Post by Eli Goode on May 8, 2022 16:50:19 GMT -5
“I don’t understand what Mac is doing. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him, but… This… this wasn’t the guy I knew years ago. He wouldn’t shack up with someone like Larry Tact. He wouldn’t find a way to team up with The Game Changers. I don’t understand what’s happening. Why would he do something like this? Is it… is it because of me? He said he’s out to collect some flesh. Was he talking about me? I mean, I don’t know if he has a past with anyone else on my team, but I haven’t done the research to find out. All I know is that I have a past with him and Amber. Amber… Maybe it was that call. I… I don’t know. All I know is that this isn’t like him. The Mac I know wouldn’t team up with The Game Changers. I need to know what’s up. I… I have to know.”
Off-Camera - Part One
Ever since EXP 24, Eli Goode has been sitting at home wondering what happened to Mac Bane. That is all that goes through his mind. Was it the call to Amber that did it? Was it the tweet that he posted? Is Eli even a factor in Mac’s thinking? All of these questions have run through his head. Today is no different. After having left the gym, Eli sits in a chair in the living room staring at a paused screen. On the screen is the clip of Mac talking to Larry Tact. Eli stares at Mac trying to wrap his head around everything.
“Mac, what happened?”
Someone knocks on Eli’s door. He stands up and walks over to it, but he keeps his eyes on the television screen. He opens the door and turns his head to see Katie. He slightly smiles and hugs her.
“Katie, it’s good to see you.”
“Ok, that’s weird.”
“What’s weird?”
“That greeting. You’ve never greeted anyone that way. Is something wrong?”
“What? No, everything’s… everything’s great.”
“Ok then.”
She walks into the house still a little hesitant about Eli’s greeting. She heads toward the living as Eli closes the door. She looks ahead of her and sees the Mac Bane clip on the television. She stops and sighs. She turns back to Eli.
“Nope, there’s something wrong.”
He turns around and looks at her and the television. He smiles and tries to play it off.
“What, no. I’m just watching the show back. I wanna be able to find any weaknesses in The Game Changers to, you know, get the win. I just, uh, ended the episode. This is just the final frame.”
“How long have you been staring at the ‘final frame?’"
“Not long, just, um, an hour or so.”
“Eli…”
Eli walks up to her and gently grabs her wrists.
“Hey, hey, hey, there’s no need to worry. I’m not obsessing over this. I’m just… staring at the television and questioning life choices by both Mac and myself.”
“I know what happens when you do stuff like this. You may not call it ‘obsessing,’ but that’s exactly what it is. Look, I know that you and Mac have had some sort of past, but it’s not like the past you had with Amber Ryan.”
Eli lets go of Katie after hearing Amber’s name. He takes a few steps back and looks at the television.
“Eli, you two were friends or partners. You two won titles together, and now, her husband is teaming with one of your enemies. I understand how that might hurt you, but…”
Eli scoffs and looks up to the ceiling. He shakes his head while placing his hands on his hips. He looks at Katie.
“Do you understand? Do you honestly understand what I’ve been going through mentally? Every time I rewatch this clip, I wonder if this has anything to do with me. It probably doesn’t, but I remember calling Amber. I remember her phone going to voicemail. I remember trying to reconnect with her, but it failed. Everything that I’ve done in the past has become pointless. You know, it’s probably my fault too. I didn’t keep in contact with her when I wanted to. I cut that part of my life off. I thought that would’ve been good for me but here we are. Mac is teaming up with Larry, and all I know is that he’s wanting to collect a pound of flesh. Who’s flesh? I don’t FUCKING KNOW!!!”
Katie takes a few steps back but stays silent. She takes a deep breath and walks towards the door. Eli follows her with his eyes.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m not going to stand there and let you shout at me. If I wanted that, I would’ve stayed with Will’s father. You need to get yourself together, Eli. This Mac thing probably doesn’t have anything to do with you. Take a breather. It might actually help you.”
Katie walks out of the house with Eli standing alone. He turns his head and stares at the television. His mind focuses on Mac and doesn’t leave that thought. He takes a deep breath, but it doesn’t help him. At this point, nothing will.
