Brett Angel: Don't Believe Everything You Read

by **krzy** Tue May 09, 2017 9:38 pm

The crowd comes to life as Brett Angel’s theme blasts through the speakers. They hoot and they holler and they cheer and they chant--to put it simply they’re a little happy to see Angel in the flesh.

He casually strolls out with his hands buried in the pockets of his jacket, his expression impossible to read. But he must have a lot to say between the bombshells dropped and his absence from in-ring competition the week prior.

As his music fades he just stands there on the stage, spotlight on him as the crowd continues buzzing in anticipation. He stands there to build the suspense. He stands there to collect his thoughts. He stands there because moments like these never get old for him--it’s what keeps him coming back.

A minute passes before he finally pulls off his glasses with one hand and pulls a microphone out of his pocket with the other.

Everyone knows what comes next. Thousands of voices gather to repeat his next words along with him.

I am The Outcast, Brett Angel, who was left to rot just miles outside of the place I called home, now traveling alone during the blackest of nights.

They cheer loudly, brought to good spirits in an instant. But Angel’s expression, now one of a man grappling with something deep inside, has them a little worried. Was he the monster he claimed to be fighting against all along?

So….

He lets that hang in the air for several painstakingly-long seconds.

It would seem I have some explaining to do, don’t I?

Again he stops. Again the crowd is left on the edges of their seats waiting to see how this all plays out. Angel clears his throat.

So let’s get to it.

Let’s address the elephant in the room.

Ever since that image was plastered all over your screens during the week, those who weren’t too shocked by the sight of it have demanded that I respond and defend myself. But I’m glad I took a few days to collect my thoughts, because in the moment I was furious...I was hurt. It bothered me that someone could stoop so low to raise themselves up.

Now that time has done what it can to close the wound, I can act. And these are actions not guided by emotion...because that’s when things get dangerous. Everything I say and do tonight are words and actions that I have thought through and agonized over--nuance that is lost on so many here.

Before I continue, for those who don’t know which image I’m talking about--look up.

Angel motions to the titantron, and when the picture does pop up for this sold-out crowd to see, they all gasp--even those who have seen it before are still hit hard.

How a man could be so morally bankrupt to bring this to life while ignoring the pleas of a once pure heart is almost painful to think about.

How a man could be so sensitive and pathetic to be spurred to bring this to life by the truth is as laughable as it is sad.

Angel is UnMatched.

That’s a Fact.

No matter where I am or what I do from here on out, UnMatched will be the show that I raised from nothing through my efforts and the blood that I spilled.

In my absence they’ve tried to replace me, but the void I left has it clinging to life support. As eons pass between UnMatched episodes as the powers that be trudge along and go through the motions, the enthusiasm wanes as life without Brett Angel becomes harder and harder to live.

Angel looks behind him at the picture

Meanwhile, life for Genesis has never been better--coincidence?

Everybody is swept up in the hurricane that is me and my actions. None of this was my intention. These aren’t dominoes I expected to fall when I took my stand against Dave Turner belittling somebody that he desperately needed and still needs.

And who knew that a nobody like me would already have such a big influence, huh Dave? As a matter of fact, just the other day Johnny Sampson had to take time out of his busy schedule to let Paul Divine know that he "isn't, and probably never will be," Brett Angel.

The boos are fierce at the mention of Sampson's name, and Angel chuckles in response.

I wasn't his biggest supporter when he was my boss either, but even a broken clock is right twice a day.
And sometimes even a perfectly functioning clock like Brett Angel can be off once or twice.

His voice lowers and his expression turns heavy.

You all saw the article, I'm sure. The damming piece of writing that would forever change the way you think about Brett Angel. It seems that this nobody is starting to become such a big deal that everybody is doing what they can to knock me down a peg.

I never thought this article would surface.

Not here.

Not now.

Not after all the work I put into getting this far...but there it was. Plastered on your screen for all the world to see and judge, now here I stand ready to offer my side of the story.

Again Angel motions toward the titantron. The crowd is buzzing, this is the moment they were waiting for. What possible explanation would he have?

When the headline appears, the situation only gets more intriguing.

ANGEL A NO-SHOW
AFTER EMERGENCE

And there we have it: the headline put out to slander me. Don't believe everything you read. How damaging do you think it would be to everything I've been fighting for to not show up to wrestle in a match I fought for weeks to get?

That's the same question I bet Dave Turner asked himself.

It's a theory he put to the test when I showed up ready to compete only to learn that there was nothing for me. No match. No opponent. Nothing. That isn't what I wanted. From day one I wanted to come out here and prove that I had plenty left in the tank. But after toeing the company line, and getting burned to the crisp for my naivete, I was going to start doing things my way.

I wasn't hiding after Emergence. I have nothing to be embarrassed of and not a damn thing to fear. Every man on this roster can bleed and be broken. Every one here can be beaten.

All right, Brett. Enough. Okay.

General Manager Dave Turner has an annoyed expression on his face. He's never had to deal with someone as stubborn and with as much clout as Angel, and you can see the gears turning in his head as he tries to figure out how to diffuse this situation.

This has all gone on long enough don't you think? Not everyone here is out to get you, Angel. But can you really be surprised that after the way you've been carrying on that some people may take exception or that you'd make an enemy or two?
Look Brett, it's getting tiring how you keep making mountains out of mole hills.

So Tim's life ending because you couldn't keep Frank in check was no big deal?

You know damn well that's not what I meant.

Did you also not mean to call me a nobody? That's such a relief to hear.

Brett, you're making it incredibly diffi--

Turner looks up at the titantron.

Hey, can somebody back there get this nonsense off my screen?

No, let's leave it up there so as a reminder of your latest attempt to hold me back.

Are you kidding me? Last week was nothing personal. But if everything keeps going the way they are, you're going to force my hand.

Is that so?

Yeah, it is, Brett. Do you know how incredibly damaging it is to this company, but more importantly the family of Tim and your wife to constantly have these accusations thrown around?
If this doesn't stop, I may have to keep you off of Coming Home altogether. I can't have someone undermining my authority every step of the way, and since you so gleefully brought up Sampson earlier, I'm going to take a page out of his book and put a stop to this once and for all.

Turner was on such a roll that he didn't even notice that Angel mentally checked out midway through that spiel.

But Angel didn't do it out of disrespect or defiance. There's something visually off about him. Something that Turner's only just now picking up on.

Brett?

Angel blinks several times as if it's taking him a while to remember where he is. When he snaps out of the daze, he gives Turner a look of such contempt and disdain that the GM has to take a step backward.

Don't talk about Rosemary.

Why, Brett? I don't enjoy doing it, but why is she off limits when nobody else gets to be for you?

Stop.

As a matter of fact, how could you ramble all this time and not address what Frank said? Why won't you answer the question we're all thinking?

In a flash, Angel has Turner by the front of his shirt and presses him against the minitron. Caught off guard at first, the former wrestler in Turner has quickly regained his composure and looks Angel dead in the eyes as if daring the ex-boxer to take his best shot.
After a few seconds of soul searching and the crowd begging him not to cross that line, Angel lowers his fist, lets go of Turner's shirt, fixes the shirt, pats Turner on the shoulder, then turns and walks off.