OOC - This rp contains content that may not sit well with others, it’s a part of his past and relevant to the story I’m telling.
The Crux Of The Issue
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” - Helen Keller
Foreword:
The staccato of boot heels on wood flooring echoes as the camera records. The door opens and swings open almost silently as I step into the room. I swing the door back closed and it latches with an almost audible click. I take my black stetson off and lay it on the nearby desk, and then shrug off my black leather duster. I push the sleeves of my sky blue sweatshirt up and clap my hands together then rubbing them together I smile.
Let’s do this IIW faithful! I want to talk about my match against Austin Ramsey first and foremost. That kid is an amazing talent! I really couldn’t ask for more from my opponent, Austin Ramsey is a young man who can do it all. We pulled out all the stops for this match and set the crowd on fire for the rest of the night. He always fights me hard as hell, and I somehow continue to walk away with victories time and time again. We always learn more from losses than we do from victories, at least that’s my opinion. I hope he takes away from this and builds on it going forward and more importantly, I hope he hangs around IIW. I think this could be a good place for him. If it weren’t for the tight friendship he has with that jackass of a world champion you’ve got here, I’d even venture far enough to call him family.I press my hands together at first but then steeple my fingers in front of me.
I know the word family means different things to different people. What I’ve discovered over the years is that family has nothing to do with blood or DNA. “Family” has nothing to do with what people say in support of you. It has everything to do with what people do in support of you. When they stick by what they’ve done, unwaveringly, that’s family. You take a group like Mecca, you think they’re family? I wonder how Clyde Newton feels about that. He got left hanging by Fred over in TPW, but it was somehow his fault that everything came undone, and maybe it was all on him and he deserved the ass whippin he received.I shrug indifferently because honestly, I don’t care.
Not my circus, not my monkeys, I think to myself as I smile.
Back in the day, we called that tough love, provided that person was sticking around and was going to try and do better by his brothers and/or sisters.I fold my hands in front of me, preparing to address the matter at hand. It’s not a subject I wanted to discuss but it’s where we are by simple luck of the draw so to speak.
This of course brings me to my own sinister sibling, Kimberly Pain. I smile broadly, my affection for the woman is obvious as is my pride in how strong a fighter she is.
You notice I didn’t use her government name, she hates it when you do that by the way. She is one hundred percent family, like our sister Kat, she has always stood by me no matter what I have done, as I’ve done for her... It didn’t matter if I was right, wrong, or somewhere in the middle, that’s what family does. She came to Sin City when Kat had to retire due to injuries to support me. There are few in this industry who mean as much to me as she does.I spread my arms out away from the sides and continue.
We’ve been a rock for each other for years, and I don’t see that changing as a result of this match. I’m sure that the others left in this tournament are hoping otherwise, no one more so than our special referee, JMont. I bring my arms back to my sides and I unconsciously ball my fists at the mention of his name. Realizing it, I quickly unclench my fists.
He would love to be the reason Kim and I have conflicts during this match. Nothing would make him happier. More than that, he’s even got Shaun Hart making declarations that should I lay a finger on him, I’ll be disqualified from the tournament. If I think about it long enough, it might be worth it, we’ll see come show time. This will be your only warning Joe, if you try to fuck me over, you won’t walk away from the ring.I cross my arms across my chest and set my jaw.
Mecca is the reason that I decided I was staying and have cast my support for the owner Osh. I’ve already beaten both Fred and Joe in the past, so they took their b.s. Elsewhere. I’m coming for you boys, such sad little boys. You were obviously never taken to the woodshed and it shows. I’ll ruin every last one of you if it’s the last thing I do in this industry. Just remember when you see my eyes turn black, it’s already too late for you. Ask around, they’ll all tell you the same thing. The eyes of death will consume you.Fade
And so it came to pass.
