Post by Maxwell Mason Stone on May 17, 2024 17:49:07 GMT -5
The sun is setting on the western horizon of the beautiful beach town of Playa Del Luna, California. Tourists and locals alike are soaking in the last few minutes of sunshine in the cool ocean breeze. The gift shops and bike rental stands are closing up for the night as the restaurants start to fill with hungry patrons ready for the catch of the day. A family on vacation walks down the street until a sign on a street post catches the eye of little Stevie and he begins to read it aloud.
“Cults are not welcome in our community. The Paradox cult has reassembled in Playa Del Luna after initiating violence in Oregon leaving dozens of its members dead. We've asked nicely for you to leave and now we must…”
Dad: Stevie, that's enough there. C'mon let's get some ice cream!
The family continues their trek and pass by a tall man with an unkempt beard and disheveled hair wearing a Hawaiian shirt and flip flops as he sips on a slushie. This look is a bit of a departure from the black hoodie we're used to seeing him in but this is Summer vibes Maxwell Mason Stone. He takes notice of the flier, descending the page with his eyes as he reaches the bottom of the icy treat he's been working on.
MMS: They could have found a better photo of me…
Max pulls out his cell phone and snaps a picture of the flier and while he’s got the phone out he places the phone up to his ear and makes a call. He waits for a few moments and then hangs up the phone expressing frustration.
MMS: Come on, Dev. Where the hell are you?
He gets back to walking towards a row of business until he approaches the door of a dive bar with a cool neon sign that reads “HIGH TIDE COCKTAILS.” As Stone reaches for the door handle, the door swings open and a man, also wearing a Hawaiian shirt, steps out looking exasperated. He pulls a pack of smokes from his pocket and lights up as he leans against the wall.
MMS: You okay, Walt?
Walt is startled by Stone.
Walt: Oh thank God you're here. You gotta control whatever is happening in there, okay?
MMS: Okay… what's happening in there?
Walt takes a drag off his Camel and lets out a deep sigh.
Walt: Look, man. You know you're cool in my book but I can't have this kinda stuff going on with your people in the bar. They're scaring away the tourists and they're pissing off the locals.
A look of concern falls on Max's face. He opens the door and steps into the High Tide where he sees a large group of men and women dressed in black hoodies with little golden pocket watches around their necks. Another group, mostly older in age and regularly dressed, are arguing with the hoodies. One of the hoodies has taken notice of Max's entrance and approaches him.
Freddie: Maxwell, it's about time you've arrived.
Max walks behind the bar and pours himself a pint.
MMS: What's happening?
Freddie: As you can see, the locals have come here to try to intimidate us. They are growing increasingly dissatisfied with our presence.
MMS: Yeah, no shit…
Stone looks at everyone arguing as he takes a sip off his beer.
MMS: Hey, uh… who are you?
Freddie: You don't remember me from the Pines? We shared many meals together.
Max wipes some beer foam off his mustache, looking at Freddie's face as he tries to jog a memory. Nope.
MMS: Oh yeah, Freddie. You're one of the ones that found us from the original group…
Freddie looks at Max with the utmost confusion.
Freddie: I must say this is strange.
MMS: You're telling me. You're following me because you think I can wave a magic wand and fix all the awful things that happened in your life.
Freddie: Pardon me?
MMS: Things happen the way they're supposed to happen, okay? Now excuse me while I calm this all down.
Max walks across the bar and over to the performance stage where he grabs a microphone and takes it towards the speaker to create a screeching feedback loop that shuts everyone up.
MMS: Now let’s all shut our mouths and open our ears because I’ve got something to say. Normally I would handle this a different way but you’ve all caught me in a good mood tonight so I’m gonna talk and you’re gonna listen. You locals don’t want me here. You don’t want my associates here either. I’ve seen your threats you post around town and I’m here to let you know that those will get you nowhere. If y’all know anything about me then you already know that I thrive in excelling in places that I’m not welcome. I guess I have a way of intimidating people… scaring them… making them look lesser by simple comparisons. I have the uncanny ability to walk into a situation and shine so bright that the ones who are already there often have to band together and put their miniscule powers together just in hopes of equaling one of me. This is what happens when I make my intentions clear that I am here to get what I WANT and I don’t care who it has to come at the expense of. You all can try as hard as you would like with your city council meetings and your fliers but the more you fight me, the more I’m really gonna make you miserable.
The locals rustle around and start the rabble rabble once more until Max jams the mic into the speaker once more to shut them up and regain the room.
MMS: You all know that I am a professional wrestler and I find myself addicted to the fight. If you want an idea of what opposing me looks like then you can just turn on the WGWF and watch as me and my partner, Devlin Knight, run through the tag team division like a hurricane. Watch what happens when I enter a new situation with a goal and see how far I go to attain it. We are going to be Tag Team Champions and much like you hope to exterminate me like the bug that you think I am, we are going to exterminate the Fortunate Ones.
Max looks around the room, taking note of the concern on the faces of the locals.
MMS: Tune in on Monday night and you can get just a little sample of what I am talking about here. You’ll see two wide-eyed hopefuls attempt to stop this train as it leaves the station. I admire the courage of Colossus and the former Television Champion Jenny Myst, I really do. I admire that they’re the two brave souls who have expressed their willingness to be the first in line to get in front of Necessary Evil. Perhaps it’s unfair that the big man has to make his WGWF debut against two powerhouses such as ourselves but c’est la vie. And poor little Jenny, bless her heart. She’s going through a rough patch. She’s lost her TV Title, she’s lost her stupid dolls and now she’s going to lose this match. I watched as she stood in the ring, wallowing in her self pity and complaining she was screwed on multiple fronts. Such is the rallying cry of people who aren’t good enough to get the job done on their own.
Max stares out into the darkness of the bar, his gaze glaring over the heads of the locals and Paradoxers alike.
MMS: But fear not, Jenny Myst… you will not have the luxury of claiming you’re were a victim of a vast conspiracy because when you are pinned in the center of that ring for the 1… the 2… the 3… it will be crystal clear that you lost because we were just a bit better that night. But you will get yourself together and you will move forward with pride because you will become an important part of WGWF history when people go back to watch the beginnings of a tag team that is sure to redefine what success looks like in this company. Jenny, Colossus, you don’t know it yet but things that may seem horrible and devastating happen for important reasons and while your loss may sting I hope you know that your sacrifice goes noticed and appreciated and will continue to be for generations to come. It will only hurt temporarily but you can always drown your sorrows with copious amounts of sponge cake to make yourself feel better.
Even the Paradoxers are now confused. Max stands in silence and it doesn’t take long for the groups to resume their quarrel. Max pulls out his cell phone once more, attempting to reach his partner but goes to voicemail again as we fade to black.