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Off-Camera - Part Two
After days of thinking about it, Eli has finally decided to reach out to a person from his past. Eli drives his rental car through Kansas City. It had been years since he last saw this old rival, but he knows that this guy was the only person that could help him. After years of searching, he finally found him. Eli parks in-front of a medium sized house that seems to evoke humble living. Eli exits the car and closes the door. He walks up to the house and knocks on the door. The door opens to reveal Extreme Wrestling Entertainment legend, and bitter rival of Eli Goode’s past, Johnny Chaos.
Johnny stares at Eli with a hint of anger behind his eyes. The last time Johnny truly saw Eli in person, Eli painted his face to look like the Joker. Eli tries to create a smile on his face, but all he feels is fear. Johnny steps up toward Eli.
“Eli, it’s been a long time.”
“Hey… Johnny, how are things?”
Johnny pulls his arm back and extends it out for a handshake. Eli looks confused and accepts the handshake. Johnny chuckles.
“Come on, let’s go inside.”
Johnny brings Eli inside, and Eli looks around the house confused.
“Alyssa, we have a guest. Stop acting like a teenager and say hello.”
Johnny turns back to Eli.
“You remember my daughter?"
Eli flashes back to the time when he kidnapped her to get under Johnny’s skin.
“Yep, it’s not my fondest memory. Look, Johnny…”
Footsteps are heard approaching. Eli looks to see Alyssa. All she does is wave and walks away.
“Teenagers, what are you going to do?”
Johnny walks towards the kitchen, and Eli follows. Eli continues to try to get Johnny’s attention, but Johnny seems to ignore it.
“Johnny, look, I need your…”
“Want a beer? Oh, nope, I forgot, you don’t drink anymore. Your epilepsy and everything. How’s that going anyway?”
“It’s fine, but look, Johnny…”
“Hey, Eli, do you remember that time you were acting like the Joker? Oh, it was hilarious. Then I destroyed you because you kidnapped my daughter. Oh, good times.”
“Yes, I remember, but look…”
“And then, the best part, Christy and Jack created their own promotion with you in this entire repackage trying to blame all of it on you having DID. Eli, bravo for you for trying to make a great excuse. Oh yeah, Alyssa still talks about it. Every night, for three years at least, she would ask if the clown was going to come back… And every… damn… night… I had to tell her, ‘no.’ Do you have any idea on what that does to a child? All that therapy?”
Eli takes a step back as the silence takes over the room. A single tear slowly rolls down Johnny’s cheek. Eli nods and looks at Johnny.
“Yeah, I know, I did some fucked up things back then, but you need to realize that I’ve changed…”
“It doesn’t matter if you’ve changed, Eli. What matters is that for three damn years my daughter had nightmares of you. She dreamt of you kidnapping her again and again and again. And you wanna know the worst part about it… I wasn’t there to stop you. It happened under MY watch. No, our relationship wasn’t damaged, but that didn’t help it.”
“Johnny, I… I need your help.”
Johnny laughs and shakes his head.
“Why, on earth, would I want to help you? I trusted you. You were someone that I tried to elevate in EWE, and you threw it away.”
“Oh, that’s rich. Look, I understand what I did to you was wrong, but don’t act like you were a goddamn saint either. You were one of the reasons I went that way. All of your self-aggrandizing. You wanted to be the center of attention, and you got there. Oh, you got there. At the detriment of people like me.”
“Please, don’t act like the victim.”
“I’m not, goddammit. I’m someone that has realized the errors of my past and have tried to put it in the past. I’m not someone that’s trying to act like I was never that way. You… you never tried to make amends. I called you, multiple times, but you never answered the phone. Christy was someone that I apologized to. Jack, Dutch, Leon, Syd, everyone that I caused trauma to. I called them, and they accepted my apology. But not you.”
Johnny walks up to Eli and stares down at him.
“Maybe it’s because I don’t forgive you. Did you ever think of that? Did you ever think that your actions to this family caused more harm than good? Ever THINK OF THAT?”
The room stands in silence. Eli looks up to Johnny and nods.
“You’re right. I did more harm than good to you and your family. I shouldn’t have assumed that I could have repaired this, and maybe that’s why a former ally of mine has chosen to team with my enemies. Just maybe. You know, I wanted to see if you had any insights on why someone from my past would team up with a team that I’m fighting against, and I think you just answered it for me. Yeah, so, I’m sorry for what I did to you, and I’m sorry for bothering you. I did more harm than good coming here. Have a good day, and, um, I… I’m sorry.”
