Post by Jaymz on Jan 14, 2017 10:25:53 GMT -5
(I couldn't capture the tone and feeling of the first RP that I lost and this one inst as good and didn't turn like I had hoped. Not what I wanted for my first WCF Jaymz RP....It was hard to even get motivated to re-type this)
Searching For Answers
(Location: Unknown. Time: 2:14am)
The moon was high in the sky, its light illuminated the snow covered ground below as the wind howled through the bare trees on either side of the road; causing the snow and ice covered limbs to creak and moan in the distance. The snow covering the road was untouched and twinkled in the moonlight, not even a footprint from an animal had disturbed the freshly fallen powder. The naked trees were massive and hid most of the night’s sky as they seemed to reach on and stretch for the heavens on either side of the road as far as the eye could see. The tops of the trees swayed in the stiff wind and almost an instant later - everything was still…everything was quiet.
The wind had stopped so suddenly that you weren’t even sure it had time to slow down and taper off. It just, …vanished. The quality of the air seemed to change. An aroma seemed to drift up that oddly smelt like burnt wood, ..and something else. Something rancid. A smell that made the lining inside your nose burn; a smell that made your eyes water and your stomach turn. It was the smell of death, and just like the wind, it disappeared as quickly as it came. A rustling noise came from the trees on the left side of the road, twigs and small branches seemed to snap instantly in the distance, one after another like a series of firecrackers going off, and the sounds became louder as they came closer.
It sounded like something was pushing its way through the woods and snapping every branch in it way. A few long seconds passed before twigs and branches exploded off the four trees next to the road, almost as if it was clearing a path into the wooded area. Movement then came from the trees where the limbs had broken off and a massive figure appeared. It stepped from the trees and walked over to the road. The air pressure seemed to change and everything felt heavy as the figure approached and stepped into the road letting the moonlight reflecting off the snow identify him. It was Alexi Jaymz Yaroslav.
His long, black leather jacket hung down to the snow behind him and he had the collar pulled high up on his neck. Jaymz had a strong square jaw, a bit of a receding hairline on either side of his forehead and scars that covered his face - all this sitting on the neck the size of a tree trunk. He towered over seven feet tall and looked like he had been chiseled from stone. …But it was the glare, …the look on his face. It was a face that people feared. The look in his eyes suggested he had no compassion for others and his pupils were so black and there was something different about them, something not entirely human and it seemed the black in his pupils moved like a liquid. Jaymz reached inside his jacket and pulled out a cigar followed by a zippo. Sparks shot out of the lighter as the flame danced above, giving us a better view of the giant.
Between the deep scars that were carved into his face the lines of age could be seen on his forehead and around his eyes. Jaymz had already seen forty come and go, but there weren’t many men who were in the shape that he was at this age. Tendons stood out on his neck with each strong puff he took on the cigar as it lit, snapping the top of the zippo closed and putting it back in his pocket. He exhaled smoke from his nose and started to walk down the snow covered road in silence. Not a noise could be heard as he walked, not even the sound of snow crunching came from under his feet with every massive step he took. A feat no human could ever pull off. Just total silence as he walked down the center of the road and started to disappear over a hill and his figure faded in the distance to a small cabin down the road; and with every footprint he left in the snow had melted down to the gravel and muddy dirt below.
Smoke steadily rose from the stone fireplace that was on the far side of the small cabin and seemed to hang in the air of the perfectly still night. Icicles hung from the porch looking like teeth waiting to chomp down on a meal as Jaymz walked up the steps and glanced around at the trees in the secluded woods. The old paneling of the cabin was falling off in places and one front window had been boarded up on the small structure. This was the kind of place that Jaymz preferred. He wasn’t a man that liked people or being out in public where he stood out like a sore thumb. Jaymz was a loner who disappeared at times with no warning, often leaving his ZT friends wondering what happened to him or where he had gone.
It had been several weeks since he had been around Detroit but the beast had been on a mission of his own. He pulled a cigarette from his jacket pocket, lit it and stood still on the porch. Only his eyes moving, slowly sweeping the area to make sure there were no threats close by.
He opened the door and walked inside the small house as the heat from the fire blasted him in the face. The main room had several pieces of old furniture that had seen better days in the dilapidated cabin. Sitting next to the fireplace was a man tied up in a chair. He was bald on top with hair around the sides of his head and a thick black beard. One eye was practically swollen shut and blood ran from his nostrils and also from the wound above is right eye – the one that wasn’t swollen.
He looked at Jaymz with a mixture of hatred and ferocity, but there was no fear in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and tried to pull his arms free that were bound together behind the chair he was sitting in as he watched Jaymz take off the long leather jacket and set it on the old dusty table. His white sleeveless shirt had spatters of blood that no doubt came from the man tied to the chair, and his massive arms looked like beams of steel.
Man: Back to finish me off?
Jaymz froze and glared at the man with a look that would terrify most people, but not this man tied in the chair. Jaymz replied in a deep, low voice.
Jaymz: I needed to, …..recharge.
Man: You know, they told us about you. They told us that you would hunt us down…But it won’t do you any good, you fuckin Russian prick. All of you will die. My boss will see to that.
Again, Jaymz only glared at the man as he pulled a chair away from the dusty table, turned it around backward and sat facing the man. Jaymz folded his arms across the back of the chair and let his chin rest on his massive forearms, looking the beaten man squarely in the face.
Jaymz: I don’t believe there is any man in this land that has the capability to kill me.
Man: Then I guess you’ll just have to find out the hard way, won’t you?
