We fade in to
“Nice airport.”
Raizzor barely
moves his head, his mind on other matters, but he answers.
“Yes.”
Turning, both men
make their way down through the mall portion of the airport.
Chamelion gazes
left and right, shaking his head.
“They really take the gift shop concept to the extreme
here.”
Trudging their way
through, they find the baggage claim area, retrieve Raizzor’s two bags and,
after asking directions… yeah, men CAN do that too, they get a rental car and make
their way to the Bradley Center, for quick peek, which is only about nine miles
away. Parking outside of the arena, both
men step out of the car and look around.
“Nice place. Now that
we know where it is, we better check in and see if there’s a local gym to go
work out in. By the way, Bro, thanks for tagging along with me this week.”
Nodding, Raizzor
opens his car door.
“Not a problem, Little Brother, the BWF has put you into a
difficult position with the upcoming match, and you may need the extra pair of
eyes to watch your back.”
Smirking,
Chamelion quips.
“I’m more interested in the extra muscle you’re bringing to
the table here. I mean, hell, I’m happy
for a chance to test my mettle against Toxic before our upcoming world title
match, AND a chance to get back at Torborg for walking out on our contest last
week. I could easily deal with both of
them, even with a trusting tag-team partner.
But I’m stuck with Legend, the man I beat to be here, and he’s made it
damned clear he wants revenge on me. I
can’t trust he’s going to actually watch my back Monday, even if he claims it’s
to protect me for a rematch with him.
No, I need you there, just in case.”
“And I will be.
However, this is your match, your chance for rebuttal.”
Chamelion scoffs.
“Rebuttal to what?
I’ve still heard nothing out of Torb or Toxic. I knew they were going to pull a stunt like
this. It’s okay though, I bet they’re
just scared shitless, having to go up against two of the most dominant men in
the BWF today!”
A ghost of a smile
whispers across Raizzor’s face.
“Now you’re sounding a bit like Legend, himself.”
Smirking,
Chamelion shrugs.
“Hey, he had that right!
We put on a match of the year candidate at Broken Resolutions, we turned
up the heat in the BWF like no others have done in recent memory, and hey… here
I am going for the World Title because of it.
And our opponents? Rob Torborg
who has a history of bailing out of matches he knows he can’t win. He did it Monday, and I bet you he’ll try to
do it again this week if things start to look down for him. If I feel I have an untrusting partner on MY
team, Toxic has the worse deal. And
Toxic himself? This man comes out to
