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Backstage, the stagehands worked vigorously as Warfare was just about to go live. The hussle was seen in everyone.. Everyone except for two men who just stood off to the side of the hallway. Both men held their hands in front of them, seemingly holding something, though nothing was there.
Heath Slater: ”Make sure it’s tuned perfectly..”
PJ Black: ”Bro.. I know how to tune an axe.”
Heath Slater: ”Do you? Strum it...”
PJ Black adjust the “object” that he was hold and held it as though he was about to play the guitar. Slater watched as Black gave the imaginary guitar a few strums. Slater shook his head.
Heath Slater: ”No no.. It still sounds out of tune.”
PJ Black: ”What are you talking about? It sounded perfect to me.”
Heath Slater: ”No.. There’s something... It doesn’t quite sound as.. Crisp.”
PJ Black: ”Dude.. Listen.”
Black gave the imaginary guitar a few more strums. Slater continued to shake his head.
Heath Slater: ”I’m telling you, it’s off.”
PJ Black: ”How? How can it be off?”
Heath Slater: ”It sounds like.. Honestly, it sounds like Lio Rush.”
Black’s eyes widened and he quickly cradled the imaginary guitar in his arms.
PJ Black: ”YOU TAKE THAT BACK!!”
Slater shrugged his shoulders.
Heath Slater: ”What can I say.. It sounds flatter than Lio Rush preaching about his two pride and joys.. Listen to it... You can’t tell me when you strum that guitar that you don’t hear Lio wailing on and on about Hardcore Holly and Bobby Lashley. There’s no pep.. No pazaz.. It’s like listening to a couple of whales mating.”
Black looked at him a little disgusted.
Heath Slater: ”NO!! I didn’t mean it like that. Of course I didn’t want you to picture Hardcore and Bobby as two mating whales!”
PJ Black: ”WELL I AM!!”
Heath Slater: ”Geez.. What I’m saying bro.. You need to get that guitar some new strings like Lio Rush needs some new lines. Just like it’s the same old tune with Rush, it’s going to be the same out of tune for that guitar.”
PJ Black: ”New strings.. You think?”
Heath Slater: ”Couldn’t hurt.. Like I said, Lio keeps talking up Lashley and Holly like they’re God’s gift to the masses, but neither of them.. Scratch that.. All three of them don’t even have one personality to share between them.”
Black released his hold on the fake instrument and shook his head.
PJ Black: ”I’ve been in the ring with Lashley. He’s might be over hyped, but Lio does speak some truths about him. Lashley is a beast..”
Heath Slater: ”Yea, but he’s teaming with a fossil, so it balances out..”
PJ Black: ”Age jokes?”
Heath Slater: ”What? They’re classic. Besides, it’s not like Hardcore will be able to hear anything that we’re saying. I think his hearing aid only has a five feet diameter. That’s why Lio is always within touching distance.”
PJ Black: ”Oh.. I thought they were.. Nevermind.”
Heath Slater: ”That’s why we need to seperate the tank from the tricycle. If Hardcore and Bobby are apart, the bond is broken. Lio Rush won’t be able to speak for both of them.. Nor will he be able to help both of them.”
Black nodded, seemingly ready to go along with Heath’s plan.
PJ Black: ”How do we separate them then?”
Heath Slater: ”The “key”.”
PJ Black: ”The key?”
Heath Slater: ”The “key”..”
Slater’s eyes widen as he gave Black a nod. Black shook his head in confusion.
PJ Black: ”What are you talking about? What key? How is a key going to split up Lashley and Hardcore?”
Heath Slater: ”No no no.. Not a key.. The “key”.”
PJ Black: ”Dude.. Usually I can understand you better than anyone, but what the hell are you talking about? You’re making no sense. Bobby Lashley and Hardcore Holly... They believe that they’re the best, and quite frankly, with the state that EBWF is in right now.. They might not be too far away from it. Hardcore is still the EBWF Breakout Champion. Granted the “fighting” champion hasn’t defended it around here.. But there seems to be a lot of that going on around here since I got injured.”
Heath Slater: ”What does championships have to do with anything?”
