Post by Bruce "The Beast" Richards on Mar 4, 2007 23:58:29 GMT -5
(Sunday afternoon in Edmonton is bright, but there's a definite chill in the air. Bruce Richards is hanging out in one of his favourite downtown locations: the Second Cup next to the public library. It combines two of his favourite things. He's sipping from a large mug and reading from a medium-sized leatherbound book. His manager, Bill Fleming, comes into the room and waves, then sits down at the table. Bruce glances up from his book, then goes back to reading.)
BILL FLEMING: Hey, Bruce. (Pause.) Good to see you out of the apartment for a change. (Pause.) Boy, sure did get cold out, huh? (Pause.) That must be a very interesting book you're reading.
BRUCE RICHARDS: It is.
BILL FLEMING: (Reading from the spine of the book.) "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. A little light reading?
BRUCE RICHARDS: It helps me focus. When I'm venturing out into uncharted territory, heading into a battle I'm not too sure of...this book gives me some insight.
BILL FLEMING: Right.
BRUCE RICHARDS: The last time I read this book...Kyle and I were pretty low. Joey was breathing down our necks, we'd finally gotten our last shot for the titles against The Delivery Men, no less. I took a look through this book, did a little brainstorming, and we got the titles back, and it was a whole new show for The New & Improved D-X. On top of the world again.
BILL FLEMING: And, for once, you actually had the crowd on your side.
BRUCE RICHARDS: Right. Funny how Kyle conveniently forgets that in his little tirade. "We started losing when we started caring what the crowd thought. When the crowd loved us, we started to suck." Before the crowd started loving us, we were tagging against KABUKIMONO and TEAM MAN, struggling to get back into title contention. And Joey Malone hated us back then too. (BLEEP)ing guy, twists everything around to get his (BLEEP)ing revisionist history. I'm gonna (BLEEP)ing kill him.
BILL FLEMING: (Trying to calm him down and making nice with the young family sitting next to them.) All right, Bruce, all right, this is a public place and you're a minor celebrity; this is not the way to behave. (Bruce glares at him.) Can I just remind you that I'm the one you're angry with here?
BRUCE RICHARDS: I don't need reminding.
BILL FLEMING: So why are you reading that book? You should be in the gym, training, working off some steam, getting the fire burning.
BRUCE RICHARDS: The fire's burning, Bill. I'm angrier than I've ever been before. I'm angrier than the day I broke Kryenik's neck. I'm angrier than the time Moose started stalking Tiffany. I'm angrier than the day that D! showed his true colours.
BILL FLEMING: You don't look that angry.
BRUCE RICHARDS: I worked off...a little frustration last night. Did some spring cleaning, got rid of a lot of junk, cleared things up. Just trying to do the same thing with my mind. I've got a lot of crap up there, Bill. I just need to clear it out, focus down on one thing. Destroying Kyle Roberts. (Gestures to the book.) Hence the book.
BILL FLEMING: Bruce, this isn't the way to go about it. You're taking it easy, while Kyle ...he's fired up like I've never seen him.
BRUCE RICHARDS: Right. You haven't seen him like this before. But I have. I saw him JUST like this, a cocky little bastard with something to prove. Back then, he was just trying to prove that he was any good. Now? He's trying to prove that he's any good without me to back him up. That's why he keeps flapping his jaws about being the real power behind D-X: he figures if he keeps shouting it loud enough, eventually everyone will believe it. Even him.
BILL FLEMING: Right. But you don't have him to back you up either.
BRUCE RICHARDS: I know, Bill. I know. I'm in a place I haven't been to in a long time. Things are shaky. I'm a little unsure of where I stand. I know I'm going to beat the holy hell out of Kyle and leave him thinking twice about messing with me again. That much I am absolutely positive about. But actually getting the win...well, this is where I get my inspiration from. Using my "fancy book learning" to get a new perspective. Listening to someone with more intelligence and experience than me. Admitting my mistakes and learning from them, instead of bulldozing over them and pretending I'm perfect. Because if there's one thing Kyle is not, it's perfect. I know every single chink in his armor, Bill. I know all his weak points. I know exactly where to hit him that will make it hurt. I'm going to take him down. And he's going to stay there. Every time he looks at me, it's going to be from a lower place on the food chain, and that's going to eat away at him. He's going to regret making that decision every single day of the rest of his life. (Stares at his BattleBowl ring.) I'm going to go on to bigger things, things that he could only dream about. And after I take him down I'm not going to look back.
BILL FLEMING: Let's hope so. You can't go on brooding about this forever.
BRUCE RICHARDS: Don't worry, Bill. I don't live in the past. I just remember it. ALL of it; not just the convenient parts.
