"No Doubt."

METHODS OF MADNESS: I steered clear of using Abram and Zarek in the same rp, considering they both have matches, but I suppose I will do so now and label it as a joint. Even though it's the same person writting it. Hmm...confusing, much?

“I have as many doubts
as anyone else,
But standing on the starting line,
we're all cowards."

Doubt. It's what lies at the back of your mind, no matter who you are. It's that little voice that makes you hesitate before making a decision. Wether you continue on with that decision, or the doubt holds you back, depends on your willpower, but it's always there. It could stop you from performing a high risk manuever and ending the match for the three count, causing yourself to get pinned, or it could save you from ending your career when you land the wrong way, it all depends on what happens. Doubt, is the word that comes to mind when you think of 4:20 and the pair of McCallister/Lyle. Abram McCallister, Zarek's manager, is heading up against the man who Zarek lost to last week. Doubt surounds this match, because, who really fully believes that a manager will come out on top of a skilled wrestler? Although he doesn't have every many wins to his name here in BUD, he is still more skilled than Abram, and that is why people doubt. Everyone doubts that Abram McCallister will walk away, alive, after this match is all said and done. Hell, even McCallister himself doubts himself sometimes, but he's not exactly sure how it will turn out. Nobody is, and that's the surprise of it all. You can doubt all you like, but you never know the true outcome, until the fat lady starts singing.

And then you have the Main Event of the night. Less doubt surounds this match than the Pierce/McCallister match, but it's filled with anticipation. You have two rookie sensations going up against each other in a Last Man, or Last Woman, Standing match for the BUDvision Championship. In all honesty, this isn't the first time this pair has seen each other in the ring, oh no, there was one other time in the eleven person battle royal. It came down to Emerald and Zarek, with Zarek executing the "Apolo's Call" for the win, crowning himself champ. That's where Emerald's doubt comes in. She's already lost once before, so can she really pull it off this time? True, she was tired by the end of the match, but Zarek could gone through just as many people to get to the top, so there really was no variable, Zarek got the win because he was better. But then again, where has Zarek been all this week? That's where Zarek's doubt comes in. He's not been heard of very much this week, so maybe the stress is getting to him. Maybe having to defend his title at every Pay-Per-View is getting to him. It's possible, or its also possible that Emerald got inside his head. It's doubtful Zarek will remain champion, but it's doubtful Emerald will become champion, only time will tell.

For now, Zarek sits in some type of bar, sort of drinking his thoughts away before the showing. Of course, he doesn't have to much alcohol, because he doesn't want to get drunk before his match, that would be stupid. So he sits there and slowly sips on whatever it is he's drinking, when Abram suddenly walks in. The two haven't spoken all week, and it's kind of funny that they don't know they are there at the same time. Abram walks in, and then wo don't see each other, so Abram sits himself at another table, and just waits. Zarek looked up from his glass, and saw Abram looking around at the people that occupied the bar. In that instant, Abram got a feeling someone was looking at him, much to his surprise, he knew the person.

Abram looked at the man across the way from him, and a smile came across his face "Long time no see man, how's it been going with everything?" Zarek and Abram hadn't seen, or even talked to each other since the card was anounced, which was odd, the two had never been apart this long since Zarek's career in BUD.

Zarek, of course, returned the smile, and downed his drink in a timely fashion. "I've been doing alright I suppose, but fending off certain people, staying clear of others. What about you? How are you liking the switch between manager to wrestler?"

Abram laughed, and called the waiter over to Zarek's for refills, as he made his way over. "I'm not quite sure yet, seeing as how I have yet to compete in that match. I'll tell you what I think of it, after the match though, how about that?" The two laughed again.

All of a sudden, it got deathly quiet, because both of them knew that they would be entering unknown territory in a matter of hours. Abram would be stepping into the ring for the first time, in his first ever wrestling match. Making the transition from manager to wrestler was tough, and against Evan Pierce no doubt. Zarek would soon be competing against someone who actually had a chance to steal the BUDvision strap from him, something that was definitely knew to him.