Eli walks out of the house as Johnny Chaos watches him leave. Eli walks towards his rental car and gets it. He sits alone in the car weeping. Many years have passed since the incident between Johnny and Eli, and Eli wanted that to be in his past. However, nothing is truly in the past. Nothing is truly buried. It doesn’t matter how hard you try.
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Off-Camera - Part Three
Eli arrives early at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena. He walks through the backstage area towards his locker room. He remembers that he’s going to be sharing the locker room with his teammates and tries to find a locker that would work for him. He sits on the bench trying to calm his thoughts, but he still can’t understand why Mac is doing this. He pulls out his phone and looks at it. He goes to his contact list and cycles through the names. He sees Amber Ryan and calls her. He sits for a few seconds and gets her voicemail. He sighs and scratches his head. He takes a deep breath trying to think of what to say. He releases the breath ready to finally talk like himself.
“Hey Amber, I know this is the, uh, second time in just a few weeks, but I… I just wanted to talk. I know that I was never the best friend to you, and I can understand why you wouldn’t want to answer, but I wanted to talk to you about Mac. You and I both know that he’s the definition of true neutral, but I don’t understand why he would team up with someone like Larry Tact. Look, Tact is not a great person. He’s someone that even you’d want to take out so I don’t know why Mac would do this. He said something about ‘a pound of flesh to collect.’ Does that mean anything to you? I may have been going a little too crazy, but I’ve been thinking it’s about me. How I’ve been trying to reconnect with you and try to be a better friend. You know, I’m… I’m sorry that I never reached out after Carnage. After the dissolution of Paragon. Near the end of our run, I was petty. You and Jack were focusing on working along with Mac, and you all never included me in your plans. I just… I was feeling left out.
It’s funny. Everytime I look back at my mistakes, it always comes down to me being an asshole. There was an instance of someone else being at fault. It was always me. Maybe that’s it. Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe if I would’ve just gotten over myself, none of this would’ve happened. We’d still be in contact with each other, Mac wouldn’t have agreed to team up with The Game Changers. A lot of what ifs. But… yeah, thanks for, maybe, listening to this. I know that you’re busy being a badass in Sin City Wrestling. I thought about joining it. Becoming a two-fed wrestler, but I don’t want it to seem like I’m just following you all. Again, um, take care Amber. Good bye.”
He hangs up the phone and places it in his bag. He stares ahead of him and focuses on the match. Mac’s true reason for joining The Game Changers will never be known to Eli, but he knows that, no matter what, he is going to make sure that Mac does not win this match.
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On-Camera
“It’s all a mystery to me. The reasons why people do what they do. Mac, he wants to collect a pound of flesh, but who’s flesh? Is it mine? Centurion’s? Dionysus’? Paul Freedom’s? Brody Adams’? That’s the question I’ve been pondering for weeks. Who does Mac want to kill? I know The Game Changers’ goal, but I don’t know Mac’s. That’s been gnawing at my brain. A question that needs an answer, but it’ll never be answered I think. Not until DOOM. Going into this match, everyone has had history with at least one person. Centurion has a history with ISAAC. Brody has a history with Drake. Dionysus has a history with EAB. Paul has a history with Larry, mainly due to his frequent interruptions. I have a history with Mac. However, my main goal was to take Tact down at DOOM, but Tact… you brought in someone to trip me up. That moment I saw Mac… I didn’t know what to do.
Tact, for the first time in your career, you’ve truly left me silent. I saw Mac, and I didn’t know what to do. Should I be angry that Mac would team up with you? Should I be happy to simply see Mac? How should I react? I… I didn’t know. My first reaction was… shock. Why would Mac team up with you? What is his real motive? What is he doing here? What is he planning? All of these questions have been running through my head, and I still can’t find a reason why. I have theories but no concrete answer. I’ve been wondering if it’s about me. It’s no secret that I’ve been reminiscing about my past with Amber in Paragon. It’s no secret that I miss working with her, Mac, and Matt Knox. So, is he trying to collect my flesh? I don’t know.
Maybe, I’m being narcissistic. Maybe it’s not about me at all. Maybe he’s trying to make a point in LevelUp. Maybe he wants to prove that Duncan’s win at The Last of Us 2 was a hoax. Maybe he wants to prove that he could win the Final Boss Championship. I don’t know. Out of all the people in this match, he’s the wild card.
