|2:59|
[The sound of a lone pidgin on his window sill cooing wistfully woke Marcus completely. He sat up and looked around the room again. Wondering who, or what would visit him next. Was it this bird? Who got up out of bed and looked around his room, only to find it was only occupied by him. No ghosts from another dimension, no spirits, nothing. Only his long heavy breathing and the sound of the bird outside make any impact on the room. Gaines turns to watch as the L.E.D. readout on his clock rapidly turns to 3:00. Sighing, and realizing that most likely alls he saw were dreams tonight, heads back to bed.]
[As he turned the corner heading into his bedroom h heard a humming emanating towards him. Looking quickly around the corner to see who it was, he was greeted with her grin again. He wasn't startled, not shocked not frightened; Not in the least. He'd already seen her once this evening and now here she was again humming a tune as she looked out the window over the town.]
[She smiled as she turned and saw Marcus staring at her with a confused expression on his face.]
Angela Landsbury: [Walking towards him.] Hello again, dear.
[Marcus crossed his arms and surveyed the room for anything or anyone else.]
Gaines: Angie, weren't you already here a few hours ago? Don't tell me you're the second spirit?
Angela Landsbury: Unfortunately, I am. Basically we only had enough spirits for three visitations, and since I'd already made the warning visit, it was determined that I had to make the second visitation. [Sarcastically.] I can only pray you'll forgive me.
[Marcus could only roll his eyes.]
Gaines: [Jokingly.] Guess my mind doesn't have enough solid characters to conjure up enough visitation spirits, eh?
Angela Landsbury: [Matter-of-factly.] Exactly dear. [She walked past Marcus and over to the door, stopping to look back at Marcus while she opened the door.] Coming, dear?
[Gaines could only really nod, and follow ploddingly along after her. As he escaped through the hotel room door, expecting to find himself out in the hallway, he was terribly shocked to find himself on a street corner, in broad daylight. People milled about them as if not seeing anything out of the ordinairy. Marcus looked around him trying to find where she had led him, only to find he was on a street corner between the Air Canada Centre and the C.N. Tower. He walked up to Angela Landsbury who stood on the corner admiring the people as they walked by.]
Gaines: Angie... Oh Angie?
Angela Landsbury: Yes, dear?
Gaines: Where are we exactly? I can only assume you represent the present, and last I checked it presently wasn't in the middle of the day. At least not where I am.
[She turned and smiled at Marcus with a pleased look on her face.]
Angela Landsbury: Right you are, dear; Good eye. It shows you're learning something at least in our time together.
[She looked away, and back at the people moving around on their daily business. Marcus stared at her for a moment expecting her to finish what she was talking about and answer his question, but she seemed to have forgotten all about it.]
Gaines: Uh, Angie?
[He tapped her on the shoulder lightly.]
Angela Landsbury: Oh? Yes dear? Oh right. Well, the present can really be anywhere in the specific day I guess. It's only a few hours so it's technically not considered the future in these sort of terms. Okay?
Gaines: Pretty lame excuse there, Angie.
Angela Landsbury: [Nodding knowingly.] I know, dear. Come on.
[She walked effortlessly across the street as cars winded through her without phasing her. Gaines followed, whilst each car felt like millions of tiny needles tearing through as they drove through. Angela led him to the arena where Anguish was to be held, as he walked into the main arena, he could see Chris Carpenter on a television set, broadcasting another one his messages for this upcoming match. Marcus smirked as he quietly listened to what the man had to say while Angela only watched his reaction to the screen.]
Chris Carpenter: First off, Marcus Gaines.. Gaines has been placed in the Main Event just to piss me off pretty much.. Although he is my former Legion Tag Team Championship partner.. I have never hated him as much as I do now.. I go out on a limb and compliment the guy and he claims that I am nothing.. That he carried me.. Gaines, we will see who is carrying who come Anguish.. We will..
[Gaines could only chuckle a moment as he took his eyes from the screen.]
Angela Landsbury: Seems pretty focused, doesn't he?
[Marcus nodded.]
Gaines: Yeah, pretty focused on getting his ass kicked.
Angela Landsbury: Don't say that, Marcus. As it stands you're doing everything wrong. You're letting this title shot get to you. Like it's basically owed to you. You seem to forget, you won those Legion titles with Carpenter's help. I just think you're ego is dictating that you save face and say you got there on your own.
[Gaines turned a snarling look her way.]
Gaines: What?! Carpenter was never even in any of those matches. Nor, was he involved in our most recent tag match. Lest I show everyone the tape of how it all went down. I hit Storm, Storm went down, I made the pin. In fact, the whole match was basically me against Storm with Carpenter and Blaze warming up the fans for us.
Angela Landsbury: Maybe so. But I think he is doing something you're not.
Gaines: [Snorts wildly.] What could that halfwit possibly do that I can't? There's nothing he can call into question on me. Chris Carpenter can do nothing special. I've tried looking for the good in this guy, there literally is nothing redeeming about the guy.
Angela Landsbury: Well, he has done something you haven't. And he made the point in his interview, there...
[Gaines crossed his arms and sighed heavily.]
Gaines: Like what?
[Her trademark smile let itself show as she winked at Marcus with a slight twinkle inside of it.]
Angela Landsbury: Come on. I've got more to show you.
[Almost instantaneously they were away from where they once were, in another part of the building, where Johnny Storm himself sat in silence as he watched the videotape of Carpenter's interview. Marcus stood, waiting for Storm to say something, but he could only watch the tape, and lean back restfully.]
Gaines: [Looking uneasily at Angela.] Doesn't he have anything to say to that?
Angela Landsbury: Why would he? Has nothing to prove, and no one to prove it to. He is alone in the room, for one thing, Marcus. He isn't you, you know.
[Marcus smiled for a second.]
Gaines: So why show me this if nothing is going to happen? Does he have nothing to say about this match? Or what?
Angela Landsbury: Oh, he does. He always has something to say. I'm showing you this, Marcus because you have to realize that you've been rambling on and on about how you have nothing to prove to anyone, about already facing the toughest opponents to date, and these new ones will be a breeze. You seem to exclude yourself from all your prejudgements, Marcus.
Gaines: So?
Angela Landsbury: Marcus. You're the only one in this match with something to prove.
Gaines: Okay... explain this to me.. I have hear this.
[She shrugged for a moment. And walked towards Storm before stopping to turn back at him.]
Angela Landsbury: Think about it, dear. You're the only one in this match with only one title to your name. Two of these people have already held the Gladiator title.
Gaines: So? I've fought in matches-
Angela Landsbury: [Interrupting him immediately.] That had no relevance. Everytime you came close to winning a title, you chickened out. Wussed out if you will. You could have won the Maximus title, only to come just shy of finishing the job. You were in the finals of the Gladiator title tourney, only to imprison yourself. You've done alot to avoid success, Marcus. How far will you go this time?
[She looked him in the eye for a moment, letting her words sink in enough, then slowly walked towards him, and through him, out the wall they had came. Marcus stood for a second, then turned to follow her. Her words ringing in his ears as the cold cement of the locker room passed through him, and slowly changed to the feeling of flannel sheets covering him in comforting sleep.]