Post by Jebediah Crowe on May 31, 2015 6:12:44 GMT
“By losing a battle, you find a new way to win the war.”
February 22nd…the lowest point in the sixty-two years of my life. I had it all! I saw my rise to godliness step by step! There was no one that could stop my ascension! There were none that could match the presence that I brought…they simply…failed to maintain the level I was at.
But it took only one man…Roberto Verona…the pathetic bastard. He tried to destroy me! He took it all from me! I was ready to fight with my men at my side…but then…they betrayed me. They saw their chance…of this supposed freedom. Pathetic. I helped them at the lowest points of their life…and when I needed them, they were nowhere to be found!
There I found myself…physically, emotionally, and spiritually…I was weak. I had never felt this feeling before. It ate at me! The power within me had left…without it, I was nothing but a pathetic mortal. My hunger for power was dying of starvation. The pain…the suffering…I could take it no longer!
I must give in.
I stare down the barrel of the gun. Oh please…just end it. You have nothing to live for, Crowe! Why should you continue to waste your time in this vile life? Pull the trigger, do it! DO IT!
I place the pistol in my mouth…I can finally leave this cursed place. I close my eyes, and think of the sweet serenity…the painless life I will have after this. It is what I want, what I NEED! No longer will have to live this life feeling as a useless peasant…
Goodbye, world…you have been cruel to me…
BANG! The bullet pierces through my cranium…blood and brain matter fly across the room. But I do not feel it. I feel nothing…and it feels remarkable. My body slumps over, falling backwards and crashing to the ground. My soul leaves my body, relieving me from my suffering.
The feeling is oh so sweet…
“Crowe.”
I awaken from my fantasy. That voice sends chills throughout my spine into my limbs…I know who speaks to me. I pull the weapon from my mouth, placing it close to my hip. There is no need for me to turn around and find out who it is. The man that speaks to me…is what I long for…
“What do you want, Death?”
The mountain of a man stands behind me, masked. His head looks down towards the ground, his hair covering his face. Death himself does not wish to look me into my eyes. No one dares to do so voluntarily. It simply is the effect I have on people…
“Is this really what it has come to?”
I scoff at Death. The question seems rhetorical, does it not? A pistol inserted in my mouth, ready to pull the trigger. Suicide was the only answer that appeased my demands.
“Why does it matter to you? You no longer require my teachings. You have your freedom! Now let me have mine.”
Death raised his head, and I heard him scorn me.
“Enough! Is this really how the man I learned so much from is going to go out? By selfishly taking his own life? Pathetic…”
I drop my jaw…stunned. Death has spoken out at me and his tone was sharp…does he not know who I am!?! I am Jebediah Crowe! I am a man above all men! I am…
I’m powerless…he’s right…I am pathetic…
“I know why I am here…my purpose in this life. It is to serve you, for you have saved me from damnation. I was once Curtis Dawson, a lost soul that was walking down my path of self-destruction. I was about to lose it all…”
Death walks closer to me, as I remained paralyzed. He places his large hand over his face, removing the mask from his face. His identity rested in that mask…or so I thought.
“I am now Death…soulless. I am not a man, but a weapon of mass destruction. I am the Grim Reaper. And I am here to serve you…”
Serve me…oh I love the sound of that command. I drop the pistol to the floor, releasing it from my grasp. I turn around, looking Death in the eyes. I do not show him coldness, but warmth. This was what I had been so longing to hear.
“Then I shall welcome you, Death.”
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Oh, the pleasure I feel from getting to return to the destruction I had created. Did you really think that you could keep me away for long? HA! You fools…you are looking at a god!
Even the greatest of men must return from the hardest of lows.
There is no better way for me to return from that low than to win the Joker in the Pack match. Then, the future of the company will be in my hands! Once that contract is placed in my possession, I will have sealed my fate. Power will once again be placed into my hands!
I require power as an addict requires heroine…without it, I am unable to operate correctly. Do you understand? When there is something I require, I take hold of it! I grab it firmly and never let it go. When I have that power…I will never fall from the top of that ladder.
