Post by kaster on Apr 1, 2024 4:10:55 GMT
Blue and red lights wash over the scene. A siren blares loudly as multiple police officers file in and out of an Orlando home. Two men are sent into the back of a squad car, hands cuffed behind their backs.
Tyson was scared to death. He only wanted to defend his friend, his brother, from people who wanted to hurt his family. It was no matter an issue of titles and contenderships. It went beyond wrestling. Everything had at least been confined to IWF. This… this was despicable. If it was his family on the line, he knew Charlie would have done the same. The steel cuffs dug into his wrists and felt cold against his skin. He felt frustrated that they, the ones that were trying to PROTECT the house, were getting a ride courtesy of the Orlando police department. At least he could take comfort knowing that their adversaries were getting the same treatment.
Charlie, on the other hand, was eerily quiet. Tyson knew that when Charlie went silent, that’s when he was at his most angry. Terrella, Cvetkova and Portia had stepped over a line, a line that he didn’t think they would ever consider crossing. Never in his wildest nightmares did he believe that somebody would try to stoop so low by invading the home of his family. If his parents were there… they might’ve had to throw Charlie in jail for a LOT more than a little scuffle. But as the car rolled down his neighborhood, thoughts started to form. Violent, ugly thoughts. And it wasn’t like before the cage match. No, this was different. This was a much more intense, burning hatred of people who wanted to harm the people he loved. Every fiber of his being wanted to break out of the cuffs and bring them to justice. Something NEEDED to be done. If only that damn dog would shut up-
Wait a minute…
Charlie looked over at Tyson. His partner seemed to be in his own world right now, but he couldn’t blame him. Being in a police car was probably the last thing either of them expected from being pro wrestlers. But this would only be a small bump in the road for their journey. He knew that. Everything that they worked for was being challenged. It had spilled over into his personal life and now, the worlds he tried to keep so far apart were merging together. There had to be an end to this rivalry before something truly heinous happened. And, in his mind, he wasn’t sure if it would be because of them… or himself.
“We gonna have to take it right back to them, homie. They showed up at your front door. Do they got no shame?! Fuck, man…”
Tyson shook his head. He never wanted this. This wasn’t what he signed a contract for. Nothing had led him to believe he would be fighting such a raw, personal battle. But he would do anything for Charlie. He never heard a lot about his family, but he considered them like his own. To invade another person’s personal life was breaking through an unspoken boundary. He knew that those two matches with Savage by Nature were only the start of a great war, but his concern lay in how brutal and intense this war would become. Both teams were packed into squad cars over their mutual hatred of each other. What would happen when they met in the ring again? Something had to change… and soon. It would only get worse over time. He had seen many people get their lives ruined over much less. If they wanted to try and ruin his life, they would have to try a lot harder.
As the car grinded to a halt, Charlie and Tyson exchanged a look. Even though they knew they would get out of this, it wasn’t about the arrest. It was about the events before that. There was going to be hell to pay. They would guarantee that.
“Don’t worry, Ty. I think I have an idea. We’ll get them back-”
“How the fuck are we gonna do that? We don’t know where either of them live! And we don’t know where their families are…”
“No, no… we get them back in the ring. Remember, we’re better than this. We won’t do it like they do. We’ll make sure they get what’s coming to them, just like last time. But I think a cage won’t be enough. You know what they say-”
“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That’s the saying. I was taught that from the first day I trained to be a professional wrestler. And it couldn’t ring more true than now.”
The camera pans down a dark corridor. As it slowly trails down the corridor, lights start to buzz and come to life. On the right side is a locked jail cell, obscured by shadows. Eventually, the camera halts and pans towards the cell. Two hands reach out and grab the bars. Charlie Van Ruth slowly leans into view. His face is fraught with pain and anger. He’s clad in an orange jumpsuit, reminiscent of traditional prison attire. There’s an attempt to take a step forward… but a chain halts his progress. A dog collar clamped on Charlie’s neck prevents him from coming forward.
“I’ve had enough of this. Everything between us. We’ve been through glass, spikes, steel cages and now… we’ll be tied together. Dog collars. One of the most brutal, inhumane stipulations ever conceived for a wrestling match. You say that you WANT the violence, you WANT to hurt and you WANT these scars. I say bullshit. You two use violence to hide behind the fact that you can’t get it done inside the ring. That’s why we locked you in a cage last time. We lured you into a place where you couldn’t hide. And we’ve done it again.”