Larry, it’s obvious what you want. You want to continue to run wild with The Game Changers. You want to assert dominance over everyone in LevelUp. You want the Power Championship to mean more than the Final Boss Championship. Your motives are as clear as day. It’s the same with EAB, ISAAC, and Drake. All of the Game Changers want to rule over LevelUp. However, Larry, you want to be at the top of the food chain. I can see it now. ISAAC starts to make his way up the ladder, and you notice that he’s about to pass you in importance. That’s when you take him out at the knees and push him out of The Game Changers. No one can be more important than you.
Larry, you and The Game Changers are cartoon villains. Your motives are obvious to the world. You don’t try to hide how evil you are. You make it known that you’re the worst of the worst. Your stereotypes. It’s humiliating actually. I thought you were better than this. Hell, you beat Brody and me, but you still continue with the mustache twirling. You haven’t tried to change up your game plan. Maybe, soon, you may need to change how you do business.
But again, Mac is the unknown. His motives aren’t clear, and it’s driving me nuts. However, I know what it’s like to face you Mac. I’ve done it once, and I’ll do it again. Mac, you’re someone I’ve looked up to. After my first annoyances, I knew that you were the real deal, and I respect you for it. You’re the one that’s causing conflict in me. Mac, you shouldn’t be teaming up with people like Larry. He’s manipulating you. He’s making you think you’re going to get what you want, but he’ll turn against you when he gets the chance. I… I understand if our past has caused you to turn against me. I even understand if I’m not the focus of your anger, but you must realize that Larry doesn’t care.
Mac, please, for the love of god, don’t trust Larry. He won’t live up to his side of the deal, and… if this is about me, I’m sorry then. I'm sorry if I caused you and Amber any harm, but I just wanted to reach out to my friend. That’s all I ever wanted. But, I can’t let you win. I can’t let The Game Changers run rampant in LevelUp. Deep down, you know you can’t let that happen either. Please, don’t let them.
Look everyone, I can go through this whole spiel about how my team’s going to win, and how we’re better than The Game Changers, but I can’t do all of that. All I can think of is Mac, and how I don’t know what his ultimate plans are. I promise you, the audience, that I’m going to be giving my all in this match. I hurt people in the past. Seeing Mac on the opposing team helped me realize that. I don’t want to hurt any more of my friends. It takes a toll on your spirit. In WarGames, I’m going to help my team beat The Game Changers. The resistance is finally here, and we’re going to end The Game Changers. Not because we’re better. No, it’s because we’re simply… That Damn Goode.”
Off-Camera - Part One
Ever since EXP 24, Eli Goode has been sitting at home wondering what happened to Mac Bane. That is all that goes through his mind. Was it the call to Amber that did it? Was it the tweet that he posted? Is Eli even a factor in Mac’s thinking? All of these questions have run through his head. Today is no different. After having left the gym, Eli sits in a chair in the living room staring at a paused screen. On the screen is the clip of Mac talking to Larry Tact. Eli stares at Mac trying to wrap his head around everything.
“Mac, what happened?”
Someone knocks on Eli’s door. He stands up and walks over to it, but he keeps his eyes on the television screen. He opens the door and turns his head to see Katie. He slightly smiles and hugs her.
“Katie, it’s good to see you.”
“Ok, that’s weird.”
“What’s weird?”
“That greeting. You’ve never greeted anyone that way. Is something wrong?”
“What? No, everything’s… everything’s great.”
“Ok then.”
She walks into the house still a little hesitant about Eli’s greeting. She heads toward the living as Eli closes the door. She looks ahead of her and sees the Mac Bane clip on the television. She stops and sighs. She turns back to Eli.
“Nope, there’s something wrong.”
He turns around and looks at her and the television. He smiles and tries to play it off.
“What, no. I’m just watching the show back. I wanna be able to find any weaknesses in The Game Changers to, you know, get the win. I just, uh, ended the episode. This is just the final frame.”
“How long have you been staring at the ‘final frame?’"
“Not long, just, um, an hour or so.”
“Eli…”
Eli walks up to her and gently grabs her wrists.
“Hey, hey, hey, there’s no need to worry. I’m not obsessing over this. I’m just… staring at the television and questioning life choices by both Mac and myself.”
