Post by Travis Pierce on Sept 22, 2018 7:23:33 GMT -5
The screen is dark, and a voiceover by Rob Cartwright is heard.
Cartwright: This is the true story of a group of Entertainment Professionals chosen for superiority who have had their lives taped to find out what happens when life gets…pierced…The Piercing Life.
A flashy logo is shown.
Cartwright: Previously, at the Outlast Draft.
Lockheart: I’ll go with Travis Pierce.
Vines: Maggie Lockheart selects Travis Pierce!
Cut to Travis in the confessional.
Pierce: Go with Travis Pierce, will you?
Pierce: That is right, my friends, Team Lockheart is going to the promised land. Come with me, come with Travis Pierce, and we shall indeed proceed to glory. Now you might be wondering, do I still have a grudge from that time that Maggie got to just Rydell her way to the Cross-Hemisphere Title, getting shot after shot until finally it was like, go ahead, just take it and go away? Funny you should ask. Know who else is on the team?
Cut back the our previously.
Lockheart: I’ll go with Dave Rydell.
Cut to Travis in the confessional.
Pierce: Careful, I wouldn’t want to go with him anywhere. He tends to fuck off now and again, who the hell knows what he does when he isn’t around, #spoileralert drugs.
Cut to footage of Travis Pierce, Maggie Lockheart, Kenzi Grey, and Dave Rydell all sitting around a table. For a few moments nobody speaks, and we cut back to the confessional.
Pierce: So Madame Captain wants a team meeting ahead of Outlast, makes sense, need to get these clowns all on the same page, so once we were all in Pittsburgh we had ourselves a little get-together.
Cut to Maggie Lockheart in the confessional.
Lockheart: It's always important in this industry that, you know, when you're going to team up with someone - especially someone you don't really know - that you meet up with them and at least make sure that they're on the same page. Now multiply that by three, and that's what I've got. I mean, it is my responsibility to make sure that the four of us are prepared going into Outlast. Can Kenzi Grey-Lacklan, Travis Pierce, and Dave Rydell co-exist? I guess I'm about to find out.
Cut to Kenzi Grey in the confessional.
Grey: I know the value of coming together as a team for Outlast. I experienced it first hand last year, so it’s good that Maggie brought us all together to solidify our bond and make us into an actual team. I’m just hoping that everyone else feels the same.
Cut to Dave Rydell in the confessional.
Rydell: I really hope this meeting isn’t long. I can’t stand a third of these people.
Cut back to the meeting, as Maggie Lockheart rises to her feet.
Lockheart: Alright guys, listen up. Each of you know me, you know who I am anyway. You just don't know why I drafted you. I don't expect each of you to like me, or respect me. For now anyway the four of us are a team and I am the team captain.
Cut briefly to Travis in his confessional, as he smiles to the camera and mockingly salutes.
Cut back to the meeting.
Lockheart: You know that I have been adamant about who I am and what I represent here in the UGWC. I've called myself the “Future” of the professional wrestling industry and pissed off a lot of people in the process. Some of you might even be in this room. The reason that I called you all here is to tell you why I drafted you. You see, to me, I think we have one of the best Outlast teams of all time.
Cut
Rydell: Maggie has a good head on her shoulders. Hopefully she can keep everyone in line for Outlast.
Cut.
Lockheart: I can tell already by the looks on your faces that some of you may not believe that yet. You probably think that I'm crazy, and you probably think that the Coalition will think that I'm crazy once the word of this gets out. And that's okay, as all of you can attest to, I've been called a lot worse in Unified Global Wrestling. So if they want to call me crazy for what I believe in, that's fine. But I want the three of you to know that I drafted you because I believe in you. When I look around this room, I see in us the potential future of the UGWC.
Cut.
Lockheart: I'm thinking to myself "Alright Maggie, what would a leader do in your position?" Hell, I'm not entirely sure what I did to qualify as a Captain, but I'm not about to watch my team go up in flames before we ever get the chance to fight together on Sunday. It's kind of strange, but I find myself focusing less and less on my own personal success - I'm just trying to figure out how to get as many members of my team through to the final as I possibly can. Can we pull off a clean sweep? I'm not sure. But I can't do it alone. I'm know that I'm going to need the absolute best out of everyone for our success.
Cut.
