Post by ZERO on Apr 9, 2024 17:41:14 GMT -6
We begin with an overcast day in Birmingham, zoomed in on the face of a cast iron statue of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and the forge. The camera zooms out slowly, eventually revealing Moises Ferro, looking up at the statue while dressed in one of his cleanest white suits. Moises turns around, sporting his signature devilish grin as he takes in a deep puff of his cigar, looking at the Alabama scenery.
“I’ve always thought of myself as kin with Vulcan. Like him, I was thrown into life with reckless abandon by my mother, who had no real regard for my well-being. Like Vulcan, I got my hands dirty and cultivated my talents, without my mother’s assistance or approval, to become a better human being than she could ever hope for. Like the god of the forge, I take the raw potential of my clients and I form them into refined pieces of art, pieces that nobody can equal despite the multiple attempts at imitation. If you need proof of my talents, just look at this absolutely monstrous weapon I’ve been working on.”
Moises walks over to the right, where we see ZERO performing push-ups with Ricardo, Ferro’s chauffeur, laying on ZERO’s back. ZERO shows minimal struggle with the extra weight, continuing his reps with ease.
“Now, I know it’s bad luck to show a work in progress before it’s finished, but just look at how far he’s come! He’s about to go into his sixth main event match, he’s fresh off of his fourth Match of the Night award, and to top it all off, he’s destroyed that absolutely wretched fool Mark Keaton on Prime! All of this is after winning a War Games match with our dear colleagues at The House. To go off topic a little bit, I want to give my congratulations to Tori Taylor. As much as I want to comment on my dear client’s distracted nature during that match for the NextGen Championship, I did figure Konstantine as the one to beat in that match, and by the grace of god, you beat him.
I digress. While we’re still working out the kinks with my client as far as technical ability and mindset are concerned, nobody can deny the absolute power, resilience, and hunger of The Void Personified. He’s getting better with every single match, even the ones he loses, and he’s already set his sights on winning that coveted Hellevator match at Stranglemania. Eleven other poor souls will experience the wrath of The Walking Myth. He prepares to destroy a hoard to achieve glory. So how do you think he’ll fare against one frail little girl named Lavender?”
ZERO switches his push-ups to one handed, still showing a lack of struggle.
“Sure, Ms. Lavender, you’ve gained quite the reputation for gaining accomplishments. I mean, look at all of these championships you’ve gained for yourself. Television, Broadcast, United States, and even the most coveted belt in our sport: The Undisputed Championship. Hell, you’ve even won yourself a Hellevator match, just like the one my client is about to find himself in, not to mention the rematch you’re slated for with our friend Cosmo Goldworthy-”
“He’s not my friend, Moises. Yours, maybe.”
“ … fine. MY friend, Cosmo Goldworthy, is set to defend his United States championship against you at Stranglemania. I must ask, however, how you expect to win against Money Mo when you can’t even beat Mercenary on the path there. Sure, my client has also fallen to Mercenary, but Mr. Mercer had to destroy himself, and the ring, to make that happen. What did it take for him to beat you? A regular old move that failed to even fracture a board under the canvas. He rode out of that arena without a bruise on his body, and somehow you’re still the one facing Goldworthy. I see that as proof that, if God indeed exists like I’ve been raised to believe, he has a strange sense of humor.”
Moises gives a slight chuckle as he takes a puff of his favorite cigar. We see ZERO switch hands as Ricardo starts scrolling social media on his smartphone.
“Why on our beautiful Earth would he give some pain-pill addicted junkie so many opportunities at championships in this sport of gods? I won’t deny that you’ve taken these opportunities in stride, and you’ve put some impressive accolades onto paper, but you’re about to reach the beginning of the end, Lavender. If you manage to survive against my client, and notice how I didn’t say ‘win’ because that is an impossibility, it will not be because you’re tough. It will be because ZERO has used the most miniscule amount of mercy in his black heart to spare you the fate that he’s given to all the poor souls that he’s left in his wake. I shudder to think what would happen if he was to use all of that mercy on some has-been like you.”
We watch Ricardo roll off of ZERO’s back as the hulking beast switches his workout to sit-ups. Ricardo continues scrolling on his phone as he walks off screen.
“Your only hope for victory against my client is divine intervention, and the only way you get gold around your waist is for Cosmo to damage himself too much in the Fighting Spirit Championship match to be able to put you down like the sick puppy you are. There will be no lifting up my client for Amity Affliction, you won’t be able to ground him for Fragile Serene, and none of your little submission holds or suplexes will leave a bruise on my dear ZERO. If you’re lucky, you may enter Stranglemania with some of your limbs still attached. But I will make it my personal mission that a junkie like you will never see a title belt around your waist again. I will make sure that The Silent Princess is silenced permanently, and that the flower named Lavender wilts and perishes as it is consumed by The Void Personified.
