Meltdown 133: Theron Daggershield vs. James Howard

[Richard Blonoff]

Deadline is Friday, September 2nd, 11:59PM. Extensions available upon request.

 

[Dagger Dias]

The Legend Of Theron
Theron's Awakening

Two hours after Ascension Anarchy 2016....​

Scene opens up to a view of a restarant. Blackjack Theron and his girlfriend Tiffany Wyatt are sitting in a booth next to a window. Outside the window it is dark, but many lights can be seen from nearby buildings and cars as they drive by. Tiffany has her menu up, looking over the options, as Theron looks around at the restarant staff and the other customers. He gets a number of waves from the people. With a smile he waves back to a group of fans, then Tiffany sets her menu down.

Tiffany: Do you know what you're having?

Theron: Ribeye, the biggest one they've got. Cooked rare, with a side of bacon cheese fries.

Tiffany: Well, we are here to celebrate your win, after all. I think I will have a small Sirloin cooked Medium-Well. Do you want to split an appetizer with me first?

Theron: No thanks. I gotta save room for the main course. You know my main focus is always on that when we go eat, Kirilah Heart.

Tiffany ponders to herself for a moment, then responds.

Tiffany: What if.... you considered focusing on the appetizer for a bit instead of the main course. Sure, the main course is great, but you love appetizers too don't you? Maybe it's time for another change.

The question has caught Theron off-guard. He scratches his head.

Theron: I'm not following. I just won on a match on the most unpredictable night of the year, that's worthy of a large steak, not a side or a starter meal.

He takes a drink from his glass of water. Tiffany does as well. They each put their glasses down.

Tiffany: That is not what I meant. I was making an analogy. The main course of a dinner, it is a lot like the World Championship. You have been focused non-stop on it for the past year. What I meant by focusing on an appetizer instead of the main course is, I was wondering if you had any other goals to focus on for a little while? I wanted to get a good idea for you to pitch to Talent Relations at the next meeting.

The spiky haired Hero puts an elbow down on the table and begins to think. Tiffany's thoughts are heard.

Tiffany: (Voice-over) Good. This is what he needs. He needed an awakening. The changes he went through this summer were a start, but more must still be done in the long run. Trying to obtain different goal would be good for him. I will support him the best I can emotionally as a girlfriend and professionally as a Talent Relations Intern, but I want him to decide on the goal himself. It will mean more to him if it is something he actually wants.

Theron taps his fingers on the table as he continues to think. A few seconds pass, and then he answers.

Theron: I'm gonna need some time to think this over, Kirilah, but I'll consider seeking another goal. Tonight, however, we celebrate the win I had on Elevation Excitement. And we're going to do so without paying a single rupee.

Tiffany: What are you talking ab-

Before she is able to finish her question, Theron pulls out the Yoshi Doll.

Tiffany: What did you bring THAT for?

Theron: Exactly what I told you at Elevation Excitement before my match. I'm going to trade it for something better. This here's a collector's item.

Tiffany: Theron, you're not going to be able to pay for a dinner for two with an old action figure, no matter how valuable it may be. This is a business and they need payment like any other business would for their service.

Theron: Wanna bet? I bet I can get us a free meal AND that Goron Vase over there.

He points to a fancy blue crystal flower vase to the right of their booth.

Tiffany: Fine. In the meantime though please consider the question I asked you.

Scene fades out to black.

====

An hour later....​

Scene fades back in to Theron and Tiffany, still at their booth. They have nearly finished their meals. Tiffany is taking small bites of her 6 ounce Sirloin, while Theron has already scarfed down two large plates of bacon cheese fries and is almost done with eating his 16 ounce Ribeye.

Tiffany: I miss having nice dinner dates with you like this. I know it has been harder to spend time alone together between you with your matches or me with my business meetings or other commitments at church. If I could change one thing, it would be to have date night more frequently.

Theron: You know what I would want to change?

Tiffany: What? Tell me.

Theron: I thought about your question from earlier. So it ties into that.... Remember when I won the Global Championship at Treasure Hunt 2015? There was a contendership battle held right afterwards at Burnup 117 between two gladiators. Clovis The Stunning Fist and Jonas House.

She takes another drink of her water, many sips, and then sets the glass down, as Theron speaking.

Theron: Clovis went on to win that match, and faced me for the Global Championship. I can't help but wonder.... What if Jonas had been my challenger instead of Clovis? I would have been less distracted had it been Jonas in battle with me at Uncalled For 2015. With Clovis I was more focused on our growing friendship than the title. Had Jonas challenged me, on the other hand....

Tiffany: Your focus would have been on winning, not on trying to save a friendship.

Theron: EXACTLY! I would even wager a hundred rupees in saying that I would still be the Global Champion right now had Jonas been that first challenger. I would have gone on to hold it for months, dare I say even for as long as Tidarthian has.

Tiffany pulls out her iPhone to text herself a reminder note in her memo app. Angle changes to a view of her phone screen as she texts. "Eurasian Contendership for Theron?". Then the angle changes back to the two of them at the booth.

