Post by Zack Fantana on Feb 17, 2017 3:51:57 GMT -5
"Where the hell is everyone?"
Zack Fantana breaks his stride to check his watch one more time before resting his "No T.S., no peace. Know T.S., know peace" sign against the bumper of his car. The former Resilience Champion and his lawyer (as of yet only known as Samson) are picketing outside the AWE headquarters. Samson, holding a sign of his own that reads "This is T.S.-ence of Injustice", shrugs as several passerby walk through the parking lot ignoring the two men, instead greeting a sign twirler down the street.
"Show-off."
Finally, Zack grabs one man by the arm to get his attention.
"Good morning, sir. Do you know when the angry mob will be arriving today?"
The gentleman nods before squinting at Samson's sign.
"Angry mob?... What are you two gentlemen doing today?"
Zack glares at Samson.
"I told you that wouldn't play visually."
Fantana dismisses Samson to the car with a flick of the wrist before addressing the passerby.
"A man by the name of Thomas Shane Elliot was terminated as COO by the AWE unjustly. My friends and I are here to get his job back. It will take some time, but trust me, we're not afraid to take this to the top."
"The Supreme Court?"
"The Better Business Bureau."
"Where are the rest of your friends?"
Zack looks off into the distance.
"They're canvassing the perimeter. So, what do you say, guy? Want to join our angry mob? We have sandwiches."
With a toothy smile, Zack extends a sandwich towards the man.
"Well..."
The man hesitates, looking at the sandwich neatly wrapped in wax paper, and then back at the AWE headquarters.
"I was actually hired by Kassandrah's team."
"Oh."
"We haven't had picketers since then. From what I heard, Kassandrah's team has reached out to the union."
Zack's smile fades quickly.
"Could I still have a sandwich? I actually haven't had the chance to grab a bite today. The office has been crazy busy managing the turnover."
"Oh, this? Sure."
Without breaking eye contact, Zack compresses the sandwich into his palm, then he slowly opens his hand. The sandwich spatters on the asphalt, painting the AWE employee's tan loafers with speckles of balsamic vinaigrette.
The man's head droops and he walks off defeated like Charlie Brown.
"I hope you're getting this."
The camera man pans out as Zack waves his arm toward the AWE headquarters.
"Look at how quickly the new regime has squelched the spirit of any remaining dissidents. They even made Fantana vs. Stone the opener on Sunday to ensure that everyone is off the streets at showtime. I've got to admit, that's pretty clever. But that won't deter me.
You're probably wondering why I still care. After all, what did my allegiance to T.S. ever earn me except a larger target on my back?
Nothing. But I never asked for any special treatment. When T.S. threw me to the wolves in my first title defense, I relished it. Ultimately, isn't that the point of this division? All I ever wanted was equal opportunity. What we got instead is Tony Chu acting as the COO's proxy as she recovers in the hospital. The same Tony Chu who is our Resilience Champion's agent. No conflict of interest there, right?"
Fantana rolls his eyes.
"So whilst everyone in the AWE boardroom sticks their heads in the sand, I'll still be here taking advantage of every opportunity I get. See, some people might perceive it as a slight for me to go from the main event of Executive Action to the opener of Massacre #8, but I don't see it that way. Last name on the bill of one era and the first name on the bill of the next. Who but me can say they get a chance to define two different eras? The current administration may hate my politics, but they're still paying me handsomely to be the first competitor to represent the brand new Empire. Are they unaware of the stage they've just given me? This could turn out very bad for them if I don't play the role of the good soldier. Kassandrah's reputation hangs in the balance."
Zack pauses to mull this over.
"I have to wonder if I am being taken for granted or if they are just daring me to bite for an excuse to get rid of me. But they have to know that unlike some of the purported 'legends' that have walked the AWE hallways, I'm not going to tuck tail and run when things get rough. I'll still be here whether you like it or not. To our dearly departed, enjoy the new company T-shirt. Enjoy the new set of twitter followers. Pad that résumé. I'll keep holding it down in the AWE, even in this new era. I've never been afraid to start at the bottom of the totem pole, because I have the utmost confidence I'll make it make to the top once again.
Are you with me, Tommy Stone? I used to think I had you figured out but now I have to wonder. Perhaps even more than me, I think you're frustrated that this match isn't for the Resilience Championship. I mean, if you want to talk about change, you seem more desperate than ever for recognition. Maybe you're trying to make up for lost time after spending many months away from the business. Maybe you've grown weary of starting from scratch after another failed company closed its doors on you, but complaining about your match placement on your first event? Kicking a man in the dick? You can talk about how you're the guy who was brought in as the 'point maker' for Zack Fantana, but it's not me who has something to prove in this company. It's you.
Well, it's about that time to put your money where your mouth is, Tom. As always, the AWE knows what it's getting from Zack Fantana. But what are we getting from you?"
