The Whole

[Stylin' Kyle Roberts [REBEL]]

(The following sequence is in grainy black and white. Kyle Roberts is running down a corridor, looking over his shoulder. He finds an open door, ducks behind it, and slams it with force, blocking it with his back. Panting, he tries to slow down his pulse. A shadow falls on his face as he looks up in panic.)

VOICE: Found you.

(WHAM! Kyle gets a face full of barbed wire bat. The black and white turns to a crimson duotone instantly, as Kyle's face is mangled by the weapon.)

KYLE ROBERTS: NOT THE FACE!

(He wakes up in a cold sweat. Getting his surroundings, Kyle starts to calm down.

KYLE ROBERTS: Whoa.

(We cut to outside of NAPW offices. It's morning now, and Kyle's talking to an obscured man. Behind him. at the front steps of the office, is a crowd of media.)

KYLE ROBERTS: No, we do this and we do this now. I don't want to be scared of Bruce. I will not show fear.

MAN: Some might say that simply by going through with this, you're afraid.

KYLE ROBERTS: (BLEEP) what anybody thinks. The only person I'm concerned with is me. What the hell am I paying you for? Go out there and make a statement!

(The man steps out of the shadows. He's tall, he's got short cropped blond hair and is wearing an expensive double-breasted suit. He adjusts his lapel, and fixes his scarab pin.)

RYAN KINGSTON: Fine. Let's get this over with.

(Ryan approaches the media with Kyle.)

RYAN KINGSTON: Hello. My name is Ryan Kingston, and I'm the legal counsel of NAPW talent Kyle Roberts.

KYLE ROBERTS: (muttered) NAPW SUPERtalent and World's Sexiest Man Kyle Roberts.

RYAN KINGSTON: I am here to read a brief statement about Kyle's match against Bruce Richards at Sole Survivor. There will be a short question period afterwards.

(Ryan pulls out a piece of paper.)

RYAN KINGSTON: I, on behalf of my client, Kyle Roberts, wish to appeal to NAPW owner Rex Caliber to have Bruce Richards' weapon of choice, a barbed-wire bat, banned from their match this week at Sole Survivor. Mr. Roberts feels that such a weapon would be unsportsmanlike, and wants a clean, proper wrestling match. If Mr. Richards wants to gouge the face of his opponent, there's always the brutal federation REBEL to wrestle in. Kyle Roberts prides himself on using only his wits and wrestling talent in that ring, and opposes the use of foreign objects during his matches. He finds such weapons barbaric, and contrary to the rules of the sport he has chosen to compete in. Only by banning the use of foreign objects in his match does Mr. Roberts feel he can give NAPW fans the match they deserve to see.

Are there any questions?

(Hands are raised, and Ryan picks one.)

MEGAN ADAMS: Megan Adams, Edmonton Sun. Kyle, don't you find that appeal hypocritical, since you were the one who started all this by using a steel chair and ring bell against Bruce Richards?

RYAN KINGSTON: Mr. Roberts has done some soul searching since then, and has realized that what he did was wrong. He now tries to only use the gifts that God gave him to win his matches.

MEGAN ADAMS: The Kyle Roberts I've been following for the past year has used weapons to his advantage many times.

(Kyle butts in front of Ryan.)

KYLE ROBERTS: I'm sorry, could I get some thoughtful questions from somebody who knows what the hell they're talking about? You, sir!

BOB: I'm Bob, from NAPW-online.ca.

KYLE ROBERTS: Ah. Do you have a last name, Bob?

BOB: I do, but His Highness Sir David Banks has forbidden me from using it. How do you feel about what Bruce Richards has done to you so far?

KYLE ROBERTS: Excellent question, Bob. When Bruce came out last week after I beat "The Show" Chad Kurtis and speared me into the side of the ring, I was in pain. When he slammed my face into the solid steel steps, before I lost consciousness, I felt sadness that a partnership as dominant and profitable as The New and Improved D-X had to end this way. I was willing to forgive him for his anger towards me prior to that heinous attack, but now I'm just going to have to defeat him in Toronto. The ruthless bullying by Bruce Richards must stop, and I've decided to take a stand.

BOB: Thank you.

MEGAN ADAMS: (muttered) Oh, please.

RYAN KINGSTON: Are there any other questions? Yes, you sir.

GRAHAM NEIL: Graham Neil, CFRN television. Kyle, what makes you think you can win against Bruce Richards?

KYLE ROBERTS: (chuckles) Well, Graham, for one thing, I'm smarter than him. For another, I'm a lot faster than him. And once I throw him into the Beartamer, well, it's difficult to break out of, and it's even more hard to bear. Would you like to try?

