Post by Mark Hunter on Mar 13, 2022 5:34:05 GMT -5
THE PERFECT MASK
“No matter how many times you kick me down… I’ll stand back up.” - Havoc
Unaired Footage
San Jose, California - SJ High School
March 11th, 2022 - 08:07
Mark was driving his 2022 Lexus NX on I-101 to his way to SJ High School to drop off his daughters for school. He leaned back in the driver's seat with both hands tightened around the steering wheel, eyes focused on the road. Sophie sat down in the backseat along with Alexa who were on their phones listening to music or playing with their apps. His adopted daughters were always ecstatic to have their father show up and spend time along with them, school would never get in the way of that but Mark had a purpose as to dropping his daughters off. The upcoming PTA meeting formed against him was complete bullshit and he needed to convince the Principal to shut it down immediately. Sophie and Alexa were the popular kids in the school thanks to their father's career of being one of the best wrestlers in the world. However, while his daughters were getting all the fame, Mark was being summoned into the Hall of Infamy by the parents. He hated being exiled on some bullshit; Hopefully things will turn around when he meets with the Principal and he can create change.
The Lexus pulled up against the sidewalk and Mark waved goodbye to his daughters as they left the car. After the wave goodbye he then swerved the car into the parking lot where he got out of the driver's seat. Wearing a black buttoned shirt tucked in black jeans and black dress shoes, Mark fixed the darkened shades in front of his eyes. He slammed the door shut, locked the car then went on his way to the Principal's office. Mark knocked on the door to the staff's office as a few teachers recognized the loyal Markus Huntington to the SJ High School. They didn't say anything, they already knew why he was here. He barged in then opened the door to the Principal’s office. Ms. Mason dropped her files.
“Mr. Huntington! I did not know you were going to be here. Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee, water?”
“No. I want to talk about this PTA Meeting. You left some information out from yesterday's call. Is there anything you want to tell me now? Is the PTA Meeting concerning the well being of the students or are the parents trying to kick me out of the school fucking again?!”
She wiped the sweat off her brow with the white napkin on her desk. The door was shut by her assistant outside as Mark leaned back in the black executive chair, arms folded across his chest. Principal Mason prayed to the Lord Mark wouldn't show up but that didn't go as planned.
“Is there anything else I should know that involves me? Am I going to be executed, killed, maimed? Should I bend my ass over and get fucked? This is what you are doing to me, Principal Mason. I'm going to this PTA meeting to get fucked! No condoms, no lube, every parent in this community wants to fuck me over like a damn man whore.”
“Mr. Huntington! Please! Lower your voice, the teachers can hear you from inside here. Please.”
“Oh, I'm sorry. Allow me to be more peaceful if I may.”
Mark got off his seat and opened the door. He leaned his head out before garnering the attention of all the teachers at their desks or socialising. Mark shouts very loudly, nearly scaring some who never saw him coming.
“Hello everyone! If you're just hearing this then you already know how fucking pissed off I am right now because of a bunch of parents acting like cowards instead of real people. Yeah. You're all on that list too. A bunch of bitches and pussies. Fuck all of you for letting this shit happen again even after I saved the school and your fucking jobs!”
He slammed the door shut again and sat down in front of the desk. Principal Mason buried her old wrinkled face into her feeble hands as Mark smiled. He's extremely offended and upset that the school board is allowing this to happen. The old woman behind her desk leaned back then sighed at that dramatic display.
“Was that necessary?”
“Yes. Very, very necessary because if you guys knew what happened a few months back regarding the same PTA bullshit, this shouldn't be happening at all. This is a fucking waste of my own time. You better be fucking prepared to go through this shit with me especially if that cock munching bitch shows up again. I swear to God, the last husband she brought, I almost put him in the grave. She shows up with another one, I'm putting him in the-”
“Morgue?”
That voice ran through his body, a coarse voice of an old hag. Mrs. Peterson was the leader of the parent community attempting to get Mark away from the school. She strutted into the office wearing her white jacket, tight blue pants with black high heels, exposing the cleavage of her half buttoned shirt. Mark leaned back in his executive chair snarling at Mrs. Peterson's presence as she stood in the doorway. Principal Mason sighed at this unfortunate circumstance of the two rivalling parents. This is going to be one interesting discussion.
