EXT. PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY – JUST OUTSIDE THE FIRESTONE FIELDHOUSE – NIGHT.

The executive management of the Liberty Wrestling Federation stand outside the Firestone Fieldhouse on the campus of Pepperdine University – Shawn Twilight and Jeffery Drake.  They stare up at the venue, which is covered with various posters and signage for Pepperdine Athletic events.  Hidden between them is a small Liberty Wrestling poster advertising the return of the third incarnation of the federation in one week.  Its quality is poor and looks like it was made in MS Paint. Shawn has a digital camcorder with him, surveying the scene.

Shawn Twilight:  So apparently we may need to do a little restructuring in our advance crew as far as promotions go.

Drake walks through the doors and hands two tickets to a student, who rips them into two pieces and welcomes them inside.

Shawn Twilight:  This place sure does bring back the memories doesn’t it?

Drake is still non-responsive – the two wade through a small crowd of people in the corridors away from the event floor. 

Shawn Twilight:  Oh come on – they are good memories for the most part.  I beat down Ice like eight years ago with a t-bone right down there.  You broke Styx with a Fisherman’s a couple Falls back – good times my friend – try to smile!

Still nothing from Jeffery as they enter the arena itself and take a seat high above the student sections on the floor.  There’s a highly anticipated women’s post-season volleyball match-up about to start.  The two executives could care less.

Shawn Twilight:  What is it?  Are you nervous?  Running a federation isn’t that bad at all – you just make all the easy decisions and force the tough ones on Timberland and Ransom.  Hell, Joel Cronus does nothing but pour coffee backstage when he’s not making the introductions.  It’s like a cruise ship.

Drake opens a portfolio he had been carrying.  Inside are small blueprints of the arena with notes and pictures over them with various ideas of the setup for Friday Night Fiction.

Shawn Twilight:  You scared about the roster size?  Those promised, those already signed – they’re quality talent and when things pick up your worse problem is going to be how to get everyone some camera time.  That’s how it was last time – everyone loved it – well almost everyone.

Drake starts holding up some of the photos and comparing them to the actual spots in the arena.  A loud cry from the Pepperdine student section erupts, but doesn’t faze either man.  Twilight takes some shots of upper-scaffolding of the arena with his digital camcorder.

Shawn Twilight:  Dude.  Seriously.  This is getting old.

Jeffery Drake:  I’m a wrestler, right?

Shawn Twilight:  Well – yeah.

Jeffery Drake:  I spent most of my life preparing to be one.

Shawn Twilight:  As did I, and just about all of those you face did too.

Jeffery Drake:  I’m different.  I’m Jeffery Drake.

Shawn Twilight:  That line probably isn’t going to work on me.

Drake is in a sort of daze as he takes, not really listening to Twilight.

Jeffery Drake:  I’ve been through more than any of them.  Breaking through as a rookie.  Scoreboard crucifixions.  Death of a mentor.  Death of my opponents.  Championships and praise.  Corporate red tape.  Politics, in and out.  Escapes from the Fall.  More and more, my walls are so decorated that I had to add a public restroom to the title wing of my estate because the walk was just too long.

Shawn Twilight:  Is this about you losing that match to Ryan Ford?

Drake whips his head over to Twilight for the first time acknowledging his presence.

Jeffery Drake:  I didn’t lose that fucking match. 

Shawn Twilight:  Fine.  Sorry.

Shawn removes his attention from Drake and starts shooting more of the Fieldhouse surroundings.  Drake goes back to the portfolio.  After a few moment he breaks into another small rant.

Jeffery Drake:  When did it get to the point where everyone stopped ignoring talent and started to try and re-write history?  I came back – I did a favor.  I stirred the pot and I ruffled all the right feathers – and they still try and tear me down because they don’t like the way the song was written five years ago?

Shawn Twilight:  So what?  You could have won that match – how do you let a hundred pound soaking wet anorexic chick flip a fisherman’s on you?

Jeffery Drake:  That’s not what did it.  Everyone is turning against me.  People are rejecting my applications for a spot on their roster before I even send them.  They want something new, they say.  That’s bullshit – you don’t turn away the best thing that could ever happen to you.

Shawn Twilight:  Well then at least get over it and move on.  People don’t like our family, not exactly a news flash.  Think forward.  The Liberty Wrestling federation is back – sooner and sooner everyday – enjoy the position, enjoy the positive cash flow.  Look at that roster – they can fill seats – you can get along with them.

Drake leafs through some of the photo profiles he has in the portfolio.  Twilight reasserts his point.

Shawn Twilight:  You CAN get along with them right?  You’ve worked with them before, you’ve sided with them before.  Vicious was going to be a tag partner – Stryker was an honorary Charm – the Seldons think you think they’re sexy.

Drake shuts the portfolio and stares out upon the game.

Jeffery Drake:  I hate them.  I fucking hate every last one of them.

Shawn Twilight:  Well try to work on that now – you’re a suit.

Jeffery Drake:  No.  I’m still a wrestler.  I’ll always be one.

The Waves score and the crowd erupts again.  Twilight closes up his camcorder.