Lockheart: Kenzi Grey, Travis Pearce, Dave Rydell. Not a single one of you can look me in the eye right now and tell me that this room isn't filled with passion and desire. We're champions, both current and former, yes. But we're champions of heart. We conduct ourselves as champions, we fight as champions. Each of us knows that there isn't a single person in this room that would not be satisfied with not only beating Angelica Vaughn's team but making it on to the Outlast Finals in order to fight for, and win, UGWC's top prize. There's not a single one in this tournament who wouldn't fight to become UGWC World Heavyweight Champion, but I believe that I've surrounded myself with the people who want that future for themselves the most. And It's okay if they, the people outside of this room, don't believe us. It's not the Coalitions job to believe us. It's not for the folks backstage or those in the front office to believe us. However, it is our job to give them a reason to believe in us. It's our job to prove to them that we are what we say we are… The best goddamn team to ever enter the Outlast tournament.
Cut.
Pierce: I don’t know, 2011, Human Resources Department, that was a pretty damn good team.
Cut.
Lockheart: Because you know what I think? I think we had luck in the draft, luck in the draw, too. I think the other captains are going to feel foolish once they see just how many members of our team go on into that final, too. Because we've got the heart, we've got the skill, we've got the drive, and oh yeah, we've got something that everyone else in this tournament doesn't have… And that's each other. So before we get started, is there anything else that any of you would like to say before we discuss business here tonight?
Maggie sits down, and Kenzi cautiously looks around at her teammates. She appears apprehensive, but stands and rakes back her dark long braids.
Grey: Look, I know that some of you guys are looking at me and then you’re looking at Angie and you are wondering if you can trust me. I’m a #CoolKid and Angie is a #CoolKid. Heck! Roxy Cotton is on Angie’s team and she and I are a championship team in another company…but that is one thing…and this…this is another. I take what I do in the ring seriously and I want you all to know that is just what I intend to do when we are in that ring together. Those guys are my friends…but you are all my allies.
Cut.
Grey: I thought it was important for the members of my team to understand that I am REALLY on their side. This isn’t some #CoolKids conspiracy. I know that a few members of my team might be thinking that, so I hope I put their minds at ease. Angie Vaughn is my friend, but at Outlast, she is just another opponent, just like Roxy and just like the rest of that team.
Cut.
Grey: Travis, I know you are looking at me and you are wondering if I might somehow try to stab you in the back after the way you defeated Roxy and Angie to hold on to that Chaos Title of yours, but I assure you, that is the furthest thing from my mind. They had their chance and you were better on those two occasions. I know how tough they both are, so I tip my hat to you, Sir. Come Outlast, when that bell rings, I want you to know that you and I will have the same goal…to go out and win that match…to advance and earn a chance at the World Championship.
Cut.
Pierce: Stab me in the back? Not worried about it at all. You saw me take down your friends. You don’t want none of this. What you should be sitting there thinking, is that I know full well how to beat Angie and Roxy, and that puts all of us that much closer to the main event.
Cut.
Grey: Dave, you and I have fought each other on several occasions for bragging rights and for championships, but at Outlast you and I both have an unprecedented chance to reach for that brass ring. Maybe you think that I have been sat in your path to stop you from reaching your goal…but I assure you Dave, that isn’t the case. I told you that I admired your drive and your focus, and I didn’t lie. What is ironic is that I get to prove it to you when we step into the ring as partners at Outlast. I want you to know that I intend to be there for you in the hopes that I can get you the opportunity that you want…a chance at the World Title…one that I will also be gunning for. Even if my record in Outlast tournaments isn’t the greatest.
Cut.
Pierce: Not the greatest, no. But I mean, all things are relative, right? Dave is like oh for however many of these things there have been.
Cut back to the meeting, where Kenzi is wringing her hands as she struggles to address the captain.
Grey: Maggie, I told everyone when I came here that the only reason it had taken me so long to sign is because I wondered if I was really ready. Losing to you last year was a blow to me and my ego. Not because you weren’t good, but because I wasn’t good enough. That though plagued me and every time that Sarah brought up the idea that I go to UGWC, I reminded her of my performance and she told me that it was only a moment in time. When I finally bit the bullet and joined, I had a single focus to be much better than I was that night. I won a few matches and I hoped that it was enough to erase the memory of that loss…
Kenzi takes a deep breath.
