[Scene: Heritage Elementary School]

[Time: Early Morning]

[Occasion: Public Speaking]

[Speaker: Tyson Burke]

[Standing in a formal three piece suit; light grey in color, yellow tie, and black wingtip shoes, would be Mr. Tyson Burke who is looking very well groomed and not shoveling gummy bears down his throat. Standing to his left would be the school’s Principle, Cheree Turner who is dressed in a darker grey pants suit and smiling wildly at Tyson.]

Turner:
I’m so happy that you have decided to come here and speak with the children. Making it out of College Park after what you went in your adolescence, you are truly remarkable.

[Tyson gives her a little schoolboy smile.]

Burke:
Yes ma’am, it was a honor when you called me at the Wrestling Academy.

[What’s this, Tyson Burke speaks English decently? What alternative time warp did we get sucked into? I would like for it to be known that on Defiance TV Tyson Burke plays a character, outside of the ring he still has a business to promote. Lately his business has been in a slump due to how the public receives him through television. So therefore at the behest of Mike Sloan’s Wrestling Academy and Dick’s Sporting Goods he has decided that he would no longer speak ignorant. Thank you. ]

Turner:
Well, I’ll go and welcome the children and their parents  and then you’ll be presented.

[He nods, acknowledging the order of entrance, then she turns and walks down the hallway, footsteps echoing as she enters the noisy gymnasium.]
 

[Cut.]

[Ms. Turner stands behind a podium, in front of her lies a sea of children ranging from 6 years old towards 13 years old. Her voice echoes through the gym greeting them in a warm and friendly manner.]

Turner:
Today we have a very special guest, he is not a only a graduate from our local school system, he is also a graduate from Florida State University who was the team captain of the Seminoles’ Wrestling Team, so please welcome, a good friend of mine, Mr. Tyson Burke.

[The clapping echoes like thunder throughout the gym as Tyson walk onto the stage and behind the podium. From the inside of his jacket he withdraws a few note cards and places them on the podium.]

Burke:
This is a little bit different for me as I am used to people greeting me a little bit differently. While I was growing up, not two blocks away, I had to deal with issues such as violence, drugs, and general people who did not want to help me grow up and prosper. I was around ya’ll age, about 13, when I saw a friend of mine caught in a cross-fire. We were walking home from school when all of this occurred.

[Tyson leaves from behind the podium and paces the stage.]

Burke:
Then and there I knew life was not fair, that not everyone was as nice as Ms. Turner here. I had just lost my best friend and instead of having a friend like Ms. Turner I found a friend that didn’t have my best interest in mind. Sure, we had fun… made a lot of money, but we did things that I regret to this day. If it wasn’t a school like this, a staff like you have I would have ended up wearing a bright orange jump suit instead of this nice three piece suit.

I quickly learned that the people who I fought against and argued with were more of my friend than the guys who I hung out with after school. If it weren’t for Coach Jackson giving me the gift of wrestling after school instead of hanging around on the streets after dark I would be dead or in jail and I thank God for all of the friends that I have made during my life.

[He walks back behind the podium.]

Burke:
Now, when you have a problem or someone is telling you to do something that you don’t think is the nice thing, you have Ms. Turner and the rest of your teachers here and they’ll help you. Do not ever think that you’re alone…ever.

[Ms. Turner walks up from behind Tyson and shakes his hand. The children and faculty clap as Tyson walks off stage.]

[Cut.]

[Scene: Defiance Promo Booth.]

[Time: Mid-Afternoon.]

[Occupant: Tyson Burke.]

Burke:
Have ya’ll ever had a friend that you’d die for? That you’d walk through hot coal for? Well I have.

[He looks away from the camera and then directly back towards it.]

Burke:
You see Mike Sloan was the only man in this business that ever gave me a pot to piss in. After my first go around, as one half of the Heat Seakers, failed he offered me a job at his wrestling school to help others reach their goal. Now, the guy who kept me off the streets and kept food in my belly is laid up at home and may never be able to wrestling again. Not the way he used to at least.

[He pauses and releases a rough sigh.]

Burke:
I know it’s not ya’ll fault, but ya’ll are kinda in the way. I could physically hurt Heidi and the other two, but that would only last for a couple of weeks at the most. Instead, and unlike my partner Curt, I’d rather rape her mentally by taking those trios titles from around the waists of the Untouchables. 

[He smiles.]

Burke:
And the only way for us to do that would be to beat every team that steps in our path. So…once again I apologize in advance for the ass whooping ya’ll are about to receive.

[Fade out.]

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