==========
Raleigh, NC
August 30th, 2019
Off Camera
==========
Life is not fair. Some people just get lucky
and born into wealth and privilege while others are dealt a terrible hand and
have to deal with any and every obstacle life can throw at them. In the
case of Clyde Sutter, life for him has been extremely challenging. He spent his early years in an orphanage
before running away and living much of his young life homeless on the streets
of Southampton. Some people let their circumstances get them down whereas
others refuse to give up, they refuse to let go of their hopes and dreams. In the case of Clyde Sutter, there was one
individual that provided him with a glimmer of hope.
Glenn Braddock.
The Braddock Family was well known to everyone in the
Southampton area, as it was there that Glenn Braddock first started his own
wrestling career which spiraled into an amazing amateur career, a wrestling
school, and even a daughter who herself would become a world champion.
The people of Southampton, dare say all England, were proud to Glenn Braddock
one of their own. Despite all of the
negative influences in Clyde’s life, news of Glenn Braddock always reminded him
that he did have hope. If he fought, if
he refused to give up, he could make something of himself. Glenn Braddock
was also someone who was not born into wealth and privilege. Glenn had to fight and claw to get what he
had. Glenn was proof that Clyde could make
something better of himself.
Making something better of himself, however, had to
wait. Survival was more important.
Surviving the streets, surviving being homeless with no one to watch
your back, no one to take care of you except yourself. Clyde knew that
the glimmer of hope was there, but he never expected to obtain it. He had simply resigned himself to being a
punk kid living on the streets for the rest of his life.
Needless to say, seeing the luxury and elegance of
what he sees before him is definitely something that is very unfamiliar.
“Damn!”
Sutter’s exclamation is loud as he crosses the threshold into the top level
luxury apartment in Raleigh, North Carolina. Sutter may be a newly signed
wrestler for Supreme Championship Wrestling but he doesn’t have the money to
afford something like this; at least not yet. This was bought and paid
for by his agent, Mason Van Stanton, who enters the room behind him with his
wife, Destiny Van Stanton, by his side.
Mason tends to be a bit of a micromanager when it
comes to his clients. He likes to keep them close by in case of emergency,
and since his headquarters is located in Raleigh, Mason only felt it
appropriate to make sure Clyde Sutter had a place to stay in Raleigh whenever
he wasn’t traveling with SCW.
“I can tell you like it.”
Mason remarks with a knowing smirk on his face. Sutter doesn’t even
bother to turn and give his agent and benefactor a second glance. He just
chuckles under his breath.
“Like it? Shit, I love it. This damn
sure beats the streets.”
“And you deserve it, my friend.”
Mason walks past Clyde and into the main living area. Sutter is already
there staring in awe at the room he sees.
The room is uncomfortably large; like a perfect
magazine cover. It reminded Sutter of a hotel foyer, not just in the
space but in the artwork too. This is the kind of place where you would
almost be afraid to sit in case you were to wrinkle the fabric. None of
these three individuals really care that much; said couch is cream but inlaid
with a fine green silk; leaves embroidered so delicately that they might have
landed there in spring and just sunk in, but Sutter knew they took hundreds of
hours to sew. The white curtains are linen, the kind of white that is untouched
by hands and devoid of dust. A cursory look to the right shows the almost
hidden cords that are used to open and close them. There is no television, no
bookshelf, no dining table, only the chairs arranged around the bespoke
fireplace which leaps with a gas flame. The floor is a high polished
wood, dark and free of either dust or clutter; the walls white and the
furniture from a high-end Scandinavian designer. It is a perfect place, but cold in its
tranquility.
It is at this moment that Sutter turns and gives
his agent the first bit of criticism about this grandiose living area.
“Wait, there’s no television…”
“No worries.” Mason
uses his thumb to motion towards a hallway. “Down that short hallway leads
to another living space; a little smaller than this one but it does have a
television set.”
“Good!” Clyde
remarks. “I’d hate to get bored up here!”
“I doubt you will get bored.”
Mason walks past Clyde again and heads towards a large set of sliding glass
doors. Destiny and Clyde follow.