Grey: When you picked me…I felt like a giant weight was lifted off my chest. I felt like maybe…just maybe I had finally put that chapter of my life behind me and I was able to move forward. If you could see where I was in 2017 and how far I had come in 2018, maybe I had actually managed to prove that I belonged here! So…thank you Maggie…thank you for that vote of confidence. It means a lot more than you could ever know.
Kenzi quietly takes a seat, as Dave is glaring at Travis. He stands and strokes his beard before speaking.
Rydell: For the last 15 years I have participated in numerous Outlast events. I haven’t made it to the main event of a single one.
Cut.
Pierce: No shit.
Cut.
Rydell: Maggie, oh Captain my Captain! We’ve squared off a few times. You are a fierce competitor who has what it takes to-
The footage is fast-forwarded for a few moments, with Dave moving quickly and his words being unintelligible.
Rydell: But understand that when push comes to shove, and that shot at the main event is on the line, I will ensure that if I have a chance to move on, I am taking it by any means necessary.”
Dave stops, then looks directly at Travis Pierce.
Rydell: What the hell is there to even say about you? Aside from you being one of the most *static* AMAZING, INSPIRING, DYNAMIC, BUBBLY, FANTASTIC DUDES *static* I’ve ever met in my life. Yes, you’ve got the skill set in the ring, but you are a *static* SOLID DUDE *static*. And I mean that in every sense of the term. We’ve been battling for years. The last time we met, you got the better of me. Trust me, the next time that happens, the result will be different. But for now, we have to team together. Believe me, I like it as much as you do. And by that I mean not at all.
Cut.
Rydell: I strayed away from the goal. I focused too much on Travis and not enough on why I’m even here.
Cut.
Rydell: Outlast is coming up. I thank you for picking me. I don’t know why you did; I’ve got the worst record of anyone at the event...but I am grateful. Let’s kick some ass.
Dave takes his seat as Travis is leaning on one elbow, his head resting against his hand as he stares at Rydell.
Pierce: Are you finished?
Travis sits back in his chair.
Pierce: Are you finished? Good.
Travis stands up as Rydell is glaring at him.
Pierce: Listen, this is all quite simple. You two…
He points at Kenzi and Maggie.
Pierce: Let’s face it, you guys were non-factors last year. You admit that, we’re not having an argument here. Dave over here has been the captain that went down with his ship, I mean, it’s practically an annual tradition.
Travis looks directly at Rydell.
Pierce: How many times have you been an Outlast captain?
Dave starts to open his mouth, but Travis cuts him off.
Pierce: No, it’s rhetorical. The piercing truth is that none of you know how to get the job done in this tournament. Me? I’ve been to the promised land, I’ve been in that main event. So all you guys have to do is follow my lead. I’ve got the whole cooperative thing on lock. I mean, Kenzi, let’s face it, the only reason you and Sarah are still Co-Op champs is because The Piercing Weapons haven’t reunited to challenge you, and you have been defending against hacks like Konrad Raab and Dave here.
Kenzi frowns and looks at Rydell, who stares at Travis and holds up his new title belt. Travis glances back and forth between them both.
Cut.
Cut.
Pierce: Wait...wait...he beat you?
Travis breaks out in hysterical laughter, falling back into his seat, and waves with his hand for somebody else to go ahead and talk while he continues to giggle.
Cut.
Grey: Travis thinks he’s SO funny with his comments about Dave beating me at Synergy for the Cooperative Titles. I hope that he realizes that no matter how funny he thinks it is, Dave and I are on his team and if he wants to win, he is going to have to rely on the both of us…at least until the finals…then, whatever happens, happens.
Cut.
Lockheart: Enough!
Cut.
Lockheart: Haha, Pierce Pierce Pierce. Just when I thought that we were starting to come together, he's gotta go and throw his version of the truth into the mix. What an ego. I will admit, he kinda pissed me off in the moment. I wanted to remind him about the last person he lost a title to... but right now we don't need to focus on anything but Outlast.
Cut to the meeting, which is in the midst of a few moments of awkward silence.
Lockheart: I don’t really care if you guys want to gel or not. I know what the three of you really want, you want to make it to the finals, just like I do, and the way I see it there’s only one way to go about this to get that done. So I don’t want to hear any more shit come out of anyone’s mouth bad-mouthing one another. Like it or not, for one night we are a team, an Outlast team, and our goal is to outlast everybody else. Right Pierce?
Cut.
Cut.
