Post by WEAPON on Jul 6, 2014 19:46:31 GMT -6
June 30, 2014
Fukuoka, Japan
It was a rather cloudy day in Canal City Hakata, a large shopping and entertainment complex right in the heart of Fukuoka, Japan. It was deemed the “city within the city” due to boasting numerous attractions including shops, cafes, restaurants, a theater, game center, cinemas, a pair of hotels, and a canal, which runs through the entire complex. It was outside by one of those canals, swirl patterns dominating the ground that they stand on, that WEAPON scanned the scene around him, glancing at his wrist and the Rolex resting within it before looking around again. Outside of the Rolex, there was nothing else fancy to him - a faded burgundy cap covering his messy brown hair, green and white Ribera steakhouse jacket, sweatpants and a pair of Adidas. It was four o'clock sharp and right at the point where he agreed to meet them. It wasn’t too long after that where he saw a pair walk up his general direction and with a smile, WEAPON exchanged pleasantries with the both.
“Hey, nice to see you both,” he replied. “Out of costume, anyway.”
The first one of the two was a young man by the name of David Zinkus. Scrawny kid, two inches shorter than WEAPON, spiky brown hair and a bit of a baby face - not somebody who you would believe to be a ring announcer for a company on the rise with each and every week. The other one, however, at the same height as the Fail-Safe Program of EXODUS, shorter hair, a little stubble on his face and most importantly, he possessed the same imposing aura that the WEAPON before him exhibited every time he stepped through the ropes and into the squared circle. He was known in many circuits as the greatest junior heavyweight to step through the ropes, but the man in the mask had come to know him as a close friend and as the director of operations in EXODUS Pro, Jonathan Collins.
“Good to see you. You called, the least I could do is answer,” said the older man in Collins. “We’re going to have to be quick. I have a lead on Hal, and...I’m getting some bad vibes on a situation back home. One of my students may be in danger and I’m helpless when I’m here,” he said, referring to a matter involving his newest trainee, Cassidy Carter. “But hey, at least Zinkus is helping keep my head on straight. And he’s been unsurprisingly loyal, considering the shit we’ve subjected to. Lord knows Kadence would have devoured the kid whole,” he laughed, gently elbowing the young man.
“...Please don’t say that, boss,” the younger Zinkus replied, gulping. “I’d rather not become somebody’s meal. Literally and figuratively.”
WEAPON sighed. “Kadence is an issue. At the same time, she proposed something to ensure her cooperation, so long as we keep Daisuke out of her hair...I’ll be giving my response to her once we go to Ellum again.” WEAPON shook his head, already knowing all too well what was to come and the steps he had taken in advance to ensure nobody else on his side would get hurt. “I ended things with [REDACTED]. It was getting to the point where she wanted more than I could provide...and the last thing I need is Kadence and the Ellum squad trying to get her involved in the process. Not to mention, I’ve got another problem equally as annoying on top of it all.”
“Are you referring to the situation in that other front in Chicago?” Zinkus asked, showing his own attentive eye for situations outside of his own home company. “I thought the guy was a small-timer.”
WEAPON shook his head. “Somewhere in the time I was gone to now, he’s started to grow a faction over there. They’ve got numbers, they’ve got resources...and now, they’ve got my fucking statue,” he growled. “Swear to Christ, I cannot catch a break. First, it was Kane’s douchebag little trainee and her equally nauseating boyfriend and now, this…”
“Listen to me. Coming from someone who’s fighting wars on more fronts than people realize,” he started, almost mumbling the name of one of his best friends under his breath during that thought, “What you need to do at the moment is focus. Pick and choose each battle carefully, or at least go in having fully assessed your situation. Say the word and I’ll put on the hood and make a cameo. I’m probably going to have to fly back to Knoxville if this gets worse with Cassidy,” he said, the two of them sharing an exceptionally uncomfortable silence at the name of that particular town.
“...she doesn’t work for that guy,” he said, trying to break the tension.