Mason slides the doors open and leads everyone outside onto a balcony
that overlooks the Raleigh, North Carolina cityscape. Sutter’s eyes grow
wide with amazement.
“I have to admit, this shit looks great, and
normally I don’t go for mushy stuff like this.”
“It is a great view, is it not?” Mason
motions to two chairs on the balcony. “You could even come out here and
enjoy the view as long as you wish.”
“Hell yeah!”
“And it is all yours, Mr. Sutter; every bit of this
belongs to you. My gift for agreeing to put your trust in me as your
agent.”
“Hell of a gift.” Clyde
says with a wink. “Still, I need to know one thing…”
Clyde Sutter pushes his way past Mason Van
Stanton. Destiny Van Stanton shoots her husband a wary look, mouthing the
words ‘are you sure about him’ and Mason simply nods his head, assuring her
silently and quietly that he does know what he is doing. Mason and
Destiny follow Clyde back into the high rise condominium apartment. They hear him making noise inside the kitchen
area. The couple make their way into the
kitchen area which, like everything is, is immaculate and damn near perfect
with marble finishing. Mason finds Sutter with his head stuck in the
refrigerator. He turns around and smirks
at Mason.
“Newcastle Brown Ale!”
“It’s your favorite.” Mason
nods his head. “I know, I made certain that you were fully stocked.”
“My man!” Sutter
pulls Mason in and slaps him on the back. Mason is somewhat startled by
this as he wasn’t expecting that reaction but maintains his composure as he
motions back to the main living area.
“Shall we return to the living room and sit
down? There are a few items we need to discuss.”
Sutter nods his head. Mason and his wife
Destiny exit the kitchen but before Clyde follows he reaches into the
refrigerator and pulls out a Newcastle Brown Ale, pops the top, and takes a
drink. He brings it with him into the main living area where he finds
Mason Van Stanton sitting on the sofa in the middle with his wife Destiny to
the right. Clyde Sutter sits down to
Mason’s left on the sofa.
“So you approve?” Mason
asks. Sutter simply nods his head.
“Damn right I do. Like I said, it definitely
beats living on the streets.”
“Good, making your dreams continue, helping a guy
like you, that’s why I do what I do.”
“Dreams?”
Sutter snickers. “Let me tell you a little thing about dreams, Mason.
Dreams are a lie. The notion that you can do anything you want and make your
life better is a damn lie. Sure, some people may luck up and get their
dreams fulfilled but for the most part it never happens.”
Sutter stares at Mason and Destiny with his
cold gaze. He holds up one finger. “There is one thing that matters above
anything else and that is survival. You survive by any means necessary,
even if it means using other people.
Survivors can’t afford to have a conscience, because you have to know
full well that the person you’re stepping on would step on you if the roles
were reversed, so you may as well step on them. Am I right?”
Mason and Destiny are both silent for a brief
moment, taking in the words of Clyde Sutter. Finally Mason grins
knowingly and nods his head.
“I agree whole-heartedly, my friend.”
“See? That’s why I like you, Mason.
Unlike Glory Braddock…”
Sutter got the idea to be a wrestler from Glory’s
father, Glenn Braddock. Sutter knew that Glenn had to pull himself out of
damn near poverty to make something of himself and he did it through
wrestling. That inspired Sutter to do the same. Besides, wrestling was something Sutter knew
he would be good at. It was basically
fighting and Sutter was already fighting for free on the streets to keep
himself alive. Why not fight and get paid good money to do it?
He had no respect for Glenn’s daughter,
however. He felt that Glory got handed everything. He believed that she knew nothing about the
difficulties that people like him go through on a daily basis. When she
kicked him out of her wrestling school his anger and rage towards Glory
Braddock just grew. Wrestling was his
way out of the streets and then she took it away from him.
Thankfully, Mason Van Stanton was there to keep his
dream of being a wrestler alive.
“Well we do not have to worry about her.
Glory Braddock is of no consequence to you. From here on we focus on you
and your career.” Mason gently pokes Clyde on his chest.
“You are number one. We need to focus on number one.”
“My career?” Sutter
scoffs. “Don’t talk like those other fakes, because I know you better than
that.”
