniest thing…
His first words are spoken at barely more than a whisper and they trail off to a ghostly silence.
Duncan: No matter how I try to leave the Game Changers behind whenever I turn around, there they are. Have the Game Changers not made enough enemies already that I have to be placed back in their path at least once a month?
He sighs then looks up at the camera and gives a little shrug.
Duncan: I suppose I don’t really mind. It’s not like I’m short on receipts that need paying back. I’ve gotten a measure of revenge against Larry since Final Fantasy, not enough though. Same with ISAAC, it was good to get my shots in at Super Adventure Island but an elimination for simply going through a table, not even at my hands, that’s not enough for me. Don’t think I’ve forgotten what happened at Final Fantasy. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about how I was left straining to breathe and coughing up blood and still had to defend my title. I may have taken my wins since, my little victories but not my revenge, not a measure of what you all deserve. That ends at EXP 30. That starts with you Drake Wilcox.
Duncan slowly lifts the Final Boss championship belt and lays it over his right shoulder.
Duncan: If you’ve been paying attention Drake you’ll know that I already called my shot and I don’t care that you know it. It doesn’t matter if you know my gameplan, there’s nothing you can do to stop it. You may be the biggest man in the company. You may be used to that coming with a share of intimidation for your opponents, a little trepidation to go toe-to-toe with you but not me.
Duncan slaps his left hand against the title a few times.
Duncan: Do you think I won this title by being intimidated by anyone? Do you think I reached the pinnacle of this company by having a shred of trepidation in my heart any time I enter the ring? No, all I see when I look at you Drake is a tree and I’m here to cut you down.
Duncan holds up a finger and gives the camera a quizzical look.
Duncan: By the way if you’re struggling to keep up with the long words I’m using, ask Larry to break it down into single syllables you can understand.
He shakes off the digression and seriousness spreads back across his face.
Duncan: Drake, I’m going to take an example out of you. I hear people whispering, like my grip on the Final Boss title is slipping. Like Bert McAlroy’s tainted win over me two weeks ago means something. You’re how I’m going to prove them wrong Drake. You’re how I’m going to show everyone in the locker room, everyone in the back, everyone watching in the arena or streaming us on Twitch, that it doesn’t matter who I face, it doesn’t matter if you’re big and strong, it doesn’t matter if you’re fast and nimble, it doesn’t matter if you can brawl, it doesn’t matter if you can fly, I can break you. You’re all just equations to me and I can solve any equation the world sets me because I am the best, most athletic, well rounded, technical wrestler in the world and whatever part of your body I want to dismantle, I will dismantle it. You know I’m coming for your legs Drake, you know I’m coming to chop down the tree, but just like a tree can’t do anything to stave off the chainsaw there’s nothing you can do to stop me and when I leave you to be carried out of the arena this week, when I put you in a hospital bed for the next week then I’ll consider us even.
Duncan shrugs the title belt off his shoulder and into his hand then holds it up close to the camera.
Duncan: Then the rest of you might realise that as much as you think you want this belt, as much as you might think it’s everything you want in life, coming for it isn’t the fairytale story you think it’s going to be.
Duncan: Craig, cut the feed.
Duncan is stepping out of shot as the video cuts out.
You said Craig. Moron.
Feb. '22 - Jul. '22
2022
2021/2022
Jun '21 - Jul '22