Jaymz: Why don’t you just give me a name and make this easier on yourself.
The man tilted his head back and laughed huge belly laughs. He thought this was soo funny that tears welled up in his non-swollen eye.
Man: We both know that isn’t going to happen. Quit wasting your time and just fuckin kill me. You protect professional wrestlers, of all people…And they’re not even good ones…
The house seemed to shake briefly and the man started to scream. His shook his head violently from side to side as blood started to come from his mouth. As he stopped screaming he spit out two teeth that bounced around the wooden floor. The man coughed, swallowed some blood and let out a small laugh.
Man: You don’t frighten me.
He spit out more blood, this time landing only inches from Jaymz boot.
Jaymz: It’s quite clear that you don’t fully understand who we are, …or well, …who I am. I don’t protect professional wrestlers; I protect the interests of Zero Tolerance no matter who or what that may be.
Man: My boss is interested in wiping out Zero Tolerance. …And he gets what he wants.
The monster grinned with a sinister look that gave the man goosebumps, and for the first time, he was genuinely frightened.
Jaymz: He gets what he wants? Then I would assume that he has a desire to keep you around. A man like you is worth keeping. The others, ….well….the others remained committed to their word and not giving me a name…But they didn’t have the same fight that you have. Those guys begged and pleaded for their lives, promised me they would leave your organization if I let them live, but still, they wouldn’t give up the name…. Watching the life fade from their eyes gave me great pleasure.
Man: Fuck you!
Jaymz: I don’t apologize for taking so many of your friends because the feeling it gives me inside can’t be replicated by anything else in this world; but if they had just told me what I wanted to know – things may have gone differently for them. I know this’ll worry your boss, considering he hasn’t heard from you in three days now. He probably assumes your dead….
Man: I might as well be. You’ll kill me like the rest.
Jaymz laughed a deep menacing laugh.
Jaymz: Will I? Maybe that’s not the plan that I have for you. There’s a chance that I could let you live.
Man: Bullshit! You have no intention of keeping me alive even if I tell you what you want to know.
Jaymz: How can you be so sure? After all, I am a man of my word.
Man: No, your goal is to kill me. …To kill all of us.
Jaymz sighed and tilted his head to the side a little.
Jaymz: Ok…How about this? I will let you live. I will let you walk out this door even if you don’t tell me what I want to know. You will make a bigger statement being left alive. What you will face when you walk out this door tonight will be more tragic and painful than what I can do to you in here. If you tell me what I want to know, the pain will be less and I promise you that you will live.
The anger in the man’s face seemed to disappear and was replaced with fear and confusion. He was certain that death was imminent and he would never leave this secluded cabin alive – and he would never see the faces of his beautiful children again.
Man: I have no reason to believe you.
Jaymz: You have my word.
There was silence in the room as the man seemed to ponder what the giant beast had just told him. He wanted to believe this man, but The Boss had warned them all of the men that might be coming after them – and he had been told that Jaymz was the most ruthless and the most sadistic of them all.
Man: I told you, your word means nothing to me.
As Jaymz opened his mouth to respond the creaking of old hinges came from behind them both and Jaymz paused. The man looked over Jaymz shoulder to see the one door in the house slowly open from the bedroom and a small, pale girl with greasy, ratty, brown hair stood in the doorway. She wore a long, white, dirty t-shirt that hung down past her knees exposing the bottom portion of her legs that apparently hadn’t been shaved in several weeks.
Her feet were black with filth and her arms hung slack at her side with a small smile on her face as drool slid down the corner of her mouth. There was a far out look in her eyes that suggested her cheese had slid off her cracker many years ago. But Julie hadn’t lived her life in a half vegetable state forever - that had only been after she met Jaymz. …Before he got inside her mind and brought out the inner skills that Julie didn’t know she possessed.
Julie: ….hungry….
Her mouth barley moved and the one word was almost inaudible but both men heard what she said.
Man: Who the fuck is that!?
Jaymz, who still hadn’t turned back to see Julie, only smiled at the man.
Jaymz: Her? That’s my Julie.
She started to walk out of the doorway and closer to the men as she dragged her dirty feet across the floor, her arms waving around like limp noodles.
Man: Well what the fuck is wrong with her!? Is she retarded!?
Before the man could even realize what was happening Jaymz had flung the chair across the cabin where it hit the wall with a loud crash, sending pieces of the chair ricocheting across the room as Jaymz landed a hard punch to the ribs of the man with his gigantic left hand. There was a cracking sound of broken ribs and a dry, forced yell from the man as Jaymz landed the punch. Fear gripped his body as Jaymz grabbed hold of the chair and pulled the man closer to the fireplace.
Man: What are you doing!? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?
Jaymz grunted as he let go of the chair and looked the man squarely in the eyes. The man didn’t like what he saw and tried to look away, but something seemed to control him…What was happening right before him was so fantastic and mesmerizing that he couldn’t pull his one good eye away. A blackness so deep that it seemed to stretch into another dimension started to fill Jaymz’ eyes like waves in an ocean. The black waved in over the sclera, the iris and finally his pupil.
The air pressure seemed to change in the room and suddenly the man felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. His heart raced as sweat beaded up on his bald head as he felt a warm sensation in his crotch and slowly spread down between his legs. The smell of urine filled the room as Jaymz grabbed on to the side of the chair farthest from the fire and leaned the terrified man closer to the flames as he screamed.
Julie: ….hungry….
Man: Please, NO!!!! Im sorry!! Im sorry!!