“What do you mean?”
Van Stanton asks curiously.
“Do you think I’m here for the glory or the
adulation of the fans? I’m not even in it for the championships as a
means of padding my record. I’m in it for two reasons. First, the money. Money makes the world go around. You
cannot survive without money, Mason, and I want to survive more than anything
else. And two…” he laughs nastily “...I simply
enjoying beating the fuck out of people.”
“Right, well,” Mason
gulps, trying to maintain his composure as even he is slightly rattled by
Clyde’s attitude “be that as it may, you are my top priority. I will
do whatever I can to ensure that you succeed in your goals as a wrestler for
SCW. That is why this luxury condominium is located here in Raleigh.”
“Your headquarters is in Raleigh.” Sutter
states. Mason nods his head.
“Correct, whenever you are not traveling with SCW
then you will be able to stay here, close by to where my office is located so
that me or one of my associates can assist you if you need it.”
“Fine, whatever, but trust me when I say that I
will not need any help.”
“I’m sure you won’t.” Mason
states. “But I’ll be around just in case. And there is one rule.”
“Rules?” Sutter
asks with an arched brow. Mason nods his head.
“Yes, just one rule. Stay out of
trouble. Image is everything in this
business, Mr. Sutter, and I would hate to clean up after a mess you made.
Are we clear?”
“Crystal.” Sutter
snickers. “Though I have to warn you, staying out of trouble is usually very
difficult for me.”
Mason Van Stanton doesn’t find this as amusing at
Clyde Sutter does, as evidenced by his frustrated sigh. Mason rubs his
forehead.
“Look, just keep your trouble under the
radar. Can you do that?”
“I make no promises, mate.” Sutter
winks.
==========
Raleigh, NC
August 30th, 2019
Off Camera
==========
Mason Van Stanton had ordered Clyde Sutter to
behave. Specifically, he had asked to keep any trouble that he might
cause ‘under the radar’ because of his image, because he doesn’t want to have
to clean up after his mess. Hearing that reminded him of the kinds of
lectures he would receive from authority figures at the orphanage. Adults always telling him to stay out of
trouble. Did he listen? No. He always did whatever the hell he wanted
until he was good and ready and take off and leave the orphanage behind to live
on the streets. Living on the streets
may have been challenging and a true fight for survival but it was liberating
in the sense that he was his own boss. He could do whatever he wanted.
Now survival is virtually guaranteed considering
the SCW contract he signed. But being tied to Mason Van Stanton makes him
feel like he is yet again tied down and restrained. There are rules
again. Mason tells him to stay out of
trouble. Clyde will do whatever he wants
and what Mason doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Sutter can keep things ‘under
the radar.’ He can make sure Mason Van
Stanton doesn’t find out.
One thing Sutter wanted to do since arriving in
Raleigh was go out for a drink. It was difficult to find a good bar in
Raleigh. The city just seems way too
squeaky clean for his liking but eventually he did find a nice run down place
stuck and hidden away in the deep armpit of the city. It truly is his
kind of place.
The Assassin sits alone at the bar. No one is
near him and he likes it that way. Unfortunately this bar didn’t have any
Newcastle Brown Ale so he’s settling for a Budweiser that sits in front of
him. This is his element and it is strangely tranquil for him. He feels at home here. Back in England he would come here off the streets
to hang out until he got thrown out. Many times he would get into
fights. It was here that he learned how
to defend himself and how to take down and destroy another human being. It was here he obtained all of the tools
necessary to be a successful wrestler. The Braddock Wrestling School just
gave him legitimacy. He used The
Braddock School to obtain legitimacy.
Nothing at all could bother him here. He is
at peace as he takes a sip of his Budweiser. But then he hears a
commotion not too far away…
“Come on baby, y’know ya want it…” the
voice is slurred and Sutter immediately knows it’s a drunk. The next
voice is female.
“Stay away!”
Sutter can guess what’s going on. Dude got
drunk and now that liquid courage is making him go after some hot woman.
Sutter turns in his seat and sure enough he spots a brown haired man with a
button up shit, untucked, with denim jeans trying to force himself on a black
haired woman with a black tanktop and denim jeans.
