Scotch and Stuff

[Xavier Cross]

{Bandaged and bloodied, the former Lord Bordo lays on a bed, a small glass of white liquid, almost too pure to be milk sat on a table next to the bed. It slept quietly as Xavier Cross sits in a chair next to the bed, his leg folded over another, arms crossed looking at the old warlord. Stirring a bit, Bordo opens one eye, groaning a bit.}



Lord Bordo: "Boy...you did quite the number on me..."



Xavier Cross: "If not for the Shrine Maiden, I would be laying in bed next to you..."



Lord Bordo: "The Shrine Maiden? You mean you got her magic to work?"



{Cross looks a bit confused as he sat forward, looking at Lord Bordo, he managed to push himself to a sitting position in bed, as he reaches for the white liquid, a painkiller.}



Xavier Cross: "You mean her magic hasn't worked before?"



Lord Bordo: "We gave her everything I could muster to learn her powers, but she couldn't produce results. She claimed no man was worthy of her gods...But I have seen these Shrine Maiden's powers first hand...For you to receive that gift...you must be a special boy..."



Xavier Cross: "Boy?"



Lord Bordo: "I'm old enough to be your grandfather, you will not hear me call you King when the two of us sit alone."



{Cross chuckles a bit, as he stands up. Sighing, he leans against the window looking out at the children playing in the streets. He cracks the window a bit}



Lord Bordo: "Ah...I haven't heard that kind of laughter in years...you must have brought aid with your army, didn't you? You planned to beat me, and liberate this city..."



Xavier Cross: "I am arrogant as I am strong...These people will bow the knee to whoever can feed and protect them, for the longest time you had only protected them...but do tell me, why aren't the mines producing..."



Lord Bordo: "You move fast boy..."



Xavier Cross: "After I left the Maiden, I went to a council meeting. Our reports list that you have ordered the mines closed and guarded...why?"



Lord Bordo: "You are a strong warrior, and so far a noble king Cross, but what is down there does not fair well for any of us mortals..It's best to lock it away, and be done with it..."



Xavier Cross: "Pray do tell Lord Bordo, what are you locking away?"



{The injured man looks a bit nervous as he begins to speak.}



Lord Bordo: "Our miners were in the deepest parts, we had flourished with the metal we received from deep down there...But we started receiving alarming reports of disappearances, of monsters...My council assumed it was just lazy workers, or just paranoia from being down there...But when I sent a strike team down there to stop the nonsense...they never returned...I took an elite team down with me next time, and what we encountered Xavier, it wasn't human..."



{Biting his lip, Cross looks at the old warlord a bit concerned, over the last hour he had encountered many things that would make him believe in such fables. He returned to his seat, his eyes locked on Lord Bordo}



Lord Bordo: "Twisted hellspawn, neither rock nor man, a godless abomination of the two...Golems they called 'em. Hard bastards to carve down, we were able to escape. But it seemed they were trying to dig deeper when we came upon them...They were digging deeper into the caves...Trying to get to something."



Xavier Cross: "Any idea of what that something might be?"



Lord Bordo: "A dragon..."



Xavier Cross (choking on his words): "A...what? A Dragon?!"



Lord Bordo: "I didn't believe it myself, but after the things, I saw....They say a great dragon nested in this area millions of years ago, eventually, during the slumber, the mountains moved over it, the earth itself imprisoning it deep in the depths of hell. My theory is these Golems want to unleash this dragon, but for what reason other than destruction...I do not know."



Xavier Cross: "So you wanted to seal it off, and hope for the best?"



Lord Bordo: "I wanted to seal it off until I could receive help, but a certain Traitor received the Banks full attention, I was unable to gain help. I thought if I could kill you on the fields of battle, the Bank would back my kingdom."



{Cross chuckles a bit at the notion, but straightens up. He stands up, going for his sword, but it wasn't there. A sense of unease rested on his shoulders now.}



Xavier Cross: "Direct me to the royal blacksmith. I need a new blade forged...."



Lord Bordo: "I witnessed your strength on the battlefield...I have had the smith working on a special weapon to use against the Golems, and possibly a dragon...I saw you wield my axe against me...I knew you might be exactly what we needed. Go to her, and take that blade. Save this Kingdom...."