The heat was intense as his face came into contact with the dancing orange flames. His beard and hair over his ear started to singe away and the dreadful smell of burning hair filled the room, even making Jaymz wince. His screams filled the cabin as Jaymz held the right side of his face over the fireplace. His skin seemed to boil and break loose in places; his ear has turned completely black and was now smaller than the other. The flames thrashed the thin skin of his eye lid, drying it out and slowly burning it away from his eye ball, leaving it exposed to the intense light as it darted eerily back and forth across the room.
Jaymz felt a hand run across his shoulder and he turned to face Julie. The rage and hate on his face had disappeared and his eyes returned to normal as a genuine smile crossed his face for the first time. They made eye contact and looked at each other for a moment as Jaymz still held the chair over the flames; as if he had forgotten the screaming man tilted over in the chair with a sizzling face. Julie put both her hands on Jaymz shoulders and the giant let go of the chair, sitting the charred man back upright with an “oomph.”
He moaned, drifted in and out of conciseness from the intense pain and finally he passed out. Jaymz looked over at him once as Julie leapt up into his arms and wrapped her thin little legs around his immense frame and squeezed him tight. He supported what little weight she had with his hands across the bottoms of her legs and held them there; he didn’t seem to mind her prickly hairs running across his palms. After all, Julie hadn’t been out long and hadn’t had enough time to get properly acquainted with the world in 2017.
As she laid a kiss on him, he had almost admired how well her captors had been able to keep her location a secret from him. But damn, he missed his Julie. She kissed him again, except this time she ran her tongue across his face, down to his neck and started licking it furiously. Jaymz pulled away from her embrace and set her on the floor. Even for what she normally was, she wasn’t her usual self. They had messed her up pretty good while they had her hidden away. They both froze and turned their attention toward the man when he moaned and regained consciousness. He lifted his head and what remained on the right side of his face was a disgusting mess. His left eye was fully aware of what was going on, and fully aware of the extreme pain that he was in.
Man: …Hope…..you die…
Jaymz: Oh, I will someday, I suppose.
He walked over to the man as Julie followed, her eyes focused on the man and the horrifying sight that was his face.
Jaymz: But don’t forget, today is your lucky day. Im gonna let you live, remember? I told you….What Im gonna do to you in here isn’t gonna be nearly as bad as what you have to do later. But Im still gonna give you a chance to just give me the name….
Man: ..No…
It could barely be heard, but to Jaymz it was loud and clear.
Jaymz: Well, you made that decision. You moved out of the country hoping that I wouldn’t find ya, and here we are. And you still won’t give me the fucking name.
Julie left his side and wandered over to the man on all fours but he didn’t seem to notice as he watched Jaymz pace around the room, each loud footstep sending chills up his spine.
Jaymz: But Im gonna let you live anyway. Because I'm a nice guy....
The beast stopped and smiled at the man as he spoke the last word. There was nothing friendly about the smile, there was nothing that made the man feel at ease when he said it.
Jaymz: Julie though….
He laughed a little and more chills shot through the man’s body and goosebumps broke out on his arms tied to the chair.
Jaymz: ....I don’t know if ol' Julie is as nice as I am. I don’t think I properly introduced you two, did I? Excuse my manners. I’ve never been the best host. Julie, this is uuuhh....What was your name again?
Julie looked at Jaymz then glanced back over to the man, still with the curious look as she studied his charred face.
Jaymz: Mark!! That’s it! Mark Hale. Mark, this is my Julie. Julie, this is Mark.
Mark couldn’t see Julie since his eye was a crispy mess, but he felt her finger touch the raw flesh that used to be his cheek. He shot up in the chair and screamed in pain as Julie dug her finger into his flesh. He thrashed in the chair, swung his head wildly but Julie still continued to pick at his cheek causing more blood to run down his face. She looked at the small piece of flesh she had pulled from her face and put it in the front pocket of the huge white t-shirt she was wearing. Blood soaked through the pocket and she seemed satisfied as she intended to save the piece of flesh for whatever reason her sadistic little heart desired.
Jaymz walked over to mark and squatted down in front of him, lifting Marks chin with his finger so he could look Mark in his one good eye.
Jaymz: I think she likes ya, Mark. I'll tell you what, Im gonna step out for a minute and I'll let you two get properly acquainted.
Mark only grunted as his head swam with intense pain and he had very little fight left inside him. He could smell Jaymz' breath and he had anticipated to smell smoke since the giant seemed to puff away for three days straight, but it wasn’t the smell that hit his one good nostril. It was the smell of death; it was the smell of a million decaying bodies and images of corpses, rotting in piles by the dozen, shot through his brain.
Jaymz waited for a reply but never got one. He nodded as he stood back up and grabbed his leather jacket off the chair and put it on. He pulled a cigar from his pocket and clinched it between his teeth, straightens his jacket and headed for the front door. As he did, Julie jumped on Marks lap and wrapped her legs around him; the long shirt exposing more of her furry legs. She grabbed his face and seemed to study it. Jaymz opened the door to the cold night and stepped outside as an awful scream erupted from Marks throat. Jaymz cringed, paused and poked his head back inside the door. From inside the house Mark screamed at the giant.
Mark: You promised!!! You said you would let me live!!
Jaymz: I did, I did...but Julie may not feel the same way.
He slammed the door shut behind him as the screams continued. Mark howled in pain, his sobs could be clearly heard outside in the dark night. The screams continued for a few moments before everything fell silent in the house and Jaymz pulled out his cell phone, dialing a number and putting it on speaker.