Lockheart: Kenzi was right. All of the things between us, all of the wedges that would drive us apart… they don’t matter. Most of that are things in the past, some even in the distant past, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let that drag us down. Each of you on this team has something to prove, so I suggest that the four of us really look around this room and be thankful that the draft worked out so well for us. Kenzi, you’ve been on a role since that loss. I have no doubt in my mind that your focus is on this team right now, plus your knowledge of half of the other team gives us an advantage. Travis, you do have the experience to know how to get to the finals, something that the rest of us can learn from you. And Dave, you’ve proven lately that you are not only back in the game, but your heart is in the right place, too. I don’t really give a damn if you all want to be a team, but what I ask is that you understand that for right now, each other is the best chance you’ve got to make it to the finals; the best chance that you’ve got right now to become the UGWC World Heavyweight Champion.
Cut.
Pierce: Great speech, coach! I’m totally inspired. Plus, the piercing truth is this...this is a pretty solid team, even if it does have Dave Rydell on it, and we’re up against Angie and Chill. I taught Captain ‘80s basically everything he knows back in the Stars of Tomorrow days, but I didn’t teach him everything I know. Trust me, he’ll be blown up in a matter of minutes, and then the falcor goes into a nosedive. Blackwell has accomplished a hair above nothing around here, and I’ve taken down both Angie and Roxy single-handedly. Consider it pierced.
Cut.
Grey: I feel like we really connected in there! I’m not sold on Travis…but this is a chess game and for now we all have to rely on one another…until it’s not.
Cut.
Lockheart: Honestly, I feel like I got lucky, through the draft. I didn't win the number one pick, but regardless it all ended up working out for us in the end. It truly is all about timing, and if the four of us can see past our differences for one night, I think we've got something that should put the rest of the UGWC on notice. I respect Angelica Vaughn and the team that she constructed, but I'll admit that there should have been no way that Kenzi Grey, Travis Pierce, or Dave Rydell should have been on the board when it was my turn to pick. It's the right team for the right time, and each of them have the right motivation heading into Outlast. I like our team. I like our chances.
Cut.
Rydell: If we can all get on the same page, we stand a chance. I just hope Travis knows if he gets in my way, I will drop him like a bad habit.
Cut.
Pierce: Come with me now.
Travis winks to the camera as we fade out…
Cartwright: This is the true story of a group of Entertainment Professionals chosen for superiority who have had their lives taped to find out what happens when life gets…pierced…The Piercing Life.
A flashy logo is shown.
Cartwright: Previously, at the Outlast Draft.
Lockheart: I’ll go with Travis Pierce.
Vines: Maggie Lockheart selects Travis Pierce!
Cut to Travis in the confessional.
Pierce: Go with Travis Pierce, will you?
Pierce: That is right, my friends, Team Lockheart is going to the promised land. Come with me, come with Travis Pierce, and we shall indeed proceed to glory. Now you might be wondering, do I still have a grudge from that time that Maggie got to just Rydell her way to the Cross-Hemisphere Title, getting shot after shot until finally it was like, go ahead, just take it and go away? Funny you should ask. Know who else is on the team?
Cut back the our previously.
Lockheart: I’ll go with Dave Rydell.
Cut to Travis in the confessional.
Pierce: Careful, I wouldn’t want to go with him anywhere. He tends to fuck off now and again, who the hell knows what he does when he isn’t around, #spoileralert drugs.
Cut to footage of Travis Pierce, Maggie Lockheart, Kenzi Grey, and Dave Rydell all sitting around a table. For a few moments nobody speaks, and we cut back to the confessional.
Pierce: So Madame Captain wants a team meeting ahead of Outlast, makes sense, need to get these clowns all on the same page, so once we were all in Pittsburgh we had ourselves a little get-together.
Cut to Maggie Lockheart in the confessional.
Lockheart: It's always important in this industry that, you know, when you're going to team up with someone - especially someone you don't really know - that you meet up with them and at least make sure that they're on the same page. Now multiply that by three, and that's what I've got. I mean, it is my responsibility to make sure that the four of us are prepared going into Outlast. Can Kenzi Grey-Lacklan, Travis Pierce, and Dave Rydell co-exist? I guess I'm about to find out.
Cut to Kenzi Grey in the confessional.
Grey: I know the value of coming together as a team for Outlast. I experienced it first hand last year, so it’s good that Maggie brought us all together to solidify our bond and make us into an actual team. I’m just hoping that everyone else feels the same.