“C’mon! Jusss one little kisss…”
“Get lost!”
Sutter smirks as he watches the man move in and
tries to plant a kiss on her lips. The woman shrieks and pushes him
away. He comes after her again and
shrieks become more shrill as she starts to panic. Sutter, by this point,
is annoyed more than anything else. He
came here for peace and quiet. He came
here to enjoy himself and these two are ruining it. Sutter turns back to
face the bartender and gets his attention.
“Hey, mate, get me another glass of Budweiser.”
The bartender nods and brings over a full glass of
Budweiser. Sutter slaps down a wad of cash and then grabs the glass as he
hops up off of the seat at the bar and storms over towards the woman and her
drunken assailant. Sutter grabs him by the shoulder and spins him around.
“Hey mate, the lady said no!”
He smashes the bottle over the man’s head. “And quite frankly, you’re
pissing me off!”
Sutter wraps his strong hands around the man’s
neck, lifts him up off of the ground, and slams him down onto the floor. Sutter
follows through, keeping his hands around his throat for a choke. He
leans in and starts whispering into the man’s ear.
“I made a damn good living once off of tracking
pieces of shit like you down and breaking you in half. So trust me when I
say I can find you. Anytime,
anywhere. Forget I exist. I’m just a nightmare, pal. A figment of your imagination.”
Sutter releases his grip on the man’s neck and then
stands up. There are stares from all over the room but no one dares to
say anything. Fights occur all the time.
Plus this guy had it coming.
Sutter snickers.
“Sorry about that…”
Sutter recalls his agent Mason Van Stanton’s
warning to keep all trouble under the radar. He is hopeful that his
threat to the drunk will keep him quiet.
He can’t think of anything to do about everyone else here at this
place. He doesn’t think anyone will say anything but, just to be safe, he
decides to make a hasty retreat. The
Assassin makes his way outside and turns to find a taxi or some other form of
public transportation back to his condominium when he is stopped by a familiar
voice…
“Hey, wait a second!” It’s
the voice of the female from inside. Sutter turns around and sure enough
the woman has followed him outside. This isn’t what Sutter wants. He wants to be left alone.
“What is it?” Sutter
remarks, his frustration showing. “Are you upset about what I did to your
boyfriend?”
“My boyfriend?” The
woman rolls her eyes. “Please, I don’t know that creep. He’s just some idiot
who had too much to drink. But, uh...I wanted to thank you for helping me
out there.”
“Thank me?” Sutter
furrows his brow out of curiosity. He isn’t used to being thanked by
anyone.
“Yeah. I mean, I probably could’ve kneed him
in the balls if I had to. But that was about me only option. I didn’t have pepper spray with me.
Soooo I guess you really came through for me.”
The Assassin still isn’t quite sure what to make of
this but it does feel good. He smirks. “Hey, don’t mention it.
It’s just me doing what I do best; hurting morons like him.”
The woman laughs and then extends a hand. “Rebecca.”
Sutter accepts the handshake. “Clyde, Clyde
Sutter.”
“Nice to meet you, Clyde. But where are you
from? You’re clearly not from around
here.”
“No, I’m not.” He
shakes his head. “Just moved here.”
“Oh, well, I hope you enjoy the United States.”
“I already am.” Sutter
says with a sinister grin on his face.
“Yeah, it’s a great place. At least I think so.” Rebecca
answers. She starts to walk off when Clyde, not wanting this time with
Rebecca to end, calls out after her.
“Hey, uh, do you want me to escort you back
inside? You know, just in case that asshole is feeling frisky again.”
“Oh, him?” She
chuckles. “I appreciate it but I think he’ll be out of it for awhile after
what you did.”
“Sure you don’t want me hanging out for a little
longer? It could be dangerous.
Speaking of, how the hell did you get into this mess anyway?”
“I’m not here with anyone, if that’s what you’re
asking.” Rebecca says with a sigh. “Honestly, I just
wanted to get away from my parents.”
“Your parents?” Sutter
asks with a quizzical glare.
“Don’t judge me.”
Rebecca says blushing furiously. “I can’t help it. I’ve been down on
my luck big time, lost my job, and I have no choice now but to move back in
with them.”