He bares his teeth and struggles against his restraints. The chain clinks every time he pulls on it.
“I was fine with the beatdowns. I was fine with the insults, the shit-slinging and the constant attacks. You could do that all day and I can understand why. But to- to invade the home of my family, to threaten people I love, to take that step into my world… I don’t understand. I don’t understand why you would fuck up that badly. Because now, you’re not dealing with Charlie Van Ruth, one-half of the Kings of Flight. You’re dealing with Charlie Van Ruth, the son of Terry and Jessica Van Ruth. And that’s not the guy you want. That’s not the guy you’re hoping is standing across the ring from you. Because when it is… you can count your fucking days.”
Another tug at the collar is enough for him to step a bit closer. He breathes heavily from the effort to escape. His right eye twitches from the thought of what he will- what he MUST do to Savage by Nature.
“Did you think it was a good idea to cross that line? Terrella, I hope to god that you’re not that fucking stupid, because I know Portia and Cvetkova aren’t. But it makes me wonder if you really have that much of a death wish. Remember, I WANTED to be tethered by chains. I’m the man who wants this match to happen more than anyone. Hell, even Tyson will tell you that he had his doubts about this. But not me. This is what I know we have to do to teach you a lesson. It’s obvious that you have not retained the things we have taught you. Number one: the Kings of Flight aren’t pushovers. No matter how much you try to bully through us, we are here to be the anchors of the tag division. We work hard, we try to treat the other teams with respect and we ALWAYS earn our victories. You can deny it but I know that nobody believes half the shit that comes out of your mouths. Number two: being cowards will get you nowhere. We saw what happened when you both were in that cage. You couldn’t use the numbers game and even though you blindsided us, we STILL beat your asses! And I consider your stunt in Orlando to be the most cowardly act of all. If you wanted another match, all you had to do was ask. It’s not that hard. Well, maybe it is for Terrella, considering he can’t seem to speak past a fifth-grade level. And number three: you never, EVER mess with another man’s family. Period. You will reap what you sow at High Stakes. And you will have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Each of these lessons need to be hammered into your head, whether it’s an elbow, kick or a steel chain. You will have to learn it because I will not leave that ring until one of two things happens. Either I leave the ring with my hand raised or I die trying. I know that this might have some championship implications or whatever the fuck, but that got thrown out the window the second you looked into mine. I just want to punish you. I don’t care if I have to get chained to a psycho goth bitch or King Kong without his intelligence. I will be coming after both of you and put my body and health on the line, as long as it means you are going down with me.”
He tugs on the rope again… and again. Each time, the strain is visible on his face. However, he manages to pull one last time and a loud CLANK is heard.
“At High Stakes… it’s time for a dog fight.”
He finally presses his body up against the bars and reaches out, attempting to grab the camera. The camera quickly backs away and quickly turns back down the corridor. Once it reaches the very end of the dimly lit hallway, another cell appears. This time, the only separation is plexi-glass. As the camera turns into the view of the cell, Tyson Everest sits against the back wall. He, too, has a dog collar around his neck. The collar is chained up to the wall, only allowing him to reach a certain distance around the cell.
“Y’know, this ain’t what we wanted to happen. Y’all took it so, so personally. And then y’all had to make it personal. I know you might think that I don’t got as much of a dog in this fight as Charlie, but you ain’t gonna ever understand. Charlie is like family to me. So his family is basically mine. When you fuck with that, then you’re fuckin’ with me. I ain’t gonna lie, y’all got some balls for pullin’ that one. But I know y’all are doin’ this ‘cause you want a reaction. Well, you got it. You happy now?”
He chuckles and grabs at the collar around his neck. Tyson’s demeanor is slightly different from Charlie’s. He’s angry, sure, but it’s a quieter, simmering rage.
“Are y’all really happy with that? You really do defy my expectations, ‘cause y’all keep proving that you’re dumber than I thought. When push comes to shove, we’ve seen y’all use dirty tactics to win. The only thing dirtier than y’all’s win record is Portia! And if that pisses you off, lil’ Stevie, good. I ain’t expectin’ anything less than some classic roid rage from your vanilla gorilla ass. Cvetkova, you been flappin’ your lips and saying that violence brings you pleasure. Well, let me remind you of something. These violent delights are always, always gonna have violent ends. And this?”
He taps on the collar.
