Post by MERCENARY on Oct 23, 2024 22:49:37 GMT -6
The hum of a sewing machine fills the silent expanse of a downtown New York apartment. Random scraps of cloth and leather are scattered haphazardly over the surface of the work space, where the Mercenary sits at a bench with his shirtless back to the camera, a map of his tattoos and battle scars fully on display. The muscles in his broad shoulders flex as he concentrates on the effort of affixing concentric red and white circles to the back of a black leather vest.
Over the sound of the undulating needle the man’s inner monologue becomes audible as his mental soliloquy becomes the substance of the scene:
To those outside the EWC The Rumble might seem like an annual gathering of disparate souls, bent on being the last one standing amidst a sea of random violence. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead The Rumble is a nexus, where every participant’s individual stories cross over to focus the plot on one common goal: The Undisputed Championship.
Last year Xavier Reid did what many doubted he could when he left the Rumble with the title. But the man who had a moment of victory only a year ago, now seems more like an afterthought. He lost his Undisputed title to JoJo Rush, and had insult added to that injury when The Lad took his place in line. Now Xavier is back in The Rumble Match, and he’s hungry to re-establish himself as the only relevant challenger in the main event at Wrestlefest.
He places another circle of red fabric onto the design.
But The Bastard’s motivation is far from unique. This year’s field includes several current and former champions looking to re-establish themselves at the top of the card. Marcus $t. John, Jack Severn and ZERO all had their titles taken. And Candy, Cosmo, Amis, Pablo, Ito and Narumi all want to take that next step to the top of the mountain. And then there's the King, who has come back to recapture his crown.
At 2017’s Rumble in the Bronx The Gambler survived the likes of Stitches, Morgan Darkwater and Eddie Crank to win a shot at the company’s highest prize, which is the dream of every competitor in this year’s return to New York City.
Because despite size, skill, or experience, The opportunity of The Rumble exists on an even playing field. Which means for Chelsea, Sunny and Ace, the Sky(e) is the limit. And new blood like Rick Rampage and Nika Kosov have the same odds to win as veterans like Amis Shelton and Phoenix Winterborn.
Holding his breath, his brow tenses as he guides the material into a curve.
Your only advantage in this match is the drive to survive. History shows that there’s no real luck in the draw. M$J, at #1, is just as likely to defy the odds as whoever enters at #20. Last year Ace King was the second man to enter the match and the last man that Xavier eliminated. In 2022 Melody won from #18, outlasting Scorpio, who entered at #30. And in 2020, Stitches entered at #36 to take out Hazama, who was the first man in the match.
Wiping sweat from his forehead, he rubs the strain from his exhausted eyes.
It all comes down to strategy. My old master Tomohiro Suzuki might say that you have to be the rock in the river. You’ve gotta be able to fight the flow of nineteen other competitors with a common purpose. Because, from my experience, this is the one match that forges some strange alliances.
Queen Mel used to take great pleasure in gettin’ together a lynch mob to bounce my ass out to the cold concrete. My only saving grace might be that she’s not around anymore to show me the floor.
He pauses with a concerned expression as a disturbing thought dawns on him.
Unless of course she turns out to be one of the mystery opponents.
He shudders slightly, before banishing the idea to the back of his mind.
And the danger won’t just be comin’ from the obvious threats like Goldworthy, Xavier or ZERO. When you’ve been around as long as I have you manage to tread on a lotta toes. I’ve got history of one kind or another with King, Candy, Narumi, El Pablo, Ito and Severn. And I’m pretty damn sure that most of the new breed ain’t lookin’ to be my buddy. As far as allies go… well… I think the phrase “Shit outta luck.” pretty much covers it.
When you’re the biggest dog in the yard everybody has a point to prove by takin’ you down. And a guy the size of Rick Rampage definitely has a point to prove by entering The Rumble. Rick hasn’t had the best luck imposing his will over on Paramount. So I’m sure at least one of his personalities might be lookin’ to make a name at my expense.
Cosmo, and Severn would be glad to repair their reputation by doin’ damage to mine. And ZERO will be lookin’ to desecrate my remains. And Candy, well, despite the fact that I’m her favorite Halloween costume, I get the feelin’ that she’s just never been my biggest fan.
Sitting back from the table, he examines his progress with a critical eye, looking closely for any loose threads he might have missed.
But the bottom line is this: As one’a the biggest boys in this match, I’ll be goin’ into Yankee Stadium with a big damn target stamped square across my shoulders.
Done with the finishing touches, he holds the garment up to reveal the finished product. It’s a leather ring vest, on which he’s sewn with surprising skill a literal representation of the target on his back.
Putting the vest on, he opens the window, allowing the sounds of the city to fill the silence. Mia was still staying at her parent’s house with Mikayla, and the quiet in the apartment only made him miss them more.
