Post by The Karma Keeper on Jun 8, 2014 5:57:11 GMT -6
My time management has been terrible lately. I apologize for not showing 7 hours ago, I didn't realize it was last night. Gah, I won't make any excuses. The point is, here's what I wrote regardless. Enjoy. And again, apologies to Cannon and Lenton's handler. I'll try to send in a segment furthering the injury so it makes sense.
"Can you hear me, Haven?" The words were iconic, bellowed from the makings of a mystical embodiment of a man perched atop a grandstand. He sat upon a steely throne on a stage dressed in Gothic clothing, black and silver teeth jutting up in all sorts of different angles and direction, intimidating those who were stupid enough to oppose him.
An eerie, demonic tone to the overall flavor of the conference itself spoke a silent message, flooding with imagery that can't be properly understood or described by a mere mortal such as myself as not to dumb down the experience. Pain, strewn across the scene, was the theme, the memory that'll be ingrained in all those who witnessed it in all its splendor, if one might even call it that, on this inglorious day.
"I said, do you hear me Haven?!" His words were louder now, my eyes darting to the being himself. His arms were laxed upon the sides of the angular armrests, red glows contrasting from the monochrome, leathery skin that housed his soul (or lack thereof) covering the rest of his toned body, clear bulging muscles prevalent even through his armor.
"Yes," several said lazily, watching from their endless row of chairs far below his perch, the whole planet baring witness to what he had to say in accordance by law, the consequences dire to say the least. Whoever could not be in attendance, however? They would be forced to watch it on television, forced to look at what our 'supreme leader' had to say unless he wanted to get murdered by the WEAPONs that littered our city streets with a purpose and a wordless grasp of what it took to end humanity as we know it.
"I can't hear you!" The mystical being called out loudly, his words piercing the sky, the words of a monstrosity. Several shuttered at the voice itself, knowing death loomed over them if they had refused to agree with him, had refused to succumb to his power.
"Yes, Fictus!" My voice met their own, a fake enthusiasm on each one of our faces. Where was our hope? What chance did we possibly have? As strange as it may sound, our last shred of hope in the matter came at a rumor which held no weight just yet, the rumor that said that most - if not all - of the WEAPONs' Artificial Intelligence would soon naturally improve enough so that they could finally gain morality one day, knowing that we're not the monsters begging for extinction any longer. It was quite the fairy tale. Too bad it's more than likely not even close to true, no merit to its name.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is dawn," he started up again, his voice gritty and stern, his mind littered with nonsensical thoughts. "Thanks to me and my prominence in making sure this planet had felt the necessary sting it needed to feel in order to cause a surge of existential freedom, I encourage you to join in on the cause! Kill your neighbor, steal from your local convenience stores, do whatever it takes to stretch your pure, unadulterated freedom beyond its limit and soon, we'll truly be looking at the dawn of the new day; the dawn of the New Age that was made possible all because of you!"
I did a reality check, pressing my pointer finger to my palm, pressing it into the skin as hard as I could, the skin itself changing to a brighter red. That is, until it slipped through the skin and muscle without any problem, the pain non-existent. The rules of physics no longer applied to this world. It was a hallucination, a dream, a fabricated moment echoing that of a memory in my own twisted way. And yet, knowing all that, I was still afraid to make a move, hypnotized by the man's speech, in a trance as my eyes moved back to the elegant throne.
"—is on our horizon and believe me when I say... Carpe mortem - seize that death that will soon overcome all of us as it is the only justification for a world free of wars and free of petty arguments, free of hunger and free of selfish desires. When all is said and done, I will soon cause a global surge of world peace like nothing ever seen before with each and every one of you supporting my cause! Our bile ridden world will cleanse itself, everyone feeling the same amount of universal pain that'll surely fix this disgusting, sorry excuse for a planet in no time flat once the—"
The warm, dewy glow of the lights beamed across my face. What happened? My body felt like hell, the feeling that I was tenderized overcoming me with a sharp groan, my eyes finally fluttering open.
"Nick," a woman spoke up, hovering above me. Even before my eyes cleared up, everything drenched in blurry fog, I knew who it was easily, my dear wife concerned for my well-being. I struggled to smile, turning my head slightly, lazily. A shooting pain pierced my back; dull as it were, it still caught me by surprise at the least.
"What happened?" I asked her slowly, a low tone to my groggy voice, my eyes moving to the opposite side of the hospital bed. Another quick smile, spotting Alanna sitting in a chair with the television on in front of her - Boy Meets World - and yet her attention was strictly on me - her father - proud of something I couldn't quite put my finger on.
"You passed out for a couple hours," Saylor informed, the memories flooding back to me. Now I think I know why she was so proud; why they both looked proud of me.
"Wha- What day is it?" I asked slowly, turning my head back to Saylor, who was dressed in not much more than sweatpants and a T-shirt, her hands gripping the sidebar with a gentle smile on her face.
"May 13th. It's about..." she looked at the clock for a second before flashing her eyes back my way. "12:30 AM." I nodded, understanding it now. ExPro #16. That was yesterday, a day I can remember pretty clearly. I stood toe to toe with Magnus Gunner, unafraid and unopposed. I told him what was on my mind, another one of our legendary discussions that was sure to always turn heads.
