You Weak.
FADEIN: A crudely constructed "ghetto" set. We are not yet set to "roll tape", and yet ...
Sensing the unfolding tension playing out before him, the cameraman, unprompted, begins recording early -- capturing the interplay. One is animated and angry, the other is detatched yet amused. The first has his voiced raised in frustration, the second remains silent, smug.
CASSIDY: --not a joke, Tre! This is serious and you KNOW it! You hired me to act as your business representative over a year ago. You hounded me, harassed me, BERATED me until I finally and against my better judgment AGREED to help you build a REAL career! I got you a try-out with Empire Pro and successfully negotiated your extension--
Tre snapped his shades off.
ICE TRE: Like me and my natural 'bility had NOTHIN' to do wit that?!?
CASSIDY: I got you on-board Team EPW for the Dupree Memorial--
ICE TRE: --they WANTED me, homie!
Cass shook his head, running a hand through his thinning hair.
CASSIDY: I secured you a one-shot appearance for PRIME in the Dual Halo match--
ICE TRE: Oh yeah, that...
Stewart nodded his head, brow tight with exhaustion.
CASSIDY: Yes, That. It was in the contract, Tre; You were obligated to cut ONE PROMO. Just ONE to promote the match!
ICE TRE: I been BUSY, G!
CASSIDY: --you skipped out on the shoot and now? Now I don't even know if they'll let you in the match!
Tre brushed it off.
ICE TRE: S'all good.
CASSIDY: You could be SUED, Tre! ... And now I hear you VOLUNTEERED yourself for TEAM's '08 Invitational?
Tre bristled, re-applying his shades.
ICE TRE: I got an Invitation.
CASSIDY: And I DECLINED IT, on YOUR behalf.
Tre rose from the turned-over trashcan he'd been seated on. Attempting to intimidate Cassidy, Tre squared his bony shoulders.
ICE TRE: And I flipped the script. Called 'em up and told 'em I'd BE there. Sign a brother up.
CASSIDY: And now you've taken it upon yourself to challenge STALKER to a CAGE MATCH? Tre, I had you lined up for a slot in that 4-way match for the EPW TV belt at Black Dawn. You threw that away when you interrupted that psycho's mic-time at Aggression!
ICE TRE: The TV belt ain't NOTHIN'! Who wants to be the Champion of Televisionz? Nah, that ain't me. I live hard and I bring the streetz. I'm the K'ang of the Cage, Stalker is just a Talker. Them'z be the factz, yo. Here's one MO' fact; I don't NEED you, Cassanova.
The uncomfortable silence was brief and passed without incident. Cass took a moment, stepping away in thought, before turning back to his client, his hands thrust in his pants pockets.
CASSIDY: I realize, Tre, that you and I haven't had the best relationship since I--
ICE TRE: Since you stepped up in my bid'niss, started diggin' in my past! Sh_t be buried for a reason, Cassanova. You don't wanna know about me. You don't wanna know where I'm from. Where I been an' what I seen. You making decisions everyday that have a DIRECTIFIABLE IMPACT on my bank account, ya dig? You wanna SPEAK for me? I need to TRUST you.
Cassidy clenched his fists.
CASSIDY: For me to trust you, Tre ... I need to know you, and I need to know everything.
Tre takes a step back, startled.
ICE TRE: Don't try goin' all "Broke Back" on a player!
Cass sighed, glancing at the camera-crew at the ready, suddenly self-conscious.
CASSIDY: Listen; we'll discuss this later. Cut this promo. I don't need ANOTHER potential lawsuit on our hands.
Tre settled back on the turned-over trashcan, shades back on and facing the camera.
ICE TRE: Step off, fool. I'll holla when I holla.
Cassidy just nodded his head, finally spotting the red-light blazing on the camera and stepping out of the shot.
- ---- -- ---- - ---- --------- ---- - ---- -- ---- -
ICE TRE: Microphone check. Check, One. Ungghn. Two, Check.
Wearing his hip, fresh, new "It's Good To Be K'ang!" t-shirt and sagging khakis, Ice Tre chose to ride light on this day. He wore just a single chain, a single, obscenely large pendant/medallion:
A crown with the letters 'T R E' written in genuine (wink, wink) diamonds.
ICE TRE: You one crazy sum'*****, Stalker. I ain't gon' play. You just get so ... so HYPE! So out of control! It's ... it's CRAZY! You a special case, Stalker. You unique in this bid'niss. You a CONSTANT, Stalker.
The camera slowly zoomed to his face, Tre adjusted his thick sunglasses as he spoke.