“WEAPON, listen to me. If you know what you’re doing with [REDACTED], I get it. I know what it’s like to have someone I love on the chessboard. Whether I like it or not, Fiona’s in play, but she did that the minute she crossed Daisuke two years ago. And whether you like it or not, she’s in play already because people like Daisuke and Kadence already know who we are and what we love. Nothing’s sacred. We just have to have to be bold enough to put it all on the line for the right reasons. We’re the last of a dying breed, [REDACTED]. It’s not time for us to go extinct just yet.”
“To be fair, Mr. WEAPON...I agree but at the same time, given that we can’t be there all the time…” Zinkus stopped mid-sentence, trying to formulate the sentence the best way he could without causing any extra nuisances or annoyance towards the Fail-Safe Program. “Perhaps find a few people that you could trust. Not necessarily be best friends with or anything, but that may have the same issues with Todd Williams and whoever it is that runs with his crew? Strength in numbers, you know?”
WEAPON nodded, although he wasn’t exactly very keen on the idea. He’d been saved by others accordingly when he tried to play the role of vigilante and avenger on his own. But at the same time, could he trust them enough to not only watch his back but to help him in his quest to cut through the foes in front of him until it was dismantled, battered and broken?
That answer kept him at bay. “You’re right about one thing...we can’t go extinct just yet,” WEAPON said. “There’s still far too much work to do and a generation that isn’t fully ready to get the torch just yet. You and Fi are my first two people on speed dial if I need the outside help, seeing as the old Fujin is retired...” WEAPON then glanced around. “As for Cassidy, I’m assuming this has something to do with that woman you mentioned before...Rachel, was it?”
“Rachel Foxx and her husband-to-be Kirian...I trusted them. In a way, I still would. They just want a part of me I’m trying hard not to give into,” Jonathan admitted with a sigh, removing his wrist watch. Through the years, he had a lot of tattoos removed to take away painful reminders of his actions, but one remained on his wrist, small enough to be obscured by a watch...the mark of The Perfect Evil.
“That’s the Jonathan they want. That’s the Jonathan they nurtured when I ventured out of EXODUS a few months ago. When I realized the horrible things I did to Cassidy to help train her for wrestling, I knew that I had to stop. I was turning into Hal Snyder, and that’s when I had to reevaluate. Cassidy was buying into Rachel’s dogma, and I feel like she’s just about done. I feel like she’s seen something that’s finally managed to get through to her in a way I couldn’t, but I’m afraid. If there’s one thing I know from my own experience, is that people like us never really get to walk away,” Jonathan said almost wistfully and forlorn, afraid for the people at the table and for people not there with them.
“...it never really ends...and that’s why we can’t go out just yet. If Fujin can’t help, or Tsunami, or even the Turks, I’m all in, but you? You know better than to walk in without an ace in the hole. You heard me say it before, and I’m sure the kid here’s gonna finish my thought. You can be outnumbered, just…”
“...don’t be outgunned,” Zinkus completed, Jonathan glancing at his young apprentice.
“He’s shockingly bright. The kid’s been studying demonology since we found some books in the RIMAC,” Jon said. “Any news on THAT front, kid?”
“Outside of what’s in the books - zilch,” Zinkus replied. “But hey, I’m sure some of those passages would make for icebreakers at a roast or something a few years down the line for you two.”
WEAPON resisted the urge to chuckle at the idea of a book in regards to anything resembling “demonic language” being used as an icebreaker anywhere. “Well...at the very least, this takes off some of the edge. Half wish I could walk into New York City against them with this persona, but then it would become quite obvious who’s been behind it all along,” he stated. “But as for that ace in the hole...well, the rich mogul and his flunkies have yet to realize one very important thing.”
“Huh? What’s that?” David Zinkus asked.
“There is a very good reason why I am the Fail-Safe Program.” WEAPON replied, smirking. “...All will be well.”
“[REDACTED], for your sake...I hope so,” Jonathan said, as hopeful as he could get at the moment.