"Dad?" Alanna spoke up, leaning forward a bit to catch a glimpse of my eyes. She looked nervous, confused, not understanding something. "Are you alright? You... You protected Jimmy Riley. Why?" Her words were innocent enough. She was intelligent beyond measure, more intelligent than she let on. A deep thought process gripped her identity, her brain always moving to think about things like that when the time came.
"What do you mean 'why?'" I questioned back, my voice slow and methodical, not strong enough to speak with the energy and the strength I usually used in times like this. "What else was I supposed to do? Let him get attacked?"
"No, but—"
"But what? Just because I got hurt twice as bad as he would've doesn't mean it wasn't worth it, Alanna. It was the—" I coughed up a piece of mucus, the liquid falling to my hospital gown. "It was the right thing to do. It was stupid, don't get me wrong, but it was the right thing to do," I sighed, thinking about her question further in my head.
Was it worth it? I'm supposed to be watching out for myself and myself only, need to focus on rising up to the world championship picture once this 'time out' is lifted, but he was my friend, right? He would've done the same thing for me if given the same situation?
Honestly, I can't answer that for sure. He probably wouldn't. He would have probably let me take the steel chair just as bad, if not worse if he had the choice. I saw what he did to Cannon and Abby a while back, I saw it all, and yet I saved the guy like nothing back then even matters anymore? What the fuck is wrong with me?
In the end, maybe I was right after all. It was the right thing to do, just like I've been working towards since the beginning, but why do I keep thinking that nobody in this disgusting world really deserves it; that I'm not doing a thing to improve anything in the long run? They shouldn't be proud whatsoever. They should be disappointed I would sacrifice myself for a pointless cause.
Regardless, I still wanted to do some good, still wanted to do all I could to fix things the best I could no matter how futile the idea of world peace will always be at the end of the day, contrary to what Magnus Gunner believes. Of course, I won't teach that to Alanna, as true as it definitely is. She doesn't need to lose her innocence. Not yet.
RING... RING...
"Nick, does this number look familiar?" She held up my cell phone above me, letting it ring in her hand. I stared at the 10 white numbers on the screen over the black background, thinking to myself. I searched through the tattered memories of my mind to find where I remembered that number, thought long and hard about where I've seen that—
"Dad."
The word was monotone, emotionless. I did the reality check, just like you taught me. My finger failed to go through my palm. This was real, Doctor. This was definitely real.
Let me start off by saying, The Ninth Gate returned without remorse to take down TROUBLE at ExPro #16 and, instead of being rightfully prosecuted, instead of being banned from the company or forced to rise through the ranks once more just like everyone else after they tucked their tails between their legs to run away while LEGION made a break for it like a bunch of bitches, they were instead given a match at Absent Are The Saints for the EXODUS Tag Team Titles. Does that make sense to any of you? At all?
To make things worse, the all encompassing Gods & Monsters, adding to all this nonsensical war, has supposedly managed to recruit my old leader, Daisuke, as well as his new phony lackeys who helped him carry out that infamous deed? Gunner's been able to call the man who held his leash his brand spanking new lap dog? Really?
On the other side of the fence, his partner Kameron Chase who aligns himself with the same goal? Well, he weighed us down when me and Zero had one of our first few matches against some of the best in this business and I still can't ignore that he got pinned, a supposed legend, and now that he's back, we're not supposed to remember all that? Well, I remember, Kameron. I remember.
Regardless, this isn't about them. My point in bringing it up is to point out that their victory over TROUBLE, over the team of Wulf and Lenton, was unjust - the booking of the match all backwards. We shouldn't reward hooligans for hurting our champions with a title shot, shouldn't applaud assault like its a necessary evil. I can't change the past of course, I can't change much actually, but believe me, I'll be looking to take them down sooner than you think, make them beg for my pity once all the stars are aligned in a row. That's my promise to TROUBLE, a promise for EXODUS. Now, however? Now is a different story.
I'll be honest with you guys. Brutally honest. I'm... probably not fit to compete at ExPro #17. My body still aches. I feel like I've been run over by a truck named Magnus Gunner. My rib hasn't healed back in place, my body feels 70 percent at best and I can't help but think that that won't be good enough.
The competition in this match? One half of arguably the most relevant tag team in this company and a former world champ! These men held championship gold only recently, raised to the top of the food chain, and yet here I am, an inept beta of the final version of myself that can't possibly defeat the former champions if only left on my own devices, right?
Now, maybe I'm overreacting; I guess we'll see when the time comes if I really have what it takes to win, but all that aside, it doesn't seem to be my night. Frankly, I'm screwed, but at the very least, I'm going against two guys I see standing at a pedestal above me who've remained some of the most memorable names in this federation, men I look up to and men who I can't help but have respect for their in ring ability.
Respect is a strong word and I'm not exactly known to ever really show it, am I? Maybe it's the wrong word, but I do admire how these two - Steve Lenton and Johnny Cannon - have stuck through all that they've endured and remain in this company for as long as they have and yet still going full force with no sign of ever stopping.