Cut to Dave Rydell in the confessional.
Rydell: I really hope this meeting isn’t long. I can’t stand a third of these people.
Cut back to the meeting, as Maggie Lockheart rises to her feet.
Lockheart: Alright guys, listen up. Each of you know me, you know who I am anyway. You just don't know why I drafted you. I don't expect each of you to like me, or respect me. For now anyway the four of us are a team and I am the team captain.
Cut briefly to Travis in his confessional, as he smiles to the camera and mockingly salutes.
Cut back to the meeting.
Lockheart: You know that I have been adamant about who I am and what I represent here in the UGWC. I've called myself the “Future” of the professional wrestling industry and pissed off a lot of people in the process. Some of you might even be in this room. The reason that I called you all here is to tell you why I drafted you. You see, to me, I think we have one of the best Outlast teams of all time.
Cut
Rydell: Maggie has a good head on her shoulders. Hopefully she can keep everyone in line for Outlast.
Cut.
Lockheart: I can tell already by the looks on your faces that some of you may not believe that yet. You probably think that I'm crazy, and you probably think that the Coalition will think that I'm crazy once the word of this gets out. And that's okay, as all of you can attest to, I've been called a lot worse in Unified Global Wrestling. So if they want to call me crazy for what I believe in, that's fine. But I want the three of you to know that I drafted you because I believe in you. When I look around this room, I see in us the potential future of the UGWC.
Cut.
Lockheart: I'm thinking to myself "Alright Maggie, what would a leader do in your position?" Hell, I'm not entirely sure what I did to qualify as a Captain, but I'm not about to watch my team go up in flames before we ever get the chance to fight together on Sunday. It's kind of strange, but I find myself focusing less and less on my own personal success - I'm just trying to figure out how to get as many members of my team through to the final as I possibly can. Can we pull off a clean sweep? I'm not sure. But I can't do it alone. I'm know that I'm going to need the absolute best out of everyone for our success.
Cut.
Lockheart: Kenzi Grey, Travis Pearce, Dave Rydell. Not a single one of you can look me in the eye right now and tell me that this room isn't filled with passion and desire. We're champions, both current and former, yes. But we're champions of heart. We conduct ourselves as champions, we fight as champions. Each of us knows that there isn't a single person in this room that would not be satisfied with not only beating Angelica Vaughn's team but making it on to the Outlast Finals in order to fight for, and win, UGWC's top prize. There's not a single one in this tournament who wouldn't fight to become UGWC World Heavyweight Champion, but I believe that I've surrounded myself with the people who want that future for themselves the most. And It's okay if they, the people outside of this room, don't believe us. It's not the Coalitions job to believe us. It's not for the folks backstage or those in the front office to believe us. However, it is our job to give them a reason to believe in us. It's our job to prove to them that we are what we say we are… The best goddamn team to ever enter the Outlast tournament.
Cut.
Pierce: I don’t know, 2011, Human Resources Department, that was a pretty damn good team.
Cut.
Lockheart: Because you know what I think? I think we had luck in the draft, luck in the draw, too. I think the other captains are going to feel foolish once they see just how many members of our team go on into that final, too. Because we've got the heart, we've got the skill, we've got the drive, and oh yeah, we've got something that everyone else in this tournament doesn't have… And that's each other. So before we get started, is there anything else that any of you would like to say before we discuss business here tonight?
Maggie sits down, and Kenzi cautiously looks around at her teammates. She appears apprehensive, but stands and rakes back her dark long braids.
Grey: Look, I know that some of you guys are looking at me and then you’re looking at Angie and you are wondering if you can trust me. I’m a #CoolKid and Angie is a #CoolKid. Heck! Roxy Cotton is on Angie’s team and she and I are a championship team in another company…but that is one thing…and this…this is another. I take what I do in the ring seriously and I want you all to know that is just what I intend to do when we are in that ring together. Those guys are my friends…but you are all my allies.
Cut.
Grey: I thought it was important for the members of my team to understand that I am REALLY on their side. This isn’t some #CoolKids conspiracy. I know that a few members of my team might be thinking that, so I hope I put their minds at ease. Angie Vaughn is my friend, but at Outlast, she is just another opponent, just like Roxy and just like the rest of that team.
Cut.
