Taking the Mantle

[Cory]

Paul Heyman paced back and forth in front of Damian Priest's locker room, backstage at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX. Heyman looked visibly distressed. As if things couldn't get worse, Kayla Braxton walked up to him mic in head, and Heyman's eyes looked like they would roll out of the back of his head.

Paul Heyman: Kayla, I appreciate this fun little mini-feud you and I have going on, but I am really not in the mood for this right now, okay?

Kayla Braxton: Is something the matter, Paulie?

Paul sighed deeply, gritting his teeth as she called him Paulie.

Paul Heyman: You are the biggest pain in my tuchus...

Kayla Braxton: Be that as it may, you seemed to be distressed before I even got here. Any idea why?

Paul sighed and looked down at the ground, shaking his head. He finally looked up at Kayla.

Paul Heyman: You have no idea how difficult it is to be in my position. You just sit there and--

Paul balled his hand into a fist and restrained himself.

Paul Heyman: No. There is nothing wrong. I haven't the foggiest what you're talking about.

Kayla was clearly unconvinced.

Kayla Braxton: ...right. Have you spoken with Damian Priest since last week at Warfare?

Paul glared at Kayla.

Paul Heyman: You're a bad person. No, I haven't spoken with him. But I'm sure that everything is perfectly--

Heyman was unable to finish his sentence as the door swung open and Damian Priest walked into view. He towered over Paul, looking down at him with a less than amused expression on his face.

Damian Priest: You wanna do this right now, in front of the cameras? Really?

Paul pretended to look completely confused.

Paul Heyman: I...I don't know what you're talking about Damian! Is there some sort of--

Damian Priest looked over at Kayla and gestured for her to come over to his side. She did so quickly, holding the mic up to him.

Damian Priest: You know what? Now's the perfect time. What the hell was that, Paulie? Why was Bray Wyatt involved in my business?

Paul Heyman: I can't control what Bray Wyatt does! Have you seen him?! He's crazy! He's a few latke's short of a Hannukah dinner!

Damian Priest: Bullshit. Bullshit, and you know it. You got him involved in that. I had Edge. I didn't need nobody's help. I'm here, trying to prove something to this company. Prove something to myself.

He pounded his chest.

Damian Priest: I've been waiting to come to EBWF and show this planet what I'm about. I didn't need Bray to beat Pentagon, I didn't need Bray to beat Adam Cole, and I didn't need Bray to beat Edge. So when I go out there to beat the brakes off of Christian Cage, I certainly don't need him then either. Understand?

Paul Heyman: Certainly! As your manager and advocate it's my job to ensure that your experience in EBWF is exactly how you envisioned it, and I am going to--

Damian Priest: Paul? Just...promise me no more hijinx. Yeah?

Paul Heyman: Of course. Fair enough, Damian.

Damian Priest: Good. And as for you...

Damian looked down at Kayla.

Damian Priest: I guess you're looking to get a word on the tournament?

Kayla Braxton: Of course!

Damian Priest: It's pretty simple, Kayla. Despite Paul's best efforts, I still managed to impress a lot of people with my match against Edge last week. I haven't been beaten yet here. And you know who thinks he's gonna beat that streak? Christian Cage. The Jannetty to Edge's HBK.

Damian smirked as he looked at the camera.

Damian Priest: Cage, I respect the confidence. If you're not confident in yourself, get the hell outta EBWF. But bro, listen to me real good. Last week, I beat the guy that left you in the dust. I sent Edge back to his family to watch the tournament from his TV, so what do you think I'm going to do to you? You think you're on his level? Or Adam Cole's? You're not. And it sounds to me like you're confused about my business relationship with Paul Heyman, saying that he's feeding me fairy tales about winning the King of the Ring tournament. News flash, chump: Paul Heyman ain't my hype man. He's here to find the opportunities that I can't get on my own, like being entered into the King of the Ring tournament for my first match. Like being on the verge of getting a title shot for the EBWF World Championship. That's what he's here for. And despite a few slip ups...

Damian glared at Paul, who shrank.

Damian Priest: He's been doing his job perfectly. You see, I ain't like you, Christian. I don't need someone to walk around with me, stroking my ego, making me feel good about myself. You know how I get to feeling good? Wins. Big paychecks. Titles. So that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna stack you up right next to your ex-buddy Edge. I'm gonna lay you in the dirt in a line with all the other guys that I've bounced out of this tournament. But really, should my focus be on Christian Cage? Or should I be studying the guys I might face in the finals? What do you think, Paulie?

Damian took a step back with a smirk as Paul Heyman stepped in.

Paul Heyman: I'd love to help you with that, Damian. You see, Christian Cage is a talented wrestler, but it's not his time. Perhaps it never was. But the other side of the tournament bracket has two opponents that could absolutely walk away from this tournament with the win and the chance to become World Champion at Gateway to Glory in August. But I'd like to offer a different prediction. A spoiler, if you will. You see, I've known Brock Anderson since he was but a baby. The Dangerous Alliance had multiple dealings with Arn. So I know first hand the blood, sweat, and tears that Arn has poured into his boy, Brock. I know the stock he comes from. He is a first class wrestler, and a future champion to be sure. And boy, he does not lack for his Daddy's confidence either. As with anything, it all comes down to timing. Brock Anderson is in the right tournament at the wrong time. My client, Damian Priest, is the man to beat in the King of the Ring. Not Brock.

Heyman smirked.

Paul Heyman: But the real question mark... Trent. A man who has had a stunning level of success at the top of this business. A man who sometimes seems to have Randy Orton's number. Hmph, sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't try to recruit him, given my incredible lack of success in getting Orton off his game. To me, Damian, he is the the most credible threat to your ascension as King of the Ring.

Damian Priest: Yeah well, I'm the most credible threat for him, too.

Paul Heyman: Indeed, you are. Trent, I cannot tell you how impressed I am with your work since you came back to EBWF. It's been a marvel to watch you ply your trade. I want you to know, in any other year, at any other period in time, I would be rooting for you, and predicting you to win the whole thing. And you know that I would never lie about something like that. But like Brock, you stand a watershed moment in time - a historical event so auspicious that they will write of it for decades to come. The unforgiving, punishing, undeniable rise of Damian...Priest. Truly, we should all take a step back and observe. Take notes, pictures, video recordings. Anything to fully ensconce this event in the memories of the entire collective EBWF universe. Damian Priest is on a date with destiny. He will defeat Christian Cage, and move on to the finals. He will watch on in amusement as Brock Anderson and Trent disembowel each other in the semi-finals. And then Damian Priest, the Archer of Infamy, the Puerto Rican sensation from the Big Apple, the deliverer of Punishment, will step over the lifeless bodies of both Trent and Brock Anderson to claim what is completely and rightfully his - the mantle of King.

Paul smirked.

Paul Heyman: And that's not a prediction...

Damian grinned malevolently as he leaned down towards Kayla's microphone.

Damian Priest: That's a spoiler.

Paul clapped Damian on the shoulder and the two walked back into Priest's locker room to discuss strategy as the scene faded.