Hey, Steve? May I call you Steve, buddy? Okay, maybe buddy is a stretch. Do you remember way back when I was tied up to Zero and we were gunning for the tag team championships? I do. Truth be told, you gave us hell, not to mention The Turks in those series of matches, but that opens a can of worms I'm not yet ready to open right now.
Me and you however, Lenton? We've fought before. The only difference is the people backstage seem to be a fan of me fighting against Wulf a bit more than you. Go figure. All weird booking choices aside, my matches against him were some of my best in the company, something people take for granted, and surely you'll be no different.
Some people don't realize this, and all bashing aside, but I was in THW for a few weeks way back when. I had no real notable win to my name before I parted ways with a respectable nod. See, your friend was a big deal back then - not that he isn't now - but he was a bigger deal, a juggernaut in the singles division and I kept wishing I could go up against that guy, his face plastered on posters and commercials all over. It was something to reach for, something to look forward to. Granted, if I hadn't left the company so soon, it would have happened earlier than you think.
See, no offense to anyone here, but Wulf slipped down slightly in popularity since and you? Well, you're one of the biggest stars EXODUS has to offer, believe me. When someone mentions EXODUS, you know what they think of? Of course, not me; that'd be Christopher Brian Bridges (look it up, you'll laugh).
No, they think of The Big L, they think of the promos you spew. They think of the power you have, the power of your strength in itself and your power to cause the crowd to rally. It's obvious you've found your niche in this company, a good niche indeed, but I can't help but think you're lacking something lately, been lacking some fundamental ingredient to the Steve Lenton pie that's been hindering you greatly and I can't seem to think of what that could possibly be.
Is it your lack of visible drive, maybe? Ever since you've beaten Zero McHannon back ages ago when you were champion, you've definitely been less determined, less driven to win. At least, that's how I see it. You've been different, you've been complacent, and here I am running head first into your path, throwing caution to the wind, and I can't help but think it'll be a good test of both our abilities, a good fight to be remembered.
Hit me with your best shot! Hit me with everything you have, as hard as you possibly can! Try to kill me, try to break me, try to end me within an inch of my godforsaken life 'cause I want this to be the return of the Steve Lenton who brought fear into the hearts of many and the fire in his eyes that could never cease for an instant! Show me that Steve Lenton, injured or not, and I'll give you everything I got so we can blow that whole fucking house down in Japan!
It's gonna be one hell of a match. I only hope I'm able to live up to my own standards and survive to live another day against a beast of a man such as you, Steve Lenton. Show me your monster. I need the training.
That giant, boxy billboard television flickered off finally, the scene of Fictus speaking his mind and rambling about who-knows-what, the words he brought out being more complicated than I could even understand. You know, it was funny. They went to such lengths to make sure no matter where you were, you could hear the watch but they never bothered to put subtitles for the 12 year old girl trying to survive in this deserted wasteland. You'd 've thought that'd be their number one priority.
Blue, elegant fireflies fluttered to distract us, their bodies made of metal and technology if you looked really, really close. Its LED light flickered softly, almost warmly. I saw it watching me through its lens, crawling against my prickly arm hair, tickling me. It made me think that this was my guardian angel, making sure I'd be okay in this planet called Haven, this twisted playground for robots and evil preachers I couldn't even begin to understand who sat on a throne just to claim he would save us all by destroying everything. Even I could understand it was dumb!
I keep getting distracted. My attention was back at the firefly, watching it crawl on my forearm carefully. I couldn't help but smile, wondering if anyone would ever see the gentle wave I gave it, a proud smile across my face.
"Tavie, look at this!" In all the excitement, our nicknames flew out the window lately, our real names making their way into our speech at a regular basis. It was almost as if to say we weren't afraid to forget about our parents, weren't afraid to remember them for what they were while they were around.
"What is it, Izzy? Can't you see I'm busy?!" He rolled his eyes, his hands over his eyebrows like a visor. He looked towards the horizon, trying to spot something in the distance. "You see that house over there, don't you?"
I stepped right next to him, making a visor with my warm hands just like he did, letting the firefly flutter away. All I could see was that billboard television - it was an advertisement now, a commercial for GEICO. 'So easy a WEAPON could do it!' It made me chuckle, probably louder than I should've.
"Sometimes I forget you're only 12 years old," he shook his head, disappointed in me. He pointed towards the house, a white comfy home not too far from here. "What do you think it is?"
"It's a house, dummy," I shot back, another laugh leaving my lips.
"Are you gonna take this seriously or am I gonna have to remind you about what happened to Delta?' With that, my heart sped up quickly, remembering the sound of the train when it ripped him to shreds, hitting him hard for something that could have been easily avoided if we just took some time to think.
"I... It could be anything," I corrected myself. "Maybe we should go check it out?" Tavie nodded, a few others following from behind. "Ashley, whaddya think? You think we should go check it out?"
"What do we have to lose, right?" she nodded, her blonde hair flowing in the light breeze, a backpack hunched over her with all our remaining supplies. "Food, water, that house might be our ticket to tomorrow."
"Yeah," Tavie commented. "We'll start walking now. Think we'll hit there by, what? Ten, fifteen— Izzy!" He ran after me, as did the rest of the group not too far behind as I laughed, sprinting down that grassy hill with a smile on my face. This was it, this was gonna be our reward for surviving for so long! I just knew it!
