Decadent golden curtains hang from the titantron. On them, the embroidered initials of John Constantine shine is a royal shade of red. Inside of the ring, a red carpet is stretched across the canvas. Upon the carpet, a great golden throne and a table with a crown sits. The fans at ringside look intrigued but widely unamused at the amount of time they have spent waiting. Suddenly, the arena bursts into life.
Boos. The fans flock to their feet, shouting their end at the emerging King. John Constantine makes his way through the curtain and into the white hot hate in the arena. He continues to walk until he reaches the middle of the stage, his KFAD briefcase in hand. Closing his eyes and holding his arms out to his side, the briefcase dangling from his right hand. Raining down on him, the boos become louder and louder until Constantine's eyes open in shock. Allowing a smile to cross his face, Constantine begins his walk down to the ring.
Copeland: An unexpected visit from the King For A Day holder, John Constantine. It doesn't look like the fans here in North Carolina like the look of him recently.
Cohen: He's a king, Seabass. These people don't need to like anything. They just have to bask in his glory and realise that this is the closest they are going to come to true royalty.
Copeland: Well, that seems to be the topic of discussion between most of the fans here in the arena. I dare say, Jack, that they don't really agree with that estimation.
Constantine eventually arrives at the ring before mounting the steps, wiping his feet on the carpet and entering the ring. Constantine walks slowly around the ring, looking out into the crowd as he paces. After a moment, he grabs a microphone from a member of the production crew and smiles widely as he prepares to revel in his own voice.
Copeland: Brace yourself, folks.
Constantine: Welcome, subjects, to the new era of WrestleZone Championship Wresting!
There is a mixed reaction from the crowd as they realise some truth in the words of the King For A Day. However, booing seems to be the prevailing emotion.
Constantine: A new era for this company, a new era for everyone involved in the company. And even more so, a new era for John Constantine!
Constantine's words echo around the arena, stinging the ears of the bans at ringside and throughout.
Constantine: Up until last week, you seen the soft and buttery King For A Day. You seen the King who languished on Aftershock with the likes of Darren Bull and the insanely named Krypto. I became the laughing stock of this entire industry. The man who took on the world and came out smiling with the King For A Day briefcase in his arms had fallen from grace. He went from facing the likes of Steven Holmes to facing Darren Bull in a matter of weeks. He plummeted from top of the F15 to an honourable mention.
Cheering now engulfs the arena as the scale of Constantine's plight becomes abundantly clear. There is a hushed excitement as Constantine continues to plod around the ring, not even noticing the excitement of the crowd.
Constantine: That was until last week.
A smile appears on the face of Constantine now. The fans, who are changing their mood upon every new word that Constantine utters, do not have the luxury this time as the King presses on.
Constantine: Last week, I marched to the ring and destroyed Darren Bull.
Constantine's face turns to an ugly shade of red as he relives the moment inside his head. There is silence now as the King For A Day stands with his free hand clenched.
Constantine: I showed no mercy to someone who has done nothing but fail. Even with my experience and skill, he could not take advantage and create a moment for himself. He could not set himself apart from the crowd and create a legacy for himself. He could not march into battle with the beast and show that he is the better man... Much like your King, John Constantine, has done on numerous occasions.
Another smile appears across the face of the briefcase holder as he lowers the microphone. The smug and self-satisfied grin that slides onto his features is a far departure from the look he used to show the huddled masses as he addressed them.
Constantine: And I know that you may be asking yourself how I allowed this to happen. How I could allow myself to fall so far and so fast without a whimper.
Copeland: I'm sure a lot of people are wondering that.
Constantine: Well, the fact is, that I tried to be one of you. I tried to fit amongst you and be a beacon of hope for the weak, the ill, the hopeless. I tried to rule from within, gathering your hope and ideals and trying to live your goals for you. But what soon became clear, is that no matter how hard you try for you people, nothing is ever going to be good enough. You constantly demand more than any man could ever give. You suckle at the warm teat of the more rich and successful as if you were dependant on it.