You five men will face Death at Night of the Immortals…and I could not feel any sorrier for the carnage that lies in your near future. Do you believe that you have a chance against the new and improved face of demise!?! You surely can’t think this! Resist your defeat, please do so! I enjoy the idea of inflicting pain to sad souls such as yourselves!
Roberto Verona…ha! I can’t help but laugh! You truly are a madman! You thought you were going to rid me from this organization! Did you think that was a good idea? Stop yourself now…for you already know the answer to that, do you not? Because I am back…and you just so happen to be one of Death’s opponents.
Heed this decree, Verona…play with fire, and you shall be burned. You have sparked the flame, and now you must face your fiery downfall at the hands of Death! But do not worry, because we will make sure it is as slow and painful as we can make it for you…
Not many people think they can get away with pissing off Jebediah Crowe…you really must think you are an intelligent lad, don’t you? Because you run the company, you must think you are untouchable?
Nothing is untouchable to a god.
You will fall, lower than I ever was. You will feel the pain that you put me through…trying to ruin my domination, my rise to success! Death enjoys the company of the weak…it makes his job that much more enjoyable. Come Sunday…I fear for your safety.
You better hope that your partner in crime as of late, Mister Laszlo, can help you out in the match. If Mike was smart, however, he would drop you for the dead weight you are and try to win the match on his own. But I do not know about Mister Laszlo…he always seems to…fail to rise to the occasion.
Do not get me wrong, Mike. You were the champion! You were the apex of the competition! Top of the ladder! You had it all! But just like that…it was all gone. You lost that title, and you found yourself back in the middle of the pack, where you started. Doesn’t that seem to be odd?
Every now and then, a sheep strays away from the herd and stands out. It gets to do what it likes, before it is forced back into the herd. Then, you can’t even tell what sheep was the one that even stood out! That sheep…is you, Mister Laszlo. You try to stand out! You do whatever you can to be that person everybody notices! But you simply…fail.
You are not meant to be the shepherd, nor the wolf, Mike. You are one of the sheep that mindlessly sticks in the group and does what it is told. You had your fifteen minutes of fame. But that time in your career is now over. And when I reach the top of that mountain, I know for a fact that you will never be there to see that moment in your career ever again.
But at least you were able to reach that point of your career, Mister Laszlo. Some individuals, such as one Mohammed Al-Thani, just might never get to enjoy that achievement in their life. What bugs me about Al-Thani? He believes that he is the supposed “Chosen One”. Do you believe that money can buy you that title, Mohammed?
You make me chuckle, you ignorant fool.
You see, Al-Thani, you, quite like Mister Verona, think that your inherited power makes you stronger than I am. Heh…you haven’t even see what my power can do! I hope you are ready, Pearl Gladiator. You are going to see what true power really looks like! Look into my eyes, and you will find fear…you will find yourself sweating…because you are looking in the eyes of a venomous snake, ready to attack its prey!
I fear no man. There are none that can stand on my platform! I have been knocked off, but like any god does, I get right back up!
Fear the Crowe…it’s your only choice.
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I look on from my house…the place that I raised my group to unleash hell on my enemies. The place that I fed them, teaching them the truths about this world. I considered them my children. Oh how these past few months have changed so much of that…
They have left the Crowe’s nest, finally able to sprout their wings and live their own lives. Do I think they are ready? Do I know what it is they plan on doing with my teachings? No…and that worries me. But there is nothing that I can do about this. What I do know, is I have one child that has chosen to stay and do my bidding.
For that, Death will forever be in my debt.
Death walks up behind me. He no longer needs to wear his mask. His presence is just as strong, if not stronger without it.
“Can I ask you something, Crowe?”
I turn my head to my larger than life child. I look up at him, curiously pondering what it is that he could possibly want to ask me?
“What is it?”
Death looks into my eyes, no longer feeling the suffering that comes from its gaze, before turning his head towards the window.
“Why did you save me?”
What a question. Destiny itself found Curtis Dawson, a man broken, at my fingertips. To have someone so gifted easily fall into my hands. But for him to stay, for him to want to learn…that answer I will never know.
“I needed you, Death, just as much as you needed me. I may have saved you, but what you have taught me is more than you could ever imagine.”
Death absorbed the reply and took it for what it was. He gave a slight nod, before looking back at me.
