We're in America, as is noticable by the accents of everyone walking past. They're all heading towards a large house, towering over everyone like a sinister castle of doom. All suited and booted, there seems to be some sort of formal occasion. We're in the passenger seat at the front of a car, until we turn to the side to see a brown-haired woman- professional, power-suit wearing, focused. Amy Taylor drives us to where we're going as we watch others walk towards the big castle.
EMERY LAYTON:
Oh God...proper big place, this.
And now we turn around. In the back passenger seat is Emery Layton and Adam Fenric, the tag team that shouldn't be a tag team. Adam is wearing a suit as he is so often seen wearing and even Em has at least made an attempt, wearing a black dress of some sort but also wearing the same red sneakers she is normally seen wearing and the black beanie, which she slowly removes.
EMERY LAYTON:
...reckon they'll have karaoke?
------
We find ourselves inside, following Em, Adam and Amy through a foyer. It's The manager extraordinaire turns on her heel and stops them both.
AMY TAYLOR:
Right. Stop there before we go any further. You're here to represent me. As the holders of the most titles out of all of my clients, you're here to represent Taylor Promotions. So before we go outside where everyone else will be, I expect you to represent us well. But don't let that deter you or hold you back. Be yourselves.
ADAM FENRIC:
Do you not feel this is perhaps a bad directive to give someone like Emery?
EMERY LAYTON:
What you tryna say?
ADAM FENRIC:
Your low level of self-awareness concerns me.
EMERY LAYTON:
Bollocks, man. I can be mature. They call me the the Big Cheese cos I'm so mature.
ADAM FENRIC:
No one calls you that, that's a ridiculous name.
EMERY LAYTON:
Not yet!
AMY TAYLOR:
Guys! This is important. Stood out those doors are promoters, millionaires, billionaires, people with real stroke. I want your faces on everything and the way we get there is by getting to know people. It's how you get by.
ADAM FENRIC:
Why are we supposed to deem this more important than strategising for our match with the Outliers?
EMERY LAYTON:
Fella, live a little!
AMY TAYLOR:
Exactly, but within reason. Now, I'm off to go and get to know a few of these promoters. You guys...
Amy slightly winces at the thought before she finishes her sentence, knowing what she's about to say.
AMY TAYLOR:
...go and mingle.
And off Amy goes, into the night. Em and Adam are left alone, with us. Emery looks to her side, noticing a big, black piano in the middle of the foyer. It's shiny. She looks to Adam, her eyes beaming.
ADAM FENRIC:
No.
EMERY LAYTON:
I have to.
ADAM FENRIC:
No! Now, here's my plan. As I find this evening unneccessary and pointless, I want to find a quiet spot where I can strategise for our match. I have notes right here.
He pulls out a flipbook.
EMERY LAYTON:
You carry notes?
ADAM FENRIC:
I always come prepared.
EMERY LAYTON:
Whatever. So I do...what, exactly?
ADAM FENRIC:
It doesn't matter to me what you do. Intoxicate yourself to your heart's content, just stay out of my way.
EMERY LAYTON:
That's what I wanna hear.
Adam breathes a sigh of relief. She's gone.
PLINK! PLONK! PLUNK!
ADAM FENRIC:
EMERY!
Emery runs away from the piano she's just assaulted, to the outside of the building.
------
Adam Fenric has found a small place to sit. He holds in his hand the flipbook and a pen.
"The definition of the word 'outlier' is defined as something differing from all members of a group. An outlier is quite simply something or someone refusing to comply with the norms of society. Myself and Emery reflect this sentiment. I find we do not comply to the norms of a regular tag team. I can stand her no more than she can stand me. We have been forced into this situation. But the Outliers are different. I find that for the first time since our formation, we are battling a team who are more adept to teaming with one another. They are more able to function as a unit. I am making the effort to try and plan for Emery's movements, but her recklessness is a reoccurring hinderance. The Outliers, I notice, display a fondness for Emery. Perhaps it is because they share this recklessness. They are hard to plan for. But they will have a weakness. Everybody does. As a technician, it is my duty to find it and trigger it somehow. I know Sawtooth Grin and HeWhoCorrupts (ghastly names) are highly skilled...but there will be something. I will find it. I always do. And once I've got it, we shall ascend through the Battalion tournament, as we are destined to do. We have conquered the XWA. I will not rest until we have conquered Union Battleground as well."