The early morning light was just beginning to crest the horizon at my ranch. The Oblivion Ranch was a source of pride for Amber and me, it was yet another thing that we built together. The Oblivion Garage was another of many, we specialized in bike customization but still worked on cars as well. She had a flair for creative design and just wowed people with the finished product every single time. This was a rare morning in Vegas, it was warm enough for shorts and short sleeves, not only that, it allowed us to watch the sunrise together, which was just as rare. She was still recovering from injuries and had dedicated one hundred percent of her time to the garage. I refilled our coffee cups, “I’ve heard that psychopaths are more likely to drink their coffee black,” I quipped as neither of us grabbed for sugar or anything else. She smirked, “Cheers, psycho,” I laughed as we clinked our cups together. “You and Kim, eh,” she said to me. It was rhetorical at this point, we both had known it would go this way. She looked at me with nothing but love in her eyes, “I know this is not what you wanted,” Sighing deeply, I nodded and responded, “No but in every tournament we enter, this is a possibility, and we all knew it was likely to happen.” I set the coffee cup down and lit a cigarette. Inhaling and exhaling more forcibly than was really necessary.
“I’ve never enjoyed fighting against women, it bothers me at my core. Not because I think they are the weaker sex or anything stupid like that but because of the past.” She smiled knowingly, she knew my story better than anyone. I had been a product of rape, my father was a real bastard of a man that enjoyed using date rape drugs. He married my mother when he found out she was pregnant but the abuse of her was only beginning. He broke my nose on multiple occasions when I tried to protect my mother or my sisters. This went on for such a long time, that she became accustomed to the abuse. After he was gone she began seeking therapy and the prognosis was Stockholm syndrome. A terrible psychological impact on anyone, it was almost debilitating for her to the point that she was scared of doing anything without his permission. That continued even after he had been dead for years. Red studied my face and sighed a sad little sigh and kissed me on the cheek. “It will be fine,” she said as she began to stretch. She had been working hard on her physical therapy and it was giving her gains each day. I smiled at her, “It will be hard on the family in general, and as long as it’s a wrestling match and neither of us gets bent, it will be fine. If either of us gets sideways with the other then it won’t be.”
“That’s your fear isn’t it,” she asked earnestly. I nodded in agreement, “Even in sparring it’s happened a time or two. We’re both so god damned competitive.” I laugh and shake my head, “We’ve even wrestled at an airport gate, much to the chagrin of the airline's personnel.” She chuckled at the statement, “That’s what Kat has told me, she gets embarrassed by it, I think.” I smiled, “It’s part of the reason we do it, making Kat blush is fun.” “And funny,” she remarked. My cigarette was already half gone and I hadn’t realized it. I took a drag from it and blew the smoke straight up to try and keep it out of her face. “I don’t mind,” she said smiling as I tried to wave the smoke away from her. I stop and grimace, “I know you’re an ex-smoker, sorry about all that,” I said in a way of apology. She shrugged it off as she is known to do, not on the list of shit that pisses her off at the moment. “Don’t even worry about that,” she smiled and then pursed her lips in thought. “The real question is how to prepare for this match,” she let the sentence trail off into the void. “Oh, I have a plan for that,” I said quietly. She looked at me, curiosity etched on her face. “Do tell,” she said coyly with a small smile. I nodded, “I feel like the best way to combat her style is…”
Fade.
The crux of the issue
[on-camera]
Still in the same studio, as I was for the opening piece, I continue to stand in front of the camera.
So let me tell you all about my sister, Kim. Pound for pound she is one of the best pure fighters I’ve been in the ring with. We over the years have sparred on such a regular basis we can counter each other, almost move for move. I smile with pride at her prowess and all the training she and I have put in, both separately and collectively.
I do have some obvious advantages in this match. I hold up the index finger on my left hand.
We’ll start with the obvious size. I smile at the camera.
Believe it or not, in this industry size does matter. When the size difference is great enough, you can dictate the pace of the match first and foremost. Not to mention the narrative that can be created within the ropes. The tale of the tape….I’m six feet and six inches tall and weigh around two hundred and eighty pounds. I stop there for a moment, raising my middle finger alongside the index finger.
She’s five feet nothing and weighs a hundred pounds soaking wet. Next, I raise the index finger of the same hand to join the other two.
Reach, that goes without saying, considering the difference in size. I drop my hand back down, still smiling.
She has without a doubt the advantage of speed and agility, no question about that. Speed does kill, it just depends on whether you can catch them in a mistake the biggest majority of the time. If you can catch them, then it turns into a short match. With Kim that’s not likely, she really is a ring general in her own right. It will simply be a matter of who makes the bigger mistakeI allow my smile to broaden once again.
You see, she knows my story, she understands who I am as a man. I worked hard my entire life to be the polar opposite of the man that raised me. Some of y’all may think I’m offering my throat to the wolf, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth if you tried. I shake my head in disdain.
