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Centurion · (11-24-2019)

------November 20, 2019------

(He was to leave the country and take a vacation…and that’s exactly what he did.

Monte Carlo. An old stomping ground of Centurion, back in his “live fast and loose” days. The place is always filled with rich socialites looking to make a few bucks in the casino, or just look important enough to attract attention. Centurion has done both of those in his day, but it has been several years since he has been back. As a celebration of his recent success, he decided to bring along some friends.

We open up outside the Monte Carlo Casino, perhaps the most lavish casino in the world. A limo pulls up to the front steps of the complex, and a staff member working for the casino immediately opens the car door.

The first person to step out of the limo is Centurion, wearing the nicest suit he has worn in seven years. Immediately following him is the red headed Greek goddess Genevieve Tate, wearing a stunning red dress with a necklace of pearls around her neck and two diamond bracelets over top of her white gloves. The next to step out is Allison, wearing a ravish blue dress of her own, followed by Jocelyn, who is wearing a gold suit that she made famous in her time in the WGWF. Stepping out behind them is “The Nature Boy” himself, Ric Fliehr, Centurion’s mentor and bad influence. He is wearing a suit, Rolex, gator shoes, sunglasses – everything you expect from the party man extraordinaire. The final person to step out from the limo, however, is a new addition to the gang, though not a new sight to XWF fans.

[Image: emeTjZY.jpg]

Ruby steps out of the limo with her eyes wide, wearing a high-priced suit and her newly won XWF Anarchy Championship around her waist. Fliehr has a giant smile on his face as he looks at the entrance of the casino.)

Fliehr: We’re back, baby! WOOO!!!

(Centurion cracks a smile, as well, as an excitable Frenchman runs out from the front doors of the casino, hands in the air.)

Frenchman: Monsieur Cortinovis! It is so wonderful to see you!

Centurion: Sylvan.

(Centurion and Sylvan embrace in a hug. Fliehr goes for one of his own, but Sylvan completely brushes him off, and instead continues to talk to Centurion.)

Sylvan: I am so happy you have returned. Come, come! I will have my people unload your things.

(In a split second, several men in red uniforms come out from another door in the casino and open the trunk of the limo. The rest of the crew looks with a combination of worry and wonder, but Centurion and Genevieve completely ignore it, and they all follow Sylvan inside.

Inside is even more lavish than the outside. A large reception area is the first place the group steps into, as the sound of their shoes can be heard hitting against the marble floor. The sounds of the casino are off in the distance. The less experienced of the group can’t help but look amazed at the layout and the expensive décor of this massive facility. Before anyone can say anything, a waitress approaches the group with drinks already on the tray.)

Sylvan: I took the liberty of ordering you all a few drinks before you get started. Monsieur Cortinovis, I remember yours. It is impossible to forget.

(Sylvian grabs a blue martini and hands it to Centurion, much to his delight.)

Sylvan: Ms. Tate, I got you a merlot, aged 30 years. One of our finest brands.

Genevieve: Εβίβα!

Sylvian: Ms. Cortinovis, Ms. Camden, I got you both a glass of Louis Roederer Cristal, perhaps the finest champagne in all of Monaco. It is the same champagne Princess Middleton orders when she visits.

(Jocelyn and Allison both look impressed and take the two glasses of sparkling champagne off the tray.)

Sylvan: Monsieur Fliehr…a Budweiser.

Fliehr: King Of Beers, baby!

Sylvan: And finally, Ms. Debuchy. I had my word class bartenders mix you up a tequila sunrise, made with Patron, Moulin de Valdonne Grenadine, and of course, orange juice.

(Ruby seems hesitant as she glances over at Centurion.)

Centurion: You don’t have to take it if you don’t want to.

Ruby: No, no, there is nothing wrong with enjoying an alcoholic beverage, as long as you are of legal age and drink in moderation.

(Ruby takes the drink as the waitress walks away and Sylvan continues to excitedly talk.)

Sylvan: Monsieur Cortinovis, I have reactivated your credit. Last time you left us, you were up €253,119. You and Ms. Tate will be in Suite A, Ms. Cortinovis and Ms. Camden will be in Suite B, and Ms. Debuchy will be in Suite C.

(Sylvan passes out the key cards to each of the individuals, leaving Fliehr standing there without one.)

Fliehr: What about me? Where am I sleeping? And what about my credit?

Sylvan: Ah, yes, Monsieur Fliehr. You will be in Room 503, and last time you left us…you owed the casino €14,230. I trust you will have the money into us by the end of your stay. Good luck folks, enjoy yourselves…and welcome to the Monte Carlo Casino!

(Sylvan raises his arms and backs out of the room before vanishing. Centurion rubs his hands together and he walks, arm and arm with Genevieve, toward the casino. Allison and Jocelyn notice a sign that says “spa”, and their eyes light up. The walk in the opposite direction of Centurion and Genevieve, leaving Ruby and Fliehr standing in the reception area.)