He rolls his eyes.
ADAM FENRIC:
Pardon me...
He looks up.
ADAM FENRIC:
Could you keep it down? I was expecting this would be a quiet space. Thank you.
We look over. There is a large man and a small, blonde woman, looking back at him with the frowniest frowns a face can possibly produce. Pushing back the covers of the bed they are occupying, the large man stands up, snarling. Adam looks him up and down, a dispondent, unimpressed glare as the man's hairy body looks back at him.
ADAM FENRIC:
If this is supposed to impress me, I'm afraid I won't be as easy as your friend over there...
------
Outside. The place is crowed with all sorts of people in suits, holding drinks, laughing, joking and rich-person chortling while lounge music plays. We close in on a particular table.
EMERY LAYTON:
...And then I'm all like 'yeah whatever, I been Trench War Champ for like six months now, I made this title what it is', know what I mean? Still getting people coming up tryna pick a fight. Reckon Dick gets that? Ah, he probably just gets abuse. Deserves it too. He's a nob. He's a dick! Ha! Rather wrestle my friends anyway these days. I'mma do that soon by the way! I got a match with Sawtooth and his guy soon. Gonna be pretty wild, but we'll give it all we got cos that's all you can do, man.
We back out. Emery is sat with a man at a table, who is face-deep in a plate of buffet food, eyes closed. She pinches a cocktail sausage from his plate.
EMERY LAYTON:
You won't mind...but it's a bit dodgy these days. Kinda treating this Battalions thing as a break from Trench Warring, I guess. I went to Seattle Pro with this thing, I might be going somewhere else with it soon. It's a tiring life. You ever hear the story about the girl who really wanted the red shoes and was, like, condemned to dance forever wearing 'em? Kinda feel like her right now. But, you keep fighting. You keep going cos you earn stuff, just like I wanna earn those Battalions titles. Don't matter to me if they're friends, when that bell rings, I wanna win, so I'm gonna. That's all I want, really. Keep Union going and keep winning what I can here, and if I gotta get through the Outliers to do it, that's how it's gotta be. Hope they feel the same, we'll have a cracker in that main event. Man...main eventing. Oh, Em you've come so far. They do karaoke here?
She hiccups. After this she laughs.
EMERY LAYTON:
Oh. I'm pissed. Not American-pissed, like, angry. I mean UK pissed, in that I'm drunk. I might...
Another, deeper hiccup.
EMERY LAYTON:
Oh God...oh no...I--
And suddenly she bounces forward, spewing all over the man, who sits up in shock. His eyes are glazed over, but he knows what's gone down. Music stops, people look around in horror. Em falls backwards into her chair, quickly falling out of it. Amy- sat with a rich man in a cowboy hat laughing heartily, looks out, watching, but before she can react--
LARGE MAN:
And you keep out of our fucking bedroom you goddamn perv!
Yes, Adam- followed closely by the large man from before now wearing a white gown- walks out for everyone to see.
ADAM FENRIC:
I don't think you understand why I was there.
LARGE MAN:
I don't give a fuck!
ADAM FENRIC:
I don't appreciate your use of profanity.
LARGE MAN:
Are you being SERIOUS right now?!
Amy's eyes couldn't be wider. And just when she thinks it couldn't get any worse...
EMERY LAYTON:
Oi Adam!
Amy turns. Em is now stood on the table, a bucket previously used for wine now sat on her head.
EMERY LAYTON:
What'd I tell ya? I am the BIG CHEESE!
-----
Back in the car. There is stony silence as Amy drives along. Emery, puke all down the front of her dress, rests her head against the window as she sits next to Adam. No one says a word. Well...until-
ADAM FENRIC:
Amy--
AMY TAYLOR:
Nope.
ADAM FENRIC:
But I feel I should exp--
AMY TAYLOR:
Don't. Just...don't.
EMERY LAYTON:
My head hurts.
