Let the Games Begin [EOD X*Crown #1]

[Dylan]

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12-10-20

Jakarta, Java, Indonesia

Hotel Room belonging to one Dylan Black

Dylan: I've gotta admit, I'm a lot more nervous then I'd imagined I'd be.

We open on Dylan sat in front of his laptop, dressed in a "Hamilton" tanktop and basketball shorts. The fingers on his robot hands move and twitch ever so slightly, as he sits with his hands on his knees.

Dylan: They say the journey to make it to the top of the mountain will always be harder than trying to stay on top. Can confirm, that's real shit. Since August 30th, I've had the... pleasure of defending this baby...

He reaches down and pulls up his custom X*Crown Championship belt. Lights glitter off the center plate. It is beautiful, and none of you will get the opportunity to have it.

Dylan: More times than the last few champs. I think if I make it through this clusterfuck of a match at End of Days, I'll be matching Zoran for most successful defenses this year. And let me make a promise here, I'm not going to make this easy for any of my opponents. I hope that each of you takes the time to study me, study everything about my style, my tactics and how I work. That way, you all can have just the slimmest chances of victory.

Dylan: While you all waste your time away, talking your shit like it's half of your character traits, I've been here in Indonesia since October 1st. While each of the other X*Crown challengers have been biding their time, waiting in the shadows to strike, I've been ingulfing myself in the culture. Sporadically, of course. There is a pandemic going on and this country isn't exactly the safest spot on the map. Kudos to Mongo for remember the safety of his employees during these trying times.

He rolls his eyes.

Dylan: But you're not here to listen to me ramble about how shitty the XHF operations are, shipping us off to Covid-riddled provinces to wrestle in dangerous situations. No, you're here for Dylan's hot take on the End of Days pay-per-view. Well fresh off the press, have I got the most exciting turn of events to look forward to!

Dylan: There's a couple of relatively fresh names in the field - guys like Eddie D and Dev who've become household names in SWAT and Destiny Wrestling. Lord Dominicus and Evil Borg, perhaps the most EVIL concoction of stars to not be an official tag team, and the guy who I share the most history with, the Mad Titan Hyperion.

He cracks his knuckles.

Dylan: I suppose we ought to just go down the list and see just what we're up against. Suppose we start with the most familiar guy, Hyperion. Two-time AWF Champion, AWF Hall of Famer, Fired Up winner, former cult leader and overall monster.

He waves.

Dylan: Hey Hype! Haven't seen you for a while, since you came up short at Overheated! Sorry that you weren't able to make it into the X*Crown match at Night of Champions, bud. I know how hard you worked to get Team Fuck Mongo through to Overheated, and it really was sad to watch you go out like the way you did.

Shrug.

Dylan: And yes, I am 100% aware that Jack and Hype did the heavy lifting to get us to that place. Hell, I might owe Hype a bit of credit because without his effort, I'd have never made it to Overheated, beaten Standerson, nearly died at Night of Champions, and then conquered all to become XCrown Champion at All That Glitters. So for all of that, I say thank you,* Hype.

A pause, to let that sit in the air.

Dylan: Thank you, for carrying us through the Call to Arms tournament. Thank you, for tapping out to Gordon Carlson and letting a superior wrestler onto the playing field.

Oh yeah, that wasn't genuine.

Dylan: I think it'd be very silly of me to put on display my agnostic views, to say I don't believe in gods and therefore don't believe in you. We've shared the ring a number of times, plus I owe all my cybernetic enhancements to a certain golden god in Champoon Wrasslin'. It would be very silly to say I don't believe in gods when I have the experience dealing with them. Frankly? I don't believe in you.

Ouch.

Dylan: It's always been clear, Hype, that you aren't an endurance guy. All about those big strength feats, and you don't have what it takes to go the extra mile without a break every so often. But damn, do you have the strength of a hundred men packed into that body. But strength, it's only half the build. If this match were an RPG came, you'd be a glass cannon and I'd be the controller/tank. I always played with my stats to make sure I could handle your damage output. And when your gas runs low, it just takes a simple cross-face to put you down!

He slams his fist into his hand.

Dylan: But enough about Tall, Dark and Mysterious. Let's look at who many will consider to be the wildcard of the match, Eddie D. Big Bad Eddie. Not gonna lie, I am a big fan of your work. Have been following you since the beginning of this year, when SWAT really picked up following Zoran's rise to glory. I really hope you can achieve the same heights globally that Zoran did. Unfortunately...

A devilish grin appears on his face.

Dylan: You're facing someone who simply, is too dangerous for SWAT.

He leans in.

Dylan: See, you and I are a bit alike. We have a passion to hurt people, take everything people can throw at us and throw back twice as much. We have our worn down bodies that are massive targets for those who study. By the way, thanks for the tip about your left knee. I know a few good holds to soften that up.

Wink.

Dylan: But... who says we have to be enemies?