When you enter the Bartow Arena, and you prepare yourself to go one-on-one with my ZERO, I suggest you also prepare your will. None of the accolades you’ve collected, the belts you’ve worn, that money you’ve earned, or the friends you’ve made will matter to ZERO. The only thing he’ll be focusing on will be throwing you around the ring like a sack of flour, smashing your ribs into bits with his massive hands, and dividing your spine in twain. While you stare up from the canvas, drawing in labored breaths, you will finally know what it means to reach absolution as he consumes you. Soon enough, ZERO will hold one of those title belts, crafted by Vulcan himself out of the finest metals, that you’ve coveted for the past seven years. The name of Lavender will barely be a memory when ZERO is finished climbing the ranks and bringing his message to the masses.”
The camera moves to look at Ricardo, who is waving for Moises’ attention. As Moises looks at his employee, the chauffeur shows his phone screen to his boss, showing news of Mark Keaton being resurrected as Rotten Mark Keaton.
“¡Se supone que está muerto!”
“Creo que está muerto, señor.”
“Otro bastardo resucitado con el que lidiar. Thanks, Ricardo. I’ll tell him later.”
“Tell me what later?”
Moises gives a quick high-pitched scream as we turn to see that ZERO is now standing behind him. Moises takes a breath to calm down before looking at his client.
“Nothing that can’t be talked about later, friend. Go back to your workout.”
“I’m not-”
“Your fucking friend. Yes, I get it, ZERO, you don’t have to remind me every time I call you friend. You’ve made your opinions very clear.”
“Moises, if there’s something important that I need to know, I’d rather know immediately. You’ve kept too much from me lately.”
“No, ZERO. I need you to focus on your match against Lavender. She’s a multiple-time champion and she’s not to be taken lightly. She’s not like Frankie Sanchez, or Cassie Wolfe, or that zombie punk Mark Keaton. Defeating a former Undisputed Champion will be a quick way to get more opportunities in this company, and we want as many of those as we can get. We’re going to put full effort into this match, yes?
“Mark Keaton’s a zombie now?”
“Yes, he got resurrected. And possessed by a demon, I think. But we can’t worry about that right now. We’ve got Lavender and the Swango Memorial Cup to worry about.”
“All in due time, I know.”
“I’m glad you understand. Now, my friend- I mean, client, anything you’d like to say to Lavender before our big date with destiny?”
“Only one thing.”
ZERO approaches the camera, staring into it for a moment before saying what he’s always said.
“ZERO-DAY APPROACHES!”
ZERO stomps off screen, as we see Moises Ferro’s signature devilish grin. This is interrupted by Ricardo childishly giggling. Moises turns to Ricardo to see what he finds so funny.
“Gritas como mi sobrina de seis años.”
*SMACK*
Moises immediately backhands Ricardo and begins yelling obscenities at him as we fade to black …
“I’ve always thought of myself as kin with Vulcan. Like him, I was thrown into life with reckless abandon by my mother, who had no real regard for my well-being. Like Vulcan, I got my hands dirty and cultivated my talents, without my mother’s assistance or approval, to become a better human being than she could ever hope for. Like the god of the forge, I take the raw potential of my clients and I form them into refined pieces of art, pieces that nobody can equal despite the multiple attempts at imitation. If you need proof of my talents, just look at this absolutely monstrous weapon I’ve been working on.”
Moises walks over to the right, where we see ZERO performing push-ups with Ricardo, Ferro’s chauffeur, laying on ZERO’s back. ZERO shows minimal struggle with the extra weight, continuing his reps with ease.
“Now, I know it’s bad luck to show a work in progress before it’s finished, but just look at how far he’s come! He’s about to go into his sixth main event match, he’s fresh off of his fourth Match of the Night award, and to top it all off, he’s destroyed that absolutely wretched fool Mark Keaton on Prime! All of this is after winning a War Games match with our dear colleagues at The House. To go off topic a little bit, I want to give my congratulations to Tori Taylor. As much as I want to comment on my dear client’s distracted nature during that match for the NextGen Championship, I did figure Konstantine as the one to beat in that match, and by the grace of god, you beat him.
I digress. While we’re still working out the kinks with my client as far as technical ability and mindset are concerned, nobody can deny the absolute power, resilience, and hunger of The Void Personified. He’s getting better with every single match, even the ones he loses, and he’s already set his sights on winning that coveted Hellevator match at Stranglemania. Eleven other poor souls will experience the wrath of The Walking Myth. He prepares to destroy a hoard to achieve glory. So how do you think he’ll fare against one frail little girl named Lavender?”
ZERO switches his push-ups to one handed, still showing a lack of struggle.
“Sure, Ms. Lavender, you’ve gained quite the reputation for gaining accomplishments. I mean, look at all of these championships you’ve gained for yourself. Television, Broadcast, United States, and even the most coveted belt in our sport: The Undisputed Championship. Hell, you’ve even won yourself a Hellevator match, just like the one my client is about to find himself in, not to mention the rematch you’re slated for with our friend Cosmo Goldworthy-”
“He’s not my friend, Moises. Yours, maybe.”