BILL FLEMING: All right. I'll let you get back to your book. Just make sure you're in as good physical shape tomorrow as well as mental.
BRUCE RICHARDS: Count on it. (The two men shake hands, and Bruce goes back to reading his book. Fade out.)
BILL FLEMING: Hey, Bruce. (Pause.) Good to see you out of the apartment for a change. (Pause.) Boy, sure did get cold out, huh? (Pause.) That must be a very interesting book you're reading.
BRUCE RICHARDS: It is.
BILL FLEMING: (Reading from the spine of the book.) "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. A little light reading?
BRUCE RICHARDS: It helps me focus. When I'm venturing out into uncharted territory, heading into a battle I'm not too sure of...this book gives me some insight.
BILL FLEMING: Right.
BRUCE RICHARDS: The last time I read this book...Kyle and I were pretty low. Joey was breathing down our necks, we'd finally gotten our last shot for the titles against The Delivery Men, no less. I took a look through this book, did a little brainstorming, and we got the titles back, and it was a whole new show for The New & Improved D-X. On top of the world again.
BILL FLEMING: And, for once, you actually had the crowd on your side.
BRUCE RICHARDS: Right. Funny how Kyle conveniently forgets that in his little tirade. "We started losing when we started caring what the crowd thought. When the crowd loved us, we started to suck." Before the crowd started loving us, we were tagging against KABUKIMONO and TEAM MAN, struggling to get back into title contention. And Joey Malone hated us back then too. (BLEEP)ing guy, twists everything around to get his (BLEEP)ing revisionist history. I'm gonna (BLEEP)ing kill him.
BILL FLEMING: (Trying to calm him down and making nice with the young family sitting next to them.) All right, Bruce, all right, this is a public place and you're a minor celebrity; this is not the way to behave. (Bruce glares at him.) Can I just remind you that I'm the one you're angry with here?
BRUCE RICHARDS: I don't need reminding.
BILL FLEMING: So why are you reading that book? You should be in the gym, training, working off some steam, getting the fire burning.
BRUCE RICHARDS: The fire's burning, Bill. I'm angrier than I've ever been before. I'm angrier than the day I broke Kryenik's neck. I'm angrier than the time Moose started stalking Tiffany. I'm angrier than the day that D! showed his true colours.
BILL FLEMING: You don't look that angry.
BRUCE RICHARDS: I worked off...a little frustration last night. Did some spring cleaning, got rid of a lot of junk, cleared things up. Just trying to do the same thing with my mind. I've got a lot of crap up there, Bill. I just need to clear it out, focus down on one thing. Destroying Kyle Roberts. (Gestures to the book.) Hence the book.
BILL FLEMING: Bruce, this isn't the way to go about it. You're taking it easy, while Kyle ...he's fired up like I've never seen him.
BRUCE RICHARDS: Right. You haven't seen him like this before. But I have. I saw him JUST like this, a cocky little bastard with something to prove. Back then, he was just trying to prove that he was any good. Now? He's trying to prove that he's any good without me to back him up. That's why he keeps flapping his jaws about being the real power behind D-X: he figures if he keeps shouting it loud enough, eventually everyone will believe it. Even him.
BILL FLEMING: Right. But you don't have him to back you up either.
BRUCE RICHARDS: I know, Bill. I know. I'm in a place I haven't been to in a long time. Things are shaky. I'm a little unsure of where I stand. I know I'm going to beat the holy hell out of Kyle and leave him thinking twice about messing with me again. That much I am absolutely positive about. But actually getting the win...well, this is where I get my inspiration from. Using my "fancy book learning" to get a new perspective. Listening to someone with more intelligence and experience than me. Admitting my mistakes and learning from them, instead of bulldozing over them and pretending I'm perfect. Because if there's one thing Kyle is not, it's perfect. I know every single chink in his armor, Bill. I know all his weak points. I know exactly where to hit him that will make it hurt. I'm going to take him down. And he's going to stay there. Every time he looks at me, it's going to be from a lower place on the food chain, and that's going to eat away at him. He's going to regret making that decision every single day of the rest of his life. (Stares at his BattleBowl ring.) I'm going to go on to bigger things, things that he could only dream about. And after I take him down I'm not going to look back.
BILL FLEMING: Let's hope so. You can't go on brooding about this forever.
BRUCE RICHARDS: Don't worry, Bill. I don't live in the past. I just remember it. ALL of it; not just the convenient parts.
BILL FLEMING: All right. I'll let you get back to your book. Just make sure you're in as good physical shape tomorrow as well as mental.
BRUCE RICHARDS: Count on it. (The two men shake hands, and Bruce goes back to reading his book. Fade out.)