“Hello Markus.”
“Hey bitch.”
“Mr. Holmes! Language!”
“It's in the dictionary. Not my fault, just trying to help her realise what she really is.”
“You were always a funny guy. Where's your bird? Left you yet?”
“Oh don't worry about her. I think this is between you and me. How many times are you going to try and get rid of me? Why? Because I'm more successful, more loved and I'm more respected by the entire school than you? Or maybe you just want to fuck me more than your rent-a-Husband. Let's just be honest. You're not here to screw me over. You're here to fucking piss me off and get this shit out of the way. You're doing the same shit like you did last time and trying to get rid of me. You've always had that problem! Always. If it's not you in charge, you go for a fucking emotional breakdown and do whatever you can to manipulate people just like you're doing with this Principal now. You want to know why the old Principal was gone? You want to know what this cunt did behind the scenes to get him out of the way?”
“Mr. Huntington, please.”
“Please what? You're going to be hounded by this ugly c##t in your doorway. She's a lying manipulative bitch who is coming for your position and you're too pussy to do anything about it. Get this bitch off the PTA board and I can assure you how easy it would be to sit down and listen to the rest of the fakes who come to the school every day. She's the fucking reason for all the shit this school is going through; You're just too fucking stupid to see it through. Fuck this, I'm out of here! But remember my funding keeps this school fucking open.”
Mark stormed out of the Principal's office leaving the dreaded woman to smirk behind him. He was really pissed off that she returned after she almost got him banned from school grounds. He flipped some equipment over and security escorted him out. As he walked back to the car, his fists were tightening to the point where his knuckles almost popped out. Mark got into the driver's seat, slammed the door then pressed the button to start the car. He was utterly upset that the school wouldn't do anything to correct the mistake they made last time. What if his kids are suffering in class being bullied because their father is PH superstar Mark Hunter? He has the four way for the Legacy belt at work but now at his home? No. That was unfair. He slammed his hands against the car horn repeatedly, yelling at the top of his voice before he leaned his head on top of the steering wheel. The pressure was getting to him then he backed out of the parking space before driving back home. Mark needed to see Jelena and air out his grievances. Fuck the fucking assholes he thought to himself.
He dialled Jelena's number on the dashboard and after a few rings, she answered the call.
“What's up?”
“Bullshit. Bullshit to where I can't give a flying fuck about this school anymore. How am I supposed to deal with this and my match? I shouldn't have to deal with eager parents trying to kick me out of the school. It's totally uncalled for!”
“Markus! You need to relax and think this through. You didn't cause a commotion like last time, did you?”
He hesitated to answer after his storming out.
“Hello?”
“Well I kind of did. It wasn't my fault. I was jus-”
“No. I don't wanna' hear it. You need to control your emotions and think rationally. We'll attend the PTA meeting together and put an end to these false accusations made against you. You can't win everything by violence and brute force. Sometimes you need to think with your head more than your fists.”
“Since when did you get so fucking wise? You been watching Jackie Chan movies or something?”
“Yes and they definitely help like right now.”
Mark rolled his eyes and eased off on the gas pedal. He was travelling pretty fast on the highway. It was easy to understand the anger boiling after being screwed over by the school but due to the shit the same bitch caused last time, the same manipulation games will be coming to strike him down. A large pool of concerned parents will form a union, a union against Markus Huntington, and use their talents to discourage him from attending any school events again. This is a war, the world against one man. What does a loving fighting father do in the face of such travesty? Does he run or does he hide? Jelena was talking through the speakers trying to reason with him; It went through one ear out the other. All Mark could think about was wrapping his large hands, tighten them around Mrs. Peterson’s throat then choking the life out of her. Listen to her blood gurgling screams of mercy, beg for her life. His children would be made fools if she won, he has to fight to protect them at all costs. Mark would do everything in his power to ensure victory.
