Disclaimer: own nothing. This pair just popped into my head. I hope it
makes sense.
ABSENCE
"You're not really gonna leave are you?"
The man at the bar didn't even respond but continued to stare at the empty glass sitting in front of him. The question-asker sighed and sat down on the next stool. A bartender weighed down with a tiredness that was reflected in his flat grey eyes slowly approached, raising his eyebrows in the question of what drink the newcomer would like.
"The meathead'll have the same again" the newcomer gestured to the silent man at the bar "and I'll have your best beer on tap"
After the bartender had moved away to fix their drinks, the man at the bar finally turned his head to take in the man beside him with glassy eyes. He hadn't been dreaming when he'd heard the voice.
"What do you want Rock?" his voice was a visceral growl
"For you to tell me about the decision you're making, no one else cares so I'm going to" The Rock replied, accepting the bottle the barman passed to him "you're not talking to anyone else about it"
"There's a reason for that"
"That you're a hugely unfriendly bastard who'd rather go under a rock than talk to anyone, let alone open up?"
"Ha fucking ha"
Silence descended on the pair again and Rock took in the man beside him, a hulking figure in blue jeans and a leather jacket with his logo on the back. There was something distinctly threatening in his posture, like he was going to explode any moment. He didn't have the best reputation following his phenomenal run in WCW before it shut down. He had been its premier star, the one that everyone had tuned in to watch.
"So where to now? Back to the NFL?" Rock tried again
"Don't know" the man replied, eyes fixed on his fresh drink "anywhere but here"
"Are you outta your mind? You want out of the WWE? The one place where you can build a reputation – a good one mind you and make big bucks? Where to now Goldberg? The indies? The TNA or Ring of Honour? There ain't no place for you out there, out there you're washed up"
Goldberg slowly turned his gaze on the man beside him. The Rock didn't flinch at all. He was dressed in fitted black jeans and a black t-shirt, his bronzed skin seeming to glow in the dim light. At around 30 yrs old, he'd accomplished more than most veterans in the wrestling business. He'd won the WWE title more than six times, he'd helped carry the company at the end of the attitude years with Triple H as they locked horns for supremacy, he'd tagged with Mick Foley, he'd said what most people were afraid to say and he'd made movies.
"What the hell do you know?" Goldberg replied, his eyes on fire "you were born in this business, you haven't known anything else, now I was promised the top when I came here, now I'm just above the midcard, that is not where I want to be, its not where I'm paid to be, its no fun anymore"
"What do I know? I've taken time out to make movies, I've had the critics at my door since I was in 'The Mummy Returns', saying that I was gonna quit and be in the movies full time, I told them no the WWE is my heart, it's where I'll always return to" Rock testified "I've had the knocks, have you even seen any of my early stuff?"
"You don't know me Rock so just leave me the fuck alone" Goldberg warned "you're the last person I want to discuss this with"
"Oh because you knocked me on my ass when you debuted here? More power to you, if you've got the balls to do that to the Great One then I'm more than willing to give you a chunk of the spotlight"
Goldberg snorted and knocked back more of his drink.
"If it's all the same to you Rock, I'm still gonna leave, it's what I need to do, if I'm not happy here then I'm not doing Vince justice am I?"
"You're not doing any more justice to him by leaving after he spent all that cash on you"
"Look Rock" he said the name like it was poison "I don't have to do what you think is right, this is my life and its been a hell of ride in the wrestling business, I'm leaving on a high after wrestling that piece of shit Brock at Wrestlemania"
"Didn't you hear the chants during your match?"
"I chose to ignore them, fans should have more respect"
"Fans can do what the hell they want! It's their show, we listen to them and give them what they want, they like it electrifying, violent, sexy and unbelievable, here at the WWE we listen to them, why not swerve them and stay?"
Goldberg cracked a smile and turned on his stool so that he faced Rock.
"Here's to all my yesterdays Rock" he said, raising his glass "here's to WCW and all my fucking mistakes, here's to the WWE and the money I've cost Vince and here's to the future"
Downing the glass, he got up and stood, surprisingly steady for the amount of drinks he'd consumed that night.
"My decision Rock" he pressed a thumb to his chest for emphasis "I'm taking control for the first time since football"
"You were in control on WCW"
"Eric called the shots, you know that, I couldn't get out even if I had wanted to, the crowds when they're cheering; they're like a drug, you have to keep going back for more and more until you're drowning in it" Goldberg grinned "no more, I'm going cold turkey, I'm leaving"
He held out a hand to the Rock who shook it firmly
"Have a nice life Rock, I'll be watching at home"
"See you down the road Bill"
Halfway to the door, Goldberg stopped. No one called him Bill. He half turned and looked at the Rock, now talking on his cell phone. Just nothing now. It was time to go home. And it had been a hell of a ride.
