| Cody Rhodes | This has to be a success. Do you understand? My looks are an enormous part of my profession.
Rhodes' voice held a fearful tone as he spoke to the surgeon who was seated in a black, leather stool before him.
| Cody Rhodes | I have a very important match. I can't keep going out there looking like this. My opponent is someone I have a very deep history with. If he defeats me I'm going to fall right back into the pitiful hole I've been trying to dig myself out of. I won't let that happen. Do you understand?
| Surgeon | I think you're going to be very pleased with the results, Mr. Rhodes. You weren't entirely healed last week, hence why the mask was necessary. But now..
A mirror was presented in Cody's direction. He slowly lifted his head and gazed back at the reflection before him. Across his forehead was a tiny but noticeable scar. Otherwise, it appeared as though the work done to his face he been a complete success.
| Surgeon | The EMT's at your company did a fantastic job tending to you. They really should be commended for a fantastic job.
But what everyone else saw was not what Cody could see. In his mind, his face was a mangled wreck. He continued to stare at the horrific sight while grazing his fingers across his face. His skin was melted away and rotting. An ugly, decaying, gray color. His nose was crooked and bent. Roaches crawled their way around his teeth. He recoiled in horror. He spoke between heavy breaths.
| Cody Rhodes | Oh my god. It's even worse. People are going to scream when they see me. Ted DiBiase is going to laugh in my face. How am I supposed to live like this?
The expression on the surgeon's face became one of disappointment and concern.
| Surgeon | Cody..it's..just a small scar now. Have you considered seeing a different kind of doctor? A therapist perhaps? I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do for you..
That answer was not what he wanted to hear. With an almost homicidal look on his face, Cody lunged at the surgeon with his hands stretched towards his neck. The doctor opened his mouth to scream when the scene suddenly faded to black.
..And when the scene reemerged the doctor was found laying face first on the floor. The plaque's had been ripped from the wall and smashed as glass littered the tiles. Cody stood over the wreckage, now dressed in gray t-shirt, and slipped on the transparent mask he had revealed the week prior. Leaving the office, he slammed the door behind him and everything went silent.
------
Matt Striker had spoke to Ted DiBiase earlier in the evening and now he was going to do the same with his opponent: Cody Rhodes. Ted hadn't been in the best of moods and shoved the interviewer to the floor during the course of the chat. And seeing how Cody didn't seem to be very well balanced as of late, he was preparing for the worst. The door to the locker room was slowly creaked open as the ex-wrestler cautiously allowed himself. Cody was seated in a steel hair with his head in a low position. The black hood he covered himself kept him concealed and also made it impossible to judge his mood. The fact that he also hadn't budged an inch made things even more unsettling. But, pressing on, he decided to speak up.
| Matt Striker | Cody..ah..I was hoping to get a few words with you..
Striker began to motion the camera man to draw closer.
| Cody Rhodes | Sit down, Matt. Get your camera in nice and close so the whole world can come stare at the freak.
Cody's voice still held a tremulous tone to it as Striker slowly pulled up a chair beside him.
| Matt Striker | This is the second round of the King Of The Ring and you're going to be facing someone you have a history with. You're former tag team partner and friend: Ted DiBiase. You two have had battles before but I don't need to tell you how much is at stake tonight. Ted has been on a roll these past few months and I don't think I've ever seen the man look so intense. He's hell bent on winning this tournament and he's said he intends on making an example of you tonight..
| Cody Rhodes | That's funny. Because I intend to do the same thing to him..
Rhodes slowly began to sit up straight as he pulled his hood down around his shoulders. The clear mask he wore was presented to the camera and his lips curled into a scowl.
| Cody Rhodes | And this could have been avoided. Some time ago, I came to Ted with the offer to become a team again. He turned me down and insulted me. A few weeks ago he called me the biggest disappointment in this company. And in a sense, I guess he's right. When we were a team, most everyone would have said that I was the one who was going to be a headliner. That I was going to be the one who was going to go onto greatness. I should have been a World Champion by now and Ted should have been sent packing back to McMahon. But our paths have taken radically different turns, haven't they?
The last two words were said with a little more aggression than the rest of his gloom filled diatribe.
| Cody Rhodes | Ted has been allowed to flourish and rise while I've been left to wither and rot. Ted has been the PTG Champion for months on end. He defeated me at Wrestle Mania. He's been in the company of World Champions like The Miz and AJ Styles and had exposure that others would kill for. And he even defeated me at Wrestle Mania in what should have been the point in which I turned my career around. And yet he complains about not getting his due. He complains about not receiving enough fame and glory. All the while, I was at the bottom of the card. I was lucky to even get on television. I was losing matches to disgraces who didn't have even an inch of my talent. My confidence was being shattered each and every time I stepped into the ring. And the only reason I'm getting opportunities now..
He motioned a hand around his features which in his own mind were unfathomably ghastly.
| Cody Rhodes | Is because Wes Ikeda thinks he can pop a rating by putting this on television. But if I fail against Ted..then that millionaire and all the blood suckers he surrounds himself with are going to get tired of this little experiment. They're going to get tired of putting a monstrosity like me on their clean, polished little programs. That is reality. But do you know what will happen if I defeat Ted? He's still going to be all over television. He's still going to get chances that he persists have never been given to him. He is still going to be able to go out in broad daylight and live a normal life!
Rhodes abruptly stood and leaned over to Striker who held his palms up in defense. Cody's teeth were clenched tightly and his fingers had curled up in anger.
| Cody Rhodes | So I'm not sure what he has to complain about! And he's daring, DARING, to threaten me?! He's going to make me bleed and break my bones?!
Cody drew closer to Striker as his voice continued to raise. He was uncomfortably close at this point.
| Cody Rhodes | Look at me, Matt. Look at me. Look at people like you allowed to happen to me.
His voice was coming out in a demented hiss.
| Cody Rhodes | What in the world can DiBiase do to me that is worse than what I've been through? I can't possibly be any more disfigured! My life can never be normal again! What could he do to me to make this worse? What? Tell me! WHAT?!
Striker didn't have an answer to this query. He figured that there was no right answer and he didn't want to get attacked for a second time. With a look of complete contempt, Cody rose back to his full height and turned his back to the camera. The nervous and insecure pitch had returned to his voice.
| Cody Rhodes | If anyone is going to leave that arena broken, humiliated and battered..it's going to be Ted. I believe he said that he hoped God would have mercy on the soul of whomever tried to prevent him from reaching his goal. God gave up on me a long time ago and he wouldn't waste an ounce of mercy on my wretched existence. But it's going to take more than a higher power to keep me from absolutely eradicating Ted. I'm going to make him feel as small and worthless and weak as I've felt all these months. And then he can run to his twitter and bitch some more about how everyone is just passing him by..
The dark hood was tugged back over Cody's face as he turned towards the camera again. The hood, the shadows it cast, and the dire mask did make him look like some kind of super villain or horror icon.
| Cody Rhodes | And this face right here? It's going to be everywhere. Because I'm going to not only defeat Ted but everyone else in this tournament. My ugly, horrible face is going to represent this company as it's World Champion. I want to see them try and market me. I want to try and sell a t-shirt with this on it. What Make-A-Wish kid is going to want to meet this? How many banquets am I going to be invited to? And all I asked for was a chance and shred of common decency. I didn't receive any of it. I was mocked and rejected. So when I rip apart all these pretty "superstars" I'm going to do so without even a sliver of compassion..
Striker and the camera man didn't waste any time in vacating the locker room. Cody slumped lifelessly back into his chair and began to wring his hands together in a meticulous fashion as the scene drew to it's conclusion.
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