Post by kidcage on Sept 24, 2021 11:21:04 GMT -5
(The camera opens up inside of the small arena of the WFA in Mesa, Arizona. We find UP Wrestling star Cage standing in the ring, his arms draped over the top rope, gazing out into the empty stands. Dressed in his ring gear, sans face paint, Cage looks deep in thought. Suddenly, the door flies open and we see Donnie D. Falco come storming in. Donnie is red hot, and Cage turns to see him.)
DONNIE: Now what in the hell was that all about, Cage? Huh? You said you’d be Ron’s partner, you guys get a marquee match, and then what? You run off after TCE?
CAGE: Donnie…
DONNIE: No, you don’t get to start yet. That kid looks up to you and you left him to the wolves. Sorry is too little, too late. I’m of half a mind to just cut the contract in half and you can fight your fights and Ron can get back on track.
CAGE: Donnie…
DONNIE: He’s coming in here and he’s too green to know what might be going through your head right now. He needs a mentor in the ring, a partner, not someone that’ll fly off renegade. And for what? TCE and some guy in a mask? TCE is right, you’re not able to focus, you’re trying to spin too many plates.
(Cage continues to stand there, Donnie letting out a breath.)
DONNIE: I went through the tapes, and he’s right. You might get a few wins or moral victories here or there, but TCE has had your number your entire career. How could you be so blind to it? And you think I’m gonna let you drag Ron into this? Get hurt? The kid has a future, Cage, while you are trying to relive the past. I said I was fine with you two working together, Ron knows it’s only for a short while, but he wants to win, and he wants to win with you. And you are letting TCE and some masked dude get in the way.
CAGE: (quietly) He’s dead.
DONNIE: What?
CAGE: (louder) He’s dead.
DONNIE: What the hell are you talking about.
CAGE: The guy in the mask. The one with the claws. The man who was under that mask is dead. He was one of the best friends I made in this business, and he’s been dead for years. My son was named after him, he named his son after me. He used to be part of a team with me and TCE.
DONNIE: Wait…
CAGE: And he’s been dead for years. And I know TCE is playing some mind game and it’s not really him, but in that moment, it stopped me. You see TCE is always about the mental game, and he’ll always have that on me. I’m not here to play a mental chess game, I’m here to climb into the ring, compete, and prove it between these ropes. But that’s not TCE’s style. And now, we’ve got a chance to get him in the ring, and whoever he’s got with him.
DONNIE: You mean that’s W…
CAGE: I don’t know.
(Donnie sits on the edge of the ring, a long moment between the two.)
DONNIE: Fuck. Cage, I didn’t know.
CAGE: And I don’t want to drag Ron into any fight he doesn’t need to be in. So I get it, I do Donnie. I need to be all in on being his teammate or not at all. And then this happens.
DONNIE: Cage, he’s gonna want to fight with you.
RON: (off screen) You’re darn right I am.
(Ron walks in from the outside with Alison, and he moves to the ring, throwing down his training bag.)
RON: Listen, losing to Public Nuisance wasn’t great, and I don’t think we would’ve if TCE wasn’t trying to play a game. So let him bring his partner and we’ll do the work, Cage. (turns to Donnie) And I know you are protective, but tag wrestling’s about watching each other’s backs. I can grow from being Bryan’s partner to being Cage’s, and with that comes a fight. This entire place is becoming a bunch of gangs and groups. And if someone’s coming after Cage, he’s gonna need someone watching his back too.
CAGE: Thanks, Ron.
RON: Not even a problem, Cage.
DONNIE: Alright, alright. But we need to be careful.
CAGE: Careful isn’t going to do it, Donnie. It’s not about being careful with TCE. He’s going to have different contingencies, he’s going to always be a step ahead. So, we make good on something he said in his interview. We’re just gonna beat him, in every match, from now until he leaves.
RON: I like that plan.
(Ron climbs into the ring with Cage as the camera fades to black.)
DONNIE: Now what in the hell was that all about, Cage? Huh? You said you’d be Ron’s partner, you guys get a marquee match, and then what? You run off after TCE?
CAGE: Donnie…
DONNIE: No, you don’t get to start yet. That kid looks up to you and you left him to the wolves. Sorry is too little, too late. I’m of half a mind to just cut the contract in half and you can fight your fights and Ron can get back on track.
CAGE: Donnie…
DONNIE: He’s coming in here and he’s too green to know what might be going through your head right now. He needs a mentor in the ring, a partner, not someone that’ll fly off renegade. And for what? TCE and some guy in a mask? TCE is right, you’re not able to focus, you’re trying to spin too many plates.
(Cage continues to stand there, Donnie letting out a breath.)
DONNIE: I went through the tapes, and he’s right. You might get a few wins or moral victories here or there, but TCE has had your number your entire career. How could you be so blind to it? And you think I’m gonna let you drag Ron into this? Get hurt? The kid has a future, Cage, while you are trying to relive the past. I said I was fine with you two working together, Ron knows it’s only for a short while, but he wants to win, and he wants to win with you. And you are letting TCE and some masked dude get in the way.
CAGE: (quietly) He’s dead.
DONNIE: What?
CAGE: (louder) He’s dead.
DONNIE: What the hell are you talking about.
CAGE: The guy in the mask. The one with the claws. The man who was under that mask is dead. He was one of the best friends I made in this business, and he’s been dead for years. My son was named after him, he named his son after me. He used to be part of a team with me and TCE.
DONNIE: Wait…
CAGE: And he’s been dead for years. And I know TCE is playing some mind game and it’s not really him, but in that moment, it stopped me. You see TCE is always about the mental game, and he’ll always have that on me. I’m not here to play a mental chess game, I’m here to climb into the ring, compete, and prove it between these ropes. But that’s not TCE’s style. And now, we’ve got a chance to get him in the ring, and whoever he’s got with him.
DONNIE: You mean that’s W…
CAGE: I don’t know.
(Donnie sits on the edge of the ring, a long moment between the two.)
DONNIE: Fuck. Cage, I didn’t know.
CAGE: And I don’t want to drag Ron into any fight he doesn’t need to be in. So I get it, I do Donnie. I need to be all in on being his teammate or not at all. And then this happens.
DONNIE: Cage, he’s gonna want to fight with you.
RON: (off screen) You’re darn right I am.
(Ron walks in from the outside with Alison, and he moves to the ring, throwing down his training bag.)
RON: Listen, losing to Public Nuisance wasn’t great, and I don’t think we would’ve if TCE wasn’t trying to play a game. So let him bring his partner and we’ll do the work, Cage. (turns to Donnie) And I know you are protective, but tag wrestling’s about watching each other’s backs. I can grow from being Bryan’s partner to being Cage’s, and with that comes a fight. This entire place is becoming a bunch of gangs and groups. And if someone’s coming after Cage, he’s gonna need someone watching his back too.
CAGE: Thanks, Ron.
RON: Not even a problem, Cage.
DONNIE: Alright, alright. But we need to be careful.
CAGE: Careful isn’t going to do it, Donnie. It’s not about being careful with TCE. He’s going to have different contingencies, he’s going to always be a step ahead. So, we make good on something he said in his interview. We’re just gonna beat him, in every match, from now until he leaves.
RON: I like that plan.
(Ron climbs into the ring with Cage as the camera fades to black.)