“Sorry to hear that, Rebecca. I really am.” Sutter
slowly starts to grin as an idea pops into his head. “Hey, you know, you
could come back to my place if you wanted to get away from your parents.”
Rebecca laughs and shakes her head. “Thanks,
Clyde, but I have to say no to that one. My parents are very controlling
but I should probably give them a chance before going home with a total
stranger. I think that’s where most missing person cases start. You know?”
“Yeah…” Sutter
laughs, trying to hide his disappoint.
“But hey, tell you what, let me give give you my
number.”
Sutter watches as Rebecca writes her number down on
a piece of paper. She hands it to him.
Sutter reads it and then tucks it in his pocket. He reaches into his pocket and produces a
card, one provided to him by Mason Van Stanton that has Clyde’s contact
information on it. He passes it to Rebecca.
“And there’s my number.”
“Cool. Let’s keep in touch.” She
winks as she turns and walks off. Sutter watches her with a look of
desire on his face. It is not unlike the look of a hungry lion craving
his next meal.
“Yeah, let’s keep in touch.”
Sutter remarks quietly under his breath.
==========
On Camera
==========
Greetings. My name is Mason Van
Stanton. I begun my career as an agent to many professional wrestlers in
Global Championship Wrestling. Now I have expanded to the shores of
Supreme Championship Wrestling. And
while this opportunity to conquer new land is most definitely exciting, what
truly makes my day is the knowledge that I am making a man’s dreams come true.
That man’s name is “The Assassin” Clyde Sutter.
Mr. Sutter got his training at the prestigious
Braddock Wrestling School being trained by former SCW Television Champion
Sophie O’Brian. Sutter showed great promise and amazing skill. He excelled over the other students and even,
at times, showed up his own trainers.
And perhaps that is what led to his downfall? Perhaps jealousy on
the part of those running the Braddock School is what led to his removal? I
really do not know and I hate to just throw out a random guess as I do not wish
to place any blame on the school, but what I can tell you is that for reasons
that I cannot go into, Glory Braddock kicked Mr. Sutter out of her school.
Can you imagine the heartbreak he endured?
His dreams of being a wrestler were crushed. But that’s where I came
in. Glory Braddock is good at crushing
dreams but me? I create them. I
saw potential in Mr. Sutter. I saw
something in him that Glory Braddock did not and thus I chose to take him under
my wing. I chose to guide him through the dangerous jungle that is
professional wrestling.
Now my client may come off as rather harsh, but
trust me when I say that all he wants to do is be the absolute best wrestler he
can be. And believe me when I say that I will do everything in my power
to make sure that his dreams are fulfilled.
Between his talent and ability and my intelligence, we shall take SCW by
storm.
Without further adieu, I give you The Assassin...
==========
On Camera
==========
The Scotiabank Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
is the scene. We are out in front of the doors that lead inside this
arena that will play host to Supreme Championship Wrestling’s Breakdown event
on September 4th. A few moments later and “The Assassin” Clyde Sutter
steps into view from stage right. Sutter
is dressed in black dress pants, a black buttom up shirt, and a black
trenchcoat. Sunglasses cover his eyes and a cold, menacing smile is
etched across his face as he stares into the camera.
“So this is The Scotiabank Centre? This is
where thousands upon thousands of fans will pile in like a herd of fucking
cattle, all so they can watch their favorite wrestlers compete under the SCW
banner.” He chuckles nastily, almost in a scoffing
tone, and then shakes his head defiantly. “What a damn joke.”
“We like to think of ourselves as being a more
evolved species. Hell, we’re so damn arrogant we think ourselves to be
better than those morons who lived in the past. But seriously, think
about it for a moment, are we really any different from the days of the Roman
Empire when people would pack the famous stadium and watch gladiators fight to
the death? That was a favorite pasttime for the Romans because they
enjoyed watching people die. And if you
think we’ve evolved since then, you’re sadly mistaken.”
