A Byrneing Question

[u/youto2]

We fade into our scene, as we see Brendan Byrne backstage in an otherwise empty medical room, presumably at the previous house party, sitting on a bench against the wall, pressing an ice pack against his shoulder to try and get the pain to calm down. He seems to be trying to relax, but then we hear something, a knock on the door.

Byrne: Who is it?

Romero: IT’S STEPHEN! I need to talk to you!

Byrne raises his eyebrow, wondering what Romero wants, as he stands up, and opens the door….and in comes a Romero rambling his ass off, talking so fast to the point of near incoherence. As he paces back and forth around the room.

Romero: Alrightalright, soyaknowhowIhaven’tbeendoingsogoodrecently? YaknowhowPerilmordeandhislackeysbeenliketrynateachmethingsbutithasn’tallreallygonethroughyaknow?SoIwasthinkinglike-

Byrne: Hey, hey, mate, I can’t understand a word-

Romero: ifallthathasn’tworkedoutmaybeIcouldapproachsomeother-

As Romero paces back and forth, Byrne eventually decides to just cover Romero’s mouth as he walks back towards him, Romero looking confused and surprised.

Byrne: Buddy, slow down. I couldn’t hear one bloody word you just said.

Byrne takes his hand off Romero’s mouth, as Romero takes a moment to calm himself down, before speaking.

Romero: Alright, so as I assume you’ve seen, I haven’t had too much success recently. Lost to Sierra Briggs, got some training from Perilmorde after that, but then still struggled to defeat either member of S.P.E.C.I.A.L.I.S.T., and I just lost to Perilmorde himself. Like…...whether it’s SPECIALIST or Perilmorde trying to teach me something. Or me isolating myself to try and put everything together. It doesn’t feel like what i’ve seeked out so far has worked for me. I’ve gotten no better. So, I figure I should look some other places for help, and knowing you, and considering you’re well-

Romero picks Byrne’s World Championship belt off of the shelf it’s been set down on. Before quickly setting it back down.

Romero: Quite successful, i’d wonder if you’d be willing to help? Like, giving me some advice on how you’ve gotten where you are?

Byrne: You want to know how to end up with one good arm and constant pain?

Romero: Nonono, that’s not what I-

Byrne: Again, Relax. I’m messing with you. Now, before I state my thoughts, what do you think is the problem with yourself?

Romero: Well, I think i’ve gotten repeatedly in over my head, I don’t think my skill set has adjusted properly yet still to singles wrestler, 2 years of nothing but tags will do that to a man I figure. I suffered a bad loss, and just kinda got into a slump I haven’t been able to get out of. I’ve tried to change, but I guess i’m a bit stubborn, and haven’t gone far enough.

Byrne: And why do you think it is that you’re as stubborn as you are?

Romero: Like, in terms of what Perilmorde told me at least, the fact that it’s someone like him telling me everything worries me a tad bit. He’s an intelligent man, wouldn’t be a bad coach to anyone else, hell SPECIALIST have gotten themselves a tag title shot, and one of ‘em fought hard against you for your title. But for me…..I just worry if I fully commit to the advice of someone like him, i’m gonna turn back into someone I don’t like, I worry i’d corrupt myself. Which to me wouldn’t be worth any amount of success. And so, I didn’t go all in, and well, I lost.

Byrne: Alright, and I will say from having watched your recent matches, that’s spot on. You know what your problem is, you need change, change that you can embrace. But you haven’t found that yet. As for me, i’d say this, you’re gonna need an edge to you. We both value trying to be as good men as we can, but I feel like you in particular are too limited in your definition of what it means to be a good man. You’re afraid of not being perfect, and that holds you back from achieving your goals. If you truly want to be a success, if you want to be able to fight back against the evil that you face, then you sometimes have to fight fire with fire. I wouldn’t be where I am now without that willingless, I couldn’t have won AMUDOV if I wasn’t able to embrace the level of violence in it. I wouldn’t have won the world title had I not been willing to low blow Joey to stop him from cracking me in the head with a chair. The talent you have will only continue to get so far should you not truly change who you are.

Romero: I understand your thought….but I can’t help but feel like i’m talking to Perilmorde if he didn’t wrap everything he said in 10 metaphors and 4 semi-obscure historical references. I understand how that works for you, you’ve never been anything but a good man, you don’t have a dark past to worry about slipping back into. However, I do. I know the man that I can be, I know the man I came into wrestling as, and I run the risk of turning back into him. I get what you’re trying to say, it’s just i’m worried with my personal case. I know that I can take it too far.

Byrne: Mate, this is exactly what you know is your problem, and what i’d say is your problem as well. Stop being stubborn, I know you, I know you have a good heart in you. Don’t get so caught up in your past, you’ve done a good job at ridding yourself of that man, even if perhaps too good of a job. I think you’re overblowing the risk of you turning back into a bad man, at some point you just need to let go of your past. I know that’s much easier said than done, but you need to try, pretend the first thing you did when you were born was having a tag team match with Warlock. Anything to let go, otherwise you’ll keep holding yourself back out of fear of yourself. And it’d be a damn shame if someone like you never allows himself to reach his potential.

Romero: You may think i’m overblowing it, I don’t think I am. I’m not one who has ever learned how to balance that like you, it’s never came naturally to me. I’ve lived my life in two extremes, I don’t know what moderation is let alone how to achieve it.

Byrne: Well, you’ll need to learn. I’m not sure how much I can help you there, i’m not too much of a teacher beyond the occasional bit of advice. But all i’m saying is, however you can, you need to change, even if you feel it’d be particularly hard to do in your case.

Romero: Alright…..i’m obviously not sure what to do myself. But I figure I best keep searching. I’m still not 100 sure about your words. But i’ll try to keep them more in mind than when Perilmorde would tell me something similar.

Byrne: Well, that’s some progress at least, just remember, you’ve got similar advice from two people. One you a consider an evil man, and one you’ve teamed with to fight evil. So for your own sake, genuinely consider the things i’ve told you.

Romero: I can’t promise more than that, but i’ll promise that at least. Now, I figure I best head out, had some other people i’ve been meaning to talk to, and it may be hard to catch them. Until next time!

Byrne: Goodbye.

Romero then walks out, pushing open the door, and disappearing, as we fade out to black.