Post by The Mafioso on Nov 9, 2022 21:45:12 GMT
Prologue: Scene opens to a familiar figure, lying on top of a king-sized bed within a home in Rimini, Italy. He is wearing a moss green JC Penny t-shirt, blue denim jeans and black Nike runners, looking up at the ceiling. It is obvious that this man is Mark Alessio, once star prospect for the IIW before simply vanishing eighteen months, with the only news about his absence being that he was "injured in a training accident". Sighing, he looks up at the light overhead, his face emotionless.
"I guess I should tell them the truth," he remarks, although it is unknown what he means by that. Maneuvering his feet to the right, he uses his arms to push him up to a seated position. "They deserve to know... about everything."
Placing his feet onto the carpet, he once again uses his arms to push himself upward into a standing position, before beginning to make his way toward the bedroom door as the scene fades.
Scene 1: Scene re-opens to a table. The same table where last year, Mark discussed initially joining the IIW with his father, wrestling legend Dante and his business associate and close friend Pable. This time, he sits alone. A new version of the contract for IIW positioned in front of him on the table. One that he signed mere hours ago, confirming his return to the ring. His return to the promotion where he was supposed to elevate himself into a global name.
"Where have I been?" he asks himself, knowing that this is the primary question on everybody's lips. The question they want answers to more than anything else, especially as it was as if he disappeared into thin air. Never to be seen again, yet here he is. Alive and well. "It's time I told you the truth."
"Eighteen months ago, I tore my ACL and LCL while training for my match against Savage Grace in the international championship tournament. I attempted a diving clothesline and felt my leg give way under me as I landed, but I still wanted to give you guys a show. I still wanted to go out there and perform, because it was what I was born to do. It was all I knew how to do," he pauses, softly shaking his head. He knew it was stupid to risk aggravating the injury, but he wanted the shot at gold. He wanted to go out there and tough it out. In his mind at the time, becoming the first ever international champion was his ticket to the top tables. To the prestige he had set out to achieve. [
"I was naive to what the injury actually meant and allowed myself to be blinded by the lust for gold. The chance to be able to advance closer to the title, that I couldn't sense the alarm bells my body was ringing." he hesitates before continuing. "My knee was so unstable that I ended up fracturing my patella during the match. A match I lost."
Allowing himself some time to regain his composure, he remembers the words the doctor told him when he went into the hospital following the match.
((Flashback))
Mark lays atop the hospital bed at Spire Manchester Hospital, doped up on medication and with a cold, lifeless look in his eyes. Standing to the right of the bed, is a doctor. Wearing his scrubs as well as holding a clipboard with notes in his hands as he stares down at Mark's bandaged right knee.
"Your knee may never be the same after this, you understand?" his voice is stern, but Mark can't say anything in retort due to how out of it he is. The medication and sedatives they gave him to help him relax have taken their effect. The next words the doctor speaks though, "strike right into his heart. "You might never wrestle again."
Hearing those words, Mark feels himself slowly drifting into a state of shock. Did he cost himself his own career by insisting on competing? It is then that his eyes slowly begin to close, those words echoing inside of his mind.
((Present Day))
Staring into the empty space in front of him, Mark whispers the words "You might never wrestle again," to himself. A reminder of what the stakes were for him in his recovery from this injury. An injury that would have convinced lesser men to quit and work a regular, nine-to-five job. For Mark, that was never on the cards.
"I'd be lying if I told you these last eighteen months haven't been hell. Torture as I've tried to get myself back into shape. Both physically..." he pauses, not wanting to admit the next part, but knowing that he promised he would tell the truth. "As well as mentally."
Running his hand against the tender oak of the table, he attempts to conjure up the best way to make the next statement. The one that his speech has been building toward and the one he knows will spread like wildfire the moment it leaves his lips.
"I'm back now. The road is complete and I can tell you that I have been cleared to return to the ring,"
Mark slightly smiles, pride across his face as the scene fades.
Scene 2: Scene opens to Dante sitting in his home office, scrolling through his emails. Most of them are from connections he holds, both in industry and "other" places, but there is one that catches his eye. It is from the IIW legal team, regarding the return of Mark to the ring. Opening it, he reads the contents of the e-mail, occasionally stroking his jawline as he scans the entirety of the text. Not wanting to miss anything inside of it. After all, it's pertaining to his son and being able to resume his career where it left off.
"He's doing it now?" he questions. Last time he talked to Mark about it, his youngest hadn't given him any indication of wanting to return soon, though he realizes that Mark probably wanted to play his cards close to his chest. Make sure news didn't leak up before he was ready to announce it himself. "Our training must have lit that fire back under him."