"Try to keep up!" I shouted behind me, my brunette hair flying in my eyes as I looked forward again, a hand reaching up to push it aside if only for another strand to fall back out of place. I couldn't help but laugh, an excitement I couldn't explain. Before I knew it, my flimsy legs had carried me to the front doorstep, knocking on the door like a kid - quickly over and over before ringing the doorbell 1, 2, 7 times in a row. That'll get their attention!
"Isabella, you can't just—" Before Tavie could give me a lecture, a man and a woman answered the door with smiling faces, looking at our dirty clothes with clear concern. This was it. These were the people who would take care of us from now on, I could feel it in my gut! All we could do was stand there quietly, watching the people look back at the nine of us before they finally let us inside. This was our ticket to tomorrow and this was our safe haven. Can you tell how excited I am?!
Tavie shot me a look as we both stepped inside the light, a look that said 'you trust too easily.' But what does he know, right? You can't refuse a helping hand. That'd just be silly.
Johnny Cannon. We've fought before in the Honor Cup, duking it out to see who would keep the International Championship to their name. I refused to lose, refused to just kneel down to the floor to let you win and eventually, I went home with that hunk of metal, walking away with just as much prestige as you had. Eventually, I rised to defend the championship twice - tied for the EXODUS record to show just how tough this competition in this company will always be. 'Cept, there's a glaring problem...
You went on to carry the EXODUS World Championship, Johnny. All the respect I have for you aside, I'm jealous of you, you realize that? I'm jealous that they give you the respect you never asked for. I'm jealous that they kneel at your name and admire what you've done in this company. And most of all, I'm jealous that you of all people became World Champ for all of nearly two seconds from the technicality of having Magnus take down Lasie beforehand! I'm jealous that you had your dream handed to you on a silver platter while I have to work and scratch and beg to get noticed, fight for everything I believe in and take down the main baddies just to get a second glance!!
... I'm jealous of your socializing nature, of the way you hold parties and celebrate like the world is gonna end the next day. I'm jealous that you stand here with the name Johnny Cannon and continue to be more recognizable than I'll ever be, no matter what mistakes you make and the truth is all here for the world to see.
See, I'm not afraid to be honest. I'm not afraid to admit what's on my mind, no matter what kind of untouched grass I tread over in the process, no matter what glass ceilings I shatter, Johnny. Most everyone in the world gets jealous one way or another, they just hide it behind fabrications and lies and just mentally wish they were better, mentally hoping they were good enough. I like to think it takes a lot out of someone to admit their jealousies though, takes a lot for someone to admit all that, but you know what? It's healthy.
Truth be told, that jealousy pushes me. I look at your stance in the company and I reach all the more further, want to reach higher than you've ever imagined. I need to be better, dethrone the man who took you down in Magnus Gunner eventually in your name and make sure we hopefully have a champion we can all be proud of when its all said in done. Whether that be me or Fiona or anyone else not in Gods & Monsters who has what it takes to make the beast crumble to his knees before them like a coward simply asking for the end!
So, just as I told Lenton, I don't want to see the man I faced in the Honor Cup qualifying match, no. Honor is out the window. I want to see what Gunner felt, want to take everything you have to offer. Through that, I'll improve win or lose, see what it takes to slay the demons of this company and eventually fix things for the better with or without anyone by my side!
It's like a game. I mean, E3 is coming up soon, right? Consider it this way. Lenton and you, Cannon? Bonus EXP. The more experience, the more I #LevelUp ala Riley Runnels and when this match is through, I'll have more tools in the toolbox to take on the guys tormenting all of us, Johnny. I'll be better equipped to restore your name and use whatever I have in my arsenal to make him wish he hadn't started this 'New Age' in the first place! For you, for Lenton, for the entire roster. Hell, for the entire group of EXODUS fans watching in attendance in Japan, the millions watching at home with baited breath!
Don't believe me? Doubt my intentions yet again? Go on, believe I have ulterior motives. I probably do, little you know. But at the end of the day, my path to greatness involves clearing out whoever stands in our way, so consider me an ally to anyone else who doesn't want to see EXODUS burn to a crisp unassisted!
Johnny. Listen to me, okay? Do your best out there. Pretend I'm Gunner, pretend I'm the boss battle. Jump my barrels, dodge my psychological attacks, do whatever it takes to defeat a former 'Gods & Monsters disciple.' Use it to improve yourself, 'cause if you happen to rise to the occasion to become the two time World Champion, well...
I'd be jealous, but guess what? It's better than what we got and it's what the world wants to see, so have at it. At ExPro #17, it's Cannon vs. Lenton vs. EXODUS' biggest disappointment and I hope you're all watching out there. This is sure to do anything but disappoint. Proud of me yet, Dad? Mom? You should be.
Oh, but you expected honor? This ain't the Honor Cup, guys. You know me enough to know I'll do whatever it takes to win. It doesn't matter that we're in Japan. It doesn't matter that I'm injured beyond what I'm telling you. All that matters is, sitting on that throne when the day is done and being able to say I've gotten stronger because of it.
Give me your absolute worst. Try to end my career. I'll just get back up.
"Dad?" Alanna asked me, her eyes widening. "Why don't you want to talk to him?"