Fukuoka, Japan
It was a rather cloudy day in Canal City Hakata, a large shopping and entertainment complex right in the heart of Fukuoka, Japan. It was deemed the “city within the city” due to boasting numerous attractions including shops, cafes, restaurants, a theater, game center, cinemas, a pair of hotels, and a canal, which runs through the entire complex. It was outside by one of those canals, swirl patterns dominating the ground that they stand on, that WEAPON scanned the scene around him, glancing at his wrist and the Rolex resting within it before looking around again. Outside of the Rolex, there was nothing else fancy to him - a faded burgundy cap covering his messy brown hair, green and white Ribera steakhouse jacket, sweatpants and a pair of Adidas. It was four o'clock sharp and right at the point where he agreed to meet them. It wasn’t too long after that where he saw a pair walk up his general direction and with a smile, WEAPON exchanged pleasantries with the both.
“Hey, nice to see you both,” he replied. “Out of costume, anyway.”
The first one of the two was a young man by the name of David Zinkus. Scrawny kid, two inches shorter than WEAPON, spiky brown hair and a bit of a baby face - not somebody who you would believe to be a ring announcer for a company on the rise with each and every week. The other one, however, at the same height as the Fail-Safe Program of EXODUS, shorter hair, a little stubble on his face and most importantly, he possessed the same imposing aura that the WEAPON before him exhibited every time he stepped through the ropes and into the squared circle. He was known in many circuits as the greatest junior heavyweight to step through the ropes, but the man in the mask had come to know him as a close friend and as the director of operations in EXODUS Pro, Jonathan Collins.
“Good to see you. You called, the least I could do is answer,” said the older man in Collins. “We’re going to have to be quick. I have a lead on Hal, and...I’m getting some bad vibes on a situation back home. One of my students may be in danger and I’m helpless when I’m here,” he said, referring to a matter involving his newest trainee, Cassidy Carter. “But hey, at least Zinkus is helping keep my head on straight. And he’s been unsurprisingly loyal, considering the shit we’ve subjected to. Lord knows Kadence would have devoured the kid whole,” he laughed, gently elbowing the young man.
“...Please don’t say that, boss,” the younger Zinkus replied, gulping. “I’d rather not become somebody’s meal. Literally and figuratively.”
WEAPON sighed. “Kadence is an issue. At the same time, she proposed something to ensure her cooperation, so long as we keep Daisuke out of her hair...I’ll be giving my response to her once we go to Ellum again.” WEAPON shook his head, already knowing all too well what was to come and the steps he had taken in advance to ensure nobody else on his side would get hurt. “I ended things with [REDACTED]. It was getting to the point where she wanted more than I could provide...and the last thing I need is Kadence and the Ellum squad trying to get her involved in the process. Not to mention, I’ve got another problem equally as annoying on top of it all.”
“Are you referring to the situation in that other front in Chicago?” Zinkus asked, showing his own attentive eye for situations outside of his own home company. “I thought the guy was a small-timer.”
WEAPON shook his head. “Somewhere in the time I was gone to now, he’s started to grow a faction over there. They’ve got numbers, they’ve got resources...and now, they’ve got my fucking statue,” he growled. “Swear to Christ, I cannot catch a break. First, it was Kane’s douchebag little trainee and her equally nauseating boyfriend and now, this…”
“Listen to me. Coming from someone who’s fighting wars on more fronts than people realize,” he started, almost mumbling the name of one of his best friends under his breath during that thought, “What you need to do at the moment is focus. Pick and choose each battle carefully, or at least go in having fully assessed your situation. Say the word and I’ll put on the hood and make a cameo. I’m probably going to have to fly back to Knoxville if this gets worse with Cassidy,” he said, the two of them sharing an exceptionally uncomfortable silence at the name of that particular town.
“...she doesn’t work for that guy,” he said, trying to break the tension.