Dante smiles to himself. He knows that Mark worked his ass off to get to this position. He is proud of his son. Continuing to read the email, the scene fades.
Scene 3: Scene returns to Mark, who is still sitting at the table. Letting everything stew inside of his mind about his return. Knowing that the landscape of the IIW has significantly changed since he was last there. In terms of talent, champions and even the news that IIW has been traveling. He isn't complaining though, he knows progress is paramount to any promotion succeeding. Plus, the fact they are traveling now means that he can become the global superstar that he desires to be. He can see the world and take over the industry, just as his father did when he competed. Though a slight throbbing sensation in his knee manages to remind him of the reality. He might feel ready to return, but he knows that his knee is still prone to flaring up at any given moment. Just as it is now.
"It all begins again," he remarks, tapping his right foot up and down to distract himself from the pain. "This time I'm going to do it right. This time, I will make sure that I don't make the same mistake again."
His words intended to reassure himself, he feels the nerves racing through his body. He knows that part of the reason he was able to return was the fact that he is still only 23 years old. Extremely young in terms of wrestling and that it is likely the story would have been different if he was ten years older. He doesn't like to think about that though, as it isn't reality. Hearing his phone begin to vibrate in the pocket of his jeans, he pulls it out, noticing that the caller is his dad.
"Hey dad," he states, lifting the phone to his ear. We can't hear what his dad says in response, but Mark softly smiles, nodding. "Yes. I'm sure this is what I want to do."
Leaning back against the seat, his face scrunches up as it appears his dad might be talking in either a concerned or agitated tone. "It'll be fine. Doctor said he isn't worried about aggravation for now." he states in rebuttal, before remarking "Don't worry. I know,"
He then softens his expression before answering "I promise. I'm going to do this right and give them what they deserve. What I owe them," as he shifts his weight from his weight from his right side to his left.
"Alright. I'll talk to you tomorrow." he comments, before moving the phone from his ear and hanging up. Making a mental note to remember what he has promised his dad. That he will meet him tomorrow.
Placing his phone back in his pocket, he whispers "This is for me. This is the rebirth," as the scene fades.
Epilogue: Now that the "rebirth" as Mark is calling it has begun, what does this mean for the IIW? Will he sink or swim in the new landscape? Is he going to stick with his old connections and Giorgi Balsamo as his agent, or is this rebirth him starting anew in more ways than one? How does he intend on making his second first impression?
"I guess I should tell them the truth," he remarks, although it is unknown what he means by that. Maneuvering his feet to the right, he uses his arms to push him up to a seated position. "They deserve to know... about everything."
Placing his feet onto the carpet, he once again uses his arms to push himself upward into a standing position, before beginning to make his way toward the bedroom door as the scene fades.
Scene 1: Scene re-opens to a table. The same table where last year, Mark discussed initially joining the IIW with his father, wrestling legend Dante and his business associate and close friend Pable. This time, he sits alone. A new version of the contract for IIW positioned in front of him on the table. One that he signed mere hours ago, confirming his return to the ring. His return to the promotion where he was supposed to elevate himself into a global name.
"Where have I been?" he asks himself, knowing that this is the primary question on everybody's lips. The question they want answers to more than anything else, especially as it was as if he disappeared into thin air. Never to be seen again, yet here he is. Alive and well. "It's time I told you the truth."
"Eighteen months ago, I tore my ACL and LCL while training for my match against Savage Grace in the international championship tournament. I attempted a diving clothesline and felt my leg give way under me as I landed, but I still wanted to give you guys a show. I still wanted to go out there and perform, because it was what I was born to do. It was all I knew how to do," he pauses, softly shaking his head. He knew it was stupid to risk aggravating the injury, but he wanted the shot at gold. He wanted to go out there and tough it out. In his mind at the time, becoming the first ever international champion was his ticket to the top tables. To the prestige he had set out to achieve. [
"I was naive to what the injury actually meant and allowed myself to be blinded by the lust for gold. The chance to be able to advance closer to the title, that I couldn't sense the alarm bells my body was ringing." he hesitates before continuing. "My knee was so unstable that I ended up fracturing my patella during the match. A match I lost."
Allowing himself some time to regain his composure, he remembers the words the doctor told him when he went into the hospital following the match.
((Flashback))
Mark lays atop the hospital bed at Spire Manchester Hospital, doped up on medication and with a cold, lifeless look in his eyes. Standing to the right of the bed, is a doctor. Wearing his scrubs as well as holding a clipboard with notes in his hands as he stares down at Mark's bandaged right knee.