Fliehr: Let me stay in your suite tonight, and I’ll give you a ride on Space Mountain!

(Ruby takes a sip of her drink as she stares a hole into Fliehr.)

Ruby: …gross.

(Ruby casually walks in the same direction of Centurion and Genevieve, leaving Fliehr alone.

The three approach the casino floor, but it is not the kind of casino you would see in Las Vegas. Instead of loud slot machines with all the bells and whistles on it, there is primarily a sea of table games. The most action appears to be at a roulette table, where a crowd has gathered. The rest of the tables have people near them, but there are seats open for incoming gamblers. Centurion takes a sip of his martini as he scans the room, looking for the right game to play. He first looks at the blackjack table, with has a few open seats. He thinks about it, but decides against it. He then sees a high stakes poker game, right up his alley, but he also looks at the other people sitting at the table and he shakes his head. Finally, he takes another sip and cracks a smile as he sees where he will make his first mark – the craps table.)

Centurion: There we go. (to Genevieve) Do you want to blow on my dice?

(The three step into the casino floor and walk straight up to the craps table. A small crowd has gathered as a young Arab man shakes the dice. He tosses them down onto the table, and instantly frowns.)

Dealer: Three, shooter busts!

(The shooter snaps his fingers and turns, walking away from the table. The craps dealer gathers the dice and the money won by the house, before handing the dice over to Centurion.)

Dealer: New shooter!

(Centurion looks at the dice, at the crowd, and then at the dealer. He then smiles before handing the dice over to Ruby.)

Ruby: Wait…what am I doing?

Centurion: You’re rolling the dice. As a general rule, I always like to bet on the superhero.

(Centurion pulls out a nice stack of chips – roughly close to a thousand dollars, and places them on the “Pass” line on the table. Ruby’s eyes widen as she sees the amount of money that has just been placed.)

Ruby: That’s a lot of money. You shouldn’t be betting that much – on me or on anyone.

Centurion: I believe in you, Ruby. I believed in you when you won the Anarchy Title, and I believe in you now. Show them all what you can do.

(Centurion points to the table and shifts his body in order to move Ruby to the shooter line. The rest of the betters look her up and down and just wave her off, and decide to bet on the “Don’t Pass” line. Ruby looks over the craps table, gives the dice a few shakes, and tosses them into the bowl. The dice bounce off the back wall and back into the field of view, and as they do, Centurion gets a massive smile on his face.)

Dealer: Eleven!

------Count My Cards, Watch Them Fall------

It appears as if Kris had a few things to say about me.

I take that back. In what was the most predictable move of 2019, it was actually Antony The Jerk who had most of the things to say about me. See, Antony and the rest of his goons are angry that I keep insisting that he does all the talking for them. They don’t like that I claim they have no voice of their own, and that Antony is the real star of the show. Well, Kris really showed me up this week. He proved us all wrong…

By having Antony go on a 5 minute soliloquy laying out all the points Kris needed to hit.

I mean, seriously, if you’re going to get mad at a certain talking point then at least TRY to fix it. If you’re going to claim Kris “speaks his mind”, then, I don’t know…don’t be the person who starts talking for him? Also, and this is a big one – don’t say everything he is also about to say to make it seem like he’s just parroting your talking points.

Kris and Antony, you two are going about this the wrong way. It’s clear by hearing Kris talk, and by seeing the metaphorical shock collar Antony has around his neck, that you are uncomfortable with having Kris speak. He doesn’t want to do it, you don’t want him to do it, but you’re still trying as hard as you can because you don’t want to “prove me right”, so you continue this silly little façade that everyone sees right through.

My advice? Lean into it. Don’t let Kris talk at ALL. Let him be the mute little puppy he wants to be, and allow Antony to do all the talking. Besides, he’s the one who talks shit anyway, and while I certainly wouldn’t say he’s “good” at it, he’s certainly much better than Kris’ half assed effort.

Let me get this out of the way first, because there appears to be some sort of misconception when it comes to me and my words. Kris…this isn’t personal. I don’t think about you when I go to bed at night. I’m not listening to angry music and plotting my attacks on you. No, I just find your manager to be an annoying little twat and you to be a mindless, dopy cockhead. I also never accused you of personally coming after me, though, once again, your manager had talked a lot of shit about me on his Twitter page. As I’ve been saying, he’s been picking fights and expects you to deal with them, and it’s even sadder now knowing he doesn’t even let you in on it.

What I have said, though, is that you tried to jump the line. You thought you deserved to be thrown into the Hart Title picture immediately upon debut. You made your presence known at Relentless by throwing your hammer at the glass cage. Inside that cage was a long reigning Hart Champion who had received the respect of his peers, and an XWF legend looking for win his first singles title in nine years. And here you come, putting yourself in contention for something you didn’t earn.

