Balance Sheet

[Billy]

****Sorry for the poor showing, the Corona is hitting the aviation industry in a very strange way. There are a large number of planes parked on the runways at work not moving. Our employees are getting unpaid leave, management is taking pay cuts and to be honest I'm stressed that the time will come that they won't want me to show up until this all blows over. I'm thankful for my EBWF family. Best of luck to Ben and thanks for reminding me to keep my head on straight and the good thoughts flowing!****

A rotating EBWF logo hung on screen for several moments as “Blinding Lights” played quietly in the background. The broken desk from the Warfare segment was in the foreground in a pile of pieces. Suddenly there was a loud honk and “Send in the Clowns” cut in. There was an extreme spike in the volume. Aiden stepped into frame with the clown wig on. The green screen artifacting was evident around the curly wig. He was wearing a brightly colored denim vest with the sleeves cut off and a pair of stone washed jeans. He pulled a bright red nose out of his vest pocket and shoved on his face. He pantomimed laughter while pointing at the desk but any noise was drowned out by the overbearing sounds of the music. Aiden slapped his thigh in mock laughter. The music stopped and Aiden honked the nose several times and then doubled over in laughter. He cackled. Aiden tapped under his eyes as if cleaning up tears as he sucked in a deep breath. He reached behind his back with his right hand and pulled out a lightbulb, holding it up beside his head. Suddenly it illuminated. Aiden tossed the lightbulb and pulled a yellow handkerchief from his breast pocket. It was trailed by several others of varying colors as Aiden used the corner to dab the invisible tears from under his eyes. When he was done his hand trailed down the stream of connected handkerchiefs to his pocket. He looked confused. He tugged and more came out. He pulled and pulled and pulled and they kept coming. Suddenly he stopped. He looked more confused. He tugged and they didn’t budge. He tugged again and still had no luck. He approached the camera and held the string out. A hand extended into frame and took hold. Aiden ran away from the camera and after a slight pause a pair of white boxers with hearts came out at the end of the handkerchiefs. Aiden put one hand over his butt and another in front of himself. He turned on his tiptoes with an exaggerated look of surprise.

Aiden English: Isn’t that just a pain in the rump!

Aiden doubled over in laughter again. His fake cackling faded into a slow chuckle as he stood back at attention. He pulled the wig from his head and tossed it aside. He pulled off the vest and flung it in the opposite direction. Aiden narrowed in on the camera. The desk and spinning logo faded from the screen leaving Aiden on a dark blue backdrop.

Aiden English: The time for clowning around is over and done with! Our match, no, our confrontation at Wrestlemania is serious business! And, it’s a long time coming. We’ve had out back and forth. Some of the fans might look at the balance sheet and say you and I are even. They see that you put me through a car window and then I returned the favor and put you through a desk! They see a tit for tat. They see some back and forth between champion and challenger... Those people, the ones that think we’re even, are DEAD WRONG! We’re not even from my point of view and I know that we aren’t from your point of view either! I know that you’re sitting somewhere stewing over what happened at Warfare! I know you can’t wait to climb in that ring and get some retribution! I know you’re looking for a comeuppance.

Aiden clenched his fist and held it up next to a smile.

Aiden English: We’re not so different, you and I. I know you want payback and I know what that feels like! I was backstage Monday pacing. I was on fire! I couldn’t wait to come down to that ring and put your ass through that table! I was downright pissed that you got the jump on me. And Chris, I can admit that you got the jump on me! Thankfully you were distracted and gloating. And oh man, I’m glad you couldn’t see how eager I was when I took my first few steps down that ramp. I damn near dropped the crutches and attacked you then and there. It was everything I could do to hold myself back from laying you out the moment I climbed into the ring. Fortunately for me, and the Universe, calmer heads prevailed. I played out my ruse. I let you think you had me beat and then I sprung the trap. It snapped closed around the lion’s paw and that’s when I got MY retribution. When you let your ego get the better of you and started counting those title reigns! Eleven. That’s when I gave the Universe the show that they came to see!

Aiden snapped his hands together like a bear trap and laughed.

Aiden English: You were so busy you didn’t see it come. Busy counting out your legacy. Telling the entire Universe that if you beat me at Wrestlemania you will be an eleven time EBWF World Heavyweight Champion! If you beat me you set another record, you push that bar a little further out, you revitalize the legend of the G.O.A.T. for a new generation. You beat me and Mister Millennium has another fifteen minutes of fame, two decades after his rise to prominence. Who could blame you for having your eyes on the prize?

A bright light hit Aiden square in the chest and he covered his eyes. It quickly dimmed.

Aiden English: Who could blame you for being blinded by the bright light of that possible spotlight? Who could blame you for the sleepless nights? Who could blame you for dedication to your career? Who could blame you for being so locked onto the goal that you miss the obstacle standing in your way? Who could blame you for overlooking the toughest battle in your legendary career? Because, Chris, I am the BIGGEST threat you’ve ever faced! I’m the toughest challenge you’ve ever come up against. Maybe you don’t see it yet but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Because pla, the EBWF Universe knows it. Mike Mizanin knows it. Tommy End knows it. And, you’re going to learn at Wrestlemania! I’m here in the Main Event for the second straight year for a damn reason and that reason is that I’m the best in the industry!

A noticeable jump cut put the EBWF World Title around Aiden’s waist. He looked down at it and then back to the camera.

Aiden English: You have a goal. I’m proud that you have a goal. But I have one too, Chris. My goal is lofty! My goal is legendary! You see, when we meet at Wrestlemania I’m going to put my name up there with the likes of Wes Ikeda and Shawn Michaels! I’m going to make a name for myself and I’m going to do it by cementing a legacy for myself as YET ANOTHER person to beat you at Wrestlemania! Another person to beat you for the EBWF Heavyweight title! Ten times! Ten times! TEN TIMES! You’ve lost the title and I’m sure countless more that you failed to capture it to begin with! But, stopping you from taking my title isn’t grand enough for the grandest stage! Humiliating you after you worked so hard to win the Royal Rumble isn’t going to make me a legend! No. I’m not just aiming to put an end to your hunt for number eleven! I don’t want to prove that the new generation is better than the last! Hell, I’m not even sure I’m concerned with putting on a good show. What I want is to cut a cancer out of the EBWF. I want to cure it of an ailment it’s had for the longest time! Chris, I want to end your career for what you did to me! That’s why at Mania, I’m going to do everything in my power to RETIRE you once and for all! To put a permanent pause to your time in this most painful profession and cure the company of the pestilence that is your putrescent presence!

Aiden unbuckled the title from his waist and held it up over his head.

Aiden English: I’ve experienced a return to form and at Wrestlemania I’m going to walk in the EBWF World Heavyweight Champion and walk out having proven that I’m, very simply put, the better man!

Aiden dropped the title onto his shoulder and nodded to the camera. He started to fade from view as the spinning EBWF logo came back to prominence. A splash screen advertising Wrestlemania came up for several seconds before the video ended.