Tiffany: Is that something you would be interested in pursuing? I could pitch for you to be placed in contendership for the Eura.... umm.... I mean, the Global Championship. One of the competitors in the match you won tonight was.... Lokarion Kemultt, who has mid tier title contendership status.

Theron: Then I could get my hands on that Tidarthian....

Tiffany: Wait.... Is this about the title or about Tidarthian?

Before Theron is able to answer her, they are approached by the Steakhouse's General Manager, a middle aged man with a large mustache..

Manager: Mister Daggershield.... Big fan of your work by the way.... So. I heard that-

Theron: Actually it's Blackjack now. Blackjack Theron.

Manager: Fair enough. Mister Blackjack, I heard you were going to be doing, for lack of better terms, a different form of payment this evening?

Theron: Certainly. While on the subject of the deal I'm about to make, how much is that Goron Vase over there?

The Hero points to the same blue crystal flower vase from earlier.

Manager: That? I could not part with that for at least $675. If not more.

Theron: How about a deal. Kirilah Heart's meal and mine tonight are on the house. That, and the Goron Vase over there. I'll trade you the meals and the Goron Vase for THIS.

Manager: Sir, not even WZCW superstars can get a free meal. This trade you're suggesting is-

He takes out the Collector's Edition Yoshi Doll.

Manager: Whaaaat....? Is that....?

The Manager picks up the Yoshi Doll.

Manager: I've been looking EVERYWHERE for one of these!!!! So long as you leave a tip for your waiter, you have a DEAL, sir!

Theron: Of course. He did a great job. I'll leave him a red rupee as a tip.

The Manager takes the Yoshi Doll into an office and closes the door. Theron goes over to the blue crystal flower vase. He brings it over to the table and sets it down. Tiffany is still trying to figure out what just happened. Theron leaves a $20 for the tip he promised.

Tiffany: How did you do that? Did you know he would take the deal?

Theron: No I didn't, but I had to be willing to take that risk. The payoff was worth it.

Tiffany: I see that in this instance it was.

Theron: Ready to go? As fun as that was, I'll be coming up with an even bigger trade to use the Goron Vase for.

Tiffany gets up out of her chair. Theron takes the vase and they exit. Scene fades to black.

====

One week later....​

Scene fades back in to a view of Theron and Tiffany in the den of Theron's apartment in Stephenville, Texas. Theron is playing "The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds" on his 2DS handheld console in a recliner while Tiffany is looking over papers, the ever growing "Theron brainstorming map diagram" that's always in her stack of papers is present and so are various WZCW memos. A text notification goes off on Tiffany's iPhone. She picks it up and the message can be seen.

9/2/2016, 09:37 PM

It's been approved. Theron will face James Howard on Meltdown 133 for a chance to become a contender for the Eurasian Championship.

Angle zooms out to show Tiffany again. She smiles at the revelation that the match she pitched was successfully made official. She jumps over onto the couch next to Theron.

Tiffany: Hey! Guess what! Save or find a stopping point. I have good news.

Theron: Hang on, I gotta get the heart piece first and then.... Ok! There we go.

He pauses the game and puts the console in sleep mode.

Theron: What's up?

Tiffany: So. Remember on our date last week when you mentioned wanting to have closure on a potential challenger from the past? When you wanted to face.... Jonas House instead of Clovis?

Theron: Yep. Am I facing Jonas?

Tiffany: Yes. You two are going to have a match and the winner will become one of the contenders for Tidarthian's Global Championship. Is that not great news?

Blackjack Theron lays down on the couch and closes his eyes.

Tiffany: Are you ok?

Eyes still closed, Theron laughs to himself for a couple of seconds, then sits back up and opens his eyes. He looks at Tiffany.

Theron: Am I ok? I'm great! This better than I thought, Kirilah Heart! I would have defeated Jonas House a year and a half ago when we were nearly opponents for the Global Championship before. Now I get to prove to the world that it was the truth, by beating him now.

He gets up off the couch and begins walking toward his bedroom.

Tiffany: Where are you going?

Theron: To grab the Goron Vase. I'm taking it with me to Burnup 133 in case an opportunity for another trade comes up. Just like how I'll be trading a win against Jonas for a shot at Tidarthian and the Global Championship.

He goes into his bedroom. Tiffany walks back over to her paper stack. She takes out her brainstorming map diagram and her thoughts are heard.

Tiffany: (Voice-over) A new focus for Shawn as he begins trying to win back the other title he once held. My focus remains the same though. Emotional support for my significant other, helping him become better than he ever was. One step at a time, though.

She puts the brainstorming map back into her binder, next to a report on Meltdown 117. She looks at a picture from the Chris KO VS James Howard match at Meltdown 117 in the report.

Tiffany: (Voice-over) Time will tell if he can defeat Titus Avison and the other potential Eurasian challengers, but he is confident he can win against Howard. Time for Shawn to have closure on the unanswered question on what would have happened if he faced Howard a year and a half ago. He would have won then, and he will win now because his focus has been shifted to one more fitting at this time.

She closes the binder and the scene fades to black.