Em puts her hand on Adam's thigh.
ADAM FENRIC:
Don't touch me.
EMERY LAYTON:
You're a doctor. Cure me.
ADAM FENRIC:
Amy, Emery is touching me.
EMERY LAYTON:
No I'm not!
ADAM FENRIC:
STOP touching me!
AMY TAYLOR:
Don't make me pull this fucking car over! I swear. Count of ten! ONE! TWO!--
And as they all bicker like a family coming back from a terrible day out at the seaside, we close the book on this chapter.
Post by The Outliers on Jul 18, 2017 22:50:59 GMT -5
JULY 11TH WARPED TOUR VIRGINIA BEACH, VA
A string of concerts has drawn The Outliers to the searing temperatures of the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area nearly two weeks prior to their scheduled L!GHTS OUT! headliner with Layton and Fenric. And today on the incorrigible duo's docket is the famed Vans Warped Tour. Known for bringing underground sound and skate culture to the forefront, it's spread over seven stages, and even offers extreme sports demonstrations; cementing this massive traveling show's position as one of the most popular summer festivals in the country. It's diluted itself over the years, but heat and commercialism aside, Hewhocorrupts and Grin were enjoying their experience.
Several hours of trudging around the grounds, and many overpriced brews later, it occurred to The Outliers that it's a lot easier to dance, rage, and get transported by the music when you don't have a maxed out bladder weighing you down. A pitstop was in order..
..The doors of two side-by-side units simultaneously swing open and the pair make their exits.
GRIN: AHHHHHH... Much better!
CORRUPTS: SUPER ripe.. it definitely smells like EVERY single fuckin' body at this event has stopped in over here..
GRIN: For real.. It's weird, all quiet and deserted..
CORRUPTS: We shoulda known when we strolled up and there wasn't a huge line. These commodes are hazardous.. let's get the fuck outta here.
Stopping dead in his tracks, Sawtooth's eyes widen as a light bulb goes off.
GRIN: ...You know how we thought it'd be sick to cut a UB promo at Warped Tour?
Cheeks puffed from holding his breath, Corrupts finally exhales big with a response.
CORRUPTS: RIGHT HERE?!
GRIN: I know, but look, if we wanna pick up the audio, this is about as quiet as it's gonna get; let's just set up behind these suckers, and knock it out right quick.
Without giving his partner a second to respond he latches onto the nearest poor bastard passerby and pulls him into the conversation.
GRIN: Hey homie! I know it smells like mule puke has been 'ruminating on asparagus out here, but we need to lay down like, two minutes of footage, can you follow us around back and help us out? ..TWO MINUTES!
The teenager was taken off guard and clearly had his reservations, but obliges when the more physically imposing Hewhocorrupts leans in and places a suggestive hand on the boys shoulder. When they reach the rear, Grin hands his phone over and the young concert go'er pulls his shirt up over his nose, and takes a few steps back. Focusing in, the shirtless team have their backs to a row of porta-johns; beyond that, a concourse of booths that create a punk rock flea market vibe.
Using his shirt as a bandana, Sawtooth ties it around his head, and throws up a shaka sign to green-light the confused volunteer.
GRIN: Almost to the peak of summer? AGAIN?! I'm the type of fella that makes it a point to live in the present, but the summer months have always been a time of deep reflection for me. And I truly believe, you’ll harvest the most reward by spending time reflecting on your experiences. I know In my own life, I have noticed that I did not necessarily learn from the experiences themselves.. but from reflecting on them. Over the last couple years --I can godamn guarantee-- self-reflection has been instrumental in our success.. And of course, I realize the word success means something different to everyone. I mean, how else do you monitor and evalute progress? How do ya know how far you've come with the goals you've set? What gets us from experience to understanding is reflection.
GRIN: Professionally speaking.. last year at this time, and almost to the day, The Outliers made their WARPED debut at Tokyo's Korakeun Hall against Mark Storm spooky fingers and Hiroyoshi Suzuki.. And we waxed'em in just over five minutes. Since then, one way or another, we've laid waste to every single team any promotion has put in front of us. We've only gotten stronger.