This is one of those fights that could seriously injure our little family as a whole. We know how each other works and should one of us become frustrated, that’s when the damage can occur. Inside those ropes, we are much the same, not in technique or style but in the things that really matter inside the ring.
Heart.
Determination.
Resilience.
Dedication to the craft.
Inherent Rage.Fade
On The Hunt
[off-camera]
The words of my old mentor and friend, Jeff Castello, still echoed in my ears. “He knew who she was and her ties to you.” So, my old friend Billy Broome had targeted Kim to draw me out. He had lied to the police in such a convincing fashion that they released him without charges and he was on the loose again. Jeff had assigned me to this one, and as painful as it was for both of us, he knew I would not fail him or her. I had been able to locate him via skip tracers and military contacts that still owed me favors. My time as a bounty hunter had paid off, most of the skip tracers in Vegas knew me quite well. They would bid on me using their services, never realizing they were doing it backward. They also knew I paid quite well for correct information, so there was that. So, I found myself in a remote stretch of highway, watching people go in and out of Billy’s hotel room. He had chosen a ground floor room, with one window that he sat beside, keeping his eyes out for someone. Maybe he was expecting me, I wasn’t sure to be fair. Doing wet work for the government was my least favorite thing to do and Jeff didn’t use me very often unless it was considered an impossible task. This case was different because of my history with Broome. I had been his section supervisor while we were in the Navy together.
Kim literally had no idea how close to death she could have been. If he was serious about getting her, she wouldn’t have ever seen him coming. Billy was an expert with knives and stealth, he would have slit her throat in her sleep if he had been serious about getting her instead of simply trying to draw me out into the open. The real question was why, why in the hell would he be coming after me? One thing was true, it guaranteed my undivided attention. That’s the one thing that’s never changed about me, my dedication to family, and he knew that. He was playing on my fears and weaknesses. He knew me, as well as one brother, and might know another. I was his confidant in the military as he was mine. How he found out about the Hell’s Gate School I wasn’t sure, probably stalking me digitally would make the most sense. I wouldn’t get any answers sitting here in the dark though. This was supposed to be a kill mission with Billy being the target. I could do that and be gone or I could talk to him to see why he did it, the purpose mattered more than another kill on my record with Castello. Pressing the earpiece tighter, “I’m going in,” I said quietly. “Mac, what are you doing?” I heard Castello say. I smirked, “I’m disobeying an order, skipper, I have to know the answers to some questions, and he’s going to talk to me. I think he probably has questions of his own.”
“I’m going dark,” I said again in a soft voice, before pulling the earpiece out and throwing it in the driver's side seat of the truck. I knew that Jeff would be furious but that was okay, I was among the best he had on his payroll for shit like this. Before starting the vehicle, I scrubbed the camo paint off my face and pulled off the gilly suit that had kept me hidden. The traffic in and out of the hotel room had stopped altogether I had noticed as I pulled onto the county road. I traveled not even a quarter mile before making a u-turn and heading back toward the hotel. I eased into the parking lot and selected a spot on the far end. I would wait and watch for a few moments to see what kind of reaction came from the room itself of a new truck arriving in the area.
I found it interesting that there was no reaction at all. Everything remained the same, Billy still sat in front of the window and hadn’t really moved. I killed the motor and stepped out of the truck. I still had my 9-millimeter pistol shoved in my back waistband as I approached the door. I looked out the window as I neared the door with no movement, “Curious,” I said softly. I knocked on the door of the room and took a step backward. Billy looked up and smiled, waving to me to come in. I turned the doorknob and entered the room, it was well lit, and no sign of much of anything. He stood from where he sat and reached out for a handshake, which I accepted and returned with one of my own. “Mac, I’m terribly sorry about Melissa, I know that must have taken a toll on you.” I nodded, sadly remembering my first wife and the mother of my children. “It did, old friend. She really liked you. So, what have you been up to?” He cracked a smile, “You always were the friendly, social one, that’s for sure.” His gaze hardened ever so slightly, “I know you were sent to kill me, Mac, we’ve had eyes on your backup team the entire time.” I shrugged, “I’ll give you a chance to tell me what this is all about, Billy. I don’t want this to be anything else but two old friends having a conversation about old times.” He nodded, “It can start out that way, sure. I can tell you why Jeff wants me dead for starters. Please sit down, Mac, it makes me nervous.” I shrugged again and made my way to the sofa near the chair.
