Mercury stands in a suave tuxedo, made to fit firmly against his slight waist and emphasize his upper chest. He sits at a table covered in a draping white cloth, glass of red wine positioned next to him half-full. The rest of the venue seems to be buzzing with chatter, couples dancing out on the floor in the middle, while families and friends discuss their humdrum existences around the tables identical to Mercury’s that encircle the dance floor.

Mercury smiles, glancing around to the left and right of his own table. Seeing no-one, he chuckles and gazes toward the camera.

‘I’m all alone, Raphael. Everyone else is this lovely venue for tonight’s event, a wedding I believe, has someone to talk to, someone to share their thoughts and experiences with. Someone that perhaps they can rely upon to back them up in their times of need. We all need that support system, right? Someone to go to when we’re struggling. Someone to pick us up when our situation looks grim or we’re feeling particularly down on any given day.

‘Those of us stifled by mediocrity and disappointment tend to rely on these people more, and the recurring pattern with you Mr. Blackwater… is that you aren’t really much without your support system, are you? You’re an average competitor with an average record. Nothing stands out about you, from your stock-standard look to your uninspiring promotional work, even your ring work leaves something to be desired.

‘Your over-reliance on your brothers, the backstage attacks, the varying results from wins to losses that don’t really seem to do anything for your middling career… it makes me sick to my stomach. You aren’t even the best of your little trio, yet your self-aggrandizing nature still shines through even as you get overshadowed constantly.

‘I wonder, what will it take for me to bring you back down to reality? Not much, probably. I doubt there are many who can keep up with my arsenal of skills and agility. This is only my second match, but from the little I’ve witnessed around here, I doubt even your prestigious company champions could hold a candle to my ability. Perhaps that’s a theory I’ll have to test later down the road.’

A smirk.

‘You will get out-smarted and out-maneuvered through every minute of this match. It’ll be a display of psychological warfare that you’ll be unable to comprehend or figure out the answer to. You probably believe yourself to be an intellectual, but there aren’t any masterminds out there capable of formulating a solution to this instant offense and agile defense, I promise you.

‘You could say it’s all talk, but it’s a reason I made light work out of a veteran of this sport, and it’s while I’ll likely eclipse your little crew within a few months of being here - even as I actively compete on a brand that limits my booking schedule. This is what I bring to the table, this is the level of excellence you’re putting yourself up against when you step into the ring with me.

‘I’m curious as to what you’ll do after I’m done killing your dreams. One kick to the jaw and you’ll be dropped and pinned, just like that. It doesn’t take much, just one slip-up or unfortunate move on your behalf, and you’ll be struck down in a heartbeat. I’ll accumulate damage throughout the match, get under your skin, irritate you with every moment you try to land one of your big, cumbersome moves on me… and eventually? My image will be burned into your mind and you’ll wonder where you went wrong, and why you’re so unbelievably helpless in the face of the overwhelming talent that stands before you.’

Mercury glances down towards his glass of wine, taking it gracefully from the table and giving it a little swirl, smile creeping over his lips once more. He raises it up to the camera.

‘But never fear, you can leave this match knowing you tried your best - and failed all the same. There’s nothing wrong with it. In fact, it was the expected results. Besides, you’re excellent at covering up for your losses with brave words, aren’t you? You justify your inadequate results with tired old sayings like “it was a good match” and “I gave it my all and came up short”.

‘How humble of you. How pathetic.

‘Mr. Blackwater. I can assure you, this won’t be a good match, and you will most definitely come up short. You’re the second of many to be sent to an execution that you won’t be able to escape from, and when the bell sounds and just a few minutes later, you’re put down and left staring up at the bright lights?

‘You’ll know deep down that you never stood a chance. The superior mind and talent always wins out in the end, and from where I’m standing?

‘There aren’t any more intelligent or more talented than myself.’

He nods to the camera, and then takes a small sip of the wine, allowing it to sit on his tongue momentarily before swallowing. From his left, a waiter approaches Mercury.

‘Sir, would you like some more wine?’

‘No, I should be fine.’

The waiter nods, and then leans in closer toward Mercury, voice lowered to a whisper.

‘Matteo is currently outside having a cigar. I’d believe now would be the best time to make your move.’

‘Noted. Thank you, Henry.’

The waiter inclined his head graciously, and then disappeared out of the show. Mercury thought to himself for a moment, ran a hand through his short hair, and then took a peek underneath the left side of his tuxedo, seeing the silenced pistol gleaming back at him from the concealed pocket.

His eyes went cold as he stood up, shuffling his chair back into its position, casting a dead-eyed look toward the door leading outside.