Erik Black: Jaymz!? Where are you?
Jaymz: I was chasing that lead. It was a dead-end though.
Erik: Fuck! He knows a lot - make him talk!
Jaymz: I told you, these assholes aint talkin. Whoever they work for threatened them good, I don’t even think they know his real name.
Erik: What did you do with him?
Jaymz: Me? Nothing. I was gonna let him live, but I have a feeling Julie don’t feel the same way.
There was silence on the other end for a moment.
Erik: Julie? You found her! I knew you would. We need to get her back here where she'll be safe.
Jaymz: Oh, and she’s fine...Thanks for asking.
Erik: Huh? What? ...I knew she would be, Jaymz. Is there a mess?
Jaymz: I didn’t have to do anything; I just stood outside the gate waiting on her. Judging by the secrecy of the location, I don’t think we'll have any messes to worry about.
Erik: When are you coming back?
Jaymz: Tomorrow morning, but I have one other thing to take care of before I come back...
Erik: Don’t overdo it, old man....
He knew what Erik was talking about; he was talking about their upcoming match. The two men had avoided the topic all week and Jaymz didn’t want to talk about it now; much less even hear Erik’s voice at this point.
Jaymz: Don’t worry about me! I gotta go!
There was anger in his voice. Jaymz ended the call and heard Erik laugh as he did. Erik was a cocky bastard but he had every right to be considering he was one of the most skilled fighters and wrestlers in the world.
The wind had picked up slightly and the falling snow now blew under the overhang of the front porch. The flakes that fell near Jaymz melted before they made contact with his leather jacket; and the droplets of water that landed on him evaporated so quickly you wondered if they had been there at all.
Jaymz flicked the end of the cigarette into the snow and the cherry sizzled as the beast walked back into the house to spend his first night with Julie in many, many years.
Searching For Answers
(Location: Unknown. Time: 2:14am)
The moon was high in the sky, its light illuminated the snow covered ground below as the wind howled through the bare trees on either side of the road; causing the snow and ice covered limbs to creak and moan in the distance. The snow covering the road was untouched and twinkled in the moonlight, not even a footprint from an animal had disturbed the freshly fallen powder. The naked trees were massive and hid most of the night’s sky as they seemed to reach on and stretch for the heavens on either side of the road as far as the eye could see. The tops of the trees swayed in the stiff wind and almost an instant later - everything was still…everything was quiet.
The wind had stopped so suddenly that you weren’t even sure it had time to slow down and taper off. It just, …vanished. The quality of the air seemed to change. An aroma seemed to drift up that oddly smelt like burnt wood, ..and something else. Something rancid. A smell that made the lining inside your nose burn; a smell that made your eyes water and your stomach turn. It was the smell of death, and just like the wind, it disappeared as quickly as it came. A rustling noise came from the trees on the left side of the road, twigs and small branches seemed to snap instantly in the distance, one after another like a series of firecrackers going off, and the sounds became louder as they came closer.
It sounded like something was pushing its way through the woods and snapping every branch in it way. A few long seconds passed before twigs and branches exploded off the four trees next to the road, almost as if it was clearing a path into the wooded area. Movement then came from the trees where the limbs had broken off and a massive figure appeared. It stepped from the trees and walked over to the road. The air pressure seemed to change and everything felt heavy as the figure approached and stepped into the road letting the moonlight reflecting off the snow identify him. It was Alexi Jaymz Yaroslav.
His long, black leather jacket hung down to the snow behind him and he had the collar pulled high up on his neck. Jaymz had a strong square jaw, a bit of a receding hairline on either side of his forehead and scars that covered his face - all this sitting on the neck the size of a tree trunk. He towered over seven feet tall and looked like he had been chiseled from stone. …But it was the glare, …the look on his face. It was a face that people feared. The look in his eyes suggested he had no compassion for others and his pupils were so black and there was something different about them, something not entirely human and it seemed the black in his pupils moved like a liquid. Jaymz reached inside his jacket and pulled out a cigar followed by a zippo. Sparks shot out of the lighter as the flame danced above, giving us a better view of the giant.
Between the deep scars that were carved into his face the lines of age could be seen on his forehead and around his eyes. Jaymz had already seen forty come and go, but there weren’t many men who were in the shape that he was at this age. Tendons stood out on his neck with each strong puff he took on the cigar as it lit, snapping the top of the zippo closed and putting it back in his pocket. He exhaled smoke from his nose and started to walk down the snow covered road in silence. Not a noise could be heard as he walked, not even the sound of snow crunching came from under his feet with every massive step he took. A feat no human could ever pull off. Just total silence as he walked down the center of the road and started to disappear over a hill and his figure faded in the distance to a small cabin down the road; and with every footprint he left in the snow had melted down to the gravel and muddy dirt below.
One More Time
Smoke steadily rose from the stone fireplace that was on the far side of the small cabin and seemed to hang in the air of the perfectly still night. Icicles hung from the porch looking like teeth waiting to chomp down on a meal as Jaymz walked up the steps and glanced around at the trees in the secluded woods. The old paneling of the cabin was falling off in places and one front window had been boarded up on the small structure. This was the kind of place that Jaymz preferred. He wasn’t a man that liked people or being out in public where he stood out like a sore thumb. Jaymz was a loner who disappeared at times with no warning, often leaving his ZT friends wondering what happened to him or where he had gone.
It had been several weeks since he had been around Detroit but the beast had been on a mission of his own. He pulled a cigarette from his jacket pocket, lit it and stood still on the porch. Only his eyes moving, slowly sweeping the area to make sure there were no threats close by.
