Post by pandalike on Jun 12, 2021 17:46:34 GMT -5
5 YEARS AGO
Music hits “CloZee-Koto” and Pandalike comes out with a kendo stick in his right hand as he puts up a performance when he slashes through the air with it and slowly moves towards the ring. He finally reaches the ring and bows to the crowd as the crowd cheers him on. He leaves the kendo stick at the announce table and walks into the ring waiting for his opponent.
Music hits “Vicetone feat. Kat Nestel – Angels” and Riddler comes out in a green eye-mask, t-shirt, trousers, and hat. He has his gold cane in his hand and points at Pandalike who stands in the ring. Riddler laughs as he walks down the ramp to the sound of boos from the crowd. He gets into the ring and gives his cane and hat to the referee.
Ding-Ding-Ding.
Pandalike and Riddler circle each other and then they finally lock up. Pandalike takes advantage and locks the Riddler in a headlock after which he starts laying heavy fists to Riddler’s face. Riddler lifts Pandalike from the back and does an atomic drop. Pandalike stumbles forward while Riddler bounces off the ropes to deliver a clothesline on Pandalike, but Pandalike ducks underneath reverse it with a DDT. Pandalike get back to his feet first and starts stomping on Riddler’s body. Riddler tries to roll over to the ropes to get away from Pandalike. Pandalike goes through the rope to get to Riddler, but Riddler grabs hold of his cane and strikes Pandalike to the head and Pandalike falls headfirst to the ground. Riddler takes a step back as the referee quickly goes to Pandalike to check on him. Pandalike stops moving. Riddler looks onto Pandalike with a look of confusion. The referee places his hand on Pandalike’s back and gently shakes him. The crowd went silent. This energy in the arena suddenly changed. Riddler drops the cane and takes a step forward as he looks at Pandalike and glances back at the referee and the referee shakes his head. The referee signals the camera, and the paramedics rush out to pick Pandalike up in a stretcher.
Riddler goes backstage only for June to show up.
"You need to leave now." June gasped.
“Wait what? It was an accident. I need to check up on Martin.”
“Are you crazy? There is a crowd out there who just saw you almost kill Martin. To them Martin, I mean Pandalike is a god. They are going to have your head on a stick if you go after Martin now.”
“It was an accident!”
“I know but right now you need to find an exit. We can deal with this madness tomorrow, but you can’t stay here.”
“Okay. But I will check on Martin tomorrow. Don’t stop me, June.”
“Yes, yes but go now!”
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1 WEEK AGO, SUNDAY 5 AM
I laid on the bed and stared at the worn-out ceiling. Brown stains which looked like puddles of water were forming as the paint fell apart from it. The apartment smelt like piss and alcohol. I could hear the loud moaning and bang from the room next door. Yet, I was not up because of the sex, the stink, or the dripping from the ceiling. It has been 5 years. 5 years that I have not wrestled. 5 years since Martin’s death. Federations all over the world did not want to have anything to do with me. The bad publicity ruined me. It did not matter that it was an accident. Just like June said. They needed a head on a stick for what happened. My head.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Now what?
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
“Okay! Okay! I am coming.”
I get up from my bed and walk towards the door and check the peephole.
“June?”
“Open the door, Alex!”
I reluctantly open the door and June pushes past me into the room. She looked excited and giddy. To be honest, I was too tired to deal with this kind of energy at 5 am in morning.
“Why are you here?”
“I finally found a fed! Project Honor!”
I closed the door and walk towards the stove. I poured water into the kettle and started boiling the water.
“Alex, I thought you would be more excited. I just walked into the room with a gig, and you don’t seem least bit interested.”
“June, you know as well as I do why that is the case.”
I open the drawer and pull out two cups and pour the hot water into them. Then I added the tea bags, two sugar cubes in each, and a splash of milk, and then stirred.
“Life has not been that simple for me. Do you think if I come back to wrestle, people will allow it? Yes, Project Honor might have given me the chance to wrestle but eventually, they will also realize I am a lost cause.”
I then handed the cup of tea to June.
“It’s been 5 years. You need to let that go. People change. Many people have also come around on that incident. It was an accident. It could have happened to anyone.”
“Yes, but the Riddler is stained now. You think if I dawned on the mask again, people would just accept me?”
June hesitated as she looked at me. June then takes a seat on the bed.
“They might not accept Riddler, but they might accept Pandalike.”
“No, June. No way that's happening.”
I walked away towards the window and then took a sip from my tea.
