❝ 𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖈𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖓𝖆𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖊 . ❞
a showdown promo by 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐒𝐄𝐘 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐋.
❝ Let’s cut to the chase: we’re all a bunch of selfish bastards. End of. This notion of brand pride and wishing to elevate our respective shows is something that most of us, frankly, do not consider unless you are the sort of one-track, tepid fool who believes themselves to be the ‘face’ of one. However, even if one was to possess a genuine desire of assisting their brand, one weekend alone isn’t going to steer the perception immediately. It’s naive. You want to be the face? The leader? The ace? Then you’re going to have to carry onward with that energy. Consistency in being a top performer is what’s going to propel you towards that next level, and when it comes to me, I see Territorial Invasion as not only a grand opportunity given how iconic of a match Brand Warfare is, but how that can be the stepping stone I need to elevate myself and get back to where I need to be after Pain for Pride and Midsummer Massacre didn’t pan out as I envisioned.
I’ll be honest—I did talk shit. Made many grand claims and promises; came out swinging with the declaration that I was by far the biggest threat in that battle royale. However, my own hubris clouded me and though I went far as was expected, I didn’t win. My own beloved gave me a receipt that was seemingly due since Grand Rampage, and I only ended up disappointing him when I didn’t show up as the killer he knew me to be just a month ago. I will never respect the likes of Vincent Mondrian and Ryan Wilson Joseph, but the fact of the matter is that they got to earn a worthwhile win at my expense, and that propelled them to be next-up to challenge La Pharmacia when that could’ve been me and Damien—and in turn, I could’ve been on the cusp of claiming my second Unified Tag Team Championship. However, I am not the type to weep and pine over what could’ve been. It’s a useless endeavor. I have spent the younger parts of my career envying the success of others. Now? While it does leave a bitter taste in my mouth, I am all the more determined to sink my teeth into the flesh of the competition and rip it apart so I can make my own way here in EAW. The self-pitying prattle shall not come from me. Besides, the season is still young. There is enough time for me to string together wins that people cannot ignore, and would you look at that? One of them happens to be right before my feet. It’s just funny, though. We are on the cusp of transitioning from summer to fall, where the tips of leaves speckle into browns and the sun is beginning to set sooner, but this match isn’t just for mere bragging rights or claiming momentum: it’s bringing along with it several seasons from my past right back to the forefront.
I believe I have talked about it a good few times already, but both ARIA and Daryl Kinkade have been both notable people attached to different eras of me. For ARIA, she was there when I was aligned with the Disney Besties and Devolution; for Daryl, we’ve crossed paths many times in Voltage, be it as foes or… friends, even. And that continues to be a complicated little connection between him and I, but that is neither here nor there. Frankly, I don’t care to spit any venom at these two. That doesn’t mean I aim to play nice because who the hell would I be if I did that?
It’s just that, again, I am focused on me. It’s interesting that I am competing against two people who may know me well the most from an in-ring standpoint, but I won’t allow for our history to blindside me. At the end of the day, I am set on my goal. I am looking towards two fellow former champions and looking to use their spines to forge the steps that will take me to where I want to be. But most importantly? I am using this match as a definitive message that Halsey Neel is not slipping back to her old, miserable ways. The past summer may not have been kind to me, but that does not mean everything has ended in terms of my potential. It’s all about turning over a new leaf, and I might as well do that now.Kind of like how you have, ARIA. You sure have been on a roll as of late, haven’t you? You got revenge against the now-imploded duo of Cosmo Goldsworthy and Diamond Dixon at Pain for Pride, and while you lost at Bloodsport, you got to compete for the Universal Women’s Championship alongside Ashlynn and Candice (ha, there are those memories again) and gave quite a fight. The universe rumbles of you becoming a champion once again; that this can be the season where ARIA gets to stand before gold, and who can blame them? Dear old Raven has been doing everything in her power to forge a team of women ready to fight to the death, and winning Brand Warfare could be just that final little nugget you need to catapult yourself back into title contention. The same can be said for your sweet new friends as they will be in the match with you. It’s almost like a fairytale—but, neither you nor a certain former princess seem to care for that sort of thing anymore. No. True to your name you are now, and she is all about shattering reality. You have reinvented yourself with a vivid determination while not trying to be that overtly-annoying ‘save the world!!!’ twat you were in your heyday. There are still some… annoying aspects to you, but we have Territorial Invasion to truly delve into that.