“What’s the worst ya can do to me, I wonder?” - Billy Bennett
Unaired Footage
San Jose, California - SJ High School
March 12th, 2022 - 17:47
The great war was coming and the calm before the storm eased it's way into the minds of all warriors stepping into battle. Saturday evening has struck and Team Huntington were on their way to fight against the world. Jelena and Mark were in the Lexus with Mark behind the wheel obeying the speed limit while Jelena was checking her make-up, her hair and how she looked in the mirror. While Jelena was excited to attend the PTA Meeting, Mark's facial expression was painfully obvious. He wasn't attending a PTA Meeting, he was stepping into a war against the other parents. The world was against him due to the harsh nature of how he puts food on the table. How could the other parents judge him based on what he loves to do? He earns more money than the rest of the entire school community and has contributed large sums to keep the school open for all of them. His daughters attend it, eventually his sons will, why stop a father who is fighting for the school to live on? It didn't make any sense until the bitch, Mrs. Peterson made her return.
Mrs. Peterson was always the one desperate to be in power. Mark had kept the last issue quiet, so little did Kaitlyn know, Mrs. Peterson was the top candidate to be the next Principal of the school a few months ago until Mark found out her plan to fire all the teachers who were against her in forming a new play. Mark took it upon himself to ruin her intended plans; Ever since then, the two have hated each other. All the parents knew about their boiling feud that took over the communities and even had some of the parents on edge. What surprised him is how she ever managed to form an army of sightless idiots against him; She must have used his Professional Wrestling career as evidence. Forged evidence to get her campaign back on track hence not only would it be bad for him. It would be bad for his daughters. Mrs. Peterson would make life in that school for both Sophie and Alexa awful, it would be the fucking worst case scenario. They would be bullied, humiliated and singled out just for being Markus Huntington’s children.
“You look fine. Don't have to do your makeup all the damn time. You look amazing.”
“I just wanna' look my best. There's nothing wrong with freshening up. After all, this is the first PTA meeting we're going to together. Why not look the part?”
“And have the rest of Dads look at my girl and fantasise how much they want to get it in with you?”
“Oh please. You should hear how much the other moms talk about Mark Hunter. "Oh, why can't my husband be like him?", "Mark is such a man, he gets things done and he's so in shape.", "Mark this", "Mark that." Don't come to me with the jealousy shit, I have to hold back from dragging a bitch.”
“Oh God. Here we go again. You think you have it easy? How many people follow you on Instagram?”
“Five hundred thousand but you have two and a half million followers. So ha!”
“Okay. You have a point. Fine, you win.”
“Thank you.”
“Ass.”
Jelena punches Mark in the arm being playful. The Lexus parked right near the entrance of the school. Mark got out of the car first then walked around to open the door letting his other half out. He was dressed in a white buttoned shirt tucked inside his tight black dress pants and wearing large black dress shoes. A Michael Kors watch to complete the accessories while Jelena wore a long emerald dress. The two looked very formal for this PTA Meeting; They both walked through the entrance leading all the way to the conference area hosted for the community. As soon as they entered, all eyes had fallen on them. Mark sighed and Jelena hugged his right arm assuring him everything would be alright. At the top of the stage was Mrs. Peterson, sat down in that big executive chair beside Principal Mason. Right there the two locked eyes. Mark and Jelena sat down together in the middle row next to a few parents who shuffled over, they could sense the tension. Principal Mason was confident both Markus and Mrs. Peterson would not show any animosity to each other but even that might be questionable. Mark wanted to knock her out and the feeling was mutual.
“Just relax. Nothing bad is going to happen, you're fine.”
“Please. I'm never fine as long as she's up there. She wants to get rid of me, so let's see what this c##t has in store.”
Principal Mason gets off from her chair then stands behind the podium. She taps into the microphone, the sound engineer gives her the thumbs up. Her small frail body, old and rough, voice spoken which can be uncomfortable. Mark leans back in the chair with his arms folded, ready for the shit storm coming his way.
“Evening ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for attending this urgent PTA Meeting. As you are all aware, we've had more violent incidents between students. We believe it may have something to do with the parents' influence at home and their careers. I'll leave it over to Mrs. Peterson.”
A few eyes turned to Mark who didn't break eye contact with Mrs. Peterson. Not to mention, there were a few parents mumbling among themselves. Mrs. Peterson looked very polite and confident as some volunteer students helped with the production of a powerpoint to be used in her speech.