"Your knee may never be the same after this, you understand?" his voice is stern, but Mark can't say anything in retort due to how out of it he is. The medication and sedatives they gave him to help him relax have taken their effect. The next words the doctor speaks though, "strike right into his heart. "You might never wrestle again."
Hearing those words, Mark feels himself slowly drifting into a state of shock. Did he cost himself his own career by insisting on competing? It is then that his eyes slowly begin to close, those words echoing inside of his mind.
((Present Day))
Staring into the empty space in front of him, Mark whispers the words "You might never wrestle again," to himself. A reminder of what the stakes were for him in his recovery from this injury. An injury that would have convinced lesser men to quit and work a regular, nine-to-five job. For Mark, that was never on the cards.
"I'd be lying if I told you these last eighteen months haven't been hell. Torture as I've tried to get myself back into shape. Both physically..." he pauses, not wanting to admit the next part, but knowing that he promised he would tell the truth. "As well as mentally."
Running his hand against the tender oak of the table, he attempts to conjure up the best way to make the next statement. The one that his speech has been building toward and the one he knows will spread like wildfire the moment it leaves his lips.
"I'm back now. The road is complete and I can tell you that I have been cleared to return to the ring,"
Mark slightly smiles, pride across his face as the scene fades.
Scene 2: Scene opens to Dante sitting in his home office, scrolling through his emails. Most of them are from connections he holds, both in industry and "other" places, but there is one that catches his eye. It is from the IIW legal team, regarding the return of Mark to the ring. Opening it, he reads the contents of the e-mail, occasionally stroking his jawline as he scans the entirety of the text. Not wanting to miss anything inside of it. After all, it's pertaining to his son and being able to resume his career where it left off.
"He's doing it now?" he questions. Last time he talked to Mark about it, his youngest hadn't given him any indication of wanting to return soon, though he realizes that Mark probably wanted to play his cards close to his chest. Make sure news didn't leak up before he was ready to announce it himself. "Our training must have lit that fire back under him."
Dante smiles to himself. He knows that Mark worked his ass off to get to this position. He is proud of his son. Continuing to read the email, the scene fades.
Scene 3: Scene returns to Mark, who is still sitting at the table. Letting everything stew inside of his mind about his return. Knowing that the landscape of the IIW has significantly changed since he was last there. In terms of talent, champions and even the news that IIW has been traveling. He isn't complaining though, he knows progress is paramount to any promotion succeeding. Plus, the fact they are traveling now means that he can become the global superstar that he desires to be. He can see the world and take over the industry, just as his father did when he competed. Though a slight throbbing sensation in his knee manages to remind him of the reality. He might feel ready to return, but he knows that his knee is still prone to flaring up at any given moment. Just as it is now.
"It all begins again," he remarks, tapping his right foot up and down to distract himself from the pain. "This time I'm going to do it right. This time, I will make sure that I don't make the same mistake again."
His words intended to reassure himself, he feels the nerves racing through his body. He knows that part of the reason he was able to return was the fact that he is still only 23 years old. Extremely young in terms of wrestling and that it is likely the story would have been different if he was ten years older. He doesn't like to think about that though, as it isn't reality. Hearing his phone begin to vibrate in the pocket of his jeans, he pulls it out, noticing that the caller is his dad.
"Hey dad," he states, lifting the phone to his ear. We can't hear what his dad says in response, but Mark softly smiles, nodding. "Yes. I'm sure this is what I want to do."
Leaning back against the seat, his face scrunches up as it appears his dad might be talking in either a concerned or agitated tone. "It'll be fine. Doctor said he isn't worried about aggravation for now." he states in rebuttal, before remarking "Don't worry. I know,"
He then softens his expression before answering "I promise. I'm going to do this right and give them what they deserve. What I owe them," as he shifts his weight from his weight from his right side to his left.
"Alright. I'll talk to you tomorrow." he comments, before moving the phone from his ear and hanging up. Making a mental note to remember what he has promised his dad. That he will meet him tomorrow.
Placing his phone back in his pocket, he whispers "This is for me. This is the rebirth," as the scene fades.
Epilogue: Now that the "rebirth" as Mark is calling it has begun, what does this mean for the IIW? Will he sink or swim in the new landscape? Is he going to stick with his old connections and Giorgi Balsamo as his agent, or is this rebirth him starting anew in more ways than one? How does he intend on making his second first impression?