Riding a Bike [Hostile Intent #1]

[Seth Dillinger]

INT. DILLINGER KITCHEN - DAY

The Dillinger siblings sit across from each other. LAUREN DILLINGER is glaring at her younger brother with a fire in her eyes.

LAUREN

Are you fucking kidding me, Seth?

SETH DILLINGER groans.

SETH

I didn't have a say in it, I swear to God.

LAUREN

Of course you didn't.

SETH

I SWEAR I DIDN'T!

Lauren glares at her brother from across the kitchen table.

LAUREN

So you just got thrown into a World Title match and had zero idea about it?

Seth shakes his head.

SETH

No clue. None.

Lauren squints her eyes.

LAUREN

White dudes really do have everything given to them, huh?

Seth ignores the jab and turns back to his iPad, scrolling away on it.

LAUREN

You're gonna get your neck broken. Again.

SETH

I swear to god I will be safe, L. Promise.

Lauren goes to respond, but she has tears in her eyes. Seth notices and opens his mouth to say something, but he can't. The two return to their absent-minded doomscrolling in silence.

INT. BASEMENT

With a quiet little beep, the recording starts.

We're in a dingy little cinderblock basement. The lone swinging lightbulb overhead casts a dim glow on the area. Dust can be seen dancing in the light as it gently and subtly sways back and forth.

Seth Dillinger takes a moment to adjust his cell phone to make sure it's capturing the right angle. He claps his hands together and takes a step back, wincing a bit as he tries to find the words to start.

SETH

Like riding a bike, right?

He lets out a giant breath he didn't know he had been holding.

SETH

It has been... a very long time... since I just sat here and talked to you all as me. Just me. Seth Dillinger.

Seth waves cheekily at the camera with a smile.

SETH

Hello!

He can't help but grin.

SETH

It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks here in NLW. Just a couple weeks ago, I was still El Chico Promedio, and none of you had a clue. Now, here I stand, competing in my first match in NLW as Seth Dillinger... and it's for the damn World Title. That's... that's a hell of a pressure test for my big comeback, isn't it?

Seth shakes his head, grappling with the magnitude of such a match.

SETH

I expect to be a big target in that ring once I'm released. After all, why wouldn't I be? Here I am, waltzing into a main event Pay-Per-View match for the biggest title in NLW after barely putting in the work here. I mean, yes, I'm undefeated in NLW as Chico, but there's a big difference between opening the card against nobodies and main eventing a show like this. INSIDE A CHAMBER! God.

He winces again.

SETH

I could imagine some people having a problem with that. My sister does, for crying out loud. Oh Seth, she said, you have it so easy. You don't deserve this already. You should take it easy. And you know, maybe she's right. Maybe there are more deserving people out there to play Toy Soldier in BB Gunn's unmitigated quest to dethrone Nathan Cage. But the fact is, I'm here now, and I'm not going to back away from a challenge.

Seth paces around the basement a bit.

SETH

But then again... why shouldn't I be here? Spike Kane went from opening the show in his first match to Main Eventing against Felix immediately. Does he really deserve to be here? He's just a blunt instrument; he's a weapon to bludgeon Cage with over and over until he relinquishes the title. Sure, he's useful for Gunn's goals -- but does that make him worthy? Has he earned this?

He stops and wags a finger at the camera.

SETH

No. Hell, at least I've put in more work around these parts than Spike Kane. Because at the end of the day, Spike, you're not in this match to win it. You're in this match because you're unhinged. You're violent. You're an agent of chaos. You are, simply put, a tool to be used. I recognize the damage you can inflict. That's what will keep me alive in this Chamber. But you'd do well to remember your role in this, too.

Seth clears his throat and resumes pacing.

SETH

Everyone else here has earned their way. Cage holds the damn title. Thespian and Keahi Sparks have been putting in the blood, sweat, and tears to scrap their way to the top for months. These are hungry competitors. Keahi is also smart. She knows the dangers of this hellacious match BB Gunn has put us all in, but that means she's also whip smart. Blunt instruments like Spike Kane are easy to predict. In a way, their chaos becomes their predictability. But intelligent competitors like Keahi are the real threats. They're wily and strategic, and you never see them coming. Someone who sees this match and says "Oh FUCK!" is someone who knows how careful they have to be, and knows what to do to win it.

And then, of course, there's--

Seth trails off and is clearly choked up. He takes a big gulp and swallows the knot in his throat.

SETH

Fox.

Seth's face contorts into a warm smile, as much as he tries to suppress it.

SETH

I--

He can't find the words.

SETH

This isn't how I wanted this to go.

Seth stares into the blank middle distance in front of him, blinking, but unable to find the right words.

SETH

I can't do this here.

Seth steps forward to the phone and picks it up. He jostles it around before the promo cuts to black.