Family Style

[Stu]

*** The Greco Wyld School of Wrestling. The Masked Shooter is in the ring working a scrimmage match against Alyssa Wyld. Nikki and Akira are sitting at a card table nearby watching. Nikki has a sugar-free Redbull on the table in front of her. Akira has a cup of black coffee in front of him. Rebel is standing at ringside watching Shooter and Alyssa. Occasionally he shouts encouragement at the grapplers in the ring. ***

NIKKI: "Rebel’s really stepped it up as the head trainer here at the school. Ever since Uncle Aldo dipped back into his ‘Masked Shooter’ persona, he hasn’t had much time to work the floor."

AKIRA: "Rebel is a born trainer. Even when we were kids, he always loved to point out every little thing I did wrong in the ring."

NIKKI: "He was born to do it. Lately though... he’s been really driven."

AKIRA: "I think that with all this talk of Aldo’s health and him possibly retiring, Rebel feels like he has to step it up and be ready to take on the patriarch role in the family. He sees that clock ticking on Aldo and even on his own career. I think it’s given him a lot of motivation to take control of things."

NIKKI: "That’s a good thing right?"

AKIRA: "I don’t know. It's good to be motivated by something bigger than yourself I suppose."

*** In the ring, Alyssa catches The Shooter in a go-behind off a rope rebound. Shooter breaks her grip, drops her with a leg-lace takedown and floats over into The Shoot. Alyssa taps and her uncle releases the hold. Rebel claps his hands and jumps up on the apron. ***

REBEL: "A master class on ring positioning. You haven’t lost a step."

MASKED SHOOTER: "I haven't lost 'em because I invented half of 'em."

ALYSSA: "Just half? You being modest?"

*** The Masked Shooter gives Alyssa a hand up, smiling. ***

MASKED SHOOTER: "NOPE. Your pa invented the other half."

*** Alyssa laughs. Shooter stands with his hands on his hips, breathing hard with his abs. He reaches over and puts his hand to his shoulder, evening his breathing while applying pressure. ***

REBEL: "You okay Uncle Aldo?"

*** Shooter ignores him as he flexes the fingers in his right hand, his furrowed brow visible through the eyeholes of his mask. ***

REBEL: "Shooter?"

*** The Masked Shooter snaps out it and looks up with a smile. ***

SHOOTER: "War wound. Twenty-three years ago in Osaka, the Imperial Assassin tried to remove my arm at the shoulder so he could strangle me with it. It'll pass."

*** Rebel eyes him suspiciously. ***

REBEL: "You sure that’s all it is?"

SHOOTER: "... why?"

*** Rebel cocks and eyebrow and takes a deep breath. ***

SHOOTER: “Go on, spit it.”

REBEL: “Listen ... this whole business with PWA. Your health ... you’re retirement-”

SHOOTER: “Really ain’t your business,”

REBEL: “Look, I know you’re old-school, but you haven’t taken that mask off since you re-debuted. What’s this all about Aldo?”

SHOOTER: "’The Masked Shooter.’ Aldo was fired, remember? This here ***indicates mask*** is worn by a world renowned champion. I deserve that respect, don’t I?”

REBEL: “Of course you do. Nobody deserves to chart their final chapter more than you do. But Aldo... Shooter... I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that I’ve been worried about your health since well before this business with Damion Black. You’re not as young as you used to be. When Black says he doesn’t want to see you die in the ring…”

SHOOTER: “All he’s really worried about is his damned insurance! I give exactly as much a damn about his bottom line as he gives about my well-being!”

(Alyssa walks over with a towel over her shoulder.)

ALYSSA: “I think what Rebel is getting at is... you’ve always been a private man. If there WAS something wrong with your health that put you in danger in the ring... would you even tell us?”

SHOOTER: (Look, you’re family and I love and respect you all more than I can say, but you’re out of your depth here. I was told 20 years ago when Nemesis Rex dropped me headfirst on concrete that my career was over. For a while … it was. I wasted a lot of time believing that. Years watching your father and brother and you two grow and go on to have amazing careers. All the while I sat on the sidelines thinking that my time was up. I was so damned proud of all of you … and more and more angry at myself. One day I said, screw it... and put on this mask and got back in the ring. Aldo and his wounds were gone, ego was gone, all that was present was the purity, the skill, the experience … the wrestling.”