GRIN: The summer of '17 has been no different, and will prove to be just as pivotal. We're ready for the tall order ahead of us. Admittedly, I'm not as familiar with you Fenric, as I am Emery, but you seem like a solid hombre, and I know you're a high caliber fighter. All I got is respect. And I'll tell ya, I was pretty stoked when I found out you were a submission guy, a catch wrestler. I represent the violent art as well, and I'm really lookin' forward to the test. I've got a nagging feeling you and I are gonna hafta dig deep into our bag of tricks for this one.. In doing so, I think we're gonna bring the best out of each other.
CORRUPTS: We're impressed with your moxie and your skills no doubt, but from an outlier looking in.. you don't seem to have the best working relationship. An uneasy alliance hanging by a tenuous thread. Maybe it's unrequited love? Maybe the dance has lost it's step? Either way.. you're out of sync. You clash. Now, that may prove to be a weakness.. or become one of your greatest strengths. Will you find a way to overcome your differences and fight for the greater good? I'm not saying you're incapable of rising above, but you're definitely not what I'd call.. throwing up some air quotes.."Drift compatible."
CORRUPTS: I'm suddenly reminded of Pacific Rim. You seen it? It'll tap into your inner twelve year-old and give'em a jolt of pure, unadulterated, childish delight. It's retina-blasting Mecha-on-Kaiju action for anyone who loves monster movies, robots, or just wants to get their face rocked for two hours. It's a film about epic battles both physical and mental. It's an almost never-ending series of face-offs...much like the Battallion Tournament.
CORRUPTS: Still with me? Okay, well the pilots of these giant mechs--called Jaegers--are neurally linked in this kind of mind meld called "Drifting." When pilots drift, they undergo a process of "opening up" in which they quickly gain intimate knowledge of each other's memories and feelings.. flaws and secrets.. and have no choice but to accept them. The idea is that two damaged people can metaphorically "become one", with their figurative missing pieces connecting almost like a puzzle.
GRIN: You complete me.
CORRUPTS: Exactly! See, It’s impossible for one person to successfully pilot a Jaeger, because the load on the brain is too great. So, TWO pilots are needed to have their minds in sync. When a Jaeger goes into combat, two pilots’ minds are cyberpathically coordinated, working together to control the massive robots in order to defeat the Kaiju. That never happens without establishing a certain level of trust. It's like the emotional fusion that sometimes occurs between soldiers in the trenches. It's a difficult thing to achieve.. It's a gruelling process that often leaves you exhausted and beaten up. But it's crucial for developing into a great team. Trust us, we know.. 'cause we are that team. We're "Two of Hearts"--Stacy Q style.. We're all together in the same robot--and in life for that matter… Either we get along or we die. We stick together. We trust each other.. we're only complete when we work together. And when we work together.. we cross all boundaries.. there's nothing we can't do.
GRIN: Synergy, chemistry, cohesion.. whatever you want to call it.. we add up to something greater than the sum of our "robot" parts. Titans of friendship. 'Till the wheels fall off. With one-foot-in and one-foot-out, how far do you think you'll get?.. on the road of glass with one shoe.
CORRUPTS: Us? We're going all the way. Where we're going we won't need roads.. We have a Mr. Fusion power source like the Delorean in Back to the Future II. Give us a banana peel and an adult diaper and we'd figure out a way to climb Everest.
The promo commotion began to rouse curiosity and people began to descend on the scene.
CORRUPTS: Case in point.. I recently met a Navy Seal at a one hundred mile marathon in California. I was running the race as part of a six person relay team with some friends and he was running the entire race by himself. The run was unsupported so you had to bring your own supplies and all he had was a folding chair, a bottle of water and a bag of crackers.. and I just thought to myself, 'Who is this guy?!' Y'know? I've never seen anything like it. So during the race I kept my eye on him. At around mile seventy, he weighed probably around two-hundred and thirty pounds--a huge guy for an ultra runner--and he had broken all the small bones in both feet and had kidney damage. AND HE FINISHED THE RACE. So when it was all done, I Googled the guy. Turns out he has a fascinating life story and I decided to just cold call him and after talking with him for a few hours, I realized how much I could learn from a guy like this and what makes him tick. So, I kept in touch, hoping a little bit of what he had might rub off on me.