“WEAPON, listen to me. If you know what you’re doing with [REDACTED], I get it. I know what it’s like to have someone I love on the chessboard. Whether I like it or not, Fiona’s in play, but she did that the minute she crossed Daisuke two years ago. And whether you like it or not, she’s in play already because people like Daisuke and Kadence already know who we are and what we love. Nothing’s sacred. We just have to have to be bold enough to put it all on the line for the right reasons. We’re the last of a dying breed, [REDACTED]. It’s not time for us to go extinct just yet.”
“To be fair, Mr. WEAPON...I agree but at the same time, given that we can’t be there all the time…” Zinkus stopped mid-sentence, trying to formulate the sentence the best way he could without causing any extra nuisances or annoyance towards the Fail-Safe Program. “Perhaps find a few people that you could trust. Not necessarily be best friends with or anything, but that may have the same issues with Todd Williams and whoever it is that runs with his crew? Strength in numbers, you know?”
WEAPON nodded, although he wasn’t exactly very keen on the idea. He’d been saved by others accordingly when he tried to play the role of vigilante and avenger on his own. But at the same time, could he trust them enough to not only watch his back but to help him in his quest to cut through the foes in front of him until it was dismantled, battered and broken?
That answer kept him at bay. “You’re right about one thing...we can’t go extinct just yet,” WEAPON said. “There’s still far too much work to do and a generation that isn’t fully ready to get the torch just yet. You and Fi are my first two people on speed dial if I need the outside help, seeing as the old Fujin is retired...” WEAPON then glanced around. “As for Cassidy, I’m assuming this has something to do with that woman you mentioned before...Rachel, was it?”
“Rachel Foxx and her husband-to-be Kirian...I trusted them. In a way, I still would. They just want a part of me I’m trying hard not to give into,” Jonathan admitted with a sigh, removing his wrist watch. Through the years, he had a lot of tattoos removed to take away painful reminders of his actions, but one remained on his wrist, small enough to be obscured by a watch...the mark of The Perfect Evil.
“That’s the Jonathan they want. That’s the Jonathan they nurtured when I ventured out of EXODUS a few months ago. When I realized the horrible things I did to Cassidy to help train her for wrestling, I knew that I had to stop. I was turning into Hal Snyder, and that’s when I had to reevaluate. Cassidy was buying into Rachel’s dogma, and I feel like she’s just about done. I feel like she’s seen something that’s finally managed to get through to her in a way I couldn’t, but I’m afraid. If there’s one thing I know from my own experience, is that people like us never really get to walk away,” Jonathan said almost wistfully and forlorn, afraid for the people at the table and for people not there with them.
“...it never really ends...and that’s why we can’t go out just yet. If Fujin can’t help, or Tsunami, or even the Turks, I’m all in, but you? You know better than to walk in without an ace in the hole. You heard me say it before, and I’m sure the kid here’s gonna finish my thought. You can be outnumbered, just…”
“...don’t be outgunned,” Zinkus completed, Jonathan glancing at his young apprentice.
“He’s shockingly bright. The kid’s been studying demonology since we found some books in the RIMAC,” Jon said. “Any news on THAT front, kid?”
“Outside of what’s in the books - zilch,” Zinkus replied. “But hey, I’m sure some of those passages would make for icebreakers at a roast or something a few years down the line for you two.”
WEAPON resisted the urge to chuckle at the idea of a book in regards to anything resembling “demonic language” being used as an icebreaker anywhere. “Well...at the very least, this takes off some of the edge. Half wish I could walk into New York City against them with this persona, but then it would become quite obvious who’s been behind it all along,” he stated. “But as for that ace in the hole...well, the rich mogul and his flunkies have yet to realize one very important thing.”
“Huh? What’s that?” David Zinkus asked.
“There is a very good reason why I am the Fail-Safe Program.” WEAPON replied, smirking. “...All will be well.”
“[REDACTED], for your sake...I hope so,” Jonathan said, as hopeful as he could get at the moment.
