Instruments Of Persuasion
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[July 20th, 2012]
Maximum Violence hasn't gotten much sleep in the past few days. His thoughts have been plagued by what has been going on since Nemesis. Since his match in the Hellmouth, Max's demeanor has slowly began to change from that of a warrior whose mind is always focused on combat, to a mindset that some would say is slowly sinking into madness. He has always professed that his goal was never for the gold, but that doesn't seem to be the case in recent weeks. The #1 contender tournament last year, the #1 contender battle royal, and now his opportunity at Nemesis has all fallen through the gaps and it has taken a toll on the veteran. All he thinks about now is becoming World Champion. He has even put Jackie Sweets on the back burner to pursue this.
But he knows that he has to put all these thoughts aside and clear his mind before his match against Gabriel Gambino. This is another chance for Maximum Violence to battle for the title he has wanted since he first encountered the MWA some eleven years ago. He has always found peace of mind at The Shop, his old training facility in Portales, New Mexico. This is where Brandon "B2" Barajas has been staying since his trouble with the law. He thought that some time away from the stress and media would do him some good. He packed a bag and stepped into his dad's camaro, now painted flat black with two dark purple racing stripes down the center and made street legal. As he made his way down the I-40, he decided to put in a call to his friend and agent that he was on his way. The phone began to ring, and was finally picked up on the fifth ring.
(Cough) Yeah?
Was beginning to think you drank yourself into a coma Barajas.
Max? What are you doing calling me this early? It's like...2pm.
Max couldn't help but laugh at this. He knows Barajas was drinking last night, as Thursday is his day to "burn the Earth" as he calls it.
I hope you have the place spruced up, I'm coming down for a few days.
Here? Why?
I needed to get away for a few days, and I'm not the type that takes cruises or vacations to exotic locales. I need to be out in the sticks.
He can hear Barajas say "What are you doing here?" in the background and then some shuffling of sheets.
Pick up some late night company?
Huh? No...no. That's just my dog, man.
I didn't know you had a dog.
Yeah, I decided to get one as it gets pretty lonely out here. However I have told her time and time again that I didn't want to see her in my bed when I woke up!
Sounds like you are living the life of riley out there. I hope there is room for one more in your happy family in Portales.
Always. When are you going to be here?
Just hit the road a few minutes ago, should be there in three hours.
Sounds good. I'll have The Shop fixed up and ready for you when you get here.
Don't bother with that, I'm not coming out to train. I'm coming out to relax.
Barajas pauses. He was always used to Max being about nothing but training.
Everything alright?
There was some concern in B2's voice, but Max did his best to calm his agent's nerves.
Sure. Just make sure you leave your "dog" in the yard while I'm there.
Barajas laughs, knowing that he has been caught in his lie.
No worries. I'll take care of it. I'll see you in a few hours.
Max hangs up and speeds down the Interstate. The silence in the vehicle except that of the engine begins to annoy him, so he decides to turn on the radio. He always hated the radio stations he picked up in Portales, so he wanted to enjoy what Albuqerque had to offer before he was out of range. He tunes in to his favorite station and "Wrestling Wrap-Up" is on instead of the fast paced hard rock he is used to. Knowing the rest of the stations only play the top 40 garbage that passes for music these days or country, he stays with it. The man's voice can only be compared to fingernails on a chalkboard.
And next up on The Wrestling Wrap-Up, we are going to be giving our predictions for MWA's upcoming show on July 30th airing live on HBO. This really looks like a stacked card Michael.
Absolutely. The MWA has really turned it around over the past month. I was really afraid they were going to go the way of the blue suede shoe.
I hate it when you use sayings like that. Anyway, let's get started with Jessica Storm going up against Lucky Charm. Boy, what a name!
Max keeps the radio on not for the informative report, but just to have some sort of background noise. He used to listen to these things when he first started in wrestling because he was always wanted to hear his name on the radio. Now, it's nothing more than uninformed opinion from fanboys. The two continue to run down the card as Max takes his exit towards Santa Rosa. The stretch of road goes from four lane to two as he makes his way to Portales.
I gotta say, that Jackson is a true dick. But, you can't argue with what he has accomplished and I am excited to see how he does with his current run in the MWA.