“ … fine. MY friend, Cosmo Goldworthy, is set to defend his United States championship against you at Stranglemania. I must ask, however, how you expect to win against Money Mo when you can’t even beat Mercenary on the path there. Sure, my client has also fallen to Mercenary, but Mr. Mercer had to destroy himself, and the ring, to make that happen. What did it take for him to beat you? A regular old move that failed to even fracture a board under the canvas. He rode out of that arena without a bruise on his body, and somehow you’re still the one facing Goldworthy. I see that as proof that, if God indeed exists like I’ve been raised to believe, he has a strange sense of humor.”
Moises gives a slight chuckle as he takes a puff of his favorite cigar. We see ZERO switch hands as Ricardo starts scrolling social media on his smartphone.
“Why on our beautiful Earth would he give some pain-pill addicted junkie so many opportunities at championships in this sport of gods? I won’t deny that you’ve taken these opportunities in stride, and you’ve put some impressive accolades onto paper, but you’re about to reach the beginning of the end, Lavender. If you manage to survive against my client, and notice how I didn’t say ‘win’ because that is an impossibility, it will not be because you’re tough. It will be because ZERO has used the most miniscule amount of mercy in his black heart to spare you the fate that he’s given to all the poor souls that he’s left in his wake. I shudder to think what would happen if he was to use all of that mercy on some has-been like you.”
We watch Ricardo roll off of ZERO’s back as the hulking beast switches his workout to sit-ups. Ricardo continues scrolling on his phone as he walks off screen.
“Your only hope for victory against my client is divine intervention, and the only way you get gold around your waist is for Cosmo to damage himself too much in the Fighting Spirit Championship match to be able to put you down like the sick puppy you are. There will be no lifting up my client for Amity Affliction, you won’t be able to ground him for Fragile Serene, and none of your little submission holds or suplexes will leave a bruise on my dear ZERO. If you’re lucky, you may enter Stranglemania with some of your limbs still attached. But I will make it my personal mission that a junkie like you will never see a title belt around your waist again. I will make sure that The Silent Princess is silenced permanently, and that the flower named Lavender wilts and perishes as it is consumed by The Void Personified.
When you enter the Bartow Arena, and you prepare yourself to go one-on-one with my ZERO, I suggest you also prepare your will. None of the accolades you’ve collected, the belts you’ve worn, that money you’ve earned, or the friends you’ve made will matter to ZERO. The only thing he’ll be focusing on will be throwing you around the ring like a sack of flour, smashing your ribs into bits with his massive hands, and dividing your spine in twain. While you stare up from the canvas, drawing in labored breaths, you will finally know what it means to reach absolution as he consumes you. Soon enough, ZERO will hold one of those title belts, crafted by Vulcan himself out of the finest metals, that you’ve coveted for the past seven years. The name of Lavender will barely be a memory when ZERO is finished climbing the ranks and bringing his message to the masses.”
The camera moves to look at Ricardo, who is waving for Moises’ attention. As Moises looks at his employee, the chauffeur shows his phone screen to his boss, showing news of Mark Keaton being resurrected as Rotten Mark Keaton.
“¡Se supone que está muerto!”
“Creo que está muerto, señor.”
“Otro bastardo resucitado con el que lidiar. Thanks, Ricardo. I’ll tell him later.”
“Tell me what later?”
Moises gives a quick high-pitched scream as we turn to see that ZERO is now standing behind him. Moises takes a breath to calm down before looking at his client.
“Nothing that can’t be talked about later, friend. Go back to your workout.”
“I’m not-”
“Your fucking friend. Yes, I get it, ZERO, you don’t have to remind me every time I call you friend. You’ve made your opinions very clear.”
“Moises, if there’s something important that I need to know, I’d rather know immediately. You’ve kept too much from me lately.”
“No, ZERO. I need you to focus on your match against Lavender. She’s a multiple-time champion and she’s not to be taken lightly. She’s not like Frankie Sanchez, or Cassie Wolfe, or that zombie punk Mark Keaton. Defeating a former Undisputed Champion will be a quick way to get more opportunities in this company, and we want as many of those as we can get. We’re going to put full effort into this match, yes?
“Mark Keaton’s a zombie now?”
“Yes, he got resurrected. And possessed by a demon, I think. But we can’t worry about that right now. We’ve got Lavender and the Swango Memorial Cup to worry about.”
“All in due time, I know.”
“I’m glad you understand. Now, my friend- I mean, client, anything you’d like to say to Lavender before our big date with destiny?”
“Only one thing.”
ZERO approaches the camera, staring into it for a moment before saying what he’s always said.
“ZERO-DAY APPROACHES!”
ZERO stomps off screen, as we see Moises Ferro’s signature devilish grin. This is interrupted by Ricardo childishly giggling. Moises turns to Ricardo to see what he finds so funny.
“Gritas como mi sobrina de seis años.”
*SMACK*
Moises immediately backhands Ricardo and begins yelling obscenities at him as we fade to black …