The waitor came over and filled their drinks, cracked a smile, and then left as quickly as she had came. "So...tell me about your strategy against Pierce. I've got to know if you have something planned."  What he really wanted to do is just help Abram, anyway that he could. If helping him figure out a strategy was the only way, then so be it.

Abram took a sip of his drink and swallowed hard. He hadn't really thought about this, he wasn't used to it. He needed a stratgedy? How would he come up with that. "Well, you see, I wasn't exactly sure of how I would be doing this. You know, a Buried Alive match could be very unpredictable. I mean, you're not even in the ring the entire time. You have to even get out of the ring in order to win the match. So I was thinking I might just wing it, you know? I don't know what's coming my way. Maybe rely on weapons for awhile to tire him up pretty quick, or something?"

Abram had a wierd look on his face, like he was looking for some acceptance from Zarek. Zarek looked at Abram in disbelief. "You don't have any sort of strategy? Wow, we're going to have to get a lot done before you have your match."

A bit frustrated for being found out, Abram shoots back with a question of his own. "Well okay Mr. Wrestling Man. If you're so smart at this whole strategy, what's your strategy against Emerald? I know she's your toughest competition yet, and you have to have some sort of strategy for this one. Something different from the other matches." He looked to Zarek for the answer.

Zarek was speechless at first, and laughed a bit for Abram's defensiveness. "Well..." Nothing came. He didn't really have a strategy for Emerald. He planned on giving her the fight of her life is all. "Why would I even tell you my strategy? You might steal it and use it against Pierce. Then when I face Pierce again, I'll lose because you used my strategy. Plus the camera's are on..."

Abram saw through the bullshit right away. "Oh shut up, that's a load of crap, you totally don't even have a strategy.." He punched Zarek in the arm, and the pair laughed.

There was the awkward silence moment again, right after they finished laughing. You know, they say that every time there's an awkward silence, a bisexual baby is born, well, there would be a lot of bisexual babies because of these two. The truth was, they didn't know what to say to the other. What was there to say that would assure them a win was in their future? Nothing because it might not be. Zarek could easily lose his BUDvision strap to Emerald, and Abram could even easier be burried alive by Evan Pierce. There was a chance that both would win, there was a chance that only one would win, and their was a chance that neither would win.

Abram was the first to break the silence. "To be honest, I'm a little scared. I mean, I've seen what Pierce can do, and I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to fend against him. I've never wrestled before, and I know the odds are stacked against me, but I also believe I have more heart than Pierce does. I'll stop at nothing to put him away, and he still thinks it's an easy win. Hopefully, I can get the better of him, and that underestimation, will be his downfall."

Zarek followed up with a confession of his own. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I just don't know how this is going to go. It goes back in my mind. One second I know for sure I'll walk away with the fold, the next second I'm doubting myself, then I believe Ill win again, then back to doubting. I know I've defeated Emerald before, and that should be enough, but people believe she's hellbent, will stop at nothing in order to gain this strap. Then again, people believed the same thing about Manic, and he ended himself up in a flaming casket. So I don't know."

 Abram was amazed that Zarek would admit something like this to him. "It's a little overwhelming, you know? Evan Pierce, although had hardly had a win in his BUD career, and who I consider to be scum, is considered by some to be one of the next big things, the future of BUD. If I was to win this match, would that make me a future of BUD?"

Zarek sighed, he had heard Pierce was "one" of the people considered the future of BUD, which was kind of sad. "Don't forget, I was grouped in that clump, as well, and I would rather have you in that group instead of Pierce, any day. Believe me. It's kind of funny though, because Emerald is also considered a future World Heavyweight Champion. War of the Future has a nice ring to it, don't you think? Ha. But in all seriousness. I know she'll bring it, and so will I."