“I know what happens when you do stuff like this. You may not call it ‘obsessing,’ but that’s exactly what it is. Look, I know that you and Mac have had some sort of past, but it’s not like the past you had with Amber Ryan.”
Eli lets go of Katie after hearing Amber’s name. He takes a few steps back and looks at the television.
“Eli, you two were friends or partners. You two won titles together, and now, her husband is teaming with one of your enemies. I understand how that might hurt you, but…”
Eli scoffs and looks up to the ceiling. He shakes his head while placing his hands on his hips. He looks at Katie.
“Do you understand? Do you honestly understand what I’ve been going through mentally? Every time I rewatch this clip, I wonder if this has anything to do with me. It probably doesn’t, but I remember calling Amber. I remember her phone going to voicemail. I remember trying to reconnect with her, but it failed. Everything that I’ve done in the past has become pointless. You know, it’s probably my fault too. I didn’t keep in contact with her when I wanted to. I cut that part of my life off. I thought that would’ve been good for me but here we are. Mac is teaming up with Larry, and all I know is that he’s wanting to collect a pound of flesh. Who’s flesh? I don’t FUCKING KNOW!!!”
Katie takes a few steps back but stays silent. She takes a deep breath and walks towards the door. Eli follows her with his eyes.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m not going to stand there and let you shout at me. If I wanted that, I would’ve stayed with Will’s father. You need to get yourself together, Eli. This Mac thing probably doesn’t have anything to do with you. Take a breather. It might actually help you.”
Katie walks out of the house with Eli standing alone. He turns his head and stares at the television. His mind focuses on Mac and doesn’t leave that thought. He takes a deep breath, but it doesn’t help him. At this point, nothing will.
-----
Off-Camera - Part Two
After days of thinking about it, Eli has finally decided to reach out to a person from his past. Eli drives his rental car through Kansas City. It had been years since he last saw this old rival, but he knows that this guy was the only person that could help him. After years of searching, he finally found him. Eli parks in-front of a medium sized house that seems to evoke humble living. Eli exits the car and closes the door. He walks up to the house and knocks on the door. The door opens to reveal Extreme Wrestling Entertainment legend, and bitter rival of Eli Goode’s past, Johnny Chaos.
Johnny stares at Eli with a hint of anger behind his eyes. The last time Johnny truly saw Eli in person, Eli painted his face to look like the Joker. Eli tries to create a smile on his face, but all he feels is fear. Johnny steps up toward Eli.
“Eli, it’s been a long time.”
“Hey… Johnny, how are things?”
Johnny pulls his arm back and extends it out for a handshake. Eli looks confused and accepts the handshake. Johnny chuckles.
“Come on, let’s go inside.”
Johnny brings Eli inside, and Eli looks around the house confused.
“Alyssa, we have a guest. Stop acting like a teenager and say hello.”
Johnny turns back to Eli.
“You remember my daughter?"
Eli flashes back to the time when he kidnapped her to get under Johnny’s skin.
“Yep, it’s not my fondest memory. Look, Johnny…”
Footsteps are heard approaching. Eli looks to see Alyssa. All she does is wave and walks away.
“Teenagers, what are you going to do?”
Johnny walks towards the kitchen, and Eli follows. Eli continues to try to get Johnny’s attention, but Johnny seems to ignore it.
“Johnny, look, I need your…”
“Want a beer? Oh, nope, I forgot, you don’t drink anymore. Your epilepsy and everything. How’s that going anyway?”
“It’s fine, but look, Johnny…”
“Hey, Eli, do you remember that time you were acting like the Joker? Oh, it was hilarious. Then I destroyed you because you kidnapped my daughter. Oh, good times.”
“Yes, I remember, but look…”
“And then, the best part, Christy and Jack created their own promotion with you in this entire repackage trying to blame all of it on you having DID. Eli, bravo for you for trying to make a great excuse. Oh yeah, Alyssa still talks about it. Every night, for three years at least, she would ask if the clown was going to come back… And every… damn… night… I had to tell her, ‘no.’ Do you have any idea on what that does to a child? All that therapy?”
Eli takes a step back as the silence takes over the room. A single tear slowly rolls down Johnny’s cheek. Eli nods and looks at Johnny.
“Yeah, I know, I did some fucked up things back then, but you need to realize that I’ve changed…”
“It doesn’t matter if you’ve changed, Eli. What matters is that for three damn years my daughter had nightmares of you. She dreamt of you kidnapping her again and again and again. And you wanna know the worst part about it… I wasn’t there to stop you. It happened under MY watch. No, our relationship wasn’t damaged, but that didn’t help it.”