Booing again begins to circulate as the King presses on.
Constantine: A couple of weeks ago, I realised that it is impossible for a King to rule as one of his subjects. I realised that a King cannot be a mere mortal like all of you. He cannot be human and make mistakes. He must transcend all of you and stand above you, knowing that he is the beacon of hope that you will all look up to. As you look up from your grubby knees and see your King standing above you, a glittering example of what can be achieved, you will ask yourself How can I be like that? And the answer, my dear subjects, is easy. You have to be like me. You have to demolish the weak and cut the loose ties that keep you on your knees. Darren Bull kept your King on his knees with his incessant whimpering and his constant cries for help and attention. As I hit him with the Axis Of Evil, I didn't flinch. I didn't show any remorse and I gave all of you something to cling to. I gave you hope.
Hope that one day I will emerge with the World Heavyweight Championship. I gave you hope that I will, again, rise to that level of competition. I will once again mingle with the effervescent talent that this company has to offer and it will not phase me. No! I will stand before it with all of you at my feet and I will know that I have a purpose. I will know that nothing that stands before me will be able to detract from my ultimate goal... Ultimate glory with WZCW. And with that, my loyal and loving subjects, I will crown myself your ruler. I will take on the mantle of being your hope, your idle, your dream.
Constantine finally stops pacing. In front of him, the grand throne that has been resting in the middle of the ring throughout his diatribe. Constantine's eyes flicker from that to the crown that shimmers as the arena lights hit it every so often. With some gusto , Constantine spins around and falls back onto the seat. He squirms slightly, getting comfortable before reaching out and grabbing the golden crown. The booing from the crowd again ramps up at the eccentric and hypnotising display of the King For A Day. Constantine lifts the crown above his head and them slowly lowers down to sit atop his head to another loud flurry of booing.
Constantine: And with that, my subjects, I welcome you to the first ever King's Court. You, my loving subjects, are the first of my people to stand before a king renewed. A King who, this week, will face a man who threatens our kingdom. A man who has come into this kingdom on the back of mystery and underexposure. It is the task of this great King and kingdom of large to shine a light on those who mean to do harm to our agenda. It is the job of your King to ride into battle, unafraid and unrelenting in his quest. Grand Mystique might not be most tenured of my subjects but he challenges me as if he should be taken seriously. This is the same man who, only a few weeks ago, lost to a team comprising of Mayhem talents. What gives him the right you might ask...
Ego.
Grand Mystique may not be the most qualified talent but rest assured that your King, John Constantine represents the people. And I know that you want nothing more than for this shroud and mysterious talent to be unmasked and exposed for what he is. So I will take on your will. I will be the King that you so require and will face this imposter with the fierce aggressiveness that is required of the King.
Copeland: A bold statement of intent from our so-called King.
Constantine stands from his throne now, the briefcase still held within his grasp.
Constantine: In these times of uncertainty where Titus is the number one contender to the WZCW Heavyweight Championship and Sam Smith is considered a legitimate talent within my court, my task will be daunting. But this is indeed a task for a King and the first step on the road to restoring this kingdom to the greatness that it undoubtedly should be, is the ultimate destruction of those who stand against us. That first step is Grand Mystique. My subjects, my people, my adoring court. I put it to you that Grand Mystique is a confident jester but he cannot stand against us. He cannot stand against a King renewed and at Meltdown 81 the first pillar of pride in this kingdom will be rebuilt. This is the will of your king.
Constantine drops the microphone before stretching his arms out once more to receive the completely mixed reaction of the fans in the arena.
Copeland: What an eccentric statement from our renewed king it seems.
Cohen: Let me tell you this, Copeland, Constantine hasn't been himself since losing to Steven Holmes all those months ago. This new Constantine is more akin to his old self. The man who won the KFAD briefcase. The WZCW roster should be on alert and that goes doubly for Grand Mystique.
We fade to black as Constantine waves to his loyal subjects.
