Projecting

In Promo by Luke Storm

Red Snow.

2020.

Luke Storm vs. Nygma. Lucas vs. Eddie.

It was a whirlwind, but I’ll never forget the end of that night.

Eddie, my dear brother, was the man he’d always been. He didn’t have rippling muscles, nor was he the toughest guy in the room.

But all you rubes thought he was. He was a weak man who projected a strong enough aura that every chucklefuck that walked into OSW thought he was the best there was. Men bowed at his altar, making him into some legends still whispered about.

Then came the Sandman into the fray.

Up until that moment, he’d been a loaded gun tucked into the holster of his master. No matter what evil he perpetrated, kids like Jessie Williams spit in his face. He was a strong creature projecting weakness, using that subterfuge to set himself atop the mountain when the trigger was pulled.

It was pulled that night.

That’s how it works when fake people go toe to toe.

Look at Simon and Banzan.

Simon is the diet version of my brother. A weak man using his superior intellect to project the image of a strong warrior. But he couldn’t even bend Pyre to his will. He had to bring in his own suck squad for muscle.

Weak projecting strong.

Banzan reminds me of the Sandman. He might be the most powerful guy on this planet, but he hides it like a loaded gun in his pocket. People spit in his face and laugh at him.

But that gun is always ready to waste someone. Look at what happened to Helvig and Darklord.

Strong projecting weak.

Now you might be asking yourself, what about the third guy in the equation, the guy mentioned right at the beginning.

Luke fucking Storm.

I’ve played with both of those roles.

When I came to OSW, I was out of my league. Weak projecting strong. Everyone wanted to fuck with me, and I needed to turn them away.

When my brother died, I did what was necessary. I found Mordecai and I found strength. But to the Sandman, I had to show the opposite, that I couldn’t beat him. Strong projecting weak.

But what I learned in the end is that Luke Storm is both strong and weak. I don’t need to project a goddamned thing. I am what Simon and Banzan are utterly unable to be.

Real.

When you look at Hollywood Luke Storm, what you see is what you fucking get. I ain’t as strong as Banzan. I ain’t as smart as Simon.

But I’m better than both of em.

Because the end of the story plays out the same no matter what.

My brother, the weak one everyone thought was strong, got his ass beat by Luke Storm.

Sandman, the strong one everyone thought was weak, got his ass beat by Luke Storm.

Banzan. Simon. Both of you are going to get your asses beat by Luke Storm. All because you can’t just be who you are.

But me?

I’m the Real fucking Deal.

And y’all are fake as fuck!