“Johnny, I… I need your help.”
Johnny laughs and shakes his head.
“Why, on earth, would I want to help you? I trusted you. You were someone that I tried to elevate in EWE, and you threw it away.”
“Oh, that’s rich. Look, I understand what I did to you was wrong, but don’t act like you were a goddamn saint either. You were one of the reasons I went that way. All of your self-aggrandizing. You wanted to be the center of attention, and you got there. Oh, you got there. At the detriment of people like me.”
“Please, don’t act like the victim.”
“I’m not, goddammit. I’m someone that has realized the errors of my past and have tried to put it in the past. I’m not someone that’s trying to act like I was never that way. You… you never tried to make amends. I called you, multiple times, but you never answered the phone. Christy was someone that I apologized to. Jack, Dutch, Leon, Syd, everyone that I caused trauma to. I called them, and they accepted my apology. But not you.”
Johnny walks up to Eli and stares down at him.
“Maybe it’s because I don’t forgive you. Did you ever think of that? Did you ever think that your actions to this family caused more harm than good? Ever THINK OF THAT?”
The room stands in silence. Eli looks up to Johnny and nods.
“You’re right. I did more harm than good to you and your family. I shouldn’t have assumed that I could have repaired this, and maybe that’s why a former ally of mine has chosen to team with my enemies. Just maybe. You know, I wanted to see if you had any insights on why someone from my past would team up with a team that I’m fighting against, and I think you just answered it for me. Yeah, so, I’m sorry for what I did to you, and I’m sorry for bothering you. I did more harm than good coming here. Have a good day, and, um, I… I’m sorry.”
Eli walks out of the house as Johnny Chaos watches him leave. Eli walks towards his rental car and gets it. He sits alone in the car weeping. Many years have passed since the incident between Johnny and Eli, and Eli wanted that to be in his past. However, nothing is truly in the past. Nothing is truly buried. It doesn’t matter how hard you try.
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Off-Camera - Part Three
Eli arrives early at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena. He walks through the backstage area towards his locker room. He remembers that he’s going to be sharing the locker room with his teammates and tries to find a locker that would work for him. He sits on the bench trying to calm his thoughts, but he still can’t understand why Mac is doing this. He pulls out his phone and looks at it. He goes to his contact list and cycles through the names. He sees Amber Ryan and calls her. He sits for a few seconds and gets her voicemail. He sighs and scratches his head. He takes a deep breath trying to think of what to say. He releases the breath ready to finally talk like himself.
“Hey Amber, I know this is the, uh, second time in just a few weeks, but I… I just wanted to talk. I know that I was never the best friend to you, and I can understand why you wouldn’t want to answer, but I wanted to talk to you about Mac. You and I both know that he’s the definition of true neutral, but I don’t understand why he would team up with someone like Larry Tact. Look, Tact is not a great person. He’s someone that even you’d want to take out so I don’t know why Mac would do this. He said something about ‘a pound of flesh to collect.’ Does that mean anything to you? I may have been going a little too crazy, but I’ve been thinking it’s about me. How I’ve been trying to reconnect with you and try to be a better friend. You know, I’m… I’m sorry that I never reached out after Carnage. After the dissolution of Paragon. Near the end of our run, I was petty. You and Jack were focusing on working along with Mac, and you all never included me in your plans. I just… I was feeling left out.
It’s funny. Everytime I look back at my mistakes, it always comes down to me being an asshole. There was an instance of someone else being at fault. It was always me. Maybe that’s it. Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe if I would’ve just gotten over myself, none of this would’ve happened. We’d still be in contact with each other, Mac wouldn’t have agreed to team up with The Game Changers. A lot of what ifs. But… yeah, thanks for, maybe, listening to this. I know that you’re busy being a badass in Sin City Wrestling. I thought about joining it. Becoming a two-fed wrestler, but I don’t want it to seem like I’m just following you all. Again, um, take care Amber. Good bye.”
He hangs up the phone and places it in his bag. He stares ahead of him and focuses on the match. Mac’s true reason for joining The Game Changers will never be known to Eli, but he knows that, no matter what, he is going to make sure that Mac does not win this match.
