"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm here right now with one of the newest members of the WZCW Roster. Former Rockstar and now a professional wrestler. His name is... Thrash!"
The camera, which was focused on WZCW's most glamorous employees, Becky Serra, now moves over to Thrash. Standing beaten and hurt after having just faced Vega for the Mayhem Title, he's also bloodied and slouched over.
"Thrash, it's great to have you here straight from your match against Vega, but shouldn't you be getting some treatment from the EMT's? Or at least be taking a rest?"
Thrash winces but leans in towards the microphone that Becky is holding.
"Becky, I was told that after my match I'd need to be interviewed and here I am! Tonight, I've experienced hell. I've been part of a Mayhem Rules match, which is something that I've never even considered doing. It's crazy. You have to literally beat the life out of your opponent until they can't do anything to stop you and tonight, that is what happened to me. I faced Vega, the Mayhem Champion, in a match that I'd never even been in before. The experience got the best of me and in the end, I was the man pinned. To be truthful, that's not something I wanna experience again anytime soon Becky."
"Well, Mayhem matches are some of the most extreme that we get here in WZCW! Considering that you'd never taken part in one though Thrash, you definitely showed some signs of adaption! Maybe those days on stage have helped you somehow."
Thrash lets out a laugh, but puts his left hand on his hip, slouching again in pain.
"Well, everyone's had their fair share of incidents on stage, I can't deny that! I mean, if you remember back in '98, I had a pretty big accident where I tripped back and fell right into a drum riser that we had set up. I cut up my back pretty badly and still to this day, I get pretty bad shoulder pains now and then. Then every so often, you get fans that just want more of you than they can have, so you have to take, how can I put it... certain measures?"
"Trash, are you trying to say that you've given your fans a taste of their own medicine?"
He smiles, in a way we've not seen before. It's a smile that you could read as one admitting that the person isn't afraid of dealing out some pain.
"Well like I said, you've got to take measures! When a fan tries to bring you down into the crowd with some force, you can't be afraid to plant the microphone right into his head! Yeah, it's only happened once, but it is a rush!"
Serra laughs, but then realises what he's just said, taking in some shock.
"I see. So Thrash, you've only had three matches in WZCW, but already you've managed to get yourself into a couple of altercations. Strangely, all with the same man! You and Dustin Hunter haven't got off to a good start, have you? First you beat him in your debut match, then he attacks you from behind after you're both eliminated simultaneously from the All Or Nothing Pre-Show Battle Royal! Then, on Meltdown, you confronted both Hunter and Brent Blaze. Could you give us some more insight into that?"
"You see Becky, there aren't many people in this world I dislike. I'll give everybody a chance when I first get to know them, but there are certain people I don't like. They're the kind of people that Dustin Hunter and Brent Blaze are. They're low, sick individuals that would do anything just for a kick. Blaze, the guy who calls his fans "addicts". Knowing him, he's probably one himself! Don't you have to fire guys like that? Then we've got Hunter. He thinks that running around as a kid through the wrestling business is a good way of life? Wrong! He's a scrounger, the man that would beg for a way out because he had no way of getting anything. See, when you have someone like me, who has worked all throughout his life to earn money and make a living for himself, to see people that want to cheat the system, to benefit from everyone else's rights makes me sick. That's why I despise Hunter and Blaze. Then I'm introduced to the new boy, Donny J, who apparently is the biggest lowlife ever known! These people piss me off and I'm not afraid to let them know it."
"Wow, that's harsh words there. See you've already met Donny J, but enough about that! The reason that you were called here for an interview was so that we could tell you who your opponent would be next week! It's been decided that you'll be facing Brent Blaze! After his big win this week, you're going to take him on and if you were to win this, it would be one heck of a step up for you!"
"You make it sound like I've never won a match here Becky! I may have only had three matches and may have only been victorious in one, but after my match against Brent Blaze, it's going to be two and two. Two wins, two losses and the next win WILL be at the hands of Blaze. I've seen what he can do in the ring and I wouldn't doubt for a second that he's going to be one heck of a challenge, but I'm ready for it Becky, more than I ever will be! You see, you do have to be ready for the unexpected, just like in the Roulette Rounds of last week. I don't believe that this match is truly going to be one on one. I believe that somehow, in some way, Dustin Hunter will worm his way out into the arena and try to screw me. But I'll be waiting for him. Can you picture it Becky? Hunter tries to get into the ring but BAM! I hit him in the head with The Final Countdown! Then I turn around, pick a beaten Blaze from off the ground and drop with For Whom The Bell Tolls, thus extinguishing this so-called "Blaze". Oh and Becky, I'd like to make an announcement right here and right now before we wrap this one up. If that's ok with you of course."
"Why not? Let's hear it!"