“So, I’ve been working for Gomez since the beginning. I had been supplying him with intel on our group before we ever hit the sand.” I nodded, it was something I knew even back then. Billy was being groomed for “great things” or so the admiral had told him. “I know,” was all I said. “Bullshit!” he exclaimed, “No one knew!” I looked at him and frowned, “You’re delusional, Jeff and I both knew what you were doing, made it easier to cause plans to fail on your side of that.” I leaned back deeper into the couch as I smiled. “Billy, please continue your story.” In response, he pursed his lips, trying to calm his anger and breathe normally. It took only moments before he was back in control of his emotions. “I became such a great resource for the admiral and you know, he never stood trial for the things that he was arrested for?” I nodded, “Yeah, because of the impact on me personally, I was kept aware of that.” He studied me for a long moment, “What do you mean, personal impact?” I was sincere in my response, “Because of what happened to our friend, Vivian Castle.” That caused him a sad sigh, his lip trembling slightly as he asked me, “Did she ever recover?” I nodded, “Blinded but she did survive.” He exhaled slowly, nodding as if agreeing with his own internal monologue. The three of us had been really close, Vivian was an excellent sailor and a better friend. “None of this explains why Jeff would want you dead though,” I said calmly.
“National security,” he said calmly. I looked at him and there were no telltale signs of lying, his face was calm, almost placid. “What information do you have that would cause this severe reaction from Jeff?” He reached into his pocket and withdrew a thumb drive. “This contains the location of every man that Jeff has put in the field.” I nodded, seeing the reasons Jeff would have to order his execution. Something wasn’t right though, I could justify the reasoning but something from Billy didn’t smell right. “So why would you work so hard to bring me out into the open, Billy?” He paused only for a moment, “A couple of reasons actually, I was hoping that you could talk to Jeff for me and arrange protective custody, I’m ready to pay for my crimes and to help him catch the real problem.” I studied him for a moment, “You think that going after a member of my family was a good way to gain my help?” I said it in a loud and incredulous voice as I stood up. “He held his hands up in mock surrender, “Now Mac, don’t do anything rash, I had to make sure it would be you that he sent. I knew you’d want to talk first and shoot second if you had to.” I pulled the Baretta from my waistband on the back of my belt. “And now we’ve spoken.” I raised the gun to his head, and soon after I made that move I could see Jeff at the window waving me off.
“It’s open, Jeff,” I said in such a flat voice it surprised me. He opened the door from the outside and several men stormed in, I motioned them to the left with my head. They began sweeping the hotel room. I took a step back from Billy, “Today is your lucky day, Billy. If you or anyone from the admiral’s organization threatens a member of my family again, it will be the last thing you do in this lifetime.” I disengaged the loaded shell and stuck that in my pocket. I worked around Jeff’s men and made it to the door, “I’ll be outside,” I said to Jeff. I didn’t wait on a reply and stepped into the night air. I lit my first cigarette in about 3 or 4 hours and exhaled slowly. At least I knew now that Kim wouldn’t have to worry about her own safety, after our match, I’d let her know about this. I didn’t want her to be distracted by anything. “On second thought, I probably should let her know…” I dug out my cell phone and called her. I rang several times before going to voicemail. “Hey Kim, just wanted to let you know that the person you were scared of, has been dealt with. He’s now in federal custody, and that’s all I can say about it for now. See you soon.” As I closed the call, I heard footsteps behind me, holding out the pack of cigarettes for Jeff, he took them and then I handed him my zippo lighter. He lit a cigarette for himself. I looked at him, “You and I need to get some shit straight old man, don’t ever send me into some bullshit like that again.” He nodded, “I know you’re mad, Mac, I should have been more transparent about the situation.”