“This is your violent end. I ain’t gonna be shocked if you tell me you dig being chained up. Honestly, it’d be more fucked up if you were actually afraid of this thing. I don’t think you’re afraid. But I do think you’re in over your head. I know you got this penchant for violence and shit, but I GOT THAT SHIT TOO!”
An enraged fist pounds against the concrete wall. Tyson stands up and turns away from the camera, planting both hands against the wall and hanging his head.
“You don’t think I ain’t ever been violent in my life? That I ain’t ever had to go to that dark place? Nah… I’ve been to that dark place more times than I’d like. And it KEEPS. COMING. BACK! I’ve been fightin’ my entire life. For things I believed in. For a way out of a situation. For people I love. I love Charlie like a brother, man. I’d do anything for that motherfucker. I will go to that dark place again. And I’ll do it-”
Turning back around, Tyson has a wide grin on full display.
“With a smile on my face. You can chain me up, lock me up and stick glass in my head, but that ain’t gonna keep me down. It sure as shit ain’t gonna keep Charlie down. Things can only get better once we get past whatever the fuck this is. Once we finally squash this shit, then we can move on. It’s funny… we started all this ‘cause we felt like we had to establish ourselves again. ‘Cause we didn’t know if anybody would remember us. But it ain’t gonna be about the fans when we walk into High Stakes. It won’t be about respect, either. Y’all don’t got any respect for us and honestly, I could never respect clowns like you three. Nah, it’s gonna be about family. I got my family. We bleed together, we fight together and hell, we even got arrested together. And when you try to take out my family, then I am glad that I get to go back to that violent side. ‘Cause that means I don’t gotta hold back. I’m just gonna fuck you up worse than any match you’ve ever been in. This match shortens careers, but I’m lookin’ to shorten a couple lives. You always tryin’ to threaten us with death. Well, now it’s our turn. Terrella, Cvetkova, I hope you’re happy with the bed you’ve made. ‘Cause it’s gonna be the last time you ever lie in it.”
It looks like Tyson is about to reach for the collar again, but he suddenly snaps his fingers instead. The lights go out. When they come back on, both Kings of Flight are in the cell. They are connected by their dog collars, bound together by chains.
“We are the Kings of Flight!”
“We never soar alone!”
“And nobody touches the motherfucking throne!”
Tyson was scared to death. He only wanted to defend his friend, his brother, from people who wanted to hurt his family. It was no matter an issue of titles and contenderships. It went beyond wrestling. Everything had at least been confined to IWF. This… this was despicable. If it was his family on the line, he knew Charlie would have done the same. The steel cuffs dug into his wrists and felt cold against his skin. He felt frustrated that they, the ones that were trying to PROTECT the house, were getting a ride courtesy of the Orlando police department. At least he could take comfort knowing that their adversaries were getting the same treatment.
Charlie, on the other hand, was eerily quiet. Tyson knew that when Charlie went silent, that’s when he was at his most angry. Terrella, Cvetkova and Portia had stepped over a line, a line that he didn’t think they would ever consider crossing. Never in his wildest nightmares did he believe that somebody would try to stoop so low by invading the home of his family. If his parents were there… they might’ve had to throw Charlie in jail for a LOT more than a little scuffle. But as the car rolled down his neighborhood, thoughts started to form. Violent, ugly thoughts. And it wasn’t like before the cage match. No, this was different. This was a much more intense, burning hatred of people who wanted to harm the people he loved. Every fiber of his being wanted to break out of the cuffs and bring them to justice. Something NEEDED to be done. If only that damn dog would shut up-
Wait a minute…
Charlie looked over at Tyson. His partner seemed to be in his own world right now, but he couldn’t blame him. Being in a police car was probably the last thing either of them expected from being pro wrestlers. But this would only be a small bump in the road for their journey. He knew that. Everything that they worked for was being challenged. It had spilled over into his personal life and now, the worlds he tried to keep so far apart were merging together. There had to be an end to this rivalry before something truly heinous happened. And, in his mind, he wasn’t sure if it would be because of them… or himself.