Mia had opted to remain uptown because, despite her obvious reservations about his profession, she understood how important an opportunity like The Rumble was to Michael’s career. It was a chance to challenge for the Undisputed Title at Wrestlefest, and she knew how much a chance like that meant to him. She’d suffered along with him after his loss to Sally Talfourd earlier in the season, and she greatly wished to see him end the year with a second shot at the EWC’s most important prize.
Her efforts to embrace his world were not unappreciated. In fact, they only elevated his desire to win. Because as long as she was with him, he knew that he wouldn’t be going into the fight alone. Removing the vest, he threw on a sweatshirt and grabbed his gear, before heading down for an early morning jog through the sleeping city streets.
Ruthanne’s gym was empty when he flipped on the lights and climbed into one of the rings. Scattered at different positions across the mat were weighted sandbags of different sizes, all in the shape of the human body. After running the ropes to limber up, he grabbed one of the larger mannequins and muscled its heavy bulk over the top rope and out to the floor.
Ducking and dodging, he repeated this action with the rest of the training dummies until the ring was empty and he was the last man standing. Raising his arms victorious, he celebrated his symbolic win to an imaginary arena. The sound of mocking applause from across the room caught him off his guard.
“And the winner is.” Jay smiled, chuckling at his friend’s embarrassed expression.
“How’d ya know where to find me?” Mike asked, rolling out of the ring to haul the dummies back under the bottom rope for round two.
“It’s three days til The Rumble. Where the hell else would you be?” Jay replied. “I know damn well how much this year’s match means to you.”
Merc grunted. “It’s important to everyone who entered.”
"But it's your shot to go to Wrestlefest so you can end the season like it should've started. As the Undisputed Champion. And it's like Dad always tried to hammer into your thick skull.",
Mike spoke the words of wisdom with him.
"If you don't want to be the champ, then you're in the wrong damn business. "
"If you don't wanna be the champ, then you're in the wrong damn business. "
Mike nodded in agreement as he reminisced on his season's first failure.
“I wasn't ready for Sally. But this year's Rumble has a limited field. In 2018 I was the nineteenth elimination. In 2020 I entered second and went out at twenty-two. There’s only twenty people in this Rumble, which gives me a pretty good chance to walk out the winner.”
Rolling back into the ring, he lifts up two of the heavier mannequins, tossing them both back out of the ring at the same time.
“I just have to put in the work. I've gotta get ready for anything. Because you best bet that the rest of those jackals will be ready for me. The big man is always the first one they try to eliminate. ”
Sliding under the ropes, Jay goes low, taking Michael by surprise. Grabbing the bigger man around the legs, he flips him forward over the top rope. Landing on his feet, Merc slaps the apron in frustration.
With a big grin Jay looks down on him from inside the ring.
“Then you better grow eyes in the back of your head.”
Over the sound of the undulating needle the man’s inner monologue becomes audible as his mental soliloquy becomes the substance of the scene:
To those outside the EWC The Rumble might seem like an annual gathering of disparate souls, bent on being the last one standing amidst a sea of random violence. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead The Rumble is a nexus, where every participant’s individual stories cross over to focus the plot on one common goal: The Undisputed Championship.
Last year Xavier Reid did what many doubted he could when he left the Rumble with the title. But the man who had a moment of victory only a year ago, now seems more like an afterthought. He lost his Undisputed title to JoJo Rush, and had insult added to that injury when The Lad took his place in line. Now Xavier is back in The Rumble Match, and he’s hungry to re-establish himself as the only relevant challenger in the main event at Wrestlefest.
He places another circle of red fabric onto the design.
But The Bastard’s motivation is far from unique. This year’s field includes several current and former champions looking to re-establish themselves at the top of the card. Marcus $t. John, Jack Severn and ZERO all had their titles taken. And Candy, Cosmo, Amis, Pablo, Ito and Narumi all want to take that next step to the top of the mountain. And then there's the King, who has come back to recapture his crown.
At 2017’s Rumble in the Bronx The Gambler survived the likes of Stitches, Morgan Darkwater and Eddie Crank to win a shot at the company’s highest prize, which is the dream of every competitor in this year’s return to New York City.
Because despite size, skill, or experience, The opportunity of The Rumble exists on an even playing field. Which means for Chelsea, Sunny and Ace, the Sky(e) is the limit. And new blood like Rick Rampage and Nika Kosov have the same odds to win as veterans like Amis Shelton and Phoenix Winterborn.
Holding his breath, his brow tenses as he guides the material into a curve.
Your only advantage in this match is the drive to survive. History shows that there’s no real luck in the draw. M$J, at #1, is just as likely to defy the odds as whoever enters at #20. Last year Ace King was the second man to enter the match and the last man that Xavier eliminated. In 2022 Melody won from #18, outlasting Scorpio, who entered at #30. And in 2020, Stitches entered at #36 to take out Hazama, who was the first man in the match.
Wiping sweat from his forehead, he rubs the strain from his exhausted eyes.