ICE TRE: Every few weeks, you do something ... "crazy" ... and err'body acts like you've never been crazier... like NOW you've been pushed over the edge, past da point of no return. NOW you've snapped. But, see ... I grew up around this bid'niss, and I know your story. I seen your up's and down's in SCW. I think I remember you being unmemorable in TCW. And didn't you run some two-bit, low-rent promotion that no one admits to being associated with? You a OPEN BOOK, Jay. You have never changed. You been bragging 'bout those same scars, it seems, since the day you stepped into the ring. You been swinging stop signs, trash cans, box cutters and dildos since the dawn of time!
Tre pops what little collar his NEW t-shirt has with a flourish.
ICE TRE: Some people grow as performers, some evolve an' sh_t. Not you though, eh? You DIFFERENT. To a fault. You ain't changed for NOTHIN'. And it hasn't got you anywhere. You say you're the top draw in EPW? Come ON, now. You crazy, but you can't be THAT crazy! Even YOU gotta realize the way you've managed to stick around this long with what little charisma and in-ring SWAGGER you bringin'. The ONLY reason you ever drew a dime is because of who was opposite yo' name on da marquee. PERIOD. You been "crazy" enough, all along, to attach yourself wit' who you think you gotta. To BEEF wit' the top peoples ... to TEAM UP wit' the right peoples. You don't know how to take it to the next level, not on yo' own. You never figured out how to stake your OWN claim. Make your OWN path. Set yourself apart without forcing yourself down everyone's throat. Without being a pest. Cock roaches get STEPPED on, G. You was homeless, right? Then act like ya know.
Panning back, we see that this isn't a "ghetto" set at all, but an actual, honest-to-goodness alleyway. Tre stands, hands "stacking" away.
ICE TRE: You say you coming for my crown. Lookin' to collect on a Bounty. Lookin' to finish a job that the EPW World Champion, 'Triple X' Sean Stevens, was NOT MAN ENOUGH to FINISH! Playin' the role of his little lapdog, his little *****!
Tre does a (weak) dual Triple X/Stalker impression.
ICE TRE: "Go get me my crown, Stalker!" Ok! "Take out the only man in this promotion that can BEAT me!" Ok! "Wipe my sh_tty ass!" You got it!
Chuckling, Tre absently plays with his crown-medallion.
ICE TRE: You just don't see that, as usual, you just a pawn. A place holder. You tell me I'm stepping into YOUR world. And I'll tell you I BEEN there. Homie braggin' bout being HOMELESS? Who HASN'T been homeless at LEAST twice in they life?!? This is AMERICA, son!
It's the economy, stupid!
ICE TRE: I'm the UNDISPUTIATED KING of the STEEL CAGE MATCH. In Empre Pro and across the world. Internationally known, locally respected -- Ice Tre; the Pimp. Only ONE of us was ranked in the FW Top 20. Only ONE of us is certified ROYALTY. Only ONE of us can lay ANY claim to that Number One Contender Spot. Only ONE, Stalker, can stroll outta Black Dawn with the crown. I, personally-speaking, think it's gon' be me. You probably have a different opinion. You probably have all kinds of "sadistic and insane" things in mind for me. I'm telling you to bring what you got. I'm telling you to BE YOU. I'mma be me. SELF-MADE.
Tre smirks.
ICE TRE: Not like YOU, right? You say you're the product of the fans? Of society? Man, you may be HARD on the outside ... but you SOFT than a maw'fugga on the INSIDE, ain't you? The kids tease you in school? Waaaaa. Picked last in gym class? Waaaaa. Mommy and Daddy didn't love you? They hit you? They touch you? Waaaaa. Poor, Crazy, Homeless, Underacheiver, Stalker. A REAL man, a REAL product of the Streetz adapts to EVERY situMAYtion. A REAL soldier GETS HIS when a fool gets over on him. A REAL player flosses on ERR'BODY and AYY'BODY that STEPS to 'em. You WEAK, Stalker. WEAK where it counts. You blame err'body else fo' YO' problems, YO' short-comings, YO' flaws. Not Ice Tre. Always REAL. Always on the TRUE and FACTUAL tip. Maybe that anger you reppin' come from that insecurity you had when you was a kid, yo. Move on from that, G. Own it and GROW.
The smirk smears across his face.
ICE TRE: Dr. Phil is my *****, son.
Tre begins to walk down the alley, the camera trailing behind him.
ICE TRE: And I wanna respond to one of your childhood resentment-fueled comments about Ice Tre, quote, "smoking crack". *****, please. Goes to show just how much you know about street life. I may've SLANGED some rock in my dizz-ay ... but Rule Number One, Reeves. Never Use Yo' Product. If I'm in the hustle, I'm grindin' to clock my grip, ya heard me? I ain't gettin' cloudy on a sunny day, nah'mean? Maybe you'z just PROJECTIFYIN' yo'self on ME an' sh_t. Never me, G. I ain't weak.
Tre stops just where the alley meets the street, turning one last time to the camera.
ICE TRE: I ain't you. And, oh yeah .... no deal.
Snap. FADEOUT, again.