I agree. Alright, next up is a match that may end up being the show stealer of the night. I'm talking about Maximum Violence facing Gabriel Gambino for the right to be called #1 contender for the MWA World Title. When I this match was announced, my jaw hit the floor. Gabriel Gambino has been on quite a roll since he returned to the MWA, his crowning achievement thus far has been dethroning CJ Osborne.
I agree that Gabe has been on a roll. But I don't agree with the choice of opponent.
Max hears this and begins to listen intently to the conversation.
What are you talking about? Maximum Violence has been with the MWA for nearly a year and has amassed quite the record.
But when it comes to the World Title, he has fallen short on numerous occasions. This guy has had numerous chances to fight for the belt, and has failed every time. And he will be turning 40 in October. That's like a model turning 25. You gotta know when to hang it up, and I think it is his time to do just that.
You are insane Michael! Look at the names he has defeated in the MWA. Sean McBride, Tim Worthington, Jason Talbot. These are all huge names.
But the names of people he hasn't beaten is even more impressive. Glory Braddock: Couldn't get the job done. Former champion Steve Pinex: While it was a hell of a battle, he came up short. Even Kacy Knight, the current champ. She survived a battle royal earlier in the night at Nemesis and was still able to come out on top! I just think that Max doesn't have what it takes to hang with these top stars anymore. That's why I'm picking Gabriel Gambino to win the match and become #1 contender.
I agree with you that Gabriel Gambino will win in Memphis, but for different reasons. I'll tell you why. First off--
Max turns off the radio. He has heard the doubting words of others for his entire career, but this time it got to him. Maybe they were right. Maybe the time has come for him to call it a day and fade away like so many others have. He grips his steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. It's all he can do to not put his fist through the touch screen in the dash. He knows that he has to do something, or his days in the ring are numbered.
A few hours later, he arrives at B2's place in Portales, New Mexico. Barajas is sitting in his yard under a globe willow tree enjoying the shade from the sun. He sees Max's car pull up into the drive and walks to the car to greet him. When he approaches the car, he notices Max is just staring off into the distance as if he is a million miles away. He tries to rouse him from his trance.
Welcome to Casa Del Awesome man!
This does nothing to bring Max back. He just continues to stare. Barajas cautiously places a hand on his friend's shoulder.
Are you alright man? You look a little burned out.
Get in the car, we are going to the airport.
Right now?
Barajas looks down at himself. He's only wearing a t-shirt with some cargo shorts and some old sneakers that have obviously seen better days.
But I don't have anything packed. I can't go like this.
Get in the fucking car...NOW.
Barajas knows when to question Max's train of thought. He also knows when to keep his mouth shut and just go along with it. This was one of those times. He runs to his front door and locks it and gets in the vehicle with Max.
So...where are we headed?
Max puts the car in drive and speeds out of Barajas' driveway.
Bangor..
15 hours later the two arrived in Bangor, Maine, Max's hometown. The sun was beginning to rise as they exited the airport and waited for a taxi. As the two waited, Barajas decided to find out exactly why they were in Bangor.
Max? What are we doing here?
He doesn't respond. He still has the same stare that Barajas saw in his driveway.
Max! What are we doing in Bangor?
We are here to pick something up that I left here...something I should have never let go.
This confuses Barajas. He began to think to himself what Max could have possibly left in Bangor. He has only returned to the city a hand full of times since he joined the MWA last year. He doesn't even stay at his home, he merely keeps the bills paid and pays a landscaping company to make sure that the grass is cut. As he continues to ponder the situation, a taxi pulls up and stops in front of the two men. The driver steps out to help them with their bags, but notices that they don't have any. He also notices that Barajas looks to be dressed for a day at the beach.
Umm...where to?
Mount Hope Cemetery.
As soon as Barajas hears this he immediately knows why they are here. Back in February, Max's father, Steve, succumbed to prostate cancer. That was the last time the two of them were in Bangor. But what is he coming back to get that he had left?
The mask..
Barajas turns to Max as the taxi driver pulls away from the airport.
Max, you can't be serious. You're going to dig up your father's grave just to get your old mask? Do you have any idea how insane and morbid that sounds?
Max turns to Barajas, almost grinning.
When I wore that mask, I was a different person. My father made it for me almost twenty years ago. Every time I slipped that mask on, I became a monster. Ever since I buried that mask in the ground with my father, I haven't been the same person. That mask is the key to unlocking the warrior I once was, and I intend to get it back.
