Thrill of the Fight (F15teen RP 1)
Jan 30, 2016 13:29:29 GMT -5
Jay Omega, Gemini Battle, and 3 more like this
Post by Bonnie Blue on Jan 30, 2016 13:29:29 GMT -5
Sunday, January 24th 2016
Richmond, VA
The crowds have departed, but the Siegal Center bustles still with activity as lower-ranking WCF employees work efficiently to break down the ring. High-strung and edgy, Bonnie Blue lends a hand in an attempt not to think about the enormity of what she has accomplished -- or the task that yet lies ahead. She's busy stacking things on a hand truck, and is taken aback when someone grabs her elbow and guides her away backstage. A kid with a camera on his shoulder follows, hitting "record" when he catches up to Bonnie, shaking Hank Brown's hand off her arm.
Bonnie Blue: What the hell, Hank?
Hank Brown: I could ask you the same thing. What do you think you're doing?
Incredulous, Bonnie stares at Hank for a moment. His attire would give no hint that the WCF might be experiencing a slight economic downturn, clad as he is in a tailored jacket and shirt. But the clothes are rumpled now, and his expression harried.
Bonnie Blue: I, uh... Could ya be more specific?
Hank glances at the camera and hastily straightens his jacket, smooths down his hair, and assumes a pleasant demeanor.
Hank Brown: Let me start over. Congratulations on beating Lucious Starr and Adam Young. That can't have been easy.
Bonnie Blue: Why thank you, Hank. It wasn't. I knew it wouldn't be. But I think I done proved to Mr. Starr's satisfaction that I am the better wrestler.
She turns to look directly at the camera, a smile tugging at her lips.
Bonnie Blue: An' now I'm headed to Fifteen, to the Final Destination match. The road before me is lined with potential pitfalls.
Hank Brown: With a world title shot on the line, you must be excited.
Bonnie Blue: I'd say equal parts trepidation an' excitement, Hank. Out of everyone participatin' in Final Destination, I'm the youngest an' least experienced. I'd reckon there's gonna be a few who say I don't deserve the spot for precisely that reason -- li'l Miss Blue's too new, too green, to get so close to that belt -- nevermind the fact that I been steadily kickin' ass an' takin' names since I got here. Nevermind that I just tonight put to bed Lucious Starr's ludicrous claims that he let Rebellution win last week; that I was the one who pinned that bigoted neanderthal, Jordan Wolfram that night; that when I went up against Dune, he had to hit me twice with his Sandstorm -- an' one of those times on a chair! -- before he could get the three-count on me.
An' let's not forget One, when I had both Andre Jenson an' Oblivion gunnin' for me. Don't get me wrong, now; AJ's one of my favorite people here, once we got things settled 'tween us. Poor AJ got caught up in somethin' 'cause he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Oblivion... IT got what was comin' to IT that night. You wouldn't believe how it felt when I put that bastard down -- I never wanted to be that close to the Monster again, let me tell ya -- but when I put Oblivion's shoulders on the ground an' the ref started countin'... It was like it happened in slow motion; couldn't be over with quick enough. An' the next thing I knew, I was bein' pulled to my feet, my arm lifted into the air. For just one second, all I could think was "It's over? That's it?" Then my heart started beatin' again when I realized what I had done.
Oblivion ain't been quite the same since.
When Bonnie glances back at Hank, his gaze is turned away, watching something in the distance. She clears her throat, and he gives a little start before looking round at her again. He wears a strange expression, a hint of the sardonic behind a carefully constructed facade of neutrality.
Hank Brown: Sorry. Were you done? Kinda zoned out there. So, yeah, Fifteen. Tensions seem to have spilled over tonight in the ring.
Bonnie Blue: Yeah... they did, didn't they? Everybody looked like they were havin' so much fun, I couldn't resist joinin' in.
She gives Hank a dazzling smile, which he ignores completely.
Hank Brown: Right. Except everybody else was just brawling. You had a specific target in mind.
Bonnie's face assumes an expression of guileless innocence.
Bonnie Blue: You mean Mr. Rabid? He was just the first one I came to.
Hank Brown: On purpose. Why him? Why did you single out Johnny Rabid?
Bonnie Blue: He knows why. Suffice it to say that I'm tired of him treating me like I'm a novelty act -- yeah, I hear the rumors, I keep up with the dirtsheets -- yet he knows the truth. Rabid thinks he can undermine me by behaving like I'm a joke, as if I'm beneath his notice. Well... do I have your attention now, Mr. Rabid?
Should I let the nice viewers out there know what you really are? That detective I hired -- I'm sure you've used your extensive resources to find out all about him -- I chose him for a specific reason. He specializes in cases of, shall we say, an occult nature. Now, I don't reckon I got quite all the information I paid for, but what I did get was real interestin'. Matter of fact --
Hank Brown: Bonnie!
Bonnie Blue: What?
The Interviewer glances around wildly.
Hank Brown: That's enough with Mr. Rabid. Move on.
She takes a step back, eyes scrutinizing Hank as if seeing him in a new light.
Bonnie Blue: Why?