“Hello ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the SJ High School PTA Meeting 2022. As our beloved Principal Mason has said, there have been issues arising at this school concerning our students. Violent acts such as fights, disorderly conduct and even destruction of property have increased drastically. Why these acts have been increasing, we were not sure but we have found out why. Our studies have resulted that the students have been watching the terrible sport better known as Professional Wrestling. Ever since the promotion, Project Honor, has been touring the United States promoting violence, more kids have tuned in to watch the violent airings. Thus when asked what inspired them to do these acts, their first answer was Project Honor."
Jelena slowly dragged her hand to hold onto Mark's. She looked at him and held his hand tightly. Jelena now felt exactly how he felt; Used as an example to better a terrible cause for the school. Mark leaned back in the chair in the middle row watching her present her "studies" and use the evidence she found to eradicate the only thing he ever loved. While it was a selfish way to think, his passion for Professional Wrestling could never be questioned. However, Mark did think about what is better for the students. Maybe Mrs. Peterson was right, maybe he was the cause for this.
“I think maybe we should call someone to the stand to give us their view of what happened at school yesterday. My own daughter, Jess, will tell you a certain situation that I believe all parents should listen too. Trust me when I say this situation will never happen again when we come together to better the experience of our students. Thank you everyone, Jessica?”
The young girl walked on stage and got extra help to stand up on the boards. Mrs. Peterson stepped aside letting her daughter take control of the podium. Her voice was ever so soft and sweet, a parent could easily tell when a child is nervous. This one wasn't, she was calm, collected and ready to give the speech of a lifetime. Mark rolled his eyes, leaned his head on his cheek then looked at Jelena who shrugged her shoulder. Jelena just needed to make sure Mark wouldn't explode out of anger thus giving away the win. What a terrible loss before the Legacy match, ehh?
“Hello everyone. Yesterday a fight happened between two boys as they argued about a seat. When asked why they were fighting, they said they learned from their favorite wrestler on TV. They said it was Mark Hunter.”
“Of course it would be me. How freakin' predictable.”
Jelena shook her head while Mark kept his eyes only on Mrs. Peterson. A few parents around him started whispering and gossiping among themselves about Mark Hunter. It seems his PH Legacy Championship match may not be his biggest roadblock yet. Mrs. Peterson took back control of the podium after Jessica, her daughter, left the stage back to her father. She smirked knowing the parents were turning over to her side. Mark mumbles.
“This is not going to end well.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to become the voice of reason by saying I think it's time we take a different approach. Our problems are not because of television or what the terrible sport of Professional Wrestling has created. It leads to one individual who lives this lifestyle everywhere he goes. I call for an immediate removal of Markus Huntington from the School.”
“There it is.”
Jelena now mumbles “You've got to be shitting me. They can't do this!”
The board members on the stage hoped it didn't lead to this but they might be facing huge collateral damage. Mark slowly stood up from his chair accompanied by Jelena before the two walked down the aisle to the stage. There Mark saw the eyes of parents who turned against him and those who didn't know which side to choose. This is a war he was losing, Mrs. Peterson took her seat next to the Principal as Mark and Jelena stood behind the podium. Mark tapped into the microphone and spoke with a firm tone.
“Hello. Some of you may know me, some of you don't. Some of you may know all too well. I know what you're thinking and I'll be perfectly honest. I'm sorry if I gave the wrong impression and yes, I am a Professional Wrestler. Everything that you see me perform on television is real, I'm not scared to show who I really am because I have nothing to be ashamed of. The only thing I pity is how your time is being wasted to bash a man who has sacrificed his body every week to see not only my kids, and my family get food on their table but also providing the finances to make sure this school lives on for your children to attend.”
Mrs. Peterson rolled her eyes while Mark looked at her.
“Now this woman thinks that the problem with this school is what I do. A lot of you may agree, few will disagree. It is not my responsibility for you to take up the goals of ensuring your kids do not follow what they see on television. This isn't just violence, it's an art. It's a career I have put my life into and I'll be damned if I let some power hungry wench take that away from me. If you agree with her, just know what you're doing. For all the fathers, the mothers, the guardians, are you really going to get in the way of a parent fighting to see his kids have a bright future? I didn't think so. I'm sorry to have wasted your time. I hope you still want this school to succeed, which obviously it can only do with my backing. Please enjoy the rest of your evening.”
