Meltdown 128: Dr. Zeus vs. Constantine

[Richard Blonoff]

Deadline is Wednesday, March 23rd, at 11:59PM. Extensions available according to new extension rules.

 

[Dave]

After a few moments of the assembled journalists talking amongst themselves, an unknown man makes his presence known to the crowd. Some flash bulbs go off as the sharp suited man makes his way towards the platform and rummages through his prepared speeches. In the harsh light from above and under the pressure from the seated journalists, the sweat on the man's forehead is clear to see.

Man: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. As some of you may know, my name is Andrew Jefferson and I have been the press secretary of Mia Adams and John Constantine for a few years now. And under normal circumstances, we wouldn't bring people together in such a way. But I have to make something clear from the outset, ladies and gentlemen... These are not normal circumstances.

Andrew flicks through his notes some more before settling on his page and raising his head from the platform.

Jefferson: So please welcome, John Constantine!

Andrew picks up his papers and walks off to the left of the stage; waiting for his boss and the number one contender for the Heavyweight Championship to make his appearance. The tension in the crowd is almost palpable as Constantine finally makes his way out from behind a wooden door and hurriedly makes his way towards the wooden platform; sitting down his own sheets of paper as he does. A few more flashes go off as Constantine settles himself and begins to address the crowd.

Constantine: Thank you, everyone.

Constantine looks around the room, his trademark steely look in his eyes. Narrowing his eyebrows slightly, Constantine remains quiet for a few seconds; the air of expectation falling flat upon his shoulders and the weight of a massive burden of information weighing just as much.

Constantine: When I was a boy living out in St Louis, Missouri, I remember there being an old store in the middle of town. Now, it wasn't every day that someone like me would be allowed all the way into town on my own. But every 4th weekend my father and mother would work away. I'd get home from boarding school on the Friday evening and look forward to the Saturday and Sunday mornings; where I could finally make the long walk into town and see everything that was denied to me during the week.

The Power Trip's slow and mechanical tone transports everyone back to a simpler time. Painting the picture of youth, the assembled masses in the room seem to lose the purpose of this hastily put together meeting.

Constantine: Now, as you probably could tell, I didn't have a lot of friends to go on that journey with. The town couldn't have been anymore than an hours walk away. But it could be a lonely one. With only my thoughts for company, it gave me a lot of time to think about things. But the thing I thought about most was the town itself. Now, don't get me wrong, it wasn't anything more than a small county town; rustic and basic in everything it did. But at the end of the main street, the little shop I was talking about was located.

Constantine lets out an innocent little laugh as he continues to think back on his past.

Constantine: Looking back on it now, the shop couldn't have been any bigger than the room we find ourselves in now. And it certainly wasn't as pleasant to look at it. The plush white walls and beautiful carpets in this room would have been nothing more than a dream for this family run store. But at the time, this store represented everything that I ever wanted. Toys of every shape and size lined all of the little wooden shelves; it was glorious. And yes, my family had a lot of money. But as an 8 year old, I didn't have a buck to my name. And just beisde the register, on a shelf of it's own, was a little metal bike. It was a thing of beauty really. The metal was brushed blue and the tyres were thick as a log and black as the night sky. Every time I walked into that store, I wished I could ride out on that thing. And every Saturday and Sunday, I would tell myself that I would buy it one day...

The Power Trip's words trail off as he loses himself in nostalgia.

Constantine: Now, every time my mother and father had a weekend off, I would tell them about the little store and how magical it was. I would tell them about the wonderful little bike on the shelf and how it was everything I ever wanted.

Suddenly, Constantine's smile turns to a look of hatred.

Constantine: But my father was an unfair man, to say the least. When I told him about that little bike, his gaze turned sour. “Don't fixate yourself on material things, boy” he would say. Power, he would say... Power is the only thing to be worried about. He was a savage man.

A deep silence goes around the room as the flashbulbs seem o come to a complete halt; the morale of the story no doubt on it's way.

Constantine: Now, I was used to being told no y my father; he truly was an unspeakable horrid man. But all I knew was that I wanted that bike more than anything else in the world. And one day whilst walking to town, I cam across another boy making the same journey that I was. He told me that his mother had sent him on an errand to collect a few groceries from the town and I told him about the little bike on return. When I told him just how beautiful it was, I seen his eyes light up just the same way mine had all those years ago. I can't tell you how great that felt. After being continually chastised for loving something and wanting it so bad, it meant a great deal to me to know that what I was longing for wasn't weird; it wasn't a bad thing.