"Because," I answered, taking a deep breath, the air flooding down my lungs. "That's a story for another day. You wouldn't understand."
RING... RING... RING...
RING... RING—
"Can you hear me, Haven?" The words were iconic, bellowed from the makings of a mystical embodiment of a man perched atop a grandstand. He sat upon a steely throne on a stage dressed in Gothic clothing, black and silver teeth jutting up in all sorts of different angles and direction, intimidating those who were stupid enough to oppose him.
An eerie, demonic tone to the overall flavor of the conference itself spoke a silent message, flooding with imagery that can't be properly understood or described by a mere mortal such as myself as not to dumb down the experience. Pain, strewn across the scene, was the theme, the memory that'll be ingrained in all those who witnessed it in all its splendor, if one might even call it that, on this inglorious day.
"I said, do you hear me Haven?!" His words were louder now, my eyes darting to the being himself. His arms were laxed upon the sides of the angular armrests, red glows contrasting from the monochrome, leathery skin that housed his soul (or lack thereof) covering the rest of his toned body, clear bulging muscles prevalent even through his armor.
"Yes," several said lazily, watching from their endless row of chairs far below his perch, the whole planet baring witness to what he had to say in accordance by law, the consequences dire to say the least. Whoever could not be in attendance, however? They would be forced to watch it on television, forced to look at what our 'supreme leader' had to say unless he wanted to get murdered by the WEAPONs that littered our city streets with a purpose and a wordless grasp of what it took to end humanity as we know it.
"I can't hear you!" The mystical being called out loudly, his words piercing the sky, the words of a monstrosity. Several shuttered at the voice itself, knowing death loomed over them if they had refused to agree with him, had refused to succumb to his power.
"Yes, Fictus!" My voice met their own, a fake enthusiasm on each one of our faces. Where was our hope? What chance did we possibly have? As strange as it may sound, our last shred of hope in the matter came at a rumor which held no weight just yet, the rumor that said that most - if not all - of the WEAPONs' Artificial Intelligence would soon naturally improve enough so that they could finally gain morality one day, knowing that we're not the monsters begging for extinction any longer. It was quite the fairy tale. Too bad it's more than likely not even close to true, no merit to its name.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is dawn," he started up again, his voice gritty and stern, his mind littered with nonsensical thoughts. "Thanks to me and my prominence in making sure this planet had felt the necessary sting it needed to feel in order to cause a surge of existential freedom, I encourage you to join in on the cause! Kill your neighbor, steal from your local convenience stores, do whatever it takes to stretch your pure, unadulterated freedom beyond its limit and soon, we'll truly be looking at the dawn of the new day; the dawn of the New Age that was made possible all because of you!"
I did a reality check, pressing my pointer finger to my palm, pressing it into the skin as hard as I could, the skin itself changing to a brighter red. That is, until it slipped through the skin and muscle without any problem, the pain non-existent. The rules of physics no longer applied to this world. It was a hallucination, a dream, a fabricated moment echoing that of a memory in my own twisted way. And yet, knowing all that, I was still afraid to make a move, hypnotized by the man's speech, in a trance as my eyes moved back to the elegant throne.
"—is on our horizon and believe me when I say... Carpe mortem - seize that death that will soon overcome all of us as it is the only justification for a world free of wars and free of petty arguments, free of hunger and free of selfish desires. When all is said and done, I will soon cause a global surge of world peace like nothing ever seen before with each and every one of you supporting my cause! Our bile ridden world will cleanse itself, everyone feeling the same amount of universal pain that'll surely fix this disgusting, sorry excuse for a planet in no time flat once the—"
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SAFE HAVEN
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SAFE HAVEN
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The warm, dewy glow of the lights beamed across my face. What happened? My body felt like hell, the feeling that I was tenderized overcoming me with a sharp groan, my eyes finally fluttering open.
"Nick," a woman spoke up, hovering above me. Even before my eyes cleared up, everything drenched in blurry fog, I knew who it was easily, my dear wife concerned for my well-being. I struggled to smile, turning my head slightly, lazily. A shooting pain pierced my back; dull as it were, it still caught me by surprise at the least.
"What happened?" I asked her slowly, a low tone to my groggy voice, my eyes moving to the opposite side of the hospital bed. Another quick smile, spotting Alanna sitting in a chair with the television on in front of her - Boy Meets World - and yet her attention was strictly on me - her father - proud of something I couldn't quite put my finger on.
"You passed out for a couple hours," Saylor informed, the memories flooding back to me. Now I think I know why she was so proud; why they both looked proud of me.
"Wha- What day is it?" I asked slowly, turning my head back to Saylor, who was dressed in not much more than sweatpants and a T-shirt, her hands gripping the sidebar with a gentle smile on her face.
"May 13th. It's about..." she looked at the clock for a second before flashing her eyes back my way. "12:30 AM." I nodded, understanding it now. ExPro #16. That was yesterday, a day I can remember pretty clearly. I stood toe to toe with Magnus Gunner, unafraid and unopposed. I told him what was on my mind, another one of our legendary discussions that was sure to always turn heads.