“I am ready.”
“Ready for what?”
It was then that I saw a smile on Death’s face for the first time. But it was not a smile of happiness. It was a smile of sadism, of evil. That smile gave me happiness.
“To inflict pain on the world.”
It was time. A new chapter has begun…as the phoenix dies, its ashes gives birth to the new. I place my hand on top of Death’s shoulders. It is so weird to think that just three months ago, I almost accepted defeat to Death. Now…I welcome Death.
“You are ready, my son.”
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Warren Kidd! The thorn in my blooming rose…I don’t believe I have gotten the privilege of seeing you fall in defeat quite yet, have I, Mister Kidd? You are quite the specimen…constantly avoiding Death. But without Judas Aliah guiding you, who exactly are you? No longer can you hide in his shadow.
You lost your title and it seems as if you are half the man you originally were, Kidd. This is supposed to be your chance to regain that form – to become the next big thing! There is only one problem with that, Warren. You stand in the path of anarchy created by my child Death. Should you continue to be a roadblock, then I can promise you that it will not end well for you.
You will suffer defeat Sunday, Mister Kidd. You are vulnerable. You are alone. And I will exploit that.
You. Will. Fall.
Last, but not least, the fan favorite! Everyone just seems to love you, Mister Diamond. Your sophomoric tactics, your immature gestures. They just get the people all giddy inside! You have a track record of backing it up as well. The tag team partner of Spike Kane? Your feats are incredible.
It just happens that you’re at the wrong place at the wrong time.
You see, you have never seen a physical specimen quite like Death! He is…beyond anything you are capable of stopping. You are right to respect Death’s immaculate abilities. His size, his speed! How do you stop someone like that? Let me answer that for you, Mister Diamond.
You don’t.
You five men…you are looking at the monster that will lead me to the promise land! My ascension to immortality is unstoppable…those that dare stand in my way shall feel my wrath!
Do you dare challenge this god to a battle that you will not win?
It is time…it is only fitting for a king to win at Night of the Immortals. Joker in the Pack! Six men will enter it. One man will stand victorious. Five men will fall, broken. I know how this story ends, as do the rest of you.
Are you ready?
February 22nd…the lowest point in the sixty-two years of my life. I had it all! I saw my rise to godliness step by step! There was no one that could stop my ascension! There were none that could match the presence that I brought…they simply…failed to maintain the level I was at.
But it took only one man…Roberto Verona…the pathetic bastard. He tried to destroy me! He took it all from me! I was ready to fight with my men at my side…but then…they betrayed me. They saw their chance…of this supposed freedom. Pathetic. I helped them at the lowest points of their life…and when I needed them, they were nowhere to be found!
There I found myself…physically, emotionally, and spiritually…I was weak. I had never felt this feeling before. It ate at me! The power within me had left…without it, I was nothing but a pathetic mortal. My hunger for power was dying of starvation. The pain…the suffering…I could take it no longer!
I must give in.
I stare down the barrel of the gun. Oh please…just end it. You have nothing to live for, Crowe! Why should you continue to waste your time in this vile life? Pull the trigger, do it! DO IT!
I place the pistol in my mouth…I can finally leave this cursed place. I close my eyes, and think of the sweet serenity…the painless life I will have after this. It is what I want, what I NEED! No longer will have to live this life feeling as a useless peasant…
Goodbye, world…you have been cruel to me…
BANG! The bullet pierces through my cranium…blood and brain matter fly across the room. But I do not feel it. I feel nothing…and it feels remarkable. My body slumps over, falling backwards and crashing to the ground. My soul leaves my body, relieving me from my suffering.
The feeling is oh so sweet…
“Crowe.”
I awaken from my fantasy. That voice sends chills throughout my spine into my limbs…I know who speaks to me. I pull the weapon from my mouth, placing it close to my hip. There is no need for me to turn around and find out who it is. The man that speaks to me…is what I long for…
“What do you want, Death?”
The mountain of a man stands behind me, masked. His head looks down towards the ground, his hair covering his face. Death himself does not wish to look me into my eyes. No one dares to do so voluntarily. It simply is the effect I have on people…
“Is this really what it has come to?”