“We gonna have to take it right back to them, homie. They showed up at your front door. Do they got no shame?! Fuck, man…”
Tyson shook his head. He never wanted this. This wasn’t what he signed a contract for. Nothing had led him to believe he would be fighting such a raw, personal battle. But he would do anything for Charlie. He never heard a lot about his family, but he considered them like his own. To invade another person’s personal life was breaking through an unspoken boundary. He knew that those two matches with Savage by Nature were only the start of a great war, but his concern lay in how brutal and intense this war would become. Both teams were packed into squad cars over their mutual hatred of each other. What would happen when they met in the ring again? Something had to change… and soon. It would only get worse over time. He had seen many people get their lives ruined over much less. If they wanted to try and ruin his life, they would have to try a lot harder.
As the car grinded to a halt, Charlie and Tyson exchanged a look. Even though they knew they would get out of this, it wasn’t about the arrest. It was about the events before that. There was going to be hell to pay. They would guarantee that.
“Don’t worry, Ty. I think I have an idea. We’ll get them back-”
“How the fuck are we gonna do that? We don’t know where either of them live! And we don’t know where their families are…”
“No, no… we get them back in the ring. Remember, we’re better than this. We won’t do it like they do. We’ll make sure they get what’s coming to them, just like last time. But I think a cage won’t be enough. You know what they say-”
“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That’s the saying. I was taught that from the first day I trained to be a professional wrestler. And it couldn’t ring more true than now.”
The camera pans down a dark corridor. As it slowly trails down the corridor, lights start to buzz and come to life. On the right side is a locked jail cell, obscured by shadows. Eventually, the camera halts and pans towards the cell. Two hands reach out and grab the bars. Charlie Van Ruth slowly leans into view. His face is fraught with pain and anger. He’s clad in an orange jumpsuit, reminiscent of traditional prison attire. There’s an attempt to take a step forward… but a chain halts his progress. A dog collar clamped on Charlie’s neck prevents him from coming forward.
“I’ve had enough of this. Everything between us. We’ve been through glass, spikes, steel cages and now… we’ll be tied together. Dog collars. One of the most brutal, inhumane stipulations ever conceived for a wrestling match. You say that you WANT the violence, you WANT to hurt and you WANT these scars. I say bullshit. You two use violence to hide behind the fact that you can’t get it done inside the ring. That’s why we locked you in a cage last time. We lured you into a place where you couldn’t hide. And we’ve done it again.”
He bares his teeth and struggles against his restraints. The chain clinks every time he pulls on it.
“I was fine with the beatdowns. I was fine with the insults, the shit-slinging and the constant attacks. You could do that all day and I can understand why. But to- to invade the home of my family, to threaten people I love, to take that step into my world… I don’t understand. I don’t understand why you would fuck up that badly. Because now, you’re not dealing with Charlie Van Ruth, one-half of the Kings of Flight. You’re dealing with Charlie Van Ruth, the son of Terry and Jessica Van Ruth. And that’s not the guy you want. That’s not the guy you’re hoping is standing across the ring from you. Because when it is… you can count your fucking days.”
Another tug at the collar is enough for him to step a bit closer. He breathes heavily from the effort to escape. His right eye twitches from the thought of what he will- what he MUST do to Savage by Nature.
“Did you think it was a good idea to cross that line? Terrella, I hope to god that you’re not that fucking stupid, because I know Portia and Cvetkova aren’t. But it makes me wonder if you really have that much of a death wish. Remember, I WANTED to be tethered by chains. I’m the man who wants this match to happen more than anyone. Hell, even Tyson will tell you that he had his doubts about this. But not me. This is what I know we have to do to teach you a lesson. It’s obvious that you have not retained the things we have taught you. Number one: the Kings of Flight aren’t pushovers. No matter how much you try to bully through us, we are here to be the anchors of the tag division. We work hard, we try to treat the other teams with respect and we ALWAYS earn our victories. You can deny it but I know that nobody believes half the shit that comes out of your mouths. Number two: being cowards will get you nowhere. We saw what happened when you both were in that cage. You couldn’t use the numbers game and even though you blindsided us, we STILL beat your asses! And I consider your stunt in Orlando to be the most cowardly act of all. If you wanted another match, all you had to do was ask. It’s not that hard. Well, maybe it is for Terrella, considering he can’t seem to speak past a fifth-grade level. And number three: you never, EVER mess with another man’s family. Period. You will reap what you sow at High Stakes. And you will have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Each of these lessons need to be hammered into your head, whether it’s an elbow, kick or a steel chain. You will have to learn it because I will not leave that ring until one of two things happens. Either I leave the ring with my hand raised or I die trying. I know that this might have some championship implications or whatever the fuck, but that got thrown out the window the second you looked into mine. I just want to punish you. I don’t care if I have to get chained to a psycho goth bitch or King Kong without his intelligence. I will be coming after both of you and put my body and health on the line, as long as it means you are going down with me.”
