Do I Look Fake To You? [EoD Night 3]

[Dave D-Flipz]

*The camera doesn't even fade as Nelly chases his microphone away from the gorilla position. We are left with an empty stage area for about twenty seconds before we hear shuffling feet. With Nelly and Price gone from the area we can only assume it is someone else! Slowly walking into frame, fists balled in rage ... is our plucky hero Shogun-Tron. But he doesn't seem so happy this time.*

: So ... it is to be one of those kind of fights ... no ... wars. *he looks at the camera* Do you know how many times I have had to suffer this argument? Do you know how many times I have let it roll on by as if nothing had happened? After all they don't know any better, they don't understand. How could they. After all ... I am not from this time period, I am not of this version of Earth. How could anyone truly understand what it is I, and by extension my team, are? But no it has never been a serious argument. So many times I've heard us called ... jokes ... fakes ... comic relief ... "jobbers". Too many times I've had to sit here and take it in. But this time is different.

*He looks down toward where Price and Nelly had just walked away*

: For previously ... they were using this argument to get under the skin of my leader. And despite all the bravado and confidence one could muster to tell a man to his face that they do not believe he is real ... that his skills are lies, that his mission ... is a lie ... there was always that twinge ... because you don't just up and disrespect a man of Lazor's stature. His size, his presence, his prowess ... always proved to be that seed of truth that they would be unable to dig up and cast aside. It made the jabs seem more like jests. Digs to get under our skin and play mind games. But this time ... this ... thing ... who calls himself a man, an icon, a legend, a ... MESSIAH ... he means it. He sees me in my armor, my uniform ... and he casts me aside without a hint of respect for anything I have accomplished in the decade and a half I have been in this timeline. He sees me ... six feet tall ... what you would call a "light heavyweight" ... a man who wrestles with technique and cunning over brute strength. He sees ... a joke. He sees ... a lie. He ... is blind.

*He looks back to the camera*

: It is not my style to take direct offense to the words of those who don't understand. It is not my style to simply drop the trappings of my home time period and forego the posing and yelling ... after all it is my training and my upbringing. It is WHO I AM. But for this ... I will make an exception. To get a message across. To let my words be heard and understood with no ... joking. No antics, no montages, no ... hindrances. I want my message to be heard perfectly clear.

*he points at the camera*

: Price ... you look at me and see a man, in a "stupid" costume. You look at my in ring skill and scoff because I forego the weaponry and the violence in favor of a clinic of pure wrestling. You hear the word Tron and immediately look past us to whoever stands behind us in your way. But Price... if that is who you really are ... I urge you to go back and rewatch the matches. Mute the TV, skip the promos. Watch the brilliance that only can come from years of intense training. Watch the crispness of my moves, the strength of my submissions, the fluidity of my motions. I am no joke. I am not to be underestimated. You are certainly entitled to see my outfit, and my bravado and think of me as "funny" or "fake". That is your right and your opinion. But don't look past me. People thought of Hardcore Harry as a joke once before. But they did not think his skill any less. I will help you out. I will put your misconceptions to bed. Tomorrow evening you will know that I am far from fake. Despite my incredulity at your insane stories ... I didn't think any less of your in ring ability. Despite the fact that even at home there is no record of anyone ever being ... resurrected ... I didn't doubt that you would be a challenge, after all if you are Price ... a hardcore legend ... a title holder in XHF ... it would be foolish of me to think otherwise and despite my exterior attitudes ... I am certainly not a fool.

*He lowers the finger and puts his hands crossed over his chest*

: I could stand here and once again pick apart the odd theme everyone seems to have here of questioning whether I am for real by saying I don't have knowledge of events. You said it yourself, the same way I explained to Randy Angel. My presence here changes things. Lazor's sacrifice changed things. I have never falsely tried to convince people of events I knew may not happen the same way, in face I clearly warned people AGAINST blindly accepting our visions since if our mission is successful in any way we have changed things. Why it is people either doubt my provenance or turn other people's doubt into words they claim came out of a Tron I will never know. Perhaps it is just the way of this time period. The picture box certainly has its fair share of talking heads who use the same tactic. Perhaps it is learned. But that is a scientific study for another day when there is not a match to be had. I also would like to clear up this misconception that I or any Tron endorses any idea of religion. My own exclamations of shock are in fact, religion neutral. I am not trying to convince anyone of the existence or lack thereof of any God or Gods. After all, the shock I feel is qualified so any denomination may understand the shock I feel. I suppose I did mention that your story would inherently prove the existence of a God ... but the more I think about it your story has faults. After all the whole idea of the God you claim to have seen is that you can NEVER know he exists for that would undermine the idea of faith and free will. It's a religious paradox, I believe it was joked about in a book by the historical author Douglas Adams. The Babelfish story. Good story. Good novel.

*He lowers his arms again*

: My point, Price ... is you seem to have a lot of preconceived notions about what I am. And I suppose that I should apologize for having a preconceived notion of what you are. I thought you were intelligent. I thought you were a competitor. But I was wrong. You are a barbarian. Like it or not Price this tournament DOES have rules. Like it or not this IS a serious competition. You brag about being a cerebral fighter, and then go out and bludgeon people like a savage. But this is my type of competition Price. This is an honorable match. So whether you want to shake hands or not is up to you. But whether or not you advance in this tournament? That is up to me. And I don't like your odds. After all ... it is as you all keep saying. "I have knowledge of events! I KNOW things!" ...

*He walks away*

: Well in this one case, I will tell you it is true. Because after all ... I know ... THE FUTURE!!!!!

*fade out*