Zack Fantana breaks his stride to check his watch one more time before resting his "No T.S., no peace. Know T.S., know peace" sign against the bumper of his car. The former Resilience Champion and his lawyer (as of yet only known as Samson) are picketing outside the AWE headquarters. Samson, holding a sign of his own that reads "This is T.S.-ence of Injustice", shrugs as several passerby walk through the parking lot ignoring the two men, instead greeting a sign twirler down the street.
"Show-off."
Finally, Zack grabs one man by the arm to get his attention.
"Good morning, sir. Do you know when the angry mob will be arriving today?"
The gentleman nods before squinting at Samson's sign.
"Angry mob?... What are you two gentlemen doing today?"
Zack glares at Samson.
"I told you that wouldn't play visually."
Fantana dismisses Samson to the car with a flick of the wrist before addressing the passerby.
"A man by the name of Thomas Shane Elliot was terminated as COO by the AWE unjustly. My friends and I are here to get his job back. It will take some time, but trust me, we're not afraid to take this to the top."
"The Supreme Court?"
"The Better Business Bureau."
"Where are the rest of your friends?"
Zack looks off into the distance.
"They're canvassing the perimeter. So, what do you say, guy? Want to join our angry mob? We have sandwiches."
With a toothy smile, Zack extends a sandwich towards the man.
"Well..."
The man hesitates, looking at the sandwich neatly wrapped in wax paper, and then back at the AWE headquarters.
"I was actually hired by Kassandrah's team."
"Oh."
"We haven't had picketers since then. From what I heard, Kassandrah's team has reached out to the union."
Zack's smile fades quickly.
"Could I still have a sandwich? I actually haven't had the chance to grab a bite today. The office has been crazy busy managing the turnover."
"Oh, this? Sure."
Without breaking eye contact, Zack compresses the sandwich into his palm, then he slowly opens his hand. The sandwich spatters on the asphalt, painting the AWE employee's tan loafers with speckles of balsamic vinaigrette.
The man's head droops and he walks off defeated like Charlie Brown.
"I hope you're getting this."
The camera man pans out as Zack waves his arm toward the AWE headquarters.
"Look at how quickly the new regime has squelched the spirit of any remaining dissidents. They even made Fantana vs. Stone the opener on Sunday to ensure that everyone is off the streets at showtime. I've got to admit, that's pretty clever. But that won't deter me.
You're probably wondering why I still care. After all, what did my allegiance to T.S. ever earn me except a larger target on my back?
Nothing. But I never asked for any special treatment. When T.S. threw me to the wolves in my first title defense, I relished it. Ultimately, isn't that the point of this division? All I ever wanted was equal opportunity. What we got instead is Tony Chu acting as the COO's proxy as she recovers in the hospital. The same Tony Chu who is our Resilience Champion's agent. No conflict of interest there, right?"
Fantana rolls his eyes.
"So whilst everyone in the AWE boardroom sticks their heads in the sand, I'll still be here taking advantage of every opportunity I get. See, some people might perceive it as a slight for me to go from the main event of Executive Action to the opener of Massacre #8, but I don't see it that way. Last name on the bill of one era and the first name on the bill of the next. Who but me can say they get a chance to define two different eras? The current administration may hate my politics, but they're still paying me handsomely to be the first competitor to represent the brand new Empire. Are they unaware of the stage they've just given me? This could turn out very bad for them if I don't play the role of the good soldier. Kassandrah's reputation hangs in the balance."
Zack pauses to mull this over.
"I have to wonder if I am being taken for granted or if they are just daring me to bite for an excuse to get rid of me. But they have to know that unlike some of the purported 'legends' that have walked the AWE hallways, I'm not going to tuck tail and run when things get rough. I'll still be here whether you like it or not. To our dearly departed, enjoy the new company T-shirt. Enjoy the new set of twitter followers. Pad that résumé. I'll keep holding it down in the AWE, even in this new era. I've never been afraid to start at the bottom of the totem pole, because I have the utmost confidence I'll make it make to the top once again.
Are you with me, Tommy Stone? I used to think I had you figured out but now I have to wonder. Perhaps even more than me, I think you're frustrated that this match isn't for the Resilience Championship. I mean, if you want to talk about change, you seem more desperate than ever for recognition. Maybe you're trying to make up for lost time after spending many months away from the business. Maybe you've grown weary of starting from scratch after another failed company closed its doors on you, but complaining about your match placement on your first event? Kicking a man in the dick? You can talk about how you're the guy who was brought in as the 'point maker' for Zack Fantana, but it's not me who has something to prove in this company. It's you.
Well, it's about that time to put your money where your mouth is, Tom. As always, the AWE knows what it's getting from Zack Fantana. But what are we getting from you?"