I scoff at Death. The question seems rhetorical, does it not? A pistol inserted in my mouth, ready to pull the trigger. Suicide was the only answer that appeased my demands.
“Why does it matter to you? You no longer require my teachings. You have your freedom! Now let me have mine.”
Death raised his head, and I heard him scorn me.
“Enough! Is this really how the man I learned so much from is going to go out? By selfishly taking his own life? Pathetic…”
I drop my jaw…stunned. Death has spoken out at me and his tone was sharp…does he not know who I am!?! I am Jebediah Crowe! I am a man above all men! I am…
I’m powerless…he’s right…I am pathetic…
“I know why I am here…my purpose in this life. It is to serve you, for you have saved me from damnation. I was once Curtis Dawson, a lost soul that was walking down my path of self-destruction. I was about to lose it all…”
Death walks closer to me, as I remained paralyzed. He places his large hand over his face, removing the mask from his face. His identity rested in that mask…or so I thought.
“I am now Death…soulless. I am not a man, but a weapon of mass destruction. I am the Grim Reaper. And I am here to serve you…”
Serve me…oh I love the sound of that command. I drop the pistol to the floor, releasing it from my grasp. I turn around, looking Death in the eyes. I do not show him coldness, but warmth. This was what I had been so longing to hear.
“Then I shall welcome you, Death.”
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Oh, the pleasure I feel from getting to return to the destruction I had created. Did you really think that you could keep me away for long? HA! You fools…you are looking at a god!
Even the greatest of men must return from the hardest of lows.
There is no better way for me to return from that low than to win the Joker in the Pack match. Then, the future of the company will be in my hands! Once that contract is placed in my possession, I will have sealed my fate. Power will once again be placed into my hands!
I require power as an addict requires heroine…without it, I am unable to operate correctly. Do you understand? When there is something I require, I take hold of it! I grab it firmly and never let it go. When I have that power…I will never fall from the top of that ladder.
You five men will face Death at Night of the Immortals…and I could not feel any sorrier for the carnage that lies in your near future. Do you believe that you have a chance against the new and improved face of demise!?! You surely can’t think this! Resist your defeat, please do so! I enjoy the idea of inflicting pain to sad souls such as yourselves!
Roberto Verona…ha! I can’t help but laugh! You truly are a madman! You thought you were going to rid me from this organization! Did you think that was a good idea? Stop yourself now…for you already know the answer to that, do you not? Because I am back…and you just so happen to be one of Death’s opponents.
Heed this decree, Verona…play with fire, and you shall be burned. You have sparked the flame, and now you must face your fiery downfall at the hands of Death! But do not worry, because we will make sure it is as slow and painful as we can make it for you…
Not many people think they can get away with pissing off Jebediah Crowe…you really must think you are an intelligent lad, don’t you? Because you run the company, you must think you are untouchable?
Nothing is untouchable to a god.
You will fall, lower than I ever was. You will feel the pain that you put me through…trying to ruin my domination, my rise to success! Death enjoys the company of the weak…it makes his job that much more enjoyable. Come Sunday…I fear for your safety.
You better hope that your partner in crime as of late, Mister Laszlo, can help you out in the match. If Mike was smart, however, he would drop you for the dead weight you are and try to win the match on his own. But I do not know about Mister Laszlo…he always seems to…fail to rise to the occasion.
Do not get me wrong, Mike. You were the champion! You were the apex of the competition! Top of the ladder! You had it all! But just like that…it was all gone. You lost that title, and you found yourself back in the middle of the pack, where you started. Doesn’t that seem to be odd?
Every now and then, a sheep strays away from the herd and stands out. It gets to do what it likes, before it is forced back into the herd. Then, you can’t even tell what sheep was the one that even stood out! That sheep…is you, Mister Laszlo. You try to stand out! You do whatever you can to be that person everybody notices! But you simply…fail.
You are not meant to be the shepherd, nor the wolf, Mike. You are one of the sheep that mindlessly sticks in the group and does what it is told. You had your fifteen minutes of fame. But that time in your career is now over. And when I reach the top of that mountain, I know for a fact that you will never be there to see that moment in your career ever again.