Jelena and Mark walk off stage then leave the PTA Meeting. No more words could be said about the matter. Mark had every right to leave after what just happened.
“My ambitions never end, and by the end of the night you will all understand clearly where my newest ambitions lie.” - Emmanuelle
Aired Footage
Salt Lake City, Utah - Red Butte Garden
March 13th, 2022 - 10:33
The Red Butte Garden and Arboretum consists of a botanical garden, arboretum, and amphitheatre operated by the University of Utah, in the foothills of the Wasatch Range in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is open year-round to the public and houses some of the most beautiful and rare plants in the world. Here is where we find Mark Hunter, the straight shooter that shocked PH, the Wrestling World and those that didn’t see her coming by pinning the current Grand Champion upon return after months away. Mark knew the entire time he was going to win, that wasn’t a play on arrogance, he had the odds against him, it played favorably to his game. Despite the words of Swindle and Arata, they didn’t take him seriously, a practice that undoubtedly has changed amongst the roster after one match.
Mark Hunter came to play.
Marcus Lee Huntington, known better as Mark Hunter, one of the most sadistic and arrogant wrestlers to ever grace a ring walks down the pathway of the garden wearing a tailored dark blue suit. He slowly nods as the camera begins to record…
His bright blue eyes look up as he starts to speak in his undeniably egotistical British Accent…..
”When I surround myself with beauty it gives me a certain peace after the stresses of life. The fresh smell of flowers at the Red Butte Botanical Gardens was the perfect getaway for me to relax and enjoy this wonderful day. It’s nice to bring in a bit of normalcy in our lives wouldn’t you agree? So allow me to pose this question….”
“What’s a normal life?”
“Normal to most is the white picket fence, the dog named “Spot”, the partner, the kids. Driving a caravan with a huge soccer decal in the back windshield and a bumper sticker that says “Proud Parent of an Honor Roll Student at so-and-so High”. Yes, that is normal to most of you. Is marriage a chance at a normal life? Think about that for a second. For every happy wedding where you spend thousands of dollars on ONE night there is the divorce that adds another few thousands or in some cases Millions. Is marriage truly the answer to happiness? Is marriage the path to take to become normal? The divorce rate in the United States alone is huge. So I ask again….”
“What is normal?”
“An ex partner of my father used to tell me stories of beatings, the sodomy and the pain that she had felt was the path constructed for her in order to reach her own state of normality. Our path to normality is of our own creation. What is normal to you is not normal to me, I was taught never to make a conscious decision, do it without regret, remorse or even care. The Project Honor roster and especially Havoc, Billy, and Emmy need to understand that I’m not just another pretty face that can wrestle a bit. I learned at a very young age to do what I want, when I want and if you are the victim so be it. While you go grab a sundae with your loved one or maybe it’s that hot first date, living in the normality created by you in this mundane existence, I’ll sit, I’ll watch… just thinking of ways to have a little fun and see that night fall in ruin, catty I know, I can’t help it.”
“So… my three opponents. I want that last statement to be embedded in your heads, I want you to fully understand that there are evil people in this world that want nothing more than to hurt you and destroy your normal life… I can easily be that person if I chose to. Nothing makes it more euphoric than to know that I have the power to strike at any time with any type of force and make you wallow in humiliation or go further than that and bleed you like a stuck pig.”
“Fantasy? Reality? These are all blurred lines separating facts from fiction.”
He walks through the garden, running his fingers over the flowers. Mark is a man that studies his opponents, he’s always been one that does his homework, the straight shooter sees and knows things most people wouldn’t. It makes him unorthodox and dangerous as many have found out. He continues to speak.
“The great Japanese Naval Marshall General Isoroku Yamamoto stated after bombing Pearl Harbor, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve” … a true testament, an answer to one of the biggest mistakes in history that led to the Japanese not only being defeated in World War II but the tragedy of Hiroshima as well. Had they known that this would ultimately lead to the demise of the strong Japanese Navy and their armed forces, do you not think they would have ever attacked Pearl Harbor, sunk the Arizona and killed thousands of soldiers along the way?”
“No, they would have thought differently.”