Thrash brings himself together and stands up straight, albeit in a lot of obvious pain.
"After I face and beat Brent Blaze, I've got another target to take down. That's why I'm challenging Dustin Hunter to a match, the week after I've faced Brent Blaze. Me & Hunter, in the middle of the ring, one on one to finally prove which one is better. When I beat him, I will move on to better things. I don't want guys like Hunter, lowlifes like him bringing me down. I want to move up through the ranks of WZCW, capturing a title or two along the way before moving onto the WZCW Heavyweight Championship! It's going to take a long time to get up there, but when I do, boy it's gonna be worth it!"
"Now, THAT is what I call an announcement! It's not official, but hopefully, the guys that put everything together will give you what you want! Thrash, considering that you're beaten and bloodied, I have to thank you for spending the time you have talking to me this evening. Ladies and Gentlemen, that was Thrash!"
The camera cuts off, Thrash and Becky shake hands.
"So you really want Hunter that bad?"
"Becky, the guy has hated me since day one and it's pissing me off day after day. After I take o Blaze, that's my main focus. However, I do still have that match against Blaze. I know I'm saying that I'll be running through him, but is it really that easy Becky? He's just come off of a win against Connor Reese, who isn't an easy battle in any form. I'm going to have to pull out my A-Game this week and if I can't do that, my challenge against Hunter is probably completely worthless!"
Serra puts a hand on the shoulder of Thrash and leans in towards him.
"Look, at the end of the day, it's not about the guy you're going up against. It's all about you. If you can do what you need to do to get the win, then you're going to be victorious. If you let other things cloud up your mind and take over your thoughts, you're going to find it harder to pick up the win. What you need to do this week is focus solely on Blaze. Then move onto Hunter and you'll have it set. I shouldn't really be telling you this but... I'm sure I was one of your biggest fans when you were in Dirty Angels!"
"Thanks Becky. Seriously, it's appreciated. I'm gonna get off now, need to rest the wounds. I'll see you some other time!"
Thrash limps off with a big smile on his face. Heading into an empty locker room, he takes off his jacket and white and red (with blood) vest, dropping it into the only Gym Bag left in the room. He hoists the bad up onto his shoulder, letting out a small gasp of pain. He limps out of the locker room this time and towards the arena doors. As he does, he hears a call out from the distance.
"Thrash!"
He turns around, carefully, to see four men walking towards him. Three of them he recognises as his former Dirty Angel bandmates, only older. The one he doesn't recognise he knows is the new vocalist, the man they brought in to replace "Michael Sullivan" as the frontman of the biggest band of '99. Drummer Alex Sandro walks out in front of the other three, up to Thrash.
"I'm not calling you Mike anymore man. Your name's Thrash. I realised as I walked out of your place that even though we'd replaced you, you were still "Dirty Angels". You're still the frontman that everyone loves and you've just taken being a frontman to a whole new level. You're out there, on a new stage."
A slight smile comes over the face of Thrash, but he can't help being apprehensive of Sandro.
"I'm waiting for the bad news Alex, come on. Last time you were this nice to me, you spat in my face and I never wanted to see you again."
"Look, Thrash. The band is back, I can't deny it. We've played a couple of shows and they've been decent. It's a different kind of crowd now, but we're not here to talk about the band. I told the guys about what you've moved onto and they were genuinely interested, so I bought four tickets for us to come down and see what you were doing. We've come to watch you, but seeing as it's Roulette week, we've seen Meltdown and we just watched you on Ascension! We've enjoyed ourselves so much we're even sticking around to watch Aftershock tomorrow night! Seriously, we watched you take on Vega just then and we were in awe. The beating that you both gave out and took was just beyond anything we'd expected to see from you man, it was amazing."
Alex puts out a hand to Thrash, who smiles in the fact he's been accepted for what he now does.
"Look, can we just call a truce? We may have the band back together, but now you're doing what you're doing and from now on, all four of us are going to be there to always support you, no matter what. So, what do you say?"
"What do I say?"
Thrash thrusts his hand into Alex's and they pull into a hug and embrace, while Thrash pats Alex on the back a few times.
"Alex, I've got a match against Brent Blaze next week on Aftershock, I've just been told. He'll do anything to make sure that I'm stopped from winning. I don't want you to be there at ringside, that would be mad. All I'm asking is that maybe, you come along to the show & cheer along for me?"
"Deal. And who knows, maybe you'll come along to a show every now & then?"
Thrash nods and all five men seem happier than they were at the start of the conversation.
"Now, you might be battered, but who fancies a drink?"
Alex looks at Thrash, who laughs and wipes his hand over his head.
"Some things never change, do they? Let's get going."
The five men all walk out of the door, each shouting over the top of each others voices. Now Thrash has his friends back at his side, are they going to be the key when he faces Brent Blaze?