But Max, you have to go through proper channels to exhume a grave. It could take weeks before we got the go-ahead to do this.
You'd be surprised at what a little cash will do to grease the wheels, Barajas. I made the call while driving to Portales. The caretaker is expecting us and has probably already started digging.
Barajas remembers how uncomfortable he felt when he went to view Steve's body at the mortuary. That same sick bubble he felt in his stomach then was beginning to return.
Can you drop me off at a bar or something on the way? I don't want any part of this Max.
You're going.
I'm not going! This is ridiculous! I'm not--
Are you that afraid of death, Barajas? It comes for us all, no matter what we do. It is just a box in the ground. Besides, I placed the mask on top of his casket, not in it.
This does little to subdue Barajas' anxiety.
There is just something morally wrong about this whole thing. Count me out Malcolm.
Max suddenly reaches for Barajas' throat and pins him to the window.
You listen to me you little shit! Either you come with me to do this, or I fire your ass and leave you in Bangor! Decide!
It doesn't take long for Barajas to answer.
Alright! But I want it known that I am a hundred percent against this whole affair!
Max releases his hold on Barajas.
Noted.
About 30 minutes later they arrive at the cemetery. Max can already see that they have finished digging up the grave of his father, Steve Murray. As the taxi begins to wind down the curvy road towards the grave, Max notices that his heart is racing. There was a small part of him that began to question this whole endeavor. But that voice was quickly quieted as they arrived at the grave site. Max then looked at the driver.
We won't be long.
Alright, I'll wait here.
Max exits the vehicle, but Barajas is still hesitant. He opens the door and stares at Barajas without saying a word. Barajas looks him in the eyes then slowly exits the car. The two then begin the short walk to his father's grave. Max hasn't been back since they put the headstone up. It was a simple stone. His father specifically requested this. A simple stone for a simple man. As they approach the open grave, Barajas stops. Max turns and sees the fear in his eyes.
Stay there. I'll be back in a minute.
Barajas happily stops where he is, holding himself to stop the shaking going on through his body. Max walks past the caretaker who begins to say something, but Max doesn't stop. He just continues to walk toward the hole. He stops at the precipice of the grave and peers down. The casket is still in relatively good condition. Laying where he placed it five months ago is his mask. Max sees it and smiles as he leaps into the hole. Barajas nearly screams as he sees him do this, but does nothing as Max disappears into the hole. Barajas waits impatiently for Max to come back out, and can hear the softest of whispers coming from the grave.
Breac à linne, slat à coille is fiadh à fìreach - mèirle às nach do ghabh gàidheal riamh nàire.
Then, as if straight from a horror movie, Max slowly lifts himself out of the grave like he was some type of ghoul. As he stands, Barajas sees that he is clutching the mask he buried with his father in his hand. The mere sight of it gives him chills, as if he has seen a ghost. Max walks up to B2 and that thousand mile stare is now gone. Instead, Barajas notices a different look, that of madness.
Let's go..
They get into the cab and make their way back to the airport.
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You would be amazed at how many people in the world are a superstitious folk. People claim to have seen ghosts, even aliens. Some claim that a number never fails them or that a specific pair of socks brings them great luck and success. I have never considered myself a superstitious man. Now, that may seem to contract what I did in Bangor, but the power that resides in this mask is far from superstition. I won all of my major championships and major battles while donning this mask. When I stepped away from the sport, I put it up next to my championship gold and left it there to gather dust with the rest of the relics. Then I slowly started to make my way back into wrestling and decided that I would have several of these made. While they were all pretty and matched my attire, they weren't the same as this mask. No, this one is something special. I haven't been the same since I buried this along with my father, but now things are goingn to go back to the way they were. I'm going to go back to the way I was.
I'm sure to get loads of letters for what I've done, but I don't give a shit what the outside world thinks of my actions. Not anymore..
It all started at Nemesis. While I was in the back taking care of my burns and my knee that Jason Talbot tried to destroy, something just wasn't right. Never in my career have I been so beat up. Hell, I sustained worse injuries flintknapping obsidian than I ever did in the ring. That's why I've been around so long. People have always tried to take Maximum Violence out of the game, and they have always failed. Even though their attempts were laughable at best, if anyone else were to sustain such injuries, they would be spending their time convalescing in some hospital for weeks followed by months of painful physical therapy. After everything Talbot and Knight threw at me at Nemesis, I was back to my old self days later. That has nothing to do with superstition, I just happen to be a fast healer. But this mask has always aided me in getting past the pain I've experienced during matches. I think Nemesis would have ended a bit differently if I hadn't been wearing the stuff the wardrobe people at MWA fixed up for me.