{Nodding, Cross begins to walk out of the room, but Bordo stops him by calling for him.}



Lord Bordo: "Boy...you are something special, but why did you truly let me live?"



Xavier Cross: "I need you, I will mold you into a great lord, while you and your soldiers mold my army into an unstoppable force. With your abilities, when I march on my homelands, I will take the throne. More so, I needed the mines to produce the highest quality of weapons and armor for my forces...Other than that, you were the first move on the chess board for my great conquest. I needed to prove to myself once more I could lead not only an army, but run a Kingdom as well."



Lord Bordo: "You are ever the man of strategy boy...and you fought me in individual combat to protect your soldier's lives, knowing if you could best me...they'd respect you."



Xavier Cross: "Being able to win the day without losing a single life is a rare feat, something I am known for. If I'm going to send good men out there to die, it best is for the right reasons."



{Cross opens the door, making his way out of the castle. Stopping at the big doors, Emmigosa and Nendra stood there waiting for him. Nendra had a smile on his face, flushed cheeks, obviously, he had a few drinks before coming down. Emmigosa still looks very upset with Xavier.}



Nendra: "The Conqueror has arrived! The Great King Xavier Cross!"



Xavier Cross: "You do me great honors Nendra, but next time could you tone your words down from the smell of booze."



Nendra: "Booze? You mean you didn't have a drink after that great moment with the Shrine Maiden?"



{Cross flicks Emmigosa on the forehead, as she scratches her head.}



Xavier Cross: "Emmigosa, I think you're jealous of the attention the Maiden got."



Emmigosa: "No! That's not it!"



Xavier Cross: "No need to blush boy, after we finish this next bit...I'll take you to the whore house."



Nendra: "Emmigosa has never been with a woman before, that'll be quite the story."



Emmigosa: "I do too! I have a girl waiting at home for me!"



{Cross shakes his head as he pushes the door, the two following him outside, the people stop, staring for a moment as a chorus of cheers come from them. Emmigosa rushes to Xavier's side, clutching at his dagger attached to his hip, Cross puts his hand on Emmigosa's shoulder, relaxing him. Nendra waves, soaking in the cheers.}



Xavier Cross: "They're happy, for the first time. Just enjoy the moment..."



Nendra: "Yes! Let us enjoy the favors of this land!"



Emmigosa: "You're both idiots..."



Xavier Cross: "Alas, we have a mission, and I want to take you three with me for this part...Once we get to the Blacksmith, Emmigosa, go back to the Castle, I need you to assemble my guard...my elite guard...Bring them back here..."



{Cross looks determined, the same look on his face as when he fought Lord Bordo. Nendra straightens up a bit, seeing the look trying to shake the soberness off, Emmigosa has a look of concern as the three make their way through town.}

****** 

So....Mason St. Croix is back, and the crowd goes...silent. I will not lie children, I did not even notice he was gone to be quite honest. Granted, I can rant and rave, and applaud Mason for being a national treasure, a hero even. But why should I? Why should I applaud a man who chooses this life, when he should be spending trying to fix his family life. 

Why should I respect a man, who is the greatest fraud in wrestling history? You see, I came back to IWF more focused, and refined than ever. With a simple cause of purging the corruption with fire, burning down this world and rebuilding it with ashes. 

This is a war where soldiers are needed, but I'd rather have someone more qualified than Mason, I'm thinking some of those little dime store toy soldiers, they have more personality.  

Y'know, I hold the ideals of American Soldiers in great respect, so I feel bad about the things I'm going to say, the way I truly feel about Mason...Call it a disclaimer, personally, I don't care what you call it, I call it facts. 