Fade
The Crux Of The Issue Part 2
The cab had slowed to a stop and the cabbie said, “Here ya go yank.” I smiled in appreciation and handed him a wad of Euros, “That covers it?” His eyes got big as saucers, “Ha! I can take the rest of the day for myself, thank you guv” Smiling I nod and exit the vehicle, “ Fourways House, 57 Hilton Street, Manchester, M1 2EJ, yep that’s right.” I began walking towards the building. Entering the lobby I was struck by the architecture inside, hanging ivy clashed with the white-washed brick interior in a pleasant way. I stopped by the security/information desk and signed in so I could get a temporary badge. The security officer there looked me up and down and compared it to the passport picture. I heard him mumble something about scruffy-looking Americans under his breath, which I ignored. I was in no mood for an international incident at the moment. “Maybe later, after a pint or ten,” I mumbled under my breath. He pointed to a long hallway, which changed the mood once again, this time it was red brick with brass inlays. I turned the corner and the sign on the door read, “Oscillate Recordings,” I pulled the door towards me and entered the studio lobby. A pleasant receptionist motioned me forward seeing my temp badge, “Mr. Bane, if you’ll follow me.” She stood up and I did as she asked.
We were in the studio control room within moments where I was met by the producer/engineer. Sebastian had a deep Scottish accent and was explaining to me how they do things here. I absorbed the information and nodded in the appropriate places. “You’re not listening to a fookin thing I’m sayin’ are ya?” I smiled, “Nope.” he rolled his eyes in response and chuckled, “So, ya been in a studio before then, have ya?” I tipped my hat to him, “Yes sir, I have, and I meant no disrespect, I’ve been doing this for about 20 years.” He looked at me again, “What exactly is this, that you’re referring ta?” I smiled again, “Wrestling promos,” I said with a lighter tone. He began laughing, “Ah, okay I get you, part of that IIW bunch?” I nodded again, taking off my black stetson and setting it on an empty chair. “Alright champ, then let’s get you in the studio and see what ya have?”. I smiled and made my way into the booth that was set up. I slid the headphones on and stood in front of the microphone. Everything had been set up to my expectations, a bottle of scotch sat on the little side table with a bucket of ice and one tumbler. I helped myself, pouring a drink. I heard him over the headset, I gave him a thumbs up that I could hear him.
Well here we are in Manchester, getting ready for a match I have dreaded having to have. One on one with my sinister sibling Kimberly Pain. I could see him through the glass when I said her name, fanning himself and speaking into my headset talking about how hot she was. I chuckled.
There is so much hype around this match, mostly because of who is in it and the school or way of life we represent. The Hell’s Gate wrestling school has produced some amazing champions. Kim Pain, Kat Jones, Whisper, Renegade, myself and the list goes on and on. I pause there, but only for a moment as I get ready to address this for real.
Kimberly Pain, as I’ve said before, is family. Fighting her is equivalent to fighting my daughter. Not because of anything that would resemble what others might think about it. I care for her, and Kat like they are siblings of mine. The real crux of the issue for me is that I care a great deal about them. I stopped there as that got the engineer's attention.
Kim is more than capable of taking care of herself inside that ring, whether it’s me or some meatbol that thinks he’s a tough guy. I check the Rolex watch that I’m wearing, one of many but this one is important. It was given to me when I first joined CCPE by JMont.
And yes, we have a meatbol for a special referee, the same knucklehead that gave me this watch when I first joined CCPE. I won’t waste too much time on him, because I’ve already spoken about him previously. I know this, he’ll screw me over any way he can. I lower the Rolex back down by my side and smile.
Good times and better days. Regardless of that, he’s the ref and I can’t touch him or be disqualified from the tournament. I know I've said it before but I’m reiterating it in part to remind myself that I can’t touch that idiot. I shake my head in disgust but quickly refocus.
I can’t dwell on that, I have an opponent and a damn good one. She is a nightmare to plan for, to the point that I’ve changed my own approach to this match. Something she won’t expect and will find difficult to defend against.The producer boos in my ear, causing me to smirk.
My producer evidently wants Kim to win, trust me bud, she won’t like it either. See, I’ve tried to be respectful and not use harmful words. I won’t insult her because of obvious reasons. Unless she starts it. I bark out a laugh.
Ha! I know it all sounds very childish but I love the woman who is Kimberly Pain, she’s my baby sister and I have all the respect in the world for her. But let’s be honest about it, Kim. We’re gonna fight, we both know it, we are uber-competitive in this family. The producer is in my ear again, “You’re going to punch your sister in the face?”
I’d punch yours in the face if she was standing across the ring from me. This tournament is about far more than making an impact. Between Kim and I, it’s also bragging rights. If she beats me she becomes a giant killer. If I win, I move on to the next round having beaten someone I’m supposed to be able to beat. I shrug off the producer’s comments that don’t deserve volume or reaction.
Let’s fucking go baby sis! Fade.