“You were supposed to succeed the Pandalike legacy. Martin always wanted you to take on the mantle, but all the in-fighting and envy always got in the way.”
“Martin was a good friend. I know we did not see things eye-to-eye on most things, but I know he always wanted me to have the Pandalike name. But things are different now. I am the reason why Martin is not here. To take the Pandalike name like this is just wrong.”
“And leaving the Pandalike name to rust in wrestling history is right?”
“Leo can take the name eventually.”
“Leo isn’t ready and even he knows it. Right now, the only person who can carry the legacy is you. Don’t you think you owe Martin that?”
“I don’t know...” I whispered.
“Alex, it’s a dark match. They want to see if you have what it takes to be part of the roster. Think of this as an opportunity. To shake off the ring rust. To find your way. Become Pandalike and if things do not work out, then take that as an indication this was not meant to be. But if things go well then promise me, Alex, you will not give up.”
I looked at June as she sat on the bed, sipping her tea. She looked tired. Dark circles underneath her eyes. Her blonde hair in a frizzy mess. She looked like she lost a lot of weight since the last time I have met her. And all I could think of now is that I was the one who is to be blamed for her condition as well.
“June, it’s been 5 years and I know it is a little too late for this, but I am sorry about Martin. He was your brother. You should have blamed me for what happened.”
“Shut it! I did not spend the last 5 years trying to help you to hear that nonsense. I never blamed you about Martin. It was tough. After years of being separated from Martin, I suddenly saw him on the tele beating up some random guy. I thought he was dead; Only to find out he was always alive and when I mustered up the courage the meet him, I saw how happy he was! Laughing it up with Leo and you in the café.” June smiled.
“I remember now, it’s the day you showed up in front of us. Claiming to be Martin’s sister. We did not know how to react. First time I saw Martin cry.”
“I knew right then how important both Leo and you were to him. You were his family longer than I was. Family sometimes fights but family is the reason why we keep moving forward and keep fighting.”
She pauses. There was a long silence. She then breaks the silence after taking a sip from her tea.
“Hmmm. Tea. I remember your promos where you use to sit on the sofa and drink tea being all high and mighty. Martin always said Riddler was just you being obnoxious.” June laughed.
“People always saw through fake and bullshit personalities. So, I just took my personality and turned up to 9. Riddler was supposed to be my way of being separate from Pandalike’s brand. To be different. To be my own man. But now, its name is a crime. Some legacy I have built…” Alex sighed. “Now I have to take up Pandalike’s mask. Become him. I can’t.”
“Then don’t. Be your version of Pandalike. Be whom you want to be. Martin never wanted you to be him. He wanted a better version of Pandalike, and he always knew you would be perfect the person to do it.”
I looked back at June. June smiled back at me.
“Thank you, June. I know you never blamed me for what happened with Martin. But I always blamed myself for it. Maybe this way I might find a way to forgive myself. Besides being Pandalike might be fun. After all, he did have a little bit of funny bone in him.”
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PRESENT DAY
The scene opens with Pandalike’s mask on a table. A single dimly lit bulb hangs down from the ceiling and a man walks towards the table with his back towards the camera. He takes the mask and then wears it.
“In a world filled with cold, ugly, truths we still believe in the unknown. We have faith in the immortals, in the demons, in the angels, in gods. We still debate facts, calling the earth flat, vaccinations give autism. We tell white lies, ‘Did you go to the gym, you look fit?’, “Your mom cooks good food” but we all know the truth. Food without salt is NOT FOOD!”
“What are you on about?” June shouts behind the camera.
“El Puma! That is what we are here to discuss. He is the food without salt. The man with no words. The ghost without a gravestone. An invisible man amongst us. A white lie amongst the truth. The very fact that our minds are debating, does he even exist?”
“Believing the lie that a man wearing a mask and calling himself an animal spirit will save this federation… wait, sorry, I can see the irony here. Let me take a moment to gather my thoughts for a second here.”
Pandalike takes a moment and looks down trying to hide his laughter. June giggling in the background.
“I do not know if this is a joke or coincidence. El Puma versus Pandalike. We are one and the same if I saw it on paper. I would think I was wrestling myself. Truth be told I was wrestling with myself in the past but no more. I will find my answers in the ring as again I fight the physical manifestation of second-rate me calling himself El Puma! This will be a fight to find out who is the king of the jungle! Make no mistake, you are going to be a footnote in my legacy. As minute and invisible as you truly are. For Pandalike will be back to claim his rightful place in wrestling history. His legacy will not be forgotten. This is only the beginning.”
The scene fades to black.