It all comes down to strategy. My old master Tomohiro Suzuki might say that you have to be the rock in the river. You’ve gotta be able to fight the flow of nineteen other competitors with a common purpose. Because, from my experience, this is the one match that forges some strange alliances.
Queen Mel used to take great pleasure in gettin’ together a lynch mob to bounce my ass out to the cold concrete. My only saving grace might be that she’s not around anymore to show me the floor.
He pauses with a concerned expression as a disturbing thought dawns on him.
Unless of course she turns out to be one of the mystery opponents.
He shudders slightly, before banishing the idea to the back of his mind.
And the danger won’t just be comin’ from the obvious threats like Goldworthy, Xavier or ZERO. When you’ve been around as long as I have you manage to tread on a lotta toes. I’ve got history of one kind or another with King, Candy, Narumi, El Pablo, Ito and Severn. And I’m pretty damn sure that most of the new breed ain’t lookin’ to be my buddy. As far as allies go… well… I think the phrase “Shit outta luck.” pretty much covers it.
When you’re the biggest dog in the yard everybody has a point to prove by takin’ you down. And a guy the size of Rick Rampage definitely has a point to prove by entering The Rumble. Rick hasn’t had the best luck imposing his will over on Paramount. So I’m sure at least one of his personalities might be lookin’ to make a name at my expense.
Cosmo, and Severn would be glad to repair their reputation by doin’ damage to mine. And ZERO will be lookin’ to desecrate my remains. And Candy, well, despite the fact that I’m her favorite Halloween costume, I get the feelin’ that she’s just never been my biggest fan.
Sitting back from the table, he examines his progress with a critical eye, looking closely for any loose threads he might have missed.
But the bottom line is this: As one’a the biggest boys in this match, I’ll be goin’ into Yankee Stadium with a big damn target stamped square across my shoulders.
Done with the finishing touches, he holds the garment up to reveal the finished product. It’s a leather ring vest, on which he’s sewn with surprising skill a literal representation of the target on his back.
Putting the vest on, he opens the window, allowing the sounds of the city to fill the silence. Mia was still staying at her parent’s house with Mikayla, and the quiet in the apartment only made him miss them more.
Mia had opted to remain uptown because, despite her obvious reservations about his profession, she understood how important an opportunity like The Rumble was to Michael’s career. It was a chance to challenge for the Undisputed Title at Wrestlefest, and she knew how much a chance like that meant to him. She’d suffered along with him after his loss to Sally Talfourd earlier in the season, and she greatly wished to see him end the year with a second shot at the EWC’s most important prize.
Her efforts to embrace his world were not unappreciated. In fact, they only elevated his desire to win. Because as long as she was with him, he knew that he wouldn’t be going into the fight alone. Removing the vest, he threw on a sweatshirt and grabbed his gear, before heading down for an early morning jog through the sleeping city streets.
***
Ruthanne’s gym was empty when he flipped on the lights and climbed into one of the rings. Scattered at different positions across the mat were weighted sandbags of different sizes, all in the shape of the human body. After running the ropes to limber up, he grabbed one of the larger mannequins and muscled its heavy bulk over the top rope and out to the floor.
Ducking and dodging, he repeated this action with the rest of the training dummies until the ring was empty and he was the last man standing. Raising his arms victorious, he celebrated his symbolic win to an imaginary arena. The sound of mocking applause from across the room caught him off his guard.
“And the winner is.” Jay smiled, chuckling at his friend’s embarrassed expression.
“How’d ya know where to find me?” Mike asked, rolling out of the ring to haul the dummies back under the bottom rope for round two.
“It’s three days til The Rumble. Where the hell else would you be?” Jay replied. “I know damn well how much this year’s match means to you.”
Merc grunted. “It’s important to everyone who entered.”
"But it's your shot to go to Wrestlefest so you can end the season like it should've started. As the Undisputed Champion. And it's like Dad always tried to hammer into your thick skull.",
Mike spoke the words of wisdom with him.
"If you don't want to be the champ, then you're in the wrong damn business. "
"If you don't wanna be the champ, then you're in the wrong damn business. "
Mike nodded in agreement as he reminisced on his season's first failure.
“I wasn't ready for Sally. But this year's Rumble has a limited field. In 2018 I was the nineteenth elimination. In 2020 I entered second and went out at twenty-two. There’s only twenty people in this Rumble, which gives me a pretty good chance to walk out the winner.”
Rolling back into the ring, he lifts up two of the heavier mannequins, tossing them both back out of the ring at the same time.
“I just have to put in the work. I've gotta get ready for anything. Because you best bet that the rest of those jackals will be ready for me. The big man is always the first one they try to eliminate. ”
Sliding under the ropes, Jay goes low, taking Michael by surprise. Grabbing the bigger man around the legs, he flips him forward over the top rope. Landing on his feet, Merc slaps the apron in frustration.
With a big grin Jay looks down on him from inside the ring.
“Then you better grow eyes in the back of your head.”