Erik….I know you’re aware of the level of respect that I have you. We’ve been through a lot and we’ve accomplished even more. Not just in the ring, but in everything that we do. Success brought the three of us together and everything we’ve touched from that point has turned to gold, and nobody can really debate that. You and Crazy J were still young when we started this. You two still hadn’t even hit the prime of your careers when we decided to form the greatest stable that wrestling has ever seen.
Nobody took us seriously at first, but with me being older, bigger and uglier…we were able to intimidate people right off the bat. …And from there? Well, we took off. Not that we had any sense of how to run a business but you were able to get us moving in the right direction. Back then we were just wrestlers looking to dominate the sport – not the world. Look how far we’ve come since then, Erik. We’ve all made more money than any of us is ever going to spend….But that still doesn’t completely satisfy you, does it? There’s still something missing isn’t there? Yeah. I know what it is – and you do too. I’ll get to that here in a second.
As I was saying….We didn’t just become better wrestlers over the years, we actually learned how to run a business at the same time. We did something that nobody thought we could do because we were just “professional wrestlers.” But we did. And we took ZT to the top. We both know that Zero Tolerance ruled this industry long before the WCF came along and became the beacon of the wrestling world; but we made the decision to take Zero Tolerance other directions all those years ago instead of following it here like we did in 2016.
I know you saw some of the same articles that I did, the ones criticizing us for reopening the ZT wrestling schools and claim that we were trying to relive ZT’s glory days from the past. They said we caught lighting in a bottle once all those years ago and we couldn’t do it again. Crazy J, Jason and Salem have proven them wrong so far in their short time in the WCF. Like I said, whatever we touch turns to gold and we did it again. A lot of that goes to you, Erik.
Your desire to make this company money and be the most successful person on the face of the planet is a huge reason why Zero Tolerance is a household name. My respect for you cannot be questioned. But, all that goes right out the window when we step into the ring across from each other for the second time in our lives. You see, I’ve poked around your mind before. I’ve combed my way through there, not that you should worry; I didn’t find anything that I didn’t already know.
Was it wrong of me to do that? Yeah, probably. But you didn’t know nor did you feel a thing. It wasn’t necessary for me to do that because I know the one solitary event that still haunts you; the one match that you just can’t let go of no matter how many years pass by. That loss you took to me over ten years ago when you thought you had the skill to take my Title belt from me; and I dropped your ass to the canvas. To me it was just another fight, one that I quickly forgot about the next day and I went on to focus for the next opponent. But not you.
No, you just can’t move forward knowing that you’re not the best wrestler in our company. You can’t lie to me and tell me that you haven’t dwelled on that match because I’ve heard you say on several occasions over the years: “one day in the future you will get a rematch.” Well, Erik, here is it. Here’s your opportunity to avenge the loss that you’ve never been able to live down. And I can’t sit here and lie to you, Erik. Every goddamn time you brought up a rematch it’s made my blood boil a little.
To me it’s almost an insult as if you’re suggesting that the best man didn’t win the fuckin match. I got news for ya, the best man DID win the match and the result this week isn’t going to be any different than it was over ten years ago. Im not gonna feel bad for some of the things Im about to tell ya because it’s all gonna be the truth. And the truth is, no matter how skilled you are, you can’t outlast me in the ring, and for you to think otherwise is to shit on everything that I’ve accomplished in my career.
He looked at Jaymz with a mixture of hatred and ferocity, but there was no fear in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and tried to pull his arms free that were bound together behind the chair he was sitting in as he watched Jaymz take off the long leather jacket and set it on the old dusty table. His white sleeveless shirt had spatters of blood that no doubt came from the man tied to the chair, and his massive arms looked like beams of steel.
Man: Back to finish me off?
Jaymz froze and glared at the man with a look that would terrify most people, but not this man tied in the chair. Jaymz replied in a deep, low voice.
Jaymz: I needed to, …..recharge.
Man: You know, they told us about you. They told us that you would hunt us down…But it won’t do you any good, you fuckin Russian prick. All of you will die. My boss will see to that.
Again, Jaymz only glared at the man as he pulled a chair away from the dusty table, turned it around backward and sat facing the man. Jaymz folded his arms across the back of the chair and let his chin rest on his massive forearms, looking the beaten man squarely in the face.
Jaymz: I don’t believe there is any man in this land that has the capability to kill me.
Man: Then I guess you’ll just have to find out the hard way, won’t you?
Jaymz: Why don’t you just give me a name and make this easier on yourself.
The man tilted his head back and laughed huge belly laughs. He thought this was soo funny that tears welled up in his non-swollen eye.
Man: We both know that isn’t going to happen. Quit wasting your time and just fuckin kill me. You protect professional wrestlers, of all people…And they’re not even good ones…
The house seemed to shake briefly and the man started to scream. His shook his head violently from side to side as blood started to come from his mouth. As he stopped screaming he spit out two teeth that bounced around the wooden floor. The man coughed, swallowed some blood and let out a small laugh.
Man: You don’t frighten me.
He spit out more blood, this time landing only inches from Jaymz boot.
Jaymz: It’s quite clear that you don’t fully understand who we are, …or well, …who I am. I don’t protect professional wrestlers; I protect the interests of Zero Tolerance no matter who or what that may be.
Man: My boss is interested in wiping out Zero Tolerance. …And he gets what he wants.
The monster grinned with a sinister look that gave the man goosebumps, and for the first time, he was genuinely frightened.