Grey: Travis, I know you are looking at me and you are wondering if I might somehow try to stab you in the back after the way you defeated Roxy and Angie to hold on to that Chaos Title of yours, but I assure you, that is the furthest thing from my mind. They had their chance and you were better on those two occasions. I know how tough they both are, so I tip my hat to you, Sir. Come Outlast, when that bell rings, I want you to know that you and I will have the same goal…to go out and win that match…to advance and earn a chance at the World Championship.
Cut.
Pierce: Stab me in the back? Not worried about it at all. You saw me take down your friends. You don’t want none of this. What you should be sitting there thinking, is that I know full well how to beat Angie and Roxy, and that puts all of us that much closer to the main event.
Cut.
Grey: Dave, you and I have fought each other on several occasions for bragging rights and for championships, but at Outlast you and I both have an unprecedented chance to reach for that brass ring. Maybe you think that I have been sat in your path to stop you from reaching your goal…but I assure you Dave, that isn’t the case. I told you that I admired your drive and your focus, and I didn’t lie. What is ironic is that I get to prove it to you when we step into the ring as partners at Outlast. I want you to know that I intend to be there for you in the hopes that I can get you the opportunity that you want…a chance at the World Title…one that I will also be gunning for. Even if my record in Outlast tournaments isn’t the greatest.
Cut.
Pierce: Not the greatest, no. But I mean, all things are relative, right? Dave is like oh for however many of these things there have been.
Cut back to the meeting, where Kenzi is wringing her hands as she struggles to address the captain.
Grey: Maggie, I told everyone when I came here that the only reason it had taken me so long to sign is because I wondered if I was really ready. Losing to you last year was a blow to me and my ego. Not because you weren’t good, but because I wasn’t good enough. That though plagued me and every time that Sarah brought up the idea that I go to UGWC, I reminded her of my performance and she told me that it was only a moment in time. When I finally bit the bullet and joined, I had a single focus to be much better than I was that night. I won a few matches and I hoped that it was enough to erase the memory of that loss…
Kenzi takes a deep breath.
Grey: When you picked me…I felt like a giant weight was lifted off my chest. I felt like maybe…just maybe I had finally put that chapter of my life behind me and I was able to move forward. If you could see where I was in 2017 and how far I had come in 2018, maybe I had actually managed to prove that I belonged here! So…thank you Maggie…thank you for that vote of confidence. It means a lot more than you could ever know.
Kenzi quietly takes a seat, as Dave is glaring at Travis. He stands and strokes his beard before speaking.
Rydell: For the last 15 years I have participated in numerous Outlast events. I haven’t made it to the main event of a single one.
Cut.
Pierce: No shit.
Cut.
Rydell: Maggie, oh Captain my Captain! We’ve squared off a few times. You are a fierce competitor who has what it takes to-
The footage is fast-forwarded for a few moments, with Dave moving quickly and his words being unintelligible.
Rydell: But understand that when push comes to shove, and that shot at the main event is on the line, I will ensure that if I have a chance to move on, I am taking it by any means necessary.”
Dave stops, then looks directly at Travis Pierce.
Rydell: What the hell is there to even say about you? Aside from you being one of the most *static* AMAZING, INSPIRING, DYNAMIC, BUBBLY, FANTASTIC DUDES *static* I’ve ever met in my life. Yes, you’ve got the skill set in the ring, but you are a *static* SOLID DUDE *static*. And I mean that in every sense of the term. We’ve been battling for years. The last time we met, you got the better of me. Trust me, the next time that happens, the result will be different. But for now, we have to team together. Believe me, I like it as much as you do. And by that I mean not at all.
Cut.
Rydell: I strayed away from the goal. I focused too much on Travis and not enough on why I’m even here.
Cut.
Rydell: Outlast is coming up. I thank you for picking me. I don’t know why you did; I’ve got the worst record of anyone at the event...but I am grateful. Let’s kick some ass.
Dave takes his seat as Travis is leaning on one elbow, his head resting against his hand as he stares at Rydell.
Pierce: Are you finished?
Travis sits back in his chair.
Pierce: Are you finished? Good.
Travis stands up as Rydell is glaring at him.
Pierce: Listen, this is all quite simple. You two…
He points at Kenzi and Maggie.
Pierce: Let’s face it, you guys were non-factors last year. You admit that, we’re not having an argument here. Dave over here has been the captain that went down with his ship, I mean, it’s practically an annual tradition.
