For Tompkins

[Stephen]

Scene One: Silent Night

The scene opens in front of Madame Duvalle's Psychic Readings shop, a large closed sign on the tinted windows and door. Puddles of varying sizes and depth are spread across the street and the heavy mist from the recent shower hover ominously throughout the area. Dimly lit streetlights illuminate the silent, dark street as the camera pans towards the far end of the road. A the silhouette of a man can be seen slowly making his way towards the camera, but the dimness of the street prevents the camera from making out the man's identity. He stops in front of Madame Duvale's and stares at the closed sign for a few seconds before making his way to the door. He grabs the handle and pulls, but the locked door doesn't budge. A chant like mumble is heard coming from him and he pulls the handle again, this time successfully opening the open the previously locked door. He scans the street for a moment before walking inside.

The store is shrouded in darkness, save for the dimly lit candlelight coming from the back area. The man looks around the store as if searching something, before walking up to the counter and ringing the bell. Silence. The man doesn't bother ringing the bell again, instead preferring to walk over to the reading table in the corner. He looks at the crystal ball as he sits in one of the chairs. As if responding to the man's stare, the crystal ball flashes a light blue color twice, staying lit after the second flash. A breeze suddenly blows in the man's direction causing him to look up from the crystal ball. Madame Duvale stands in front of him, her hand on the other chair. A look of hopefulness is on her face as she begins to speak. "Well, did he lose" she asks the man, the hope in her voice very obvious. The man nods and they exchange grins before Madame Duvale sits down. "Good. This wrestling nonsense that Jacques is involved in has to come to an end. The last time he visited me he tried to convince me that he had changed and grown up, but I didn't believe him for a second. The moment he loses at something, he gives it up and I expect this to be no different." The man simply nods his head in agreement. "You don't say much, do you? I like that. People are less annoying when they're quiet." The man stares at Madame Duvale who has a smile on her face.

The man suddenly reaches into the inner pocket of his jacket, causing Madame Duvale to tense up. When he removes his hand from his jacket, a folded up paper is the only thing in it. He holds it up as if to reassure her that it is not a weapon of some kind before handing it to her. She quickly snatches it from him and unfolds it. When she is done scanning it, a look of disgust comes across her face. She throws the paper on the table, the paper landing right beside the crystal ball. The camera zooms in to reveal that the paper is a flyer for an upcoming Frontier Grappling Arts show with Jacques Mercier facing Michael Tompkins in the main event. The man picks up the paper, refolds it, and stuffs it back into his jacket pocket. He then stares at Madame Duvale who is deep in thought. "How am I supposed to get him to stop this nonsense without interfering directly" she asks the man, but he gives no response. She sighs before pulling out a notepad and a pen. She writes something quickly before ripping the page out of the notepad and hands it to the man. "Give that to Jacques, after this little event. Maybe then, I'll give you what you want." The man shoots up from the table and slams his hand on it. Madame Duvale looks at him, intimidated. "Did you think it would be that easy? You still owe me fifty years. Remember what happened the last time you tried to intimidate me?" She waits for an answer, but one doesn't come. She grins, "What's wrong? Something got your tongue?" The man snatches the paper from Madame Duvale's hand, glaring at her as he stuffs it into his pocket. Madame Duvale starts to laugh as the man heads towards the door. The scene fades to black as the crystal ball reverts to it's unlit state.

Scene Two: The Michael Tomkins Show

The scene opens on a street in Boston. Jacques Mercier stands in front of the camera, his head down. After a few minutes, he looks into the camera. He smiles, "How's it going FGA? Been an interesting last couple of weeks, hasn't it? We had our first Super Show, crowned a champion, and I debuted here. Three very monumental events for this company in just a short time." He pauses for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "Michael Tompkins... I'd like to congratulate you for becoming the inaugural FGA Heavyweight Champion. Naturally I wish it were me, that was holding the belt but if it had to be someone else I'd prefer you over most people on the roster, especially the Harvard Connection. Did I lose to Chandler? Sure. Did I get my ass handed to me like the so-called "Epitome of Excellence" or FGA's newly crowned whipping boy Scott Reave? Not so much. I'm not going to sit here and bitch and moan about how I lost and that I can't believe or it was a fluke. Truth is, I gave it my all and Chandler was the better man that time, doesn't make him any less of a prick." Jacques shrugs, as if to say "You all know it's true."

"But enough about Chandler, this is the Michael Tompkins show now. Let's give him another round of applause, let's let him enjoy his moment because it won't last forever. I mean, it's only a matter of time before the next best thing takes that belt from him. There's been debate on whether or not that should be Blaine Harrison or Jared James, but are either one of them really the next best thing? Blaine's been in this business since 2006, Jared since 2007. At this point these two shouldn't have to prove that they're the next best thing because if they were worth even the shit I shat this morning then one of them should have won the entire damn tournament. I on the other hand am fresh meat. I'm the hungry challenger that's looking to make a name for himself, and let me go ahead and put myself on the radar. I will be the number one contender for the FGA Heavyweight Championship when push comes to shove. Blaine Harrison and Jared Jared James will have their shots at the title though, when I'm champion. I'll gladly stand em up and knock them down. I've had my first lost now, the pressures off. I now have nothing to lose." He pauses once more.

"Dammit, I keep getting off topic. This isn't the Jacques Mercier show, it's the Michael Tompkins show. I'm supposed to be talking about the champ, showering him with praise, and wishing him the best when he's future endeavored." Jacques looks to his left. A voice can be heard whispering something to him. "I said did say 'in his future endeavors'! More whispering. "What'd I say then? The whispers have a hint of annoyance now. "Really? Well, it's in the past now. Anyway, as most of you all know, I'm scheduled to face Tompkins this week in the main event. Oh my God, the main event. I'm so fucking excited to be in the main event. What should I wear? Maybe a new wrestling outfit is in order. Or not. I'm in the main event, big deal. People get placed in different spots every week so that's not what I'm excited about. I'm excited that I get to face Tompkins." Jacques pauses and just stares at the camera.

"Oh, you thought I was going to talk about how I'm pumped to show you all what I'm really made of? Didn't I just tell you that I gave it my all at the Super Show. You've seen what I can do, now all I need to do is win. There's no one left to impress. All that matters now is winning, and winning strong. Mike, you're a class act but you'd better come at me like I'm the thing you hate most or you will lose. No, I didn't look into a crystal ball nor did I do a tarot reading. I'm saying this out of sheer confidence, I will beat you. We can go grab a drink outside of the ring anytime, but in that ring I'm going to kick your ass. You're the champ, you're undefeated, hell you've gain some independence from TIMMAY! The thing is, I don't care about all of that. Does any of that truly matter in the ring? Will the fact that you're champion help you beat me? Only if you cheat. Will it be the five and O record that will get you the three count? Doubt it. Will Tim Tim help you in this one? Doubt it, but even if he did he would be ineffective. The fact that you're champ and undefeated only means that you now have everything to lose. And when you do lose it, guess who's going to be there to claim it. Moi. That's all the time we have for the Michael Tompkins Show. Tune in to this week's FGA episode for the finale. With that, Jacques walks off camera and the scene fades to black.