PJ Black: ”What does a key have to do with anything? At least I’m trying to understand what we’re up against. Hardcore’s the Breakout Champion. Lashley just had a shot at the EBWF Gateway Championship. You and I.. We haven’t had a shot at any championship since..”
Heath Slater: ”Whoa.. Whoa.. Whoa.. Hold up.. Are you forgetting something? I beat the EBWF World Champion. I’m due my shot any time I want it. Don’t forget that.. I will challenge The Miz, but right now.. Right now we have to find the “key”.”
As Heath turned the conversation back around, Black went back to being confused.
PJ Black: ”Listen to me.. There is no key in the world that will help with splitting up Hardcore Holly, Bobby Lashley, and Lio Rush.”
Now looking annoyed, Black shook his head. Slater reached forward and help up is imaginary guitar in Black’s face.
Heath Slater: ”The “key”.. The “noise”. I think I found it. And if we hit them with it, I think we can split them up and take control of the match. Take control of Rushmen.”
PJ Black: ”You found the key?”
Heath Slater: ”Yes!! I haven’t tested it, but I think it will work. I think that if we use the “key”, we’ll win.”
Black runs his hand through his hair in frustration.
Heath Slater: ”I just don’t know how I’m going to show you the “key”..”
PJ Black: ”Just strum it..”
Heath Slater: ”I can’t do that.”
PJ Black: ”Why not?”
Heath Slater: ”You can’t strum the “key”. It doesn’t factor over on the guitar.”
PJ Black: ”The drums?”
Heath Slater: ”No.. It’s a more, isolated sound. More controlled.”
Black shook his head.
Heath Slater: ”To us the “key” we need to used these...”
Slater turned around and set down his imaginary guitar. He then bent down and reached into his bag. After a few seconds, Slater turned back around and opened up both of his hands and revealed.. Nothing. Black however saw something and his eyes widened.
PJ Black: ”No...”
Heath Slater: ”Yes. I’ve been working on this for decades, and I think that I have finally found it. I found the...”
Slater closed his hands quickly and held the imaginary objects to his chest. He looked around at the hustling stagehands. Slater leaned towards Black and whispered.
Heath Slater: ”The Brown Note.”
Black jumped back and looked completely frightened.
PJ Black: ”WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING!! We can’t do that.. We can’t use.. The “key”! Are you crazy?”
Heath Slater: ”I know it’s drastic, but this could work. This could be the moment that everyone has been waiting for. The moment that everyone has dreamt about. We can finally get rid of The Rushmen. Don’t you understand what that means for us. Instant shot up the tag-team division rankings. We don’t have to listen to Lio Rush praising Hardcore and Lashley for accomplishments and skills that they don’t have. We can be heroes.”
PJ Black: ”No.. No.. We can’t.. We can’t use that. That’s fighting dirty.”
Heath Slater: ”Do you think if they had this knowledge, they wouldn’t use it on us?”
PJ Black: ”That’s not the point. This is dangerous. You know what happens when you use the “key”..”
Heath Slater: ”Yes, I know.. And I know that it could soil everything.. I know people might think that we’re the bad guys, but we’re doing this for a reason.”
PJ Black: ”What reason is that?”
Slater held out and opened his hands again. The imaginary objects in his hand caught Black’s eye.
Heath Slater: ”To rid EBWF of its waste.. To bring everyone joy after we evacuate two giant logs from this company..”
Slater’s face remained completely serious as he continued.
Heath Slater: ”We get to be heroes.”
PJ Black: ”There has to be another way. This is too risky.”
Heath Slater: ”Trust me, I’ve tried to think of other ways, but there’s nothing. Bobby Lashley and Hardcore Holly are barely holding it in. They’re ready to explode.. If we don’t act first, we could all be in for some muddy waters. If we’re going to do this.. Tonight is the night. Are you with me?”
Black looked down at Slater’s empty hands. He hesitated at first, but then reached forward and grabbed something out of Slater’s hands. Slater closed his hands with a smile. He looked at Black and watched as he stared at the imaginary object in his own hand. Slater smiled.
Heath Slater: ”Time to save the world.”
Black gave a nod before both men tucked whatever imaginary objects they held into their pockets. The reached out and both men grabbed their fake instruments and they walked off down the hallway, heading towards ringside.