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On-Camera
“It’s all a mystery to me. The reasons why people do what they do. Mac, he wants to collect a pound of flesh, but who’s flesh? Is it mine? Centurion’s? Dionysus’? Paul Freedom’s? Brody Adams’? That’s the question I’ve been pondering for weeks. Who does Mac want to kill? I know The Game Changers’ goal, but I don’t know Mac’s. That’s been gnawing at my brain. A question that needs an answer, but it’ll never be answered I think. Not until DOOM. Going into this match, everyone has had history with at least one person. Centurion has a history with ISAAC. Brody has a history with Drake. Dionysus has a history with EAB. Paul has a history with Larry, mainly due to his frequent interruptions. I have a history with Mac. However, my main goal was to take Tact down at DOOM, but Tact… you brought in someone to trip me up. That moment I saw Mac… I didn’t know what to do.
Tact, for the first time in your career, you’ve truly left me silent. I saw Mac, and I didn’t know what to do. Should I be angry that Mac would team up with you? Should I be happy to simply see Mac? How should I react? I… I didn’t know. My first reaction was… shock. Why would Mac team up with you? What is his real motive? What is he doing here? What is he planning? All of these questions have been running through my head, and I still can’t find a reason why. I have theories but no concrete answer. I’ve been wondering if it’s about me. It’s no secret that I’ve been reminiscing about my past with Amber in Paragon. It’s no secret that I miss working with her, Mac, and Matt Knox. So, is he trying to collect my flesh? I don’t know.
Maybe, I’m being narcissistic. Maybe it’s not about me at all. Maybe he’s trying to make a point in LevelUp. Maybe he wants to prove that Duncan’s win at The Last of Us 2 was a hoax. Maybe he wants to prove that he could win the Final Boss Championship. I don’t know. Out of all the people in this match, he’s the wild card.
Larry, it’s obvious what you want. You want to continue to run wild with The Game Changers. You want to assert dominance over everyone in LevelUp. You want the Power Championship to mean more than the Final Boss Championship. Your motives are as clear as day. It’s the same with EAB, ISAAC, and Drake. All of the Game Changers want to rule over LevelUp. However, Larry, you want to be at the top of the food chain. I can see it now. ISAAC starts to make his way up the ladder, and you notice that he’s about to pass you in importance. That’s when you take him out at the knees and push him out of The Game Changers. No one can be more important than you.
Larry, you and The Game Changers are cartoon villains. Your motives are obvious to the world. You don’t try to hide how evil you are. You make it known that you’re the worst of the worst. Your stereotypes. It’s humiliating actually. I thought you were better than this. Hell, you beat Brody and me, but you still continue with the mustache twirling. You haven’t tried to change up your game plan. Maybe, soon, you may need to change how you do business.
But again, Mac is the unknown. His motives aren’t clear, and it’s driving me nuts. However, I know what it’s like to face you Mac. I’ve done it once, and I’ll do it again. Mac, you’re someone I’ve looked up to. After my first annoyances, I knew that you were the real deal, and I respect you for it. You’re the one that’s causing conflict in me. Mac, you shouldn’t be teaming up with people like Larry. He’s manipulating you. He’s making you think you’re going to get what you want, but he’ll turn against you when he gets the chance. I… I understand if our past has caused you to turn against me. I even understand if I’m not the focus of your anger, but you must realize that Larry doesn’t care.
Mac, please, for the love of god, don’t trust Larry. He won’t live up to his side of the deal, and… if this is about me, I’m sorry then. I'm sorry if I caused you and Amber any harm, but I just wanted to reach out to my friend. That’s all I ever wanted. But, I can’t let you win. I can’t let The Game Changers run rampant in LevelUp. Deep down, you know you can’t let that happen either. Please, don’t let them.
Look everyone, I can go through this whole spiel about how my team’s going to win, and how we’re better than The Game Changers, but I can’t do all of that. All I can think of is Mac, and how I don’t know what his ultimate plans are. I promise you, the audience, that I’m going to be giving my all in this match. I hurt people in the past. Seeing Mac on the opposing team helped me realize that. I don’t want to hurt any more of my friends. It takes a toll on your spirit. In WarGames, I’m going to help my team beat The Game Changers. The resistance is finally here, and we’re going to end The Game Changers. Not because we’re better. No, it’s because we’re simply… That Damn Goode.”