But at least you were able to reach that point of your career, Mister Laszlo. Some individuals, such as one Mohammed Al-Thani, just might never get to enjoy that achievement in their life. What bugs me about Al-Thani? He believes that he is the supposed “Chosen One”. Do you believe that money can buy you that title, Mohammed?
You make me chuckle, you ignorant fool.
You see, Al-Thani, you, quite like Mister Verona, think that your inherited power makes you stronger than I am. Heh…you haven’t even see what my power can do! I hope you are ready, Pearl Gladiator. You are going to see what true power really looks like! Look into my eyes, and you will find fear…you will find yourself sweating…because you are looking in the eyes of a venomous snake, ready to attack its prey!
I fear no man. There are none that can stand on my platform! I have been knocked off, but like any god does, I get right back up!
Fear the Crowe…it’s your only choice.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I look on from my house…the place that I raised my group to unleash hell on my enemies. The place that I fed them, teaching them the truths about this world. I considered them my children. Oh how these past few months have changed so much of that…
They have left the Crowe’s nest, finally able to sprout their wings and live their own lives. Do I think they are ready? Do I know what it is they plan on doing with my teachings? No…and that worries me. But there is nothing that I can do about this. What I do know, is I have one child that has chosen to stay and do my bidding.
For that, Death will forever be in my debt.
Death walks up behind me. He no longer needs to wear his mask. His presence is just as strong, if not stronger without it.
“Can I ask you something, Crowe?”
I turn my head to my larger than life child. I look up at him, curiously pondering what it is that he could possibly want to ask me?
“What is it?”
Death looks into my eyes, no longer feeling the suffering that comes from its gaze, before turning his head towards the window.
“Why did you save me?”
What a question. Destiny itself found Curtis Dawson, a man broken, at my fingertips. To have someone so gifted easily fall into my hands. But for him to stay, for him to want to learn…that answer I will never know.
“I needed you, Death, just as much as you needed me. I may have saved you, but what you have taught me is more than you could ever imagine.”
Death absorbed the reply and took it for what it was. He gave a slight nod, before looking back at me.
“I am ready.”
“Ready for what?”
It was then that I saw a smile on Death’s face for the first time. But it was not a smile of happiness. It was a smile of sadism, of evil. That smile gave me happiness.
“To inflict pain on the world.”
It was time. A new chapter has begun…as the phoenix dies, its ashes gives birth to the new. I place my hand on top of Death’s shoulders. It is so weird to think that just three months ago, I almost accepted defeat to Death. Now…I welcome Death.
“You are ready, my son.”
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Warren Kidd! The thorn in my blooming rose…I don’t believe I have gotten the privilege of seeing you fall in defeat quite yet, have I, Mister Kidd? You are quite the specimen…constantly avoiding Death. But without Judas Aliah guiding you, who exactly are you? No longer can you hide in his shadow.
You lost your title and it seems as if you are half the man you originally were, Kidd. This is supposed to be your chance to regain that form – to become the next big thing! There is only one problem with that, Warren. You stand in the path of anarchy created by my child Death. Should you continue to be a roadblock, then I can promise you that it will not end well for you.
You will suffer defeat Sunday, Mister Kidd. You are vulnerable. You are alone. And I will exploit that.
You. Will. Fall.
Last, but not least, the fan favorite! Everyone just seems to love you, Mister Diamond. Your sophomoric tactics, your immature gestures. They just get the people all giddy inside! You have a track record of backing it up as well. The tag team partner of Spike Kane? Your feats are incredible.
It just happens that you’re at the wrong place at the wrong time.
You see, you have never seen a physical specimen quite like Death! He is…beyond anything you are capable of stopping. You are right to respect Death’s immaculate abilities. His size, his speed! How do you stop someone like that? Let me answer that for you, Mister Diamond.
You don’t.
You five men…you are looking at the monster that will lead me to the promise land! My ascension to immortality is unstoppable…those that dare stand in my way shall feel my wrath!
Do you dare challenge this god to a battle that you will not win?
It is time…it is only fitting for a king to win at Night of the Immortals. Joker in the Pack! Six men will enter it. One man will stand victorious. Five men will fall, broken. I know how this story ends, as do the rest of you.
Are you ready?
Well howdy there pardner.