He tugs on the rope again… and again. Each time, the strain is visible on his face. However, he manages to pull one last time and a loud CLANK is heard.
“At High Stakes… it’s time for a dog fight.”
He finally presses his body up against the bars and reaches out, attempting to grab the camera. The camera quickly backs away and quickly turns back down the corridor. Once it reaches the very end of the dimly lit hallway, another cell appears. This time, the only separation is plexi-glass. As the camera turns into the view of the cell, Tyson Everest sits against the back wall. He, too, has a dog collar around his neck. The collar is chained up to the wall, only allowing him to reach a certain distance around the cell.
“Y’know, this ain’t what we wanted to happen. Y’all took it so, so personally. And then y’all had to make it personal. I know you might think that I don’t got as much of a dog in this fight as Charlie, but you ain’t gonna ever understand. Charlie is like family to me. So his family is basically mine. When you fuck with that, then you’re fuckin’ with me. I ain’t gonna lie, y’all got some balls for pullin’ that one. But I know y’all are doin’ this ‘cause you want a reaction. Well, you got it. You happy now?”
He chuckles and grabs at the collar around his neck. Tyson’s demeanor is slightly different from Charlie’s. He’s angry, sure, but it’s a quieter, simmering rage.
“Are y’all really happy with that? You really do defy my expectations, ‘cause y’all keep proving that you’re dumber than I thought. When push comes to shove, we’ve seen y’all use dirty tactics to win. The only thing dirtier than y’all’s win record is Portia! And if that pisses you off, lil’ Stevie, good. I ain’t expectin’ anything less than some classic roid rage from your vanilla gorilla ass. Cvetkova, you been flappin’ your lips and saying that violence brings you pleasure. Well, let me remind you of something. These violent delights are always, always gonna have violent ends. And this?”
He taps on the collar.
“This is your violent end. I ain’t gonna be shocked if you tell me you dig being chained up. Honestly, it’d be more fucked up if you were actually afraid of this thing. I don’t think you’re afraid. But I do think you’re in over your head. I know you got this penchant for violence and shit, but I GOT THAT SHIT TOO!”
An enraged fist pounds against the concrete wall. Tyson stands up and turns away from the camera, planting both hands against the wall and hanging his head.
“You don’t think I ain’t ever been violent in my life? That I ain’t ever had to go to that dark place? Nah… I’ve been to that dark place more times than I’d like. And it KEEPS. COMING. BACK! I’ve been fightin’ my entire life. For things I believed in. For a way out of a situation. For people I love. I love Charlie like a brother, man. I’d do anything for that motherfucker. I will go to that dark place again. And I’ll do it-”
Turning back around, Tyson has a wide grin on full display.
“With a smile on my face. You can chain me up, lock me up and stick glass in my head, but that ain’t gonna keep me down. It sure as shit ain’t gonna keep Charlie down. Things can only get better once we get past whatever the fuck this is. Once we finally squash this shit, then we can move on. It’s funny… we started all this ‘cause we felt like we had to establish ourselves again. ‘Cause we didn’t know if anybody would remember us. But it ain’t gonna be about the fans when we walk into High Stakes. It won’t be about respect, either. Y’all don’t got any respect for us and honestly, I could never respect clowns like you three. Nah, it’s gonna be about family. I got my family. We bleed together, we fight together and hell, we even got arrested together. And when you try to take out my family, then I am glad that I get to go back to that violent side. ‘Cause that means I don’t gotta hold back. I’m just gonna fuck you up worse than any match you’ve ever been in. This match shortens careers, but I’m lookin’ to shorten a couple lives. You always tryin’ to threaten us with death. Well, now it’s our turn. Terrella, Cvetkova, I hope you’re happy with the bed you’ve made. ‘Cause it’s gonna be the last time you ever lie in it.”
It looks like Tyson is about to reach for the collar again, but he suddenly snaps his fingers instead. The lights go out. When they come back on, both Kings of Flight are in the cell. They are connected by their dog collars, bound together by chains.
“We are the Kings of Flight!”
“We never soar alone!”
“And nobody touches the motherfucking throne!”
Well howdy there pardner.