The Presses

Louis Pohl adjusts his collar, before brushing any dust from his maroon suit. He pulls off his glasses, polishing them as he makes his way to the podium at the center of the stage. The flash photography blinds him as he leans over the podium, his hands clenching the edges. He turns his attention towards the many mics before him.

"My name is Louis Pohl, I am the representative for Crash Rodriguez, the next Ascension champion."

The audience starts asking questions over each other, yet one wiggles its way into Lou's ears over the other voices. Lou points towards the source, a young woman with frizzy red hair and green-framed glasses. She speaks her question clearly now that the masses have silenced.

"How has Crash been preparing for the upcoming title bout?"

Lou glares out to the crowd, before bowing his head and shaking it.

"It's been… unconventional. But very effective. Crash Rodriguez is the best I've ever seen him be. You see, my client, he was born to hurt people, and he's excelled at it up to this point. Yet when we took our time away, he perfected his craft. He's cold-blooded, deranged, and unpredictable. Always has been. Now add focused, motivated and assured to the mix. He's the very essence of decadence in human form. The last diamond in this industry."

Lou swallows, as the reporters start to frenzy, hoping to have their questions answered next. We hear the crowd's murmurs upon murmurs, piling over each other. Lou snaps his finger, pointing at a middle aged man, pencil and notepad at the ready.

"Do you have any comments about your client's actions? Namely the animal abuse allegations?"

"Animal abuse?"

"Yes, the video of Crash bludgeoning a cow?"

Lou licks his lips, remembering the carnage bestowed upon Crash's fallen bovine, Daniel. He remembers the sight of barbed wire puncturing the flesh and ripping apart meat. Lou quickly thinks of a solution out of the situation, his past experience as a defense attorney shining through.

"You idiots thought that was real? Think people, if that was a real cow, do you really think my client would be walking free? You think my client would release video proof of his crimes? That was a heavily edited, very well edited may I add, video package used for promotion of my client's first ascension championship title match. I doubt you guys even understood the meaning, THE SYMBOLISM, of it all. Next question!"




Lou adjusts his suit, as he admires himself in the mirror. He slides a flask out from his inner pocket and takes a swig for good luck. He turns and sees his client lounging on the couch, his feet extended on the glass top table.

"You ready? It's about time you join me for one of these press conferences."

Crash looks over towards Lou, his face shows his contempt.

"You've got this, Lou. Go out there and work your magic."

"Come on, kid. You have to at least show up to one of these fucking things. You're the product, you're who they really wanna hear. The least you can do is let them see you."

Crash rolls his eyes as he stands up. Lou stands, watching his client. Crash raises an arm, and Pohl flinches, only to realize Crash is miming for Lou to guide the way. As the two stroll down the corridor, Lou looks back at the Crooked Man, and begins to reminisce.





Lou's eyes are fastened on the screen, as his mouth curves into a smirk. Nobody knows what's about to go down. As his anticipation grows it finally happens. Crash comes barreling out from behind the door, like a bat from hell. Lou watches as he effortlessly gets behind Lesley Adora, and delivers a suplex. Lou begins to cheer quietly as Crash lifts Adora for a second vertical suplex. Lou's phone begins ringing and vibrating, an influx of messages from surprised journalists, all dying to get more info on the returning Crash Rodriguez. As Lou looks up from the nonstop notifications, he sees Crash hit the rolling suplex. The Pileup has left Adora motionless on the ground. As Bianca McBride runs off, Crash covers and counts his own pin.



"Pay attention, Lou."

Crash's words bring Lou back to reality, as the panel coordinator finishes up giving the two the rundown. Lou swallows, hoping he hadn't missed anything of importance. The former attorney looks at The Crooked Man, giving his client a nod before walking out on stage. Like a stone wall, Crash is unfazed by the bright lights and constant chatter. Lou takes to the podium as Crash stands behind him with the hint of a smile washing over his face.

"Well? Who's first? How about you?"

The informal manner of Lou catches the reporter off guard, quickly he shakes away the surprise, after all it is Lou, and jumps right into his question.

"Since returning to the industry as a whole. Your client has undergone a sort of metamorphosis. Could you explain the backstory?"

Lou seems annoyed at the question, inside he's waiting for the chance. Hes waiting for somebody to bring up the Night of Honor title match. Instead he releases a short sigh, before answering.

"You people see a change, but I don't. This is Crash as he's always truly been. No more games, jokes and jovial bullshit. Crash is the absolute model of what this industry needs, and whether it wants him or not, he's here to do what he's always done. Maim, maul and mutilate anybody once that bell rings."

A second or two of silence slips by before the frenzy of questions bombard the former lawyer once more. Lou points to another reporter in the crowd. Her voice is soft, but Lou is just able to hear her.

"At FallOut X: Dead by Daylight your client returned to Project Honor. What are his goals there?"

"Simple. He's already started. You see, that night he steamrolled Lesley, who at the time was the Ascension Champion. Now, he didn't just manhandle the cooky fuck, he pinned him, 1 2 3, accomplishing the first goal. Beating the champion, and showing that he is a force like no other. Since then I've had kids and fans tell me, 'Oh, he should've been named champion', and they're right. So that's why we are correcting that problem at Night of Honor, when my client, Crash Rodriguez, goes one on one with Robi Sorrenson, for the very same belt he's proven he deserves."

Lou smiles, happy with the fact he's now steered the direction towards the upcoming title bout. He points to another attendant.

"Any worries about his opponent, Robi Sorrenson?"

"I'll give her credit. She did exactly what my client has done. She gave it her all and left Lesley on the ground and walked away with the win. But that means nothing to Crash. He's already done that and with no effort at all. You all saw it. You all felt it. So sure, she's the champ. The 'queen'. But to him, she's just another poor soul that got in the Crooked Man's path"

Lou looks around the room, most still silent as they digest each of his velvety words. Before the crowd can fire back up, the attorney speaks once more.

"But I can say anything and everything, people. And all Robi is going to do is recycle her half baked catchphrase, time after time after time. Like a skipping Cyndi Lauper record."

Lou looks towards the camera, as if speaking directly to Robi Sorrenson.

"Go ahead. Repeat yourself again, Robi. Tell me all about how you're gonna make my client bend the knee, like you're one of those reeking, disgusting people dressing up for comic con. Because we all know you want to. After all, when do you say anything new? Better yet, when have you said anything clever?"

Lou let's his question linger in the air, as he grips the edges of the podium. A few seconds tick by, and Lou smirks.

"I got some terrible news for ya. That simply will not happen. At Night of Honor, my client will BREAK your knee. Then as you lay there, staring directly at the very face of decadence, he will break the other knee. Spoiler. Hate to ruin the end of the film for ya."

The former attorney steps away from the stand, as Crash Rodriguez takes his spot. He pulls the mic off the table and holds it to his lips. Unblinking he stares, as his stern voice echoes the room through the PA system.

"If she's lucky… I'll break her neck, so she doesn't have to watch as I take everything from her."

Crash exits the stage, leaving Lou smiling at the masses. He nods his head as he follows the Crooked Man.