At the very least, I can commend you for your recent efforts, as through victory or defeat, there is a new air surrounding your name. However, as someone who is looking to capture some of that for myself, I’m afraid that won’t last for much longer. I don’t care to go into an endless debate about our separate convictions, how we handle things, how we handled things, and things of that sort, because at the end of the day, we found our respective successes by sticking to what was authentic to us. And I know, perhaps it is hypocritical of me, because back when Devolution was making its mark across Showdown, you and the others were one of our fiercest critics. We certainly didn’t mince any words with one another. However, I meant when I said that I don’t care to get mean and nasty with you, at least for the time being. There’s no point. I am not in the camp of waging war against morality. I only care about becoming the singular biggest threat on my brand, and I’m looking to be a selfish little cunt. I want to win, I want to be the best, and there is no need for me to overexplain or complicate that. You may have things you do not like about me still, and that’s fair. You and I will never reach that true level of cordiality. Yet, the one thing that we do share is that we will do whatever it takes and fight hard if it means it can service our ambitions, and for that, maybe I do hold some modicum of respect to you. But, that’s all you’re getting from me. At the end of the day, I aim to slay the likes of you and Daryl and move onward towards a weekend that could be the most transformative one of my career yet.
As for you, Daryl, we surely will never part away from each other. We’re intertwined by the red string of fate, and it does make me chuckle how over the years we’ve found ourselves in the same ring. Of course, I made it known how you barely got by at Reasonable Doubt and that if I was just a hair quicker, the National Elite championship would’ve been mine to take. You might roll your eyes, make the usual sarcastic quip about me wishing to get a crumb for that or whatever, but it simply cannot be denied, Daryl. Your first true singles championship run would’ve come to an end right then and there, but I do not bring it up just to illustrate how luck was on your side. I bring it up so that you can remember how much I’ve been breathing down your neck. Now, here we are again, and this time, I’m right in front of you. I’m ready to go. I am looking to take you where you do not wish to go and make it hard for you to breathe in the first place. Besides, with the recent mishaps on Dynasty on top of your little issues with Chris Elite, it does make me wonder: are you truly prepared for this match, lad? Like, is your head on the right shoulders? Much like ARIA you have your own set of strong convictions, but I can’t help but wonder about the little bits of anxiety swarming in your stomach. In two weeks, you will have to force a smile and keep yourself together long enough in the hopes that you can gel well with your firecracker of teammates. And look, I get it: we all have had to work alongside people we don’t care for, yeah? It’s nothing new. However, the talk of the town is that not everything is all peaches and cream on the red brand. Couple that with how Chris Elite could be on the cusp of his second Interwire title and that opportunity came at your expense, and…
Well. Don’t think I need to elaborate much further, do I?
Oh, sure–you’ll posture and grandstand; claim how you won’t allow for personal feelings to interfere with business, things of that note. Team chemistry isn’t the end all, be all, and I can agree with that. However, there’s enough combustible elements to not make things comfortable, and with whatever state of mind you’ll be in for this match on Showdown, will you truly give it your all? Or will you be too distracted by any nagging concerns brewing beneath that all-too-prideful exterior you love to serve up to us? I guess we’ll know soon enough.
When it comes to me? There are no guesses needed. I’ve shown I will work with someone if it can advance my goals, but this week, I aim to show off my individual strength, and it’s not really a means of impressing my teammates as it is solidifying that when it comes to Brand Warfare, no one should dare to forget about me. I’ve been through many wars myself and have weathered countless storms. I may have been caught up in the last few, but… I’m still standing, am I not? I’ve survived them. Now, I dust off the leaves off my shoulders and become a force of nature in my own right as I get closer to the battlefield. ❜❜