“The great minds of this world including Socrates, Buddha, Thomas Aquinas, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Aristotle and even Karl Marx all agree that we LEARN from our mistakes. Those that have changed our life, the outlook from which we perceive our surroundings. When a baby touches a hot stove for the first time he or she will cry, they feel the pain of the burn and as they learn, each and every single day they will not make the same mistake again for in their growing minds soaking up as much knowledge as they can, they now know that hot equals burn and that results in pain. General Yamamoto knew what they were doing was wrong but he followed orders, living by a mantra and a template designed for him, following orders per say and finding out that some mistakes can be downright catastrophic.”
“Like the stars of Project Honor.”
“The experts, the veterans of this sport, the creatures of habit never taking a risk, going with the “safe bet” never saw Mark Hunter coming. The cries of Swindle, and Arata, that they would walk out of Proving Ground as winners fell on deaf ears when I walked away having pinned the current Grand Champion. Billy, Havoc, and Emmy will pull the same shit.”
“This has become the perverse existence we live in, a cantankerous and obstinate example of the ignorance displayed in full force by the superstars, peers and subordinates that call Project Honor home. They didn’t and don’t see me coming in so many different ways, appearances can be deceiving.”
“That mistake will be downright catastrophic.”
“You’ve all filled me with that “Terrible Resolve”.”
“Is this how you will carry on, never looking over your shoulder, peeking around the corner to assure yourselves the coast is perfectly clear? I’ll take the Legacy Championship and make it mine, it really does look good on me I might add.”
A slight smirk is visible before Mark directs his blue eyes back to the camera.
“I’m back to be your savior. No longer will the monotonous humdrum of these so-called athletes plague the airwaves of this promotion without you actually looking forward to what I have to say, the words where each has real meaning.”
“I’ll also not wear a mask, Havoc hides behind paint, Billy behind an obnoxious smugness, and Emmanuelle behind a questionable naivety or innocence.”
“But I regress.”
“Isn’t this all symbolic? Some think it’s cool, others want to play the badass, a fictional presence, living it out like the movies they flock to see by the millions. So tell me, what I spoke of earlier, does this look normal to you three? Putting on a mask to hide the fact whether playful or not symbolizes PAIN, this symbolizes BROKEN DREAMS and this symbolizes… FAILURE.”
“In what world do we have to wear masks in order to be accepted in society? I once had a dream, to be the template of what we deem normal these days. You look at me and think I’m a normal looking bloke.”
“Appearances can be deceiving AND I took off my mask a long time ago.”
Mark stops for a moment, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before opening them slowly, then running the tip of his fingers across his forehead. Remembering the pain he went through for quite some time when his head was bashed in by those that feared him. He looks back into the camera.
“Does Pain? Suffering? Defeat? Annihilation exist? There were times in my career that I was handed what I’ve always been taught to give in return….NO MERCY. I have been in matches, in that pit of despair knowing, feeling, yearning all the pain that the victim standing across from me wanted to unleash. Did I underestimate them? No……I did not, I would never underestimate a victim. In my Project Honor travels I want those that scream the battle cry to show me that they too can become that which they are not, like a cosplay, the monsters in the closet I have been looking for while the rest of them hide under their bed or pull the covers over thinking that will protect them, falling into that false sense of security. I never found one person that showed me they were willing to go to the same extremes as myself to win, I could and would respect that.”
“I do not respect anybody that disguises themselves, plays this “take” on the arts and doesn’t finish the job. So many have been given the opportunity and they fail. Victory only means that your hand was raised on that particular night, those will come as will the victims. I’ll use the following analogy as we’ll be surrounded by water, most people when they swim in shark infested waters and get bitten usually do not go back in those waters.”
Cracking a smile, Hunter starts to walk again, stopping only to lean over and smell the roses in front of him, he even clips one and places it in his top pocket. He made an impact on Proving Ground, now looking at the Legacy match, Mark readies himself for a huge challenge and one that will test what he has brought to PH, this is a statement match. He continues to speak in his overconfident British accent.