REBEL: “You really think that the time you spent training us... building this school into the legend it is today... you think that was wasted time?”

SHOOTER: “Don’t put words in my mouth, Reb, or I’ll put your foot in yours.”

ALYSSA: “You know ‘Shooter’... while our dad was off touring the world and winning championships, it was YOU who was there for us at home. It was YOU who trained us and got us ready for the ring. It was YOU who made this school the most respected name in wrestling. Dad’s fame might have paid the bills, and his name might be on the door... but you put in more hours than anyone into making this place our home.”

*** The Masked Shooter looks from Alyssa to Rebel to the sign over the main entrance door and sighs. At the card table, Akira and Nikki exchange a look. Akira stands and approaches Rebel, Alyssa and Shooter. ***

AKIRA: “She’s right you know. You did more for the Wyld Family name than you ever got credit for. I get why you put on the mask when you went back out on your own. You had to prove to the world that you were the best in the world on your own merits. You gave up your whole identity for the Wyld School... and now that you had a second lease on life, you wanted to see what you could do for yourself without the albatross of all those accomplishments and legacy propping you up or weighing you down. I did the same myself... sort of.”

*** Shooter cocks an eyebrow at Akira. ***

AKIRA: “So... I say, who are we to tell you when it’s time to hang up those boots. You’ve started from scratch TWICE and built a pair of amazing careers. You’ve worked hard and spent most of that time putting others before yourself. I say, your life is your own and you need to do what makes you happy.”

*** Rebel frowns and steps between himself and Shooter. ***

REBEL: “Nobody is telling Aldo what to do. But as family... don’t we have a responsibility to at least TALK about this together?”

*** Rebel turns to Shooter ***

REBEL: “If you do have something wrong with you... and years of watching you in the ring tells me you’re hiding something... then you need to be responsible enough to at least tell us what you’re staring down.”

ALYSSA: “And the fact that you’re not doing that only makes us worry more. We just want you to be safe.”

*** Nikki slams her hands on the table and bounds over to the rest of them. ***

NIKKI: “Mom, it sounds to me like you and Rebel don’t trust Shooter to make his own decisions. Being a family sometimes means taking a leap of faith. Trusting someone you love to make the right decisions and not forcing them to do something they will regret one day.”

ALYSSA: “We aren’t talking about following some hairbrained dream. We’re talking about a man’s life.”

SHOOTER: “Nikki, that’s still your mother; say what you need to, but you watch your tone, young lady. As for the rest of you, I don’t need you people talking about me like I’m not even here. I know exactly what I’m doing and if you can’t respect or understand that, I don’t know what to tell you. It’s my life and career I’m making decisions about here. I feel bad about Garry, sure, but when he and I talked about this, he knew the risks, and I ain’t abandoning him, neither. On top of that, I don’t know why in Hell you are all keen to tell me what to do and comply. Akira, you f***ed off for a few years, even after asking me about your professional problems. Rebel, you still refuse to listen to me or anyone about your fundamentals AND your personal life. ‘Lyssa- well, you took a long time to listen, and you know what about. Point is, you're right. I reared all of you. You don't get to tell me what to do."

REBEL: “But you’re NOT the only one who has to deal with the consequences of your choices, though, are you? I mean, isn't that what you told me about mine? This game you’re playing with that mask has already gotten Gary Bloomfield fired from PWA. And it’s put you in the sights of Damion Black. You don’t need me to tell you how dangerous that can be. If you’re in this for the long haul ... fine! But you have to let us in. We are a family, and we need to know whatever information you can tell us so we can protect you.”

SHOOTER: “The Hell I have to ‘let you in!’ If all you’re gonna do is piss and moan about making an old man’s choices for him, then you can shove it! God in Heaven …”

NIKKI: “Uncle Aldo... we’re always going to be here by your side. Whatever you need, whatever you’re going through, and wherever this leads, we are here.”

*** Rebel and Alyssa look at each other helplessly; Akira looks off into the distance, clearly deep in thought. A silence spreads over the school as the family members look at each other, not sure how to proceed. ***

SHOOTER: “That … that’s enough training for today. I’ll see you in … I’ll see you tomorrow.”