Post by James Spade on Jun 13, 2016 3:04:06 GMT -5
"You know, Danny, I was kind of hoping you were related to a good friend of mine but sadly, you're not. It's a shame, you could really use a touch of that guy's class in your act," he says. "I'll admit, I've been quietly healing after facing Asger Ahlberg, a big tough bastard who made me earn every ounce of the victory I took from him. Oh yes, that guy is the definition of big hurt, but I persevered and came out on the other side with my elbow tweaked pretty good along with a severe wrist sprain and a dislocated shoulder socket from one of the many slams I took from the guy. I had to take a show off just to let it heal and boy did I hate sitting at home, watching all the action from a comfy chair."
Spade tosses a card face down on the table with a flick of that once injured wrist.
"Thankfully my common sense overrode my innate recklessness and I took that time because I know your type. You'll hone in on an injury and do everything in your power to aggravate and worsen the condition in the hopes that you'll get a quick win over a fellow competitor. It's just who you are, Danny.."
Another card finds it's place on the table beside the other one. Spade continues the shuffling motion of the card between each deal, completely randomizing the deck as he does so.
"I'm a little older, a little wiser, and a whole lot more patient. Just because you speak passionately and display an eagerness to win sooner, rather than later, doesn't mean you care any more than I do. I've been training this entire time, focusing on our upcoming match to the point that I almost forgot to do my shoot. A true pro works on his time table and no one else's."
A flick of the wrist and a third card lands on the table.
"I've seen you in action and you're in this tournament still for a reason. I won't shortchange the skills you bring to the table in the slightest and the story you gave about overcoming that birth defect was quite touching. We've both cheated the odds and hell, once upon a time I was told I'd never walk again."
There's the fourth card.
"You see, many years ago, before I became part of NAW or even did that ill fated run with Shootfire Pro, I had an accident. I was testing out a rocket bike for a race when suddenly the front tire exploded. I was hurled off of the bike at two hundred miles an hour and hit a concrete divider flat on my back. I instantly broke nearly every single bone in my body and it took me a year to recover in a full body cast with catheters, colostomy bags, I.V. meals, and a wired shut jaw. I left the hospital in a wheel chair and was given the prognosis that the damage to my spine was irreversible and that I'd never have the privilege of walking my dog or even being able to stand on my own two feet."
The fifth and final card lands neatly on the table top with the others. Spade gives the deck a final shuffle before placing it down on the table. Lowering his feet off the table, he let the chair tilt forward until it clomped back to the floor. Spade rests his elbows on the table, one hand propping his face upon it's knuckles while the other slowly pulled the cards into a neat little row.
"You overcame a birth defect that has caused many a mortal man untold misery with uncontrollable mood swings, and various forms of ADHD and chemical imbalances. The hand you were dealt was not a good one, but look at you now, Danny Hawkins. You're a potential contender for the championship belt of your choosing."
He flips the first card, exposing an Ace of Diamonds.
"I overcame one of the worst sentences a man in my profession could possibly receive. I refused to accept it and trained hard. There were times I wanted to just lay down and cry, give up, and say 'fuck it' but I persevered as you did in your own way. It all began with the wiggle of a toe and from there, I started working the remaining toes, then the foot, the calves, and so on until eventually the entire leg worked and I was using a cane to get around. After two years straight of intense training, which I still maintain to this day, I was able to run, leap, and best of all, perform in a wrestling ring for the fans watching it live."
Spade flips the second card, revealing an Eight of Clubs.
"We all have our struggles and no one man's struggle is greater than another's because for each and every one of us, it's different. The circumstances around it add to the difficulty. Some cats can't save even a dollar because the bills are high and the pay is low where they work, but they struggle to feed their kids regardless. There are people battling fifty different breeds of cancer each and every day through Chemo, surgery, and alternative medicines. Some are lucky that their greatest struggle is choosing what shoes to wear while others hang in the balance of life and death every single day."
Another card flip reveals an Eight of Hearts.
"Some cats in the sport of professional wrestling share their struggles openly, as you have here. Sometimes it's in the hopes of making others aware of a disorder or type of illness and sometimes it's just to milk sympathy for ratings and in the hopes that they get ahead. I told you mine so that maybe you could understand me a bit better and know that I can sympathize with your struggle and what you've gone through. I just hope that your sharing wasn't for the latter in an effort to get me feeling bad for you and to turn that into a weapon against me as well as a tool to get yourself ahead."
The fourth card is revealed to be an Ace of Clubs.
"To do so is to shortchange yourself because, Danny, you're a really good in-ring talent. You're better than a pissing contest about who has suffered more and overcame this and that. The truth is that you should recognize your talent and not put so much emphasis on what you've been through but instead what you're going to do. You're thinking about the past when the present is here and now and the future is so much brighter. Yes, the past can be painful and hard and filled with challenges, but look ahead, there's a horizon in front of you and you need to open your eyes and see it. The past is at your back. The longer you stare over your shoulder at it, the more of the present you miss and the less of the future you see."
Spade's hand settles upon the final card and lingers there, teasing what it could be.
"Remember the Past... Live for the Future. That is the creed I choose to live by. As long as you focus on what was and not on what is, well then chances are you're not going to step passed The Wildkard. You won't beat James Spade."
He flips the card to reveal a nine of Spades.
"Time to play the Cards you've been dealt, Danny Hawkins. See you Tonight at NAW's Heat Stroke, 7pm Eastern Standard time at ye' old Wilkes Barr Arena. Let's see if you have a winning combination or drew a Deadman's Hand."
With a howl of wind, the light above sways left and right, the cards scattering just as the room is suddenly plunged into darkness. Seconds pass with a soft squeak as the light sways back and forth in the pitch black darkness before flickering back on. A single card rests upon the table now, the Ace of Spades.... Fade to black.