Constantine lets out another little chuckle as he continues; everyone hanging on his every word.

Constantine: As we continued along the road to the little town, I told this little boy about the bike in great detail. I told him that, one day, I was going to buy that little bike and ride it to town every single weekend. I told him that I had loved it for months and that I would stop at nothing to make it mine. And as we parted ways when we reached the little town, I knew that I had evoked something special within him. Desire, lust, aspiration; I could see it in his eyes...

Again, the words of The Power Trip trail off as he loses himself in his own story. For a moment, there are no words, only a look of deeply pleasing nostalgia on the face of The Power Trip.

Constantine: I went about my business that day, visiting all of the little shops in the town before setting my sights on the little toy store at the end of the row. But just as I rounded the corner towards the door, I seen the same little boy run from the entrance with the bike handlebars in both hands and make off into the distance with it.

The number one contender to the Heavyweight Championship laughs again.

Constantine: Now, you would be forgiven for thinking that I would have been upset with the boy. He stole everything that meant something to me that day. But most of all, he stole something from me bigger than possession. He stole a dream from me. Right there, standing on that road, I felt something die in me... It was my innocence. As I watched the little boy run away with my dream, I learned a harsh lesson about life.

Constantine's expression turns sour again.

Constantine: The world isn't fair. People do what they must to get ahead, no matter how many dreams they are smashing in the process. In the pursuit of getting what you want, other people have to stepped on. I should have been mad at that little boy for taking something so precious from me but I wasn't. And you're probably pondering the morale of this story by now and I am not going to keep you waiting.

Constantine's sour expression soon turns to a massive smile, the likes of which seem odd on such a venomous and angry man.

Constantine: I walked into that toy shop and told the owner everything. I told them about my walks to his shop to see the bike and the little boy who had just taken everything from me. I told them where I first saw the young boy and everything he looked like. When the police arrived, they soon found the boy making up that road on the little blue bike. And when they returned it to the owner of the shop, he gave it to me for being so honest.

The Power Trip laughs as the assembled masses do the same.

Constantine: The morale of the story is that success is so fleeting for the vast majority of people. That little boy was probably on top of the world as he rode that bike home, devoid of any of the groceries that he was sent out for. He probably felt as though he was was untouchable. But I was real victor in the story. That little boys dreams were crushed and stepped on and his small success had been utterly obliterated by my own...

Constantine's words trail off one final time as he seems to regain his focus and composure.

Constantine: Which brings me nicely onto WZCW. Now. As you know, I have been waiting in the wings for a time when I would, once again, climb the mountain of success and stand at the top of the company that we all love so much. And just like that long journey into town, I didn't have a lot of friends to keep me company. But I walked the same path so many times because I knew what was at the end of it. And just like the little bike beside the register, the WZCW Heavyweight Championship serves as my prize for my loyalty and my unwavering efforts. And just like that little boy who stole everything from me, Doctor Zeus will soon feel my wrath.

A few flashbulbs go off again as Constantine's speech begins to pick up steam. A murmuring goes around the room as The Power Trip continues.

Constantine: Ladies and gentlemen, you all know me. I have been a wrestler in this company for a long time. And what's more, you know what I am capable of. Before I wrestled, I was a politician and I know how people are. What's more, I know what people are capable of. Just like in politics, your hold over someone is only as good as the dirt you have on them. Now, Doctor Zeus may have had his moment on the little bike of success. He spread his arms and soared like never before. But he underestimated me and my desire. And just like that little boy, I have crushed his spirit and I have taken everything from him.

Constantine picks up speed as the same sickening smile from before crosses his features; his venomous tone now taking over completely.

Constantine: Things have come to light through my doing that assuredly means that Doctor Zeus will be stripped of the WZCW Heavyweight Championship at Meltdown 128. People of America and of WZCW, I have done the unthinkable. At Meltdown, I face off against a man who will soon be hounded from the company under immense pressure from above. I have already spoken to Mr Banks, who has given me certain assurances over my role in Meltdown 128. And just like the shop owner who was so grateful for my honesty...

Constantine stops suddenly.

Constantine: He will be awarding me my prize. That's all.

The Power Trip hurriedly leaves the podium as the shocking nature of his words hit home to everyone assembled in the room.