Travis looks directly at Rydell.
Pierce: How many times have you been an Outlast captain?
Dave starts to open his mouth, but Travis cuts him off.
Pierce: No, it’s rhetorical. The piercing truth is that none of you know how to get the job done in this tournament. Me? I’ve been to the promised land, I’ve been in that main event. So all you guys have to do is follow my lead. I’ve got the whole cooperative thing on lock. I mean, Kenzi, let’s face it, the only reason you and Sarah are still Co-Op champs is because The Piercing Weapons haven’t reunited to challenge you, and you have been defending against hacks like Konrad Raab and Dave here.
Kenzi frowns and looks at Rydell, who stares at Travis and holds up his new title belt. Travis glances back and forth between them both.
Cut.
Cut.
Pierce: Wait...wait...he beat you?
Travis breaks out in hysterical laughter, falling back into his seat, and waves with his hand for somebody else to go ahead and talk while he continues to giggle.
Cut.
Grey: Travis thinks he’s SO funny with his comments about Dave beating me at Synergy for the Cooperative Titles. I hope that he realizes that no matter how funny he thinks it is, Dave and I are on his team and if he wants to win, he is going to have to rely on the both of us…at least until the finals…then, whatever happens, happens.
Cut.
Lockheart: Enough!
Cut.
Lockheart: Haha, Pierce Pierce Pierce. Just when I thought that we were starting to come together, he's gotta go and throw his version of the truth into the mix. What an ego. I will admit, he kinda pissed me off in the moment. I wanted to remind him about the last person he lost a title to... but right now we don't need to focus on anything but Outlast.
Cut to the meeting, which is in the midst of a few moments of awkward silence.
Lockheart: I don’t really care if you guys want to gel or not. I know what the three of you really want, you want to make it to the finals, just like I do, and the way I see it there’s only one way to go about this to get that done. So I don’t want to hear any more shit come out of anyone’s mouth bad-mouthing one another. Like it or not, for one night we are a team, an Outlast team, and our goal is to outlast everybody else. Right Pierce?
Cut.
Cut.
Lockheart: Kenzi was right. All of the things between us, all of the wedges that would drive us apart… they don’t matter. Most of that are things in the past, some even in the distant past, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let that drag us down. Each of you on this team has something to prove, so I suggest that the four of us really look around this room and be thankful that the draft worked out so well for us. Kenzi, you’ve been on a role since that loss. I have no doubt in my mind that your focus is on this team right now, plus your knowledge of half of the other team gives us an advantage. Travis, you do have the experience to know how to get to the finals, something that the rest of us can learn from you. And Dave, you’ve proven lately that you are not only back in the game, but your heart is in the right place, too. I don’t really give a damn if you all want to be a team, but what I ask is that you understand that for right now, each other is the best chance you’ve got to make it to the finals; the best chance that you’ve got right now to become the UGWC World Heavyweight Champion.
Cut.
Pierce: Great speech, coach! I’m totally inspired. Plus, the piercing truth is this...this is a pretty solid team, even if it does have Dave Rydell on it, and we’re up against Angie and Chill. I taught Captain ‘80s basically everything he knows back in the Stars of Tomorrow days, but I didn’t teach him everything I know. Trust me, he’ll be blown up in a matter of minutes, and then the falcor goes into a nosedive. Blackwell has accomplished a hair above nothing around here, and I’ve taken down both Angie and Roxy single-handedly. Consider it pierced.
Cut.
Grey: I feel like we really connected in there! I’m not sold on Travis…but this is a chess game and for now we all have to rely on one another…until it’s not.
Cut.
Lockheart: Honestly, I feel like I got lucky, through the draft. I didn't win the number one pick, but regardless it all ended up working out for us in the end. It truly is all about timing, and if the four of us can see past our differences for one night, I think we've got something that should put the rest of the UGWC on notice. I respect Angelica Vaughn and the team that she constructed, but I'll admit that there should have been no way that Kenzi Grey, Travis Pierce, or Dave Rydell should have been on the board when it was my turn to pick. It's the right team for the right time, and each of them have the right motivation heading into Outlast. I like our team. I like our chances.
Cut.
Rydell: If we can all get on the same page, we stand a chance. I just hope Travis knows if he gets in my way, I will drop him like a bad habit.
Cut.
Pierce: Come with me now.
Travis winks to the camera as we fade out…
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2013, '18, '23 