The Assassin uses his thumb to point to the arena
behind him. “These fat, out of shape, fools are going to gather in that
arena and cheer as they watch men and women beat the holy hell out of one
another. If you are truly honest with yourself, then you will have to
admit that we are just as bloodthirsty and savage as the Romans. We still get our jollies off of the pain and
suffering of our fellow man.”
“That’s why I will excel in this sport. I
have the right mindset. I know what this
business is all about. Unlike most of the other men and women wrestling
for Supreme Championship Wrestling.” Sutter
chuckles. “You got idiots like Syren who do it to rack up as many fucking
championships and awards and accolades as she can, you got even stupider
bitches like Selena Frost who competes for her god-damned true believers…”
His voice trails off and he shakes his head with
disgust “...no, it isn’t about any of that. This sport is about
survival, and to survive in this life you need money. Face facts, boys
and girls, money makes the world go around.
The more you have, the more likely you are to survive anything life
throws at you. I happen to be damn good at beating people up. So why not get paid to beat people up?”
“This business is also about power. You see,
I truly do enjoy hurting people. I am good at what I do and I enjoy doing
it. Beating people up gives me a real thrill. Do you want to know why? Because when I
take another human being and break them in half, it shows my dominance over
them. And just think about what it would mean if I break someone in half
in front of thousands of pieces of shit in that arena and millions of mother
fuckers watching at home?”
A sinister gaze forms upon his face. “It proves
to the entire world that I am more dominant than that particular moron.
And that’s what I like about this business even more than making money; the
sheer enjoyment of hurting another human being. And speaking of hurting
other human beings, you peons get the privilege and distinct honor of watching
The Assassin do what he does best on SCW Breakdown.”
“I got a clown in a fucking mask and a pimpsqueak
who thinks he’s tough and shit. Blackheart, you hide your face because
you’re as ugly as shit? Hell, can’t say
I blame you. Hide. Hide your face
from the world because when I batter you and ruin you in front of the world you
won’t want to show your damn face anywhere anyway. Not like you’ll be
prancing your happy ass around any wrestling arenas anytime soon. You’ll be taken real good care of in the
hospital, though. I hear Canada has some
good doctors to treat the broken bones I’ll give your happy ass. May even
have a spare hospital bed for your woman if I decide to bust here up too while
I’m at it.”
Sutter laughs nastily. “Then there’s Phreak, I
guess you think you’re all kinds of cool and shit because you spell ‘freak’
differently? Or you’re one of the many on the violence bandwagon and that
makes you hip? Nah, it just makes you a
fucking copy cat. But me, I lived it my friend. This life is all I know! Living on the streets, struggling to survive,
THAT IS ALL I GOD DAMN KNOW!”
He points a finger at the camera. “You, you and
that masked clown Blackheart know absolutely nothing. You damn sure don’t
know what to expect out of me. But then
again, no one knows what to expect out of me. Everyone on this roster is
in the dark as to what to expect out of The Assassin. The swine you call fans have no idea what to
expect out of The Assassin.”
Sutter pauses. A smirk slowly forms across
his face. “Actually, come to think of it, there is one individual who does
know what to expect out of The Assassin. So if you want to get a good
idea of what is coming your way on Breakdown, if you idiot fans want to know
what you will witness on Breakdown, just find Glory Braddock and ask her.
The British Bitch did her level best to blackball me from the entire wrestling industry
for your own good. She tried but failed,
because she knows damn well what I mean when I say that I am The Assassin.”
“I am cold hearted in my approach to this
business. I have no care in the world for the well being of whoever Sasha
D puts in front of me. My goal is to go out there and win. If those stupid sorry bastards keep getting
up after I knock them down then it’s their own god damn fault for the injuries
they sustain! Do you think I will lose any sleep over any sorry sack of
shit who I leave decimated and destroyed, their career in question due to
serious injury?”
Sutter shakes his head. “Not a chance, because
as Darwin once accurately pointed out, life is about survival of the
fittest. To survive you can only care about number one and that should
always be yourself. If you put anyone
else ahead of yourself you will not survive. Here in Toronto I will begin
my march over the landscape of Supreme Championship Wrestling. I will leave carnage in my wake and it all
begins with Blackheart and Phreak.”
The Assassin walks off. The camera fades to
black.
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