Throngs of sweaty attendee's from the free water station began to float over, and huddle around..
CORRUPTS: A few weeks go by, and I just needed to get off auto-pilot and mix up my routine, y'know, so he invited me out to California to train with him. First session he asks me, 'How many pull-ups can you do?' I didn't tell him, I just showed him. He said, 'Okay, great. Take thirty seconds and do it again.' At that point my arms were already gassed and felt like ramen noodles. I struggled to do half the amount of pull-ups. He said, 'One more time.' I'm like fuck, we're gonna be here awhile.. I was completely spent.. I had hit the proverbial wall, but I did as many as I possibly could.. he said, 'Alright, we're not leaving here until you do one hundred more..' We literally spent the rest of the day finishing those last one hundred pull-ups. One at a time. He proved to me right there.. he showed me.. we're all capable of so much more than we think we are. He would force me out of my comfort zone everyday until I established a new baseline. He'd say that when you're mind is telling you you're done.. you've really only used about forty percent of your potential. We all have that will and the ability to apply it to our daily lives. What one person can do another can do. I've been spiralling further out of my comfort zone ever since.
By this time all the drunken geezer punks and tattooed parents started making their way out of the shade and closer to the action; perked up, ranting and raving.
CORRUPTS: We've gone to great lengths to expand our threshold of pain. We plan on doing the same for you. Consider it a favor we intend on paying forward. After all, a bruise is a lesson.. and each lesson makes us better. Let's see what you're really made of.. deep down.. the ripe beneath the rind. One thing is certain though.. you've hit a wall in this tournament.. and it's us...
The situation was growing increasingly difficult for The Outliers to manage, close to complete riot mode, everyone within fifty feet had lost their minds. Feeding entirely off the crowd, Corrupts goes beast mode and takes to the porta-potty with short, controlled shoulder shots; rocking it back and forth. The masses respond with deafening cheers as it hits the ground, the blue sanitizer leaking everywhere. Realizing they've gone past the point of no return, they scale the prone portable pissing container, and command from on high.
CORRUPTS: Even though you won't see rockets, plasma cannons and particle accelerators, and you might think us some toy soldiers! This won't be some shallow rock-'em-sock-'em extended 3D episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers on good acid! Oh no.. you'll feel like death warmed over when we bring a megaton bomb of living hell down on your heads! It will be a colossal battle of apocalyptic proportions!
GRIN: A rampage that will leave the city in ashes! Mutually assured destruction! We're all MAD!
CORRUPTS: Epic thrills, chills, pointing down at the porta potty aka the "Turdis time machine"... and SPILLS!
GRIN: High drama, dire consequences and unimaginable rewards! Watch us topple our foes like this porta potty!
CORRUPTS: (Disaster)peace & L.O.V.E! Now that does sound good!
One can feel The Outliers passion and enthusiasm in every frame; the crowd gets swept away in it...
GRIN: CALLING ALL CREATURES OF THE NIGHT. DRESS UP. SHOW UP. AND WATCH THE MONSTER PARTY JUST BLOW UP!
CORRUPTS: KAIJU, WEREWOLVES, VAMPIRES, WITCHES... EVERY MONSTER AND ROBOT IS WELCOME!
GRIN: UNITE AND DESCEND WITH US ON DOWNTOWN NFK!
CORRUPTS: JULY 21ST! UNION BATTLEGROUND! L!GHTS OUT AT THE SCOPE!
TOGETHER: JOIN US!
Suddenly a pocket of security guards weave through the insanity and attempt to initiate a shutdown. The surrounding flock eventually scatter, and the two friends are taken into custody.
GRIN: CUFF ME BRO!!
It's only when the smoke clears, and the carnage dies down that it becomes evident. Occupied. During the entire ordeal. From inside, the door is kicked open, and from the scene runs an utterly horrified individual completely stained blue; gagging and dry-heaving all the way to the medic tent.
Last Edit: Jul 18, 2017 22:54:38 GMT -5 by The Outliers