That does sound like superstition, doesn't it? To the simple minded, yes it does. It is incredible what a bit of fabric and leather can do to your psyche. I plan on proving to the masses that this is more than mere superstition. When I slip this mask on and make my way down the aisle in Memphis, the world will witness that this mask is so much more than material. After this Monday, the radio shows and magazines won't be talking about it is time for Maximum Violence to hang his boots up and call it a career. They will be talking about he beat Gabriel Gambino within an inch of his life and will do the same to whomever the unlucky soul is that is carrying my World Title.
Gabriel Gambino is a man whom I have followed quite closely since he returned to the MWA. Here is a guy who has called himself "The Conqueror". You know it's funny, I actually see a lot of myself in Gabriel. I can tell by the way he conducts himself in the ring and the way he battles that he views his matches as such: A battle. Viewing it as a wrestling match or a fight cheapens what it really is. Everytime I walk through those ropes, I view the person on the other side of the ring an enemy. No matter if they are friend or foe, they are an enemy to my cause. They are there with one goal in mind: To try and stop me. I can count the people that have been able to derail my Campain on one hand, but no one has been able to stop me yet. Not Jason Talbot, not Kacy Knight, and definitely not Gabriel Gambino. Because while I do see some traits that we share, there are so many more that he lacks. I have ended careers because I simply just didn't know when to stop.
Think this is just big talk, Gabe? Go find Quentin Quatermarine and Deshawn Copeland and ask them if I don't make good on every guarantee that I make. From what I hear, they are still recovering from the beatings I handed out. I don't take too kindly to people that try to stand between me and my goals Gabe. You are just like all the rest of the pathetic "talent" in the MWA right now. Your pride soared to an all-time high when you beat CJ Osborne out of office. Anyone can throw a beating on a helpless suit, but you clearly didn't get the job done. While he may no longer be working behind a desk, he is still competing. And that is why you ultimately failed, because you didn't finish the job.
When competitors come to challenge Maximum Violence, they are never the same in the end. Most of the people I have faced in the ring are no longer with the company. Does that strike you as a coincidence? You would be wrong to assume such. You see, it doesn't matter if the end result is a victory or a defeat. Facing me does something to your psyche. You tend to question if this is really what you want. It makes you re-evaluate everything you thought you could do in this business. After all, that is what I was originally hired to do in the MWA: To weed out the weak, leaving only the strong. This is the question you will have to answer after our showdown. I will take you to your very limit, and leave you there teetering on the edge. Most have fallen off the cliff and vanished to pursue safer endeavors. Which side of the cliff will you be on after we battle Gabe? If I were a betting man, you are going to join the rest of the mangled bodies that have fallen off the cliff and left to rot with all the other mangled bodies that have had the misfortune of facing me in the ring.
Don't get me wrong, I said I have followed your progression in the MWA very closely and for good reason. I know you are a former champion and I also am well aware of the battles you have had during your career. But if you think that facing Maximum Violence is going to be similar to the past opponents you have faced, then you have already lost. For every one reason you think you have a chance against me, there are a dozen better reasons why I will destroy you at Battlezone. Deep in your heart of hearts, you know this to be true. I can already picture you back in the locker room, your hands interlaced as you consider if this is really the path you want to take. Do you really want to risk it all against me just to have an opportunity to become champion? You are still a young guy who has years left in wrestling. Are you so foolish that you would risk shaving years off your career just to see if you can keep up with Maximum Violence? Well, I have made a career of showing people that think just like you how truly wrong they are.
When you come through that curtain, it will be too late to turn back. And after it is all said and done, your life will never be the same. I will leave your career where I left this mask: Six feet beneath the grass. There will be no one to help you Gabriel. Not Talbot, and not Knight. But don't worry, I plan on putting their careers in the ground right along with yours, so you will be in good company. My Campain will continue, and your conquests will come to a much deserved end. You are not the man to stop me. There is NO ONE that can stop me now.
Believe that...