Hank Brown: If you know who -- what -- Johnny Rabid really is, why would you continue to antagonize him? I mean --
Suddenly, he claps a hand over his mouth, eyes wide with alarm; as if he expects some terrible calamity to befall him at any second. When a few moments pass, and nothing happens, he visibly relaxes.
Hank Brown: Sorry, I think what I was trying to say is that there are other participants in the match; you shouldn't let yourself get tunnel vision. Logan, for instance. That's a hell of a way to be introduced, isn't it?
The Daughter of Time frowns slightly at the abrupt change of subject on the heels of Hank's odder-than-usual behavior; but she chooses not to push it. Not now.
Bonnie Blue: You could say that. I guess I should feel... honored? Because he's a veteran of the WCF, one of the very first wrestlers Seth Lerch employed and a fan favorite of longstandin', no matter which side of that thin, gray line of morality he treads. Honestly, I ain't sure if'n I'm s'posed to take that as a friendly greetin' or a means of demonstratin' his masculine dominance; of lettin' me know my place in the heirarchy, so far's Logan's concerned. What was the motivation? Random impulse or disrespect?
Hank Brown: You're giving Logan too much credit. Guys aren't that complicated. There's no deeper meaning behind it. Did you ever consider it was just because you're cute?
Bonnie Blue: Not really, no. You say he wouldn't put that kind of thought into something. He's the Face of Treachery! Of course he's devious an' deceitful an' there's prob'ly meanin' behind ever'thin' he does. Aside from all that, he's crazier than Oblivion. I mean, at least the Monster acknowledges that IT is, in fact, a Monster. Logan, on the other hand, not an hour ago was in Kat's office, talkin' about cuttin' off her face as calmly as you or I might discuss the weather. That don't make me feel any more sanguine about the situation. Besides which, I brushed my teeth three times, an' I can still taste hot dogs.
Hank's expression betrays a hint of revulsion.
Hank Brown: That's... unsettling. Would you say this is the biggest match of your career?
Bonnie Blue: By far, Hank. Look at the other people involved. Logan and Graveidgger are household names. Steve Orbit's a huge celebrity in his own right. All three of them got a list of title reigns so long, I couldn't begin to recount it all. There's one half of the tag team champions in Johnny Rabid, and a former People's champion in Spencer Adams. Benjamin Atreyu, of course, is a previous United States Champion and a former tag champ. That's a presitgious list of competitors. I'm the only woman participatin', I'm the rookie, and I've never been in a ladder match. The odds are long, and I got a lot to prove.
Hank Brown: And what pitfalls do you imagine lie in your path?
The young woman raises a hand to her chin, one finger resting across her lips in an attitude of contemplation.
Bonnie Blue: Well, Hank, I reckon the biggest one is the intimidation factor; lettin' myself get worked up, thinkin' 'bout how impossible this challenge is. I can't let myself get caught in that spiral. 'Sides, it'll make it all the sweeter when I climb to the top of that ladder...
She smiles brightly for a moment, before another thought occurs to her.
Bonnie Blue: Then again, just 'cause I been on a roll the last couple weeks, that don't mean I can succumb to hubris, neither. I got that tendency toward pride from Johnny Reb, an' it ended up bein' the thing that led to his downfall. I'd like to think I've learned from his mistakes.
An' if it ain't an abundance of misplaced confidence that gets me, it could yet be my own inexperience. I was raised to this, yes, but the fightin' in which I was trained had an altogether deadlier purpose. That bein' the case, my sparrin' partners were, of necessity, androids. Difficult, but not the same as a livin', breathin', thinkin' human bein'...
But the biggest pitfalls, Hank, are the six men I'll be in that ring with. Even so, the perils that await are nothin' compared to the reward waitin' at the end. Gettin' to the top of that ladder will be my ultimate triumph -- leastways 'til I get the opportunity to challenge the World Champion, whoever that may be at the end of the night next Sunday.
Confidence radiates from Bonnie's smile, while Hank makes a gesture to the cameraman; the scene cuts to black.
===================================================================
Rock of Ages
Later, Relative Time
The Timekeeper himself, formerly Johnny Reb, paces the confines of the ring, mind whirling like the storm outside. He barely notices as Don Jesus Luis de Guadalupe -- Chuy, to his friends -- climbs up the ring steps and slips between the ropes. It isn't until the older man passes him a freshly lit blunt that Reb manages to wrench his thoughts to the immediate moment. He glances at his friend and mentor as he takes a long, deep hit and holds it in. Several moments later, he exhales a cloud of white that drifts lazily to dissipate among the stalactites above.
Johnny Reb: Do you know what it is to stand here and face Eternity? To know that all of Time and Space are mine to command, yet be bound by the very rules I -- my predecessor -- initiated at the outset? To observe the happenin's within the comp'ny to which I devoted years of my life -- my blood an' sweat -- an' be unable to do a damn thing about it?
Don Jesus: I can only imagine, Bernardo... But the previous Timekeeper chose the Wrestling Championship Federation; ultimately chose you to take his place. It is both an honor and a burden, Bernardo, but you will learn to handle it.
Reb takes another hit from the blunt and hands it back to his friend, eyes drawn toward the cave mouth, and the swirling, colorful bluster of the storm outside.