"Dad?" Alanna spoke up, leaning forward a bit to catch a glimpse of my eyes. She looked nervous, confused, not understanding something. "Are you alright? You... You protected Jimmy Riley. Why?" Her words were innocent enough. She was intelligent beyond measure, more intelligent than she let on. A deep thought process gripped her identity, her brain always moving to think about things like that when the time came.
"What do you mean 'why?'" I questioned back, my voice slow and methodical, not strong enough to speak with the energy and the strength I usually used in times like this. "What else was I supposed to do? Let him get attacked?"
"No, but—"
"But what? Just because I got hurt twice as bad as he would've doesn't mean it wasn't worth it, Alanna. It was the—" I coughed up a piece of mucus, the liquid falling to my hospital gown. "It was the right thing to do. It was stupid, don't get me wrong, but it was the right thing to do," I sighed, thinking about her question further in my head.
Was it worth it? I'm supposed to be watching out for myself and myself only, need to focus on rising up to the world championship picture once this 'time out' is lifted, but he was my friend, right? He would've done the same thing for me if given the same situation?
Honestly, I can't answer that for sure. He probably wouldn't. He would have probably let me take the steel chair just as bad, if not worse if he had the choice. I saw what he did to Cannon and Abby a while back, I saw it all, and yet I saved the guy like nothing back then even matters anymore? What the fuck is wrong with me?
In the end, maybe I was right after all. It was the right thing to do, just like I've been working towards since the beginning, but why do I keep thinking that nobody in this disgusting world really deserves it; that I'm not doing a thing to improve anything in the long run? They shouldn't be proud whatsoever. They should be disappointed I would sacrifice myself for a pointless cause.
Regardless, I still wanted to do some good, still wanted to do all I could to fix things the best I could no matter how futile the idea of world peace will always be at the end of the day, contrary to what Magnus Gunner believes. Of course, I won't teach that to Alanna, as true as it definitely is. She doesn't need to lose her innocence. Not yet.
RING... RING...
"Nick, does this number look familiar?" She held up my cell phone above me, letting it ring in her hand. I stared at the 10 white numbers on the screen over the black background, thinking to myself. I searched through the tattered memories of my mind to find where I remembered that number, thought long and hard about where I've seen that—
"Dad."
The word was monotone, emotionless. I did the reality check, just like you taught me. My finger failed to go through my palm. This was real, Doctor. This was definitely real.
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Let me start off by saying, The Ninth Gate returned without remorse to take down TROUBLE at ExPro #16 and, instead of being rightfully prosecuted, instead of being banned from the company or forced to rise through the ranks once more just like everyone else after they tucked their tails between their legs to run away while LEGION made a break for it like a bunch of bitches, they were instead given a match at Absent Are The Saints for the EXODUS Tag Team Titles. Does that make sense to any of you? At all?
To make things worse, the all encompassing Gods & Monsters, adding to all this nonsensical war, has supposedly managed to recruit my old leader, Daisuke, as well as his new phony lackeys who helped him carry out that infamous deed? Gunner's been able to call the man who held his leash his brand spanking new lap dog? Really?
On the other side of the fence, his partner Kameron Chase who aligns himself with the same goal? Well, he weighed us down when me and Zero had one of our first few matches against some of the best in this business and I still can't ignore that he got pinned, a supposed legend, and now that he's back, we're not supposed to remember all that? Well, I remember, Kameron. I remember.
Regardless, this isn't about them. My point in bringing it up is to point out that their victory over TROUBLE, over the team of Wulf and Lenton, was unjust - the booking of the match all backwards. We shouldn't reward hooligans for hurting our champions with a title shot, shouldn't applaud assault like its a necessary evil. I can't change the past of course, I can't change much actually, but believe me, I'll be looking to take them down sooner than you think, make them beg for my pity once all the stars are aligned in a row. That's my promise to TROUBLE, a promise for EXODUS. Now, however? Now is a different story.
I'll be honest with you guys. Brutally honest. I'm... probably not fit to compete at ExPro #17. My body still aches. I feel like I've been run over by a truck named Magnus Gunner. My rib hasn't healed back in place, my body feels 70 percent at best and I can't help but think that that won't be good enough.
The competition in this match? One half of arguably the most relevant tag team in this company and a former world champ! These men held championship gold only recently, raised to the top of the food chain, and yet here I am, an inept beta of the final version of myself that can't possibly defeat the former champions if only left on my own devices, right?
Now, maybe I'm overreacting; I guess we'll see when the time comes if I really have what it takes to win, but all that aside, it doesn't seem to be my night. Frankly, I'm screwed, but at the very least, I'm going against two guys I see standing at a pedestal above me who've remained some of the most memorable names in this federation, men I look up to and men who I can't help but have respect for their in ring ability.
Respect is a strong word and I'm not exactly known to ever really show it, am I? Maybe it's the wrong word, but I do admire how these two - Steve Lenton and Johnny Cannon - have stuck through all that they've endured and remain in this company for as long as they have and yet still going full force with no sign of ever stopping.
Hey, Steve? May I call you Steve, buddy? Okay, maybe buddy is a stretch. Do you remember way back when I was tied up to Zero and we were gunning for the tag team championships? I do. Truth be told, you gave us hell, not to mention The Turks in those series of matches, but that opens a can of worms I'm not yet ready to open right now.