“Some call us warriors, others will use the phrase “Sports Entertainers” but what if we are truly artists. Art imitates Life, so Life can imitate Art. I know my opponents do not believe in the things I say, a dream for fools perhaps? Isn’t cosplay like hiding behind a mask also simply a dream? A figment of the imagination? Ask yourselves, can one truly lose themselves in character and die in character? Ask Heath Ledger. So tell me something, did Michelangelo look upon the Sistine Chapel and see the vision of creation? Did Da Vinci not perceive Mona Lisa as the most beautiful woman on the planet in a perverse way? Did Rembrandt not see a contumacious love in the Jewish Bride? Yes, those were works of art in the eyes of their creator. Well I too am an artist but my canvas is the ring, where my creation takes center stage for the entire world to share in my vision. You three will be my next piece.”
“Last week Arata and Swindle walked into the main event, they had a dream, yet it became their nightmare.”
“I want to become the best and do it unconventionally without the status quo, I’m not like others, for it is a plateau and a feat that no other has ever accomplished. It is my masterpiece to unfold to this mediocre world. I sat without a contract and career, wondering if I could ever see it come true yet I never stopped and I continued that dream until I got cleared. I returned to this sport and beat champions, I see and hear the jealousy breeding in the anatomy of the invidious sycophants that fill the roster.”
“Some of those are the ones that failed to destroy me….I was attacked, beaten and dismissed by the same people that didn’t believe, they feared the unknown…..Those that never understood me. For months I watched and waited for THIS!”
“Do you three have the drive and the desire to look upon yourself in the mirror and reach down in your conscience, tapping into the quintessence of your core to grab some belief for that split second before it ascends into the clouds to become…?”
“Your downfall.”
“Don’t you see? Do you not understand that in order to beat Mark Hunter you have to become what you are incapable of? Reality, not some fixated creation, perverse in its own perception. You are in my way and unfortunately you will become my next masterpieces. Why wear the masks? Why hide your true faces?”
“In this society it has created the “Perfect Mask”, a simple disguise that represents the hierarchy, the proletariat's and the bourgeoisie of our populous, the suits that sit in the ivory tower looking down on us in the ring. They stand like drones watching their superstars, prima donnas and celebrities like yourselves, attemot to rise above their mediocrity, their malfeasance and their negligence fitted with their faceless masks clamoring for a simple glimpse, a ray of something.”
“You disguise yourself in shame?”
“Maybe as failed intimidation?”
“Or are you simply hiding from the reality of our cruel world exposing you for the rudimentary beings you truly are? Erik wore the mask, hiding his ugliness in the Opera as the Phantom and had his heart set on the beautiful Christine. He yearned for her because in his eyes she was perfect. He went mad, wanting Christine all for himself, threatening to destroy everyone and everything in that Opera if she did not go with him. Finally, he revealed himself and she was not afraid, she kissed him, because she didn’t fear, he allowed her to marry who she wished…”
“... And died with a broken heart.”
Hunter frowns, saddened by the death of the Phantom, he truly did enjoy that play. The frown slowly disappears. He is very serious now, he hates the fact people wear costumes. They live in a false reality. There are those that do it for art and hobby, others for attention and Mark will be more than ready to give out exactly what warrants that attention to his opponents. He stops walking in front of a red rose bush and turns to speak.
“Take off the disguises for I do not fear any of you, your abilities and your perverse forms of entertainment as I find them paltry and insulting. What you are to me is tainted art, you’re just like the rest and I had high hopes for humanity but under the masks, behind the lies, under the cloak you call art and the imagery you are all nothing more than fools. You do not believe in realism or truth, a sensibility that has escaped the three of you.”
“William Shakespeare once said “Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.” Don’t be ignorant buffoons, this is your awakening from the dream world you have created and while some become lost, not knowing the difference between the dream and the real, irrevocable when dealing with the fact that now they are no longer asleep. In our match you will all learn, I will open your eyes and educate you in what you refuse to see.”
“What will you do?”
“What can you do?”
“Nothing because you are not Mark Hunter, you don’t have my impulses, you don’t allow your carnal desires to act, instead you fantasize and play characters. It’s a shame that no one reaches for what I will continue to attain, no one believes in their true selves anymore and here I am offering to help when I could just show up and stay quiet.”
His eyes narrow before letting out another slight giggle. Mark looks right into the camera and replaces the giggle with a sly grin.
“Remember when all this is over… I told you so and I’m the good guy!!”