Johnny Reb: The responsibility ain't what's vexin' me. It's the WCF. The threads of individual lives are plain enough to see, woven through the tapestry -- except where one particular person is concerned. There's just a big blank; like somethin' blockin' my view.
Don Jesus: But only another Architect would be powerful enough to obscure your vision.
Johnny Reb: Yeah, essentially. There are prob'ly ways we ain't figured on yet; the creature that referred to itself as the Dark Timekeeper wasn't no Architect, but it managed to fool us all just the same. Stands to reason, I s'pose...
Chuy raises a quizzical eyebrow.
Don Jesus: What stands to reason, Bernardo?
A smile plays at Johnny's lips, a hint of admiration lighting his gray-blue eyes.
Johnny Reb: Bonnie's targeted the one person in all of WCF whose timeline I can't see. That ain't a coincidence.
Then the smile fades, and his face takes on a troubled look.
Johnny Reb: But that ain't all that concerns me. Her powers have begun to manifest.
Don Jesus: You said that would not happen yet. Maybe not ever.
Johnny Reb: It was the Mask of Oblivion, had to have been. Something inside her awakened in response to it. Only way to explain how she manifested at a class three without goin' through the first two stages.
Don Jesus: Why would she have these powers at all, Bernardo?
The former Inveterate Confederate shakes his head.
Johnny Reb: I'm not sure. It must have something to do with what the Timekeeper did to my alternate timelines. The genetic sample she was cloned from had to have been obtained after that.
Don Jesus: You never had abilities like that, Bernardo...
Johnny Reb: Maybe I wasn't open to 'em. Maybe it was there, latent, the whole time. That's a matter for later speculation. Just now, I reckon someone oughta go keep an eye on Bonnie Blue, before she gets herself into even more trouble.
Don Jesus: I do not see how much more she can get herself into. A seven-person ladder match at Fifteen is trouble enough.
Johnny Reb: My concern is her seemin' obsession with this Rabid guy. He's not just dangerous in the conventional sense. I may not be able to view his timeline, but I perceive a number of potential futures, all rooted in him. Ain't none of 'em what I'd call benevolent.
The Timekeeper's expression becomes distant, as he focuses on things yet far removed in space and time.
Johnny Reb: There's more. Even without the influence of Johnny Rabid, the ones calling themselves BeachKrew are dangerous enough. I see subtle threads that bind them to eldritch entities; the shoggoth, the fish-god P'tah, perhaps even Cthulu itself...
Don Jesus' eyes grow just perceptibly wider; he takes a long draw from the smoldering blunt, thinking.
Don Jesus: Surely these creatures do not threaten you?
Johnny Reb: Not as such, no. But the Prime reality, the one in which WCF exists and exerts its influence over nearby dimensions; that's where the threat lies. The longer BeachKrew remains dominant, the more power they gain. And if Johnny Rabid does get his hands on that World Championship, it won't just be the fate of your reality that's at stake. The entire Metaverse stands to suffer, in time. Even the Architects themselves may be endangered... eventually.
Don Jesus: Then you need for Bonnie to win the Final Destination match, yes?
After a brief hesitation, and another hit from the blunt, Johnny nods. It's the only way to be sure, after all. Any of the others could be subject to manipulation; not Bonnie Blue. Not Time's Daughter -- his daughter. In a manner of speaking, anyway.
Johnny Reb: Yes. I need you to get involved again, Chuy. Find Bonnie and bring her here. We're gonna teach her to fly.
Before Chuy can say anything -- to either protest or agree -- the Timekeeper produces his Bell from thin air, and strikes it thrice. In the echoing soundwaves, Don Jesus vanishes from sight.
======================================================================
Wednesday, January 27th 2016
I-95, Between Richmond and Philadelphia
So many times, it happens too fast;
You trade your passion for glory.
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past;
You must fight just to keep them alive...
That's what happened to Johnny. Passion traded for glory. Over and over again, and he never sorted out the pattern. Will I go the same way? Will I yield, as he did, to temptation? Or is the thrill of the fight enough?
Face to face, out in the heat,
Staying tough, staying hungry.
They stack the odds, still we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive...
The odds are, indeed, stacked. I'm in over my head this time. Six men in the ring with me, an' the best I can hope for is that they ignore me; yet I'd be terribly offended if they did. I know Gravedigger probably will, judgin' by the things he's said in commentary. He won't perceive me as anything more'n annoyance. But he's gonna learn diff'rent with a quickness.
Rising up, straight to the top;
Had the guts, got the glory.
Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop,
Just a man and his will to survive.
It's the eye of the tiger,
It's the thrill of the fight,
Rising up to the challenge of our rival.
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night,
And he's watching us all with the eye ....of the tiger!
As the inner monologue winds down, Bonnie finds herself absently singing along, hands drumming on the wheel in time to the music. She's so caught up in the song, she doesn't see the figure that has just appeared in the middle of the road until Brian Setzer gives a shout. Reacting swiftly, she jams on the brakes and wrenches the wheel to one side; sending the car into a sideways skid that comes to a rest just inches from ....none other than Don Jesus Luis de Guadalupe!