Me and you however, Lenton? We've fought before. The only difference is the people backstage seem to be a fan of me fighting against Wulf a bit more than you. Go figure. All weird booking choices aside, my matches against him were some of my best in the company, something people take for granted, and surely you'll be no different.
Some people don't realize this, and all bashing aside, but I was in THW for a few weeks way back when. I had no real notable win to my name before I parted ways with a respectable nod. See, your friend was a big deal back then - not that he isn't now - but he was a bigger deal, a juggernaut in the singles division and I kept wishing I could go up against that guy, his face plastered on posters and commercials all over. It was something to reach for, something to look forward to. Granted, if I hadn't left the company so soon, it would have happened earlier than you think.
See, no offense to anyone here, but Wulf slipped down slightly in popularity since and you? Well, you're one of the biggest stars EXODUS has to offer, believe me. When someone mentions EXODUS, you know what they think of? Of course, not me; that'd be Christopher Brian Bridges (look it up, you'll laugh).
No, they think of The Big L, they think of the promos you spew. They think of the power you have, the power of your strength in itself and your power to cause the crowd to rally. It's obvious you've found your niche in this company, a good niche indeed, but I can't help but think you're lacking something lately, been lacking some fundamental ingredient to the Steve Lenton pie that's been hindering you greatly and I can't seem to think of what that could possibly be.
Is it your lack of visible drive, maybe? Ever since you've beaten Zero McHannon back ages ago when you were champion, you've definitely been less determined, less driven to win. At least, that's how I see it. You've been different, you've been complacent, and here I am running head first into your path, throwing caution to the wind, and I can't help but think it'll be a good test of both our abilities, a good fight to be remembered.
Hit me with your best shot! Hit me with everything you have, as hard as you possibly can! Try to kill me, try to break me, try to end me within an inch of my godforsaken life 'cause I want this to be the return of the Steve Lenton who brought fear into the hearts of many and the fire in his eyes that could never cease for an instant! Show me that Steve Lenton, injured or not, and I'll give you everything I got so we can blow that whole fucking house down in Japan!
It's gonna be one hell of a match. I only hope I'm able to live up to my own standards and survive to live another day against a beast of a man such as you, Steve Lenton. Show me your monster. I need the training.
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That giant, boxy billboard television flickered off finally, the scene of Fictus speaking his mind and rambling about who-knows-what, the words he brought out being more complicated than I could even understand. You know, it was funny. They went to such lengths to make sure no matter where you were, you could hear the watch but they never bothered to put subtitles for the 12 year old girl trying to survive in this deserted wasteland. You'd 've thought that'd be their number one priority.
Blue, elegant fireflies fluttered to distract us, their bodies made of metal and technology if you looked really, really close. Its LED light flickered softly, almost warmly. I saw it watching me through its lens, crawling against my prickly arm hair, tickling me. It made me think that this was my guardian angel, making sure I'd be okay in this planet called Haven, this twisted playground for robots and evil preachers I couldn't even begin to understand who sat on a throne just to claim he would save us all by destroying everything. Even I could understand it was dumb!
I keep getting distracted. My attention was back at the firefly, watching it crawl on my forearm carefully. I couldn't help but smile, wondering if anyone would ever see the gentle wave I gave it, a proud smile across my face.
"Tavie, look at this!" In all the excitement, our nicknames flew out the window lately, our real names making their way into our speech at a regular basis. It was almost as if to say we weren't afraid to forget about our parents, weren't afraid to remember them for what they were while they were around.
"What is it, Izzy? Can't you see I'm busy?!" He rolled his eyes, his hands over his eyebrows like a visor. He looked towards the horizon, trying to spot something in the distance. "You see that house over there, don't you?"
I stepped right next to him, making a visor with my warm hands just like he did, letting the firefly flutter away. All I could see was that billboard television - it was an advertisement now, a commercial for GEICO. 'So easy a WEAPON could do it!' It made me chuckle, probably louder than I should've.
"Sometimes I forget you're only 12 years old," he shook his head, disappointed in me. He pointed towards the house, a white comfy home not too far from here. "What do you think it is?"
"It's a house, dummy," I shot back, another laugh leaving my lips.
"Are you gonna take this seriously or am I gonna have to remind you about what happened to Delta?' With that, my heart sped up quickly, remembering the sound of the train when it ripped him to shreds, hitting him hard for something that could have been easily avoided if we just took some time to think.
"I... It could be anything," I corrected myself. "Maybe we should go check it out?" Tavie nodded, a few others following from behind. "Ashley, whaddya think? You think we should go check it out?"
"What do we have to lose, right?" she nodded, her blonde hair flowing in the light breeze, a backpack hunched over her with all our remaining supplies. "Food, water, that house might be our ticket to tomorrow."
"Yeah," Tavie commented. "We'll start walking now. Think we'll hit there by, what? Ten, fifteen— Izzy!" He ran after me, as did the rest of the group not too far behind as I laughed, sprinting down that grassy hill with a smile on my face. This was it, this was gonna be our reward for surviving for so long! I just knew it!