Here's a fact for you, most people know that I have a close friend who has been absent from the wrestling business for a few years now. He was one of the founding members of this company, Will Washington. You see, Will has spent a lot of his time giving back, helping his fellow veterans, last time we spoke 

the man was in Washington, D.C. fighting for those who's voices can't reach the fat cats. Will have donated a lot of in his life, his early life was spent in the military, like yourself Mason, however, Will knew what was truly important. Giving back to those less fortunate, and I'd say he donated something to you, Mason. That entire gimmick you walk around with, you can attribute your success to this, and that. But the simple fact is, you're walking in the footsteps of a man that is greater than you'll ever be. It's sad that a great man can donate his time, and effort to better people's lives, but here you are taking his donated gimmick and being so bland, if only he donated you his heart, and maybe a testicle or two... 

Mason, you are the kind of man who will never live up to your potential, there is a reason you came back home and your family was moved on. They're disappointed you never reached that maximum of what you could be...A folded flag. 

You should have stayed gone, maybe done something with your life. It's unfortunate the powers that be put you in this match against Kole and myself. We have gotten a taste of destruction, and the bottle is still very full. I'm thirsty, and I want to taste some iron.  

By the end of this match, you're gonna regret who's cock you let touch your throat to get back in this company.  

****** 

{Back in reality, Cross lets out a tired yawn as he slowly puts one foot in front of the other, climbing his porch steps. Digging in his pocket, his fingers grasp at his keys as he throws the screen door open, before unlocking the front door. Immediately he is hit with the overwhelming smell of booze and cigar smoke, glancing around behind him he looks for another car, before letting out a tired sigh.} 

Xavier Cross: "I changed these locks three times to keep Gib out, it's been months now and I haven't found him on the couch...ugh..."



{Moving into the house, he closes the door behind him glancing around, noticing the sink is empty. Usually, when Gib was here, it was full, and the kitchen would smell like bacon and steak. Beer cans would have covered the floor, it was as impressive as it was disgusting. Shaking his head, Cross probes further to investigate. Poking his head into the living room, his eyes go wide and his mouth drops as he staggers forward falling face first onto the ground. Shaking his head, he sits up straight quickly as we are greeted by the same sight that threw him off. A tiny penguin sitting on the sofa, two empty bottles of whiskey laid next to him, a burning cigar firmly clenched in its beak. Cross pops up, a little scared having heard that Penguins go right for the eyes. Inspecting the bird, it was easy to tell it was very intoxicated, eyes blood shot red.}



Xavier Cross: "Well, fuck, I'm gonna get busted up by Animal protective services or something...Who the hell would do this?"



{Glancing down, he notices a neatly sealed letter, with a wax covering the seal. Kneeling down, he slips his pocket knife out slicing the letter open. Pulling out his contents, he noticed a strange odor flowing from the envelope. Looking up at the Penguin, Cross shakes his head before turning back to the letter.}



Xavier Cross: "So....look, I got a good word you're decently trustworthy, so my buddy here, Scotch, needs a place to crash for a while...He's pretty simple, fish, booze, and smokes. Take care of him alright? Forever yours......GOLDBEAR?!"



{Cross's eye begins twitching as his lips shiver a bit on that last word, looking at the letter and then the penguin, over and over. His entire body was shivering.}



Xavier Cross: "Scotch..."



{The penguin's head looks up, responding to the name, but before Cross can say anything else, a bucket swings from the ceiling dropping water on him, but the ropes break at the bucket comes down on his head, knocking him out cold on the floor below. The Penguin waddles down, hitting the floor, it's adorable little flippers reach up putting on a Sea Captain's hat, before waddling over to Xavier. Hopping on the unconscious man's chest, the Penguin proceeds to teabag him.}



Scotch: "SQUAWK!"

****** 

Dre Cutler is a special man, at only twenty-five...well you'll be twenty-six soon young man. Being able to compete on this stage at your age, I acknowledge you, and your potential. But like my younger brother Ulf, you face a large uphill battle. These roads are not paved for your success, and I'd offer you my hand but my older brother, Death Incarnate Jason Sandman... 

I think he has a taste for your blood my friend, which the only thing I can offer you if sympathy. You stare across the ring at Kole Kaos newly crowned Lord of Tanks, and myself, Xavier Cross, the Usurper.  

When you play with fire my boy, you will get burned. We have an addiction to breaking and burning. I just hope your career can survive this turmoil because you are one of the few bright spots in this world. I wish you luck, if only you weren't paired with a watered down version of a better man.