ABSENCE
"You're not really gonna leave are you?"
The man at the bar didn't even respond but continued to stare at the empty glass sitting in front of him. The question-asker sighed and sat down on the next stool. A bartender weighed down with a tiredness that was reflected in his flat grey eyes slowly approached, raising his eyebrows in the question of what drink the newcomer would like.
"The meathead'll have the same again" the newcomer gestured to the silent man at the bar "and I'll have your best beer on tap"
After the bartender had moved away to fix their drinks, the man at the bar finally turned his head to take in the man beside him with glassy eyes. He hadn't been dreaming when he'd heard the voice.
"What do you want Rock?" his voice was a visceral growl
"For you to tell me about the decision you're making, no one else cares so I'm going to" The Rock replied, accepting the bottle the barman passed to him "you're not talking to anyone else about it"
"There's a reason for that"
"That you're a hugely unfriendly bastard who'd rather go under a rock than talk to anyone, let alone open up?"
"Ha fucking ha"
Silence descended on the pair again and Rock took in the man beside him, a hulking figure in blue jeans and a leather jacket with his logo on the back. There was something distinctly threatening in his posture, like he was going to explode any moment. He didn't have the best reputation following his phenomenal run in WCW before it shut down. He had been its premier star, the one that everyone had tuned in to watch.
"So where to now? Back to the NFL?" Rock tried again
"Don't know" the man replied, eyes fixed on his fresh drink "anywhere but here"
"Are you outta your mind? You want out of the WWE? The one place where you can build a reputation – a good one mind you and make big bucks? Where to now Goldberg? The indies? The TNA or Ring of Honour? There ain't no place for you out there, out there you're washed up"
Goldberg slowly turned his gaze on the man beside him. The Rock didn't flinch at all. He was dressed in fitted black jeans and a black t-shirt, his bronzed skin seeming to glow in the dim light. At around 30 yrs old, he'd accomplished more than most veterans in the wrestling business. He'd won the WWE title more than six times, he'd helped carry the company at the end of the attitude years with Triple H as they locked horns for supremacy, he'd tagged with Mick Foley, he'd said what most people were afraid to say and he'd made movies.
"What the hell do you know?" Goldberg replied, his eyes on fire "you were born in this business, you haven't known anything else, now I was promised the top when I came here, now I'm just above the midcard, that is not where I want to be, its not where I'm paid to be, its no fun anymore"
"What do I know? I've taken time out to make movies, I've had the critics at my door since I was in 'The Mummy Returns', saying that I was gonna quit and be in the movies full time, I told them no the WWE is my heart, it's where I'll always return to" Rock testified "I've had the knocks, have you even seen any of my early stuff?"
"You don't know me Rock so just leave me the fuck alone" Goldberg warned "you're the last person I want to discuss this with"
"Oh because you knocked me on my ass when you debuted here? More power to you, if you've got the balls to do that to the Great One then I'm more than willing to give you a chunk of the spotlight"
Goldberg snorted and knocked back more of his drink.
"If it's all the same to you Rock, I'm still gonna leave, it's what I need to do, if I'm not happy here then I'm not doing Vince justice am I?"
"You're not doing any more justice to him by leaving after he spent all that cash on you"
"Look Rock" he said the name like it was poison "I don't have to do what you think is right, this is my life and its been a hell of ride in the wrestling business, I'm leaving on a high after wrestling that piece of shit Brock at Wrestlemania"
"Didn't you hear the chants during your match?"
"I chose to ignore them, fans should have more respect"
"Fans can do what the hell they want! It's their show, we listen to them and give them what they want, they like it electrifying, violent, sexy and unbelievable, here at the WWE we listen to them, why not swerve them and stay?"
Goldberg cracked a smile and turned on his stool so that he faced Rock.
"Here's to all my yesterdays Rock" he said, raising his glass "here's to WCW and all my fucking mistakes, here's to the WWE and the money I've cost Vince and here's to the future"
Downing the glass, he got up and stood, surprisingly steady for the amount of drinks he'd consumed that night.
"My decision Rock" he pressed a thumb to his chest for emphasis "I'm taking control for the first time since football"
"You were in control on WCW"
"Eric called the shots, you know that, I couldn't get out even if I had wanted to, the crowds when they're cheering; they're like a drug, you have to keep going back for more and more until you're drowning in it" Goldberg grinned "no more, I'm going cold turkey, I'm leaving"
He held out a hand to the Rock who shook it firmly
"Have a nice life Rock, I'll be watching at home"
"See you down the road Bill"
Halfway to the door, Goldberg stopped. No one called him Bill. He half turned and looked at the Rock, now talking on his cell phone. Just nothing now. It was time to go home. And it had been a hell of a ride.