"Try to keep up!" I shouted behind me, my brunette hair flying in my eyes as I looked forward again, a hand reaching up to push it aside if only for another strand to fall back out of place. I couldn't help but laugh, an excitement I couldn't explain. Before I knew it, my flimsy legs had carried me to the front doorstep, knocking on the door like a kid - quickly over and over before ringing the doorbell 1, 2, 7 times in a row. That'll get their attention!
"Isabella, you can't just—" Before Tavie could give me a lecture, a man and a woman answered the door with smiling faces, looking at our dirty clothes with clear concern. This was it. These were the people who would take care of us from now on, I could feel it in my gut! All we could do was stand there quietly, watching the people look back at the nine of us before they finally let us inside. This was our ticket to tomorrow and this was our safe haven. Can you tell how excited I am?!
Tavie shot me a look as we both stepped inside the light, a look that said 'you trust too easily.' But what does he know, right? You can't refuse a helping hand. That'd just be silly.
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Johnny Cannon. We've fought before in the Honor Cup, duking it out to see who would keep the International Championship to their name. I refused to lose, refused to just kneel down to the floor to let you win and eventually, I went home with that hunk of metal, walking away with just as much prestige as you had. Eventually, I rised to defend the championship twice - tied for the EXODUS record to show just how tough this competition in this company will always be. 'Cept, there's a glaring problem...
You went on to carry the EXODUS World Championship, Johnny. All the respect I have for you aside, I'm jealous of you, you realize that? I'm jealous that they give you the respect you never asked for. I'm jealous that they kneel at your name and admire what you've done in this company. And most of all, I'm jealous that you of all people became World Champ for all of nearly two seconds from the technicality of having Magnus take down Lasie beforehand! I'm jealous that you had your dream handed to you on a silver platter while I have to work and scratch and beg to get noticed, fight for everything I believe in and take down the main baddies just to get a second glance!!
... I'm jealous of your socializing nature, of the way you hold parties and celebrate like the world is gonna end the next day. I'm jealous that you stand here with the name Johnny Cannon and continue to be more recognizable than I'll ever be, no matter what mistakes you make and the truth is all here for the world to see.
See, I'm not afraid to be honest. I'm not afraid to admit what's on my mind, no matter what kind of untouched grass I tread over in the process, no matter what glass ceilings I shatter, Johnny. Most everyone in the world gets jealous one way or another, they just hide it behind fabrications and lies and just mentally wish they were better, mentally hoping they were good enough. I like to think it takes a lot out of someone to admit their jealousies though, takes a lot for someone to admit all that, but you know what? It's healthy.
Truth be told, that jealousy pushes me. I look at your stance in the company and I reach all the more further, want to reach higher than you've ever imagined. I need to be better, dethrone the man who took you down in Magnus Gunner eventually in your name and make sure we hopefully have a champion we can all be proud of when its all said in done. Whether that be me or Fiona or anyone else not in Gods & Monsters who has what it takes to make the beast crumble to his knees before them like a coward simply asking for the end!
So, just as I told Lenton, I don't want to see the man I faced in the Honor Cup qualifying match, no. Honor is out the window. I want to see what Gunner felt, want to take everything you have to offer. Through that, I'll improve win or lose, see what it takes to slay the demons of this company and eventually fix things for the better with or without anyone by my side!
It's like a game. I mean, E3 is coming up soon, right? Consider it this way. Lenton and you, Cannon? Bonus EXP. The more experience, the more I #LevelUp ala Riley Runnels and when this match is through, I'll have more tools in the toolbox to take on the guys tormenting all of us, Johnny. I'll be better equipped to restore your name and use whatever I have in my arsenal to make him wish he hadn't started this 'New Age' in the first place! For you, for Lenton, for the entire roster. Hell, for the entire group of EXODUS fans watching in attendance in Japan, the millions watching at home with baited breath!
Don't believe me? Doubt my intentions yet again? Go on, believe I have ulterior motives. I probably do, little you know. But at the end of the day, my path to greatness involves clearing out whoever stands in our way, so consider me an ally to anyone else who doesn't want to see EXODUS burn to a crisp unassisted!
Johnny. Listen to me, okay? Do your best out there. Pretend I'm Gunner, pretend I'm the boss battle. Jump my barrels, dodge my psychological attacks, do whatever it takes to defeat a former 'Gods & Monsters disciple.' Use it to improve yourself, 'cause if you happen to rise to the occasion to become the two time World Champion, well...
I'd be jealous, but guess what? It's better than what we got and it's what the world wants to see, so have at it. At ExPro #17, it's Cannon vs. Lenton vs. EXODUS' biggest disappointment and I hope you're all watching out there. This is sure to do anything but disappoint. Proud of me yet, Dad? Mom? You should be.
Oh, but you expected honor? This ain't the Honor Cup, guys. You know me enough to know I'll do whatever it takes to win. It doesn't matter that we're in Japan. It doesn't matter that I'm injured beyond what I'm telling you. All that matters is, sitting on that throne when the day is done and being able to say I've gotten stronger because of it.
Give me your absolute worst. Try to end my career. I'll just get back up.
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"Dad?" Alanna asked me, her eyes widening. "Why don't you want to talk to him?"
"Because," I answered, taking a deep breath, the air flooding down my lungs. "That's a story for another day. You wouldn't understand."
RING... RING... RING...
RING... RING—