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Thomas Nixon · (01-09-2017)

Scene 4
An Internal Monologue Somewhere In Thomas Nixon’s Head
January 7th, 2017

I understand the criticism for Creed, I truly do. It’s easy to group them in with other mid-2000s rock groups. Groups that aren’t too great like Papa Roach, Lifehouse, and Nickelback are often brought up in the same sentence as Creed. They’re all from the same time period and to some extent they have a similar sound. I totally get how that turns people off from Creed, and the raspy voice of lead singer, Scott Stapp, just isn’t for everyone. Some people don’t like that sound, when they sit down to listen to an album.

There’s one thing that Creed truly excels at that is often taken for granted. The group tends to compensate for their generic sound with really heartfelt and inspirational lyrics. Songs like “With Arms Wide Open” talk about how life changing it is for Scott now that he’s welcoming a child into the world. That’s more emotional than any shitty Nickelback song.

There’s a reason I walk out to “My Sacrifice” before every single one of my XWF matches. It’s not because it gets me excited or it’s a cool sounded song. “My Sacrifice” reminds me of all the things I’m fighting for here in the XWF.

This song speaks about a community, not an individual. This song really hits its stride in the second verse, when Scott Stapp really hits hard with his choice of words.

“We’ve seen our shares of ups and downs
Oh how quickly life can turn around
In an instant”

He discusses that life isn’t always simple and easy; people have to overcome the odds together and unite to succeed. It’s not just about fighting for yourself and coasting on easy wins. You have to take life by the horns because the script can flip at any time for anyone. That’s something I’ve experienced and my people have experienced. It’s words that are real and events that I’ve experienced.

When I hear this song play, I remember that I’m fighting the good fight. That’s why I don’t give up in the ring. It’s not supposed to be easy to win because life isn’t like that. You have to give it your all and be prepared to battle against another person who has an equally strong will. Those are the kinds of sentiments that guide me to victory on a regular basis, that’s the kind of anthem I surround myself with.

That’s just a little bit different than the music that my upcoming opponent, Gabe Reno, prefers. Leading up to our last bout, he criticized Creed. And I understand that, but when he came out for that promo, I couldn’t help but notice his preferred music. He came out to the song “Without Me” by Eminem.

I don’t mean to make fun of Eminem and call him shit, but this highlights the differences between myself and Gabe perfectly.

“Without Me” has a lot of short lines that make middle schoolers around the United States lose their shit laughing and then yell “owned”. This is the kind of song that motivated a new generation of white teens to disrespect their parents and try to start fights at school. This is the song that leads to more and more brainless teens sagging their pants to try and look cool.

At one point in the song, Eminem raps “And Moby, you can get stomped by Obie/You thirty six year old bald headed

, blow me”. I could imagine Gabe Reno saying that during one of his immature, babbling promos where he attempts to rhyme and sound witty. With that being said, I could also see a twelve year old prepubescent boy saying the same thing on Xbox Live.

The thing is, Gabe Reno walks out to this Eminem song for the same reason that I walk out to “My Sacrifice”. I see myself as a passionate person that is fighting for my family and friends, and I’m determined to overcome the pain that I’m dealt. Reno just really likes to say and hear shitty one liners that have edgy punch lines. Eminem sits in his room with big headphones on, and I bet he gets all of his inspiration from Eminem’s raps. He isn’t fighting for anything, he just wants to be cool. He just wants people to think that he “owns” his opponent’s with his bad ass rhymes and one liners. And maybe someday, Reno will as cool as Eminem.

At least, that’s the image that Gabe Reno emanates. Because from what I’ve seen he’s a damn fool. You can dance, jive, and rhyme, but that’s why everyone here thanks you’re a dipshit. And your favored music just proves my point. So go ahead, criticize Creed, but your music taste says a lot about yourself, and it’s not positive stuff.

Scene 5
Philadelphia, PA
June 11th, 1963

A young Thomas Nixon sits in a royal blue chair. He’s wearing a black tee shirt and a pair of jeans. His hair is slicked back and he has a serious expression on his face. The room is ominously lit, the walls are dark, and he sits in front of a large black table covered with a map of the United States. The map has several markers placed among the largest cities including New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Dallas, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and many many more. About twenty cities are marked and labeled.

Sitting at the table across from Nixon is a large lizard, wearing black robes. The lizard went by the name Charun, and he was typically in charge of conflicts involving the lizard tribe. He has directed and planned small attacks in the past, and he has become awfully busy since the Kennedy Administration declared the lizard people as the cause of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

“And you have appropriately reviewed the briefing?” Charun asked Nixon, as he adjusted a label on the map, shifting some name from Boston to New York.

“I don’t think I could recite it to you verbatim, but I do understand the situation and the actions that we must take.” Nixon responds.

“Well here is another large piece of the puzzle. I’ve joined contact with a militia of sorts. Well, they’re very organized and have access to weapons, but they certainly aren’t a militia. There is a coalition of men across the United States that for one reason or another hate the current president. Now, I’m not going to say that they’re just a bunch of nut cases or pissed off republicans, but they all are out to get President Kennedy and they are alarmingly motivated.” Charun explains.

“Don’t tell me that we’re on the same side as a bunch of unstable lunatics.” Nixon said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

“Beggars can’t be choosers.” Charun bluntly says without looking up at Nixon. “We have to kill the President, and a lot of mentally stable Americans aren’t in that business. Luckily, the people that want him dead are very talkative and are incredibly appreciative of any help they may receive. So they have a plan. Essentially, they are in constant communication and alert each other whenever there is a tip of where the president is going. They don’t want to attempt an assassination in DC because he is too well protected there. So they have eyes on his administration, and the moment they sense the president is traveling, they all take watch.”

“So this is a calculated plan?”

“You got it, Tommy. These guys may be crazy, but they are far from impulsive. They want to find the moment that the President is most vulnerable. They’re worried that a failed assassination attempt will tighten security. This is an all or nothing game to them, so when they go for the kill, they want to fucking kill him. That’s a good thing for our team.”

“Where do I come in?”

“Well, these fucks are a bunch of loon bags, so I want to make sure that you’re on the first flight out, when they inevitably move in for the kill. I want to make sure that someone sane is there, and you can make sure that they’re successful. You know, you’ll go over their plan with them, make sure they know what to do, and you’ll make sure someone pulls the trigger. You’re the insurance policy.”

“That sounds like it just might work.”

“Well, it better. It looks like we might be waiting around for quite some time, and the longer we wait, the more of our people are dying. We can hope that this comes sooner than later, but when it comes, it needs to work. This is important, kid. But we have faith in you.”

“Well, I can handle it. I want to help. No, I will help. Thanks for the opportunity, I won’t let all you guys down.”

The scene fades, as Nixon leaves the room, leaving Charun to meticulously arrange the names on the map in front of him.

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