Jaymz: He gets what he wants? Then I would assume that he has a desire to keep you around. A man like you is worth keeping. The others, ….well….the others remained committed to their word and not giving me a name…But they didn’t have the same fight that you have. Those guys begged and pleaded for their lives, promised me they would leave your organization if I let them live, but still, they wouldn’t give up the name…. Watching the life fade from their eyes gave me great pleasure.
Man: Fuck you!
Jaymz: I don’t apologize for taking so many of your friends because the feeling it gives me inside can’t be replicated by anything else in this world; but if they had just told me what I wanted to know – things may have gone differently for them. I know this’ll worry your boss, considering he hasn’t heard from you in three days now. He probably assumes your dead….
Man: I might as well be. You’ll kill me like the rest.
Jaymz laughed a deep menacing laugh.
Jaymz: Will I? Maybe that’s not the plan that I have for you. There’s a chance that I could let you live.
Man: Bullshit! You have no intention of keeping me alive even if I tell you what you want to know.
Jaymz: How can you be so sure? After all, I am a man of my word.
Man: No, your goal is to kill me. …To kill all of us.
Jaymz sighed and tilted his head to the side a little.
Jaymz: Ok…How about this? I will let you live. I will let you walk out this door even if you don’t tell me what I want to know. You will make a bigger statement being left alive. What you will face when you walk out this door tonight will be more tragic and painful than what I can do to you in here. If you tell me what I want to know, the pain will be less and I promise you that you will live.
The anger in the man’s face seemed to disappear and was replaced with fear and confusion. He was certain that death was imminent and he would never leave this secluded cabin alive – and he would never see the faces of his beautiful children again.
Man: I have no reason to believe you.
Jaymz: You have my word.
There was silence in the room as the man seemed to ponder what the giant beast had just told him. He wanted to believe this man, but The Boss had warned them all of the men that might be coming after them – and he had been told that Jaymz was the most ruthless and the most sadistic of them all.
Man: I told you, your word means nothing to me.
As Jaymz opened his mouth to respond the creaking of old hinges came from behind them both and Jaymz paused. The man looked over Jaymz shoulder to see the one door in the house slowly open from the bedroom and a small, pale girl with greasy, ratty, brown hair stood in the doorway. She wore a long, white, dirty t-shirt that hung down past her knees exposing the bottom portion of her legs that apparently hadn’t been shaved in several weeks.
Her feet were black with filth and her arms hung slack at her side with a small smile on her face as drool slid down the corner of her mouth. There was a far out look in her eyes that suggested her cheese had slid off her cracker many years ago. But Julie hadn’t lived her life in a half vegetable state forever - that had only been after she met Jaymz. …Before he got inside her mind and brought out the inner skills that Julie didn’t know she possessed.
Julie: ….hungry….
Her mouth barley moved and the one word was almost inaudible but both men heard what she said.
Man: Who the fuck is that!?
Jaymz, who still hadn’t turned back to see Julie, only smiled at the man.
Jaymz: Her? That’s my Julie.
She started to walk out of the doorway and closer to the men as she dragged her dirty feet across the floor, her arms waving around like limp noodles.
Man: Well what the fuck is wrong with her!? Is she retarded!?
Before the man could even realize what was happening Jaymz had flung the chair across the cabin where it hit the wall with a loud crash, sending pieces of the chair ricocheting across the room as Jaymz landed a hard punch to the ribs of the man with his gigantic left hand. There was a cracking sound of broken ribs and a dry, forced yell from the man as Jaymz landed the punch. Fear gripped his body as Jaymz grabbed hold of the chair and pulled the man closer to the fireplace.
Man: What are you doing!? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?
Jaymz grunted as he let go of the chair and looked the man squarely in the eyes. The man didn’t like what he saw and tried to look away, but something seemed to control him…What was happening right before him was so fantastic and mesmerizing that he couldn’t pull his one good eye away. A blackness so deep that it seemed to stretch into another dimension started to fill Jaymz’ eyes like waves in an ocean. The black waved in over the sclera, the iris and finally his pupil.
The air pressure seemed to change in the room and suddenly the man felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. His heart raced as sweat beaded up on his bald head as he felt a warm sensation in his crotch and slowly spread down between his legs. The smell of urine filled the room as Jaymz grabbed on to the side of the chair farthest from the fire and leaned the terrified man closer to the flames as he screamed.
Julie: ….hungry….
Man: Please, NO!!!! Im sorry!! Im sorry!!
The heat was intense as his face came into contact with the dancing orange flames. His beard and hair over his ear started to singe away and the dreadful smell of burning hair filled the room, even making Jaymz wince. His screams filled the cabin as Jaymz held the right side of his face over the fireplace. His skin seemed to boil and break loose in places; his ear has turned completely black and was now smaller than the other. The flames thrashed the thin skin of his eye lid, drying it out and slowly burning it away from his eye ball, leaving it exposed to the intense light as it darted eerily back and forth across the room.
Jaymz felt a hand run across his shoulder and he turned to face Julie. The rage and hate on his face had disappeared and his eyes returned to normal as a genuine smile crossed his face for the first time. They made eye contact and looked at each other for a moment as Jaymz still held the chair over the flames; as if he had forgotten the screaming man tilted over in the chair with a sizzling face. Julie put both her hands on Jaymz shoulders and the giant let go of the chair, sitting the charred man back upright with an “oomph.”