THAT’S what pissed me off. Not that it was me in the match. Not that I was the one that was the Hart Champion. No, it’s the fact that you and your manager thought you could become top stars without even wrestling in a single match. And THEN, as I mentioned before, you weren’t even good enough to win the contenders match against three scrubs. And somehow, you’re still here.

If I had it my way, Kris…you wouldn’t be here. There are plenty of folks in the back who have done enough to warrant a title shot. Hell, there’s a few folks on Anarchy who could be given this opportunity, but they get overlooked because of the show they’re on. Kris, you got here by beating Jim Jimson. Even your manager can’t possibly think that was a worthy contender.

You did point to something interesting, though. You going “on and on” about how this was “never about me” did reveal something. In all the lead up to Relentless, while Tony Santos had his death grip on the Hart Title, Antony was clear to signal me out in a lot of his trash talking. On more than one occasion, he talked about me while I has the challenger, and he barely ever mentioned Santos. He never talked about Mastermind, or Ned Kaye, or anyone else. Now, I’m not narcissistic enough to think that this was intentionally done, but I do think there’s a subconscious aspect to it. Either Antony KNEW I was going to win, or he WANTED me to win. Maybe a combination of both.

“Oh, but if he hates you so much, why would he want you to win!” Well, that answer is simple. Antony cares about one thing – money. He wants to make it, and he wants to do so off the backs of two upstarts who don’t know any better. He knew, if he whined enough, Kris would get a Hart Title shot. That’s how the XWF works these days. All you have to do is compliment Vinnie Lane or make a couple of tweets and you’re thrown into a title match. So that was going to happen. It was a matter of who Kris was going to face.

Now, Kris Von Long Vs Tony Santos? Not really a money maker. No offense to Tony Santos, but he doesn’t really have the mainstream name recognition. If Tony was still Hart Champion, they would just see Kris as another lamb to slaughter, and no one would give a shit. Besides, Kris and Antony would gain nothing by having Tony shred Kris apart.

But Kris Von Wrong Vs the XWF legend Centurion? Now that can be marketed. There’s money to be made there. No matter what happens, it’s a net positive. You have someone of my caliber saying your name on a constant basis. You know everyone will be watching because…well, it’s me. Even Kris getting his ass beaten into the ground is a step in the right direction for him, because then Antony could market himself as someone who got his client a Hart Title match against a legend.

What’s next for you after this, Kris? Where do you go from here? You tried to earn your way into a Hart Title match in your debut…and you lost. You tried to make it to the finals of Lethal Lottery…and you lost. Now you finally weaseled your way into a Hart Title match, but what happens when you lose? You would have been given every opportunity you asked for, and you would have failed on every occasion. I keep saying you should dump Antony as a manager…but maybe it’s the other way around?

Maybe Antony sees the stock on his cash cow depreciating. Maybe he concentrates more on Melanie’s career than yours. After all, it pays to be a woman in the wrestling business these days, especially in a sausage fest like XWF. Perhaps he sees Melanie as his ticket to superstardom. Maybe he dumps you completely, and replaces you with some other mute European. You gotta ask yourself, Kris…how devoted to you IS Antony? Is he really your friend? Does he have your best interests at heart? Or is this all about him, and after he sees the giant egg you lay against me at Lethal Lottery, he looks to green pastures?

Just something for you to think about Kris. Do whatever you want with it. If you want to continue to live in this fantasy world where you and Antony and Melanie all join hands together and skip across meadows while picking up wins and titles, be my guest. Your future success or, more likely, future failure means very little to me.

One more thing to correct you on, though – this IS all about me. You may not think so, but the moment you decided to stick your nose into the Hart Title scene, you made me an enemy. The Hart Title is my title. You may not think it belongs to me. You may think it belongs to the company at large, but you would be mistaken. It’s MINE! I won it after years of bleeding buckets into this company. I scaled the mountain top and plummeted back down, only to climb my ass back up again. I have had the distinction of not only building my career, but re-established it after it has been broken into pieces. I did twice what you and your manager have failed to do once.

And there in lies the ultimate problem you have. The thing that took me ten minutes to say when I could have summed it up in five seconds – you can’t beat me. Not “you won’t” or “you shouldn’t”, but you CAN’T. You don’t have the talent. You haven’t been here long enough to learn the ropes, and no amount of tape watching or weight training will prepare you for what I can bring in the ring. I’m not just one of the best in XWF history – I’m one of the best in the XWF TODAY. You didn’t catch me on a nostalgia tour – you caught me on a tour of domination.

Some day I will lose the Hart Title. Some day, there will be a challenger who rises up the ranks and knocks me off my pedestal, beginning their own reign and establishing themselves as a top superstar. That person is not you, Kris, and I think, deep down, you know it. You know that, come Saturday night, it will still be me that holds the Hart Title high in the air, and it will be you that meets your…

FINAL FANTASY!!!

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