GRAHAM NEIL: I don't know. (The crowd chuckles.)

KYLE ROBERTS: Come on, Graham, it's not like I'm going to fully apply a wrestling submission hold to a non-wrestler. Do you think I'm a barbarian? I'm sure it would look good for the evening news tonight.

GRAHAM NEIL: Okay, I guess.

(Graham comes to where Kyle is standing.)

KYLE ROBERTS: Would you mind laying on the ground, face down?

(Graham does so, and Kyle lightly applies a Boston Crab.)

KYLE ROBERTS: Now a Boston Crab is where I pull back on your legs, wrenching your back. Has your cameraman got a good view here?

(Graham grunts and laughs a little.)

KYLE ROBERTS: Now, my Beartamer is a little different, because it's all about pulling you higher and putting my knee in your back for extra leverage. (Kyle demonstrates.)

GRAHAM NEIL: Ow! From CFRN News, I'm Graham Neil!

(Kyle releases the hold as the crowd laughs.)

KYLE ROBERTS: Bruce is a lot bigger and stronger than you, so I'm going to really have to pull back to get him to the point of submission, but you get the idea, don't you, Graham?

GRAHAM NEIL: (picking himself up) I sure do.

MEGAN ADAMS: Kyle, do you think your appeal will fall on deaf ears? I hear that Rex Caliber has left for Toronto already to get everything set up.

RYAN KINGSTON: I will accompany Kyle to Sole Survivor to get our appeal to Mr. Caliber. Rex has shown himself to be a wise operator, and I'm sure he wants to do what's right for business. And what's right for business here is a fair match without weapons.

MEGAN ADAMS: I'm pretty sure what's good for business is letting Bruce get his hands on Kyle. The fans have been clamoring for it for a whole month.

KYLE ROBERTS: I've had just about of your lip, girlie--

RYAN KINGSTON: Any other questions? No? I thank you all for your time, and we'll see you in Toronto.

(Ryan ushers Kyle away from Megan and the media scrum.)

KYLE ROBERTS: Well, I think that went well.

RYAN KINGSTON: Aside from you almost threating a woman, yes. Kyle, if you hired me to be your counsel, you should TAKE my counsel!

KYLE ROBERTS: Ryan, you're all I've got, okay? It's not like Bill Fleming's my manager anymore. Tiffany's totally and Bruce's side and despite my many calls to Amy, I haven't talked to her in a few days. You're the only one in my corner.

RYAN KINGSTON: And I will continue to be in your corner if you listen to my advice! I don't need your business.

KYLE ROBERTS: But I need you.

RYAN KINGSTON: Good. Then trust me. Have you seen Bruce's last promo?

KYLE ROBERTS: Looks like I'm getting through to him, doesn't it? He's looking ahead, finally releasing the past. He's realizing that the old ways simply won't cut it. It's all about evolving or dying.

RYAN KINGSTON: You aren't concerned?

KYLE ROBERTS: Why should I? If he's focusing on actually fighting and less on being everyone's hero, I'm affecting him. He should be THANKING me for giving him a wake-up call like the epiphany I had when I realized he was holding me down. If he had one sooner, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. We'd still be the Two Amigos, kicking ass and taking names! Funny that it's NOW that he's remembering to do "whatever it takes."

RYAN KINGSTON: Just promise me that once we get to Toronto, you'll lay low. Go out to the NAPW press conferences, work out, get yourself prepared for this fight.

KYLE ROBERTS: I've been preparing myself for a month now, Ryan! What do you think beating Sam Finn, Nightmare and Chad Kurtis is all about? Sure, it's fun as hell to make them tap or beat them in the middle of the ring, but I'm also getting ready for what's got to be the biggest match of my life! Once I beat Bruce, that spectre is no longer hanging over my head. I'll be a new man, the evolution of what I started when I came to my senses! Then I can focus on the big things. Like that NAPW championship belt.

RYAN KINGSTON: Fine. Now just focus on our flight out tomorrow afternoon. Are you packed?

KYLE ROBERTS: I'll do it tonight. Hey, did you want to hit a bar tonight? I need to let off some steam.

RYAN KINGSTON: Sorry, Kyle. I've got work to finish before leaving for Toronto. A bunch of paperwork for other clients.

KYLE ROBERTS: Okay, then. I'll see you at the airport tomorrow.

RYAN KINGSTON: One thirty five! Be at the airport at one at the latest!

KYLE ROBERTS: Trust me. I wouldn't miss this flight for the world.

(We fade to black.)