Reassuringly, "Zarek, I know you, and inspite of what everyone says, I know you really want this match. If Emerald were to win this, it would spell trouble for the whole division. You consider yourself the savior of the BUDvision division, right? Well, I know you're not done saving it. Evil villan Emerald is coming at you with full force. It's good versus evil again Zarek, and good doesn't give up."

He laughed before beginning, "Don't get me wrong Abram, I am, nor will I ever just give up, it's not my style, and I will never do that to the fans. My only fear is letting them down, and in all honestly, I believed that Emerald could be the one to force me to do that. She's a good competitor, and she might very well be the one to take this gold off of my shoulder. It's a definite possibility."

Abram jokingly punches Zarek's arm again, "Shut up Zarek, you know you're good. Don't worry about it, you've got it in the bag."

Trying to get his point across. "I'm just open to the possibility of losing. Do not mistake that with giving up, or having doubt in myself. Just because I am not so arrogant as to go on a radio station, or tell every individual person that I'm going to win, does not mean that I don't think I will. I'm a humble person, and obviously Emerald is not. I've realized that I can't shape her into what I want her to be. She is a good competitor, no doubt, but she's a good competitor that will fail in taking this title off my shoulder. It's as simple as that."

Getting a bit more serioues, "Okay, in all seriousness, do I have a chance against Pierce?"

Zarek sighed. In all seriousness, eh? He gulped. "Honestly Abram, I have no idea. For one, I have never seen you in the ring, so I don't know how you're going to be up against Pierce. Another thing is that you're right, a match such as a Buried Alive match is unpredictable, so you never know what could happen. You have different weapons at your disposal, so you could very well pull something out of your ass and end up winning, but you never know."

Abram knodded and settled back down, he wasn't expecting to hear a definite win, he expected what he heard from Zarek, and somehow it raied his confidence. Knowing that there could be some little tiny ray of hope raised his chance. It was a chance for a win, so Abram took it and ran with it.

Another awkward silcence, and Zarek was the first to break this one, "So, I should probably be in some training right about now. Emerald is probably having Nova push her to the max, getting her ready for her match against me. I have to admit, it is a little flattering knowing that she's training with Nova, to try and put one over on me. The only bad thing is that all of that training is probably going to go to waist..."

A groan game from Zarek "Arg, Now it's stooping to her level, and everyone else's level that I have ever faced. Pierce, Manic, Leaky, all of them. It's just the anxiety you begin to feel before you go out for your match, you know? Just knowing that I will be competing in the main event at 4:20 in one of the biggest matches of my career is exciting. The anxiety gets to you, you know?"

Abram chuckled, "Umm...no Zarek, I don't. Ha. You keep forgetting that this is the first time I'm doing this."

A realization "Oh yeah, ha. Sorry. I suppose you're feeling a little bit nervous?"

Abram thought for a brief moment before coming to his conclusion. "Well, to be honest, not really..."

Zarek was surprised, "Hmmm...playing the fearless card, eh? That's okay, I'm sure Evan will beat the fear into you..."

Abram looked over, astounded, before Zarek began cracking up in laughted. Abram punched Zarek's arm again. "I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding..."

Another awkward silence, damn, that's like four bisexual babies now? Anyway, Abram broke it this time, "So I have an idea, it'll add to the whole pay-per-view drama and whatnot. Pierce versus McCallister. Emerald versus Lyle, kind of deal...if that made any sense at all..."

"Umm...kind of, sort of, what is it?"

"Well, we don't see each other, or talk, for the rest of the night. We don't watch each other's matches either. If we win our match, then we'll show up here, and if we lose our match, then we obviously don't show up here. That way we'll know. I don't know, just an idea."

Zarek laughed a bit, Abram was obviously still a kid, no doubt. "Sure, why not. Couldn't hurt, right?"

"Right"

The two shook hands and flashed each other a smile, knowing full well that the next time they saw each other, one of them could be in a hospital. The last shot is the two of them walking out of the bar, out two different doors, before the scene fads. One thing's for sure, 4:20 would be a blast.

No doubt.

TBC: Me Only