Puts the hand to his chin and makes the fun thinking face.

Dylan: The similarities with our styles could compliment each other. I'm not exactly fast 'n' furious, but I can throw down like the best of 'em. It's not exactly a bad idea to consider temporary alliances in matches like these. And if it comes down to just the two of us... imagine just how we could tear the house down. And after I win, maybe I'll swing by SWAT for a rematch of epic proportions.

He leans back.

Dylan: Think about it.

He gets lost thinking of the awesome singles bout with Eddie D he could have.

Dylan: But if Eddie D is the wildcard, what does that make Dev? The underdog? The man who will make the biggest upset in history?

Scoffs.

Dylan: Nah, man. Dev. Sure, you've got... one match on your record? A lucky Rookie of the Year award, where the only other competition was a dog and an oversized muppet.

He shakes his head.

Dylan: What really gets me is the disrespect, the laziness, the lack of... anything, in the ring. You, Dev, are by far the worst choice that scum in Destiny could have sent.

He holds up a hand with five fingers and holds 'em down as he counts them off.

Dylan: Rockface Anchorage, the World Champion. Yuki Sakaraba, who knows a thing or two about what it takes to be in a global situation. Lance Burke is an interesting foe. Armageddon is a tried and true legend of the ring. And lovely Johnny Bulldog, oh how I'd love to kick his ass once again. But for all that talent that can hardly fit in the palm of my hand... they choose Dev.

Dylan: Let's be very clear, Dev. You didn't earn your way into this situation. Much like everyone else, you didn't earn your way into this situation. Do you know how hard I had to work to get to where I am? And to watch new people like you, who're greener than Gamora and have barely any matches to their name just get handed this opportunity with no means of earning it? It makes me sick. You make me sick.

He is cross.

Dylan: The X*Crown is a championship of the highest prestige, and the mere thought of defending against someone as undeserving as you...

He shudders.

Dylan: I am going to make quick work of you to ensure someone like you doesn't become X*Crown Champion. Not under my watch.

He takes a deep breath.

Dylan: Next up we've got one of the evilest members of the XHF roster. Evil-Borg. Member of the Borgs. Bringer of the AFTERWARD. And lackey to one Big Drag Ultimate.

He takes a second to process this.

Dylan: Let me cut straight to it. Evil-Borg, I don't like you. I don't respect you. The fact you're colluding with Big Drag, the man who has RUINED my chances at a normal life. It makes me... it fills me with all these awful feelings, of hatred. Loathing. Detestation. You're an abomination. You're excrement. Your best moments are when the rest of the Borg crew are doing the work. You...

He points into the camera.

Dylan: You don't belong in the same breath as guys like myself, like Hyperion and Eddie D. You may have earned your way into this match unlike everyone else, but you. Don't. Belong.

He lets that sit a moment, and then leans back, regaining some composure.

Dylan: This brings us to his partner in crime. The Lord of NPW, the Purveyor of Evil, the real LD. A true villain, who seeks to commit only the most heinous crimes known to man.

He pauses, taking a moment to applaud. Evil genius acknowledge eviler genius.

Dylan: While I long conned my way to the X*Crown, this man conned just as long to get to the current point of his career, where he is the ONLY SINGLES CHAMPION in NPW. I have to say, it was truly a daring plan. Perhaps the most evil debauchery anyone can ever claim to commit. But, hear me out, perhaps your evil plans are starting to grow to big for your budget?

He holds his hands up defensively.

Dylan: Now, now, I can already hear you exclaiming you are just so evil and you always have plans. You have your evil minions, yes, and are forging an alliance with the evil Evil-Borg, but, is it so wise to assume all your checkers pieces will fall into place as you see fit?

The sinister smirk.

Dylan: I assume you know the saying. While you're playing checkers in NPW, diddling the Cruiserweight title, I'm playing 3D chess, defending my XCrown nearly every week. Adding titles to this bad boy. And when, not if, when I steamroll all of you and walk out of the Doomsday Cage with my reign intact, I will start the Dylan Black world tour. For far too long, the XCrown has lacked a true "global" appeal, and I seek to revisit the long lost "travelling champion" concept.

He tuts, and shakes his head.

Dylan: Guys like LD, and the rest of the lot I'm facing. They're all cut from the same mold. Win the title, defend it in their home territory. It's so bland, and I cannot allow myself to have the XHF be subjected to such boring entertainment.

He leans in, a serious look on his face. All fun and games that might have been there is washed away.

Dylan: If any of you want to take the most coveted prize in this industry from me, there's one way to do it: you've got to kill me. It took Death Trap making me nearly bleed out to get me out at Night of Champions. I've survived severed limbs, broken teeth and punctured lungs and walked out the victor. I'll live. I'll never die. And I'll be the one who tells the story of your shortcomings, as I exit this match still your XHF X*Crown Champion.

With that, he raises the X*Crown back into frame, hanging it over his shoulder as we fade to black.