He moaned, drifted in and out of conciseness from the intense pain and finally he passed out. Jaymz looked over at him once as Julie leapt up into his arms and wrapped her thin little legs around his immense frame and squeezed him tight. He supported what little weight she had with his hands across the bottoms of her legs and held them there; he didn’t seem to mind her prickly hairs running across his palms. After all, Julie hadn’t been out long and hadn’t had enough time to get properly acquainted with the world in 2017.
As she laid a kiss on him, he had almost admired how well her captors had been able to keep her location a secret from him. But damn, he missed his Julie. She kissed him again, except this time she ran her tongue across his face, down to his neck and started licking it furiously. Jaymz pulled away from her embrace and set her on the floor. Even for what she normally was, she wasn’t her usual self. They had messed her up pretty good while they had her hidden away. They both froze and turned their attention toward the man when he moaned and regained consciousness. He lifted his head and what remained on the right side of his face was a disgusting mess. His left eye was fully aware of what was going on, and fully aware of the extreme pain that he was in.
Man: …Hope…..you die…
Jaymz: Oh, I will someday, I suppose.
He walked over to the man as Julie followed, her eyes focused on the man and the horrifying sight that was his face.
Jaymz: But don’t forget, today is your lucky day. Im gonna let you live, remember? I told you….What Im gonna do to you in here isn’t gonna be nearly as bad as what you have to do later. But Im still gonna give you a chance to just give me the name….
Man: ..No…
It could barely be heard, but to Jaymz it was loud and clear.
Jaymz: Well, you made that decision. You moved out of the country hoping that I wouldn’t find ya, and here we are. And you still won’t give me the fucking name.
Julie left his side and wandered over to the man on all fours but he didn’t seem to notice as he watched Jaymz pace around the room, each loud footstep sending chills up his spine.
Jaymz: But Im gonna let you live anyway. Because I'm a nice guy....
The beast stopped and smiled at the man as he spoke the last word. There was nothing friendly about the smile, there was nothing that made the man feel at ease when he said it.
Jaymz: Julie though….
He laughed a little and more chills shot through the man’s body and goosebumps broke out on his arms tied to the chair.
Jaymz: ....I don’t know if ol' Julie is as nice as I am. I don’t think I properly introduced you two, did I? Excuse my manners. I’ve never been the best host. Julie, this is uuuhh....What was your name again?
Julie looked at Jaymz then glanced back over to the man, still with the curious look as she studied his charred face.
Jaymz: Mark!! That’s it! Mark Hale. Mark, this is my Julie. Julie, this is Mark.
Mark couldn’t see Julie since his eye was a crispy mess, but he felt her finger touch the raw flesh that used to be his cheek. He shot up in the chair and screamed in pain as Julie dug her finger into his flesh. He thrashed in the chair, swung his head wildly but Julie still continued to pick at his cheek causing more blood to run down his face. She looked at the small piece of flesh she had pulled from her face and put it in the front pocket of the huge white t-shirt she was wearing. Blood soaked through the pocket and she seemed satisfied as she intended to save the piece of flesh for whatever reason her sadistic little heart desired.
Jaymz walked over to mark and squatted down in front of him, lifting Marks chin with his finger so he could look Mark in his one good eye.
Jaymz: I think she likes ya, Mark. I'll tell you what, Im gonna step out for a minute and I'll let you two get properly acquainted.
Mark only grunted as his head swam with intense pain and he had very little fight left inside him. He could smell Jaymz' breath and he had anticipated to smell smoke since the giant seemed to puff away for three days straight, but it wasn’t the smell that hit his one good nostril. It was the smell of death; it was the smell of a million decaying bodies and images of corpses, rotting in piles by the dozen, shot through his brain.
Jaymz waited for a reply but never got one. He nodded as he stood back up and grabbed his leather jacket off the chair and put it on. He pulled a cigar from his pocket and clinched it between his teeth, straightens his jacket and headed for the front door. As he did, Julie jumped on Marks lap and wrapped her legs around him; the long shirt exposing more of her furry legs. She grabbed his face and seemed to study it. Jaymz opened the door to the cold night and stepped outside as an awful scream erupted from Marks throat. Jaymz cringed, paused and poked his head back inside the door. From inside the house Mark screamed at the giant.
Mark: You promised!!! You said you would let me live!!
Jaymz: I did, I did...but Julie may not feel the same way.
He slammed the door shut behind him as the screams continued. Mark howled in pain, his sobs could be clearly heard outside in the dark night. The screams continued for a few moments before everything fell silent in the house and Jaymz pulled out his cell phone, dialing a number and putting it on speaker.
Erik Black: Jaymz!? Where are you?
Jaymz: I was chasing that lead. It was a dead-end though.
Erik: Fuck! He knows a lot - make him talk!
Jaymz: I told you, these assholes aint talkin. Whoever they work for threatened them good, I don’t even think they know his real name.
Erik: What did you do with him?
Jaymz: Me? Nothing. I was gonna let him live, but I have a feeling Julie don’t feel the same way.
There was silence on the other end for a moment.
Erik: Julie? You found her! I knew you would. We need to get her back here where she'll be safe.
Jaymz: Oh, and she’s fine...Thanks for asking.
Erik: Huh? What? ...I knew she would be, Jaymz. Is there a mess?
Jaymz: I didn’t have to do anything; I just stood outside the gate waiting on her. Judging by the secrecy of the location, I don’t think we'll have any messes to worry about.
Erik: When are you coming back?
Jaymz: Tomorrow morning, but I have one other thing to take care of before I come back...
Erik: Don’t overdo it, old man....
He knew what Erik was talking about; he was talking about their upcoming match. The two men had avoided the topic all week and Jaymz didn’t want to talk about it now; much less even hear Erik’s voice at this point.
Jaymz: Don’t worry about me! I gotta go!
There was anger in his voice. Jaymz ended the call and heard Erik laugh as he did. Erik was a cocky bastard but he had every right to be considering he was one of the most skilled fighters and wrestlers in the world.
The wind had picked up slightly and the falling snow now blew under the overhang of the front porch. The flakes that fell near Jaymz melted before they made contact with his leather jacket; and the droplets of water that landed on him evaporated so quickly you wondered if they had been there at all.
You know, the fact that you actually believe you’re better than me is an insult in itself. I beat you once and I proved to the world I was better than you. Let me ask you this, old friend, who led the way when ZT was on top of the world? Who was taking home the World Title and slaughtering the competition? Yeah, sure as shit wasn’t you. While I was out there beating guys like Goth and others, you were in my shadow feasting on the scraps of the derelicts that didn’t deserve to stand in the ring with the best.
I do cast a rather large shadow, so there was plenty of room for you to beat on everyone at that level but prove that you were never going to be the one that ZT looked at when it needed the big win. I am the Enforcer of Zero Tolerance for a fucking reason, and your desire to be the best at everything clouds your judgement on how the wrestling ranks within ZT work. This match goes beyond the bullshit belt that we made up, but this match serves its purpose and lets family work out its tensions…
This match goes a little deeper than that, but don’t get me wrong Erik…Im going to bring that title with me to every meeting we have until 2018 so you’ll always remember that you have never taken me down. I don’t know why you expect the result to be any different this time around when nothing has changed except the years on the calendar. You haven’t gotten any better, …what have you been doing the last several years? Pushing pencils and shaking hands sealing deals with that shitty little smile on your face? Don’t worry, you can still do all of that from the wheelchair that Im going to put you in.
Just think, with all those deals you’ve made us we can get you a real classy wheelchair with some character to it. So what is it that you bring to the table for me after all these years? All you have is the anger from the last match and that isn’t going to carry you to a win. Has it been that long since you’ve seen me in action? Did you forget why I dominated everyone? Yeah…come into this match with the attitude that Im “just another big man” when I’ve proven over my career that I get stronger as the match goes on.
I’ve proven that my raw strength is greater than any man in the sport. I guess you have forgotten that I got into this because I love the pain, and I guess you just don’t notice the scars that cover my face anymore, do you? You think you can just kick at my knee a few times and take me down? Hell, you know I’ll let ya do it the first few times just so I can take in the pain, …It’ll get annoying after a while…and that’s when I’ll just rip your fuckin limbs off.
There won’t be no fancy submission moves from you, and you damn sure aint gonna get me to tap out. You can lock ‘em on but Im just gonna sit there and laugh at ya and pry you away when Im ready to finish you off. You know what you get with me, Erik. There isn’t anyone better at being an old school, hardcore brawler than me, and although you’re one of the best I’ve ever faced, you’re still going to end up just like everyone else.
Some of the best the world, guys you couldn’t beat, fell at my hands yet you truly believe that you’ll win this match. Im not your typical big man and that’s another fucking insult that I should end your life over, but you’re a friend, so I’ll make the one exception for you and let you live. Jujitsu and every other skill that you possess isn’t going to win this match for you, and I’ll show the world why the WCF doesn’t want to see me walking around the locker room any time soon.
They don’t know what a true monster is and they don’t know the destruction that one can really cause – but the world will get a small taste when I show them why you’ll always be second rate in wrestling compared to me. I’ll make sure you never forget the pain that Im going to put you though, pain so intense that you’ll feel it down to the marrow in your bones. Pain so unforgettable that you’ll wish you had lost to Crazy J last year so it didn’t have to be you taking a beating from me in 2017.
But, this is what you wanted. This is what you’ve dreamed of all these years and it’s only a few days away. I destroy people and their dreams for a living Erik, and I’ve destroyed them for you as well. You won’t receive the same punishment as them in the end, but for a few days as you heal you’ll wish that I had just fucking killed you instead. You’ve always been beneath me when it comes to accomplishments in the ring. What you do best is behind a desk…That’s where you need to stay because that’s your role in ZT.
I destroy people, not you, because you don’t have the determination to watch people suffer that I do. I put you on my back and I carried you with me to the top with the ZT name – and never forget that. You stayed behind me - letting me clear the path to greatness and you rode the wave of my success as far as it would take you. You hid behind me, …like you’ve been hiding for weeks now…I got pushed to the front of Zero Tolerance, and why is that Erik? Simply because you just weren’t good enough. You weren’t good enough then, and you damn sure aren’t good enough to stand in the ring against the best now.
I will enjoy the look in your eyes when I wrap my big left hand around your neck and squeeze it tight as I lift you up into the Silence with one hand. I’ll hold you high in the arena, close to the rafters, as you scratch and claw at my hand… trying to remove it from your neck as I cut off your oxygen and you struggle to breathe. I’ll look you in the eyes and make sure that you understand who the most brutal member of ZT is. And right before you pass you, I’ll drop you. You’ll get a rush like you’ve just jumped out of an airplane as I slam you down and you crash into the mat with the force of a car crash. You will feel the Silence, Erik. There’s no way around it…Everyone does, and nobody…NOBODY…gets up.
Jaymz flicked the end of the cigarette into the snow and the cherry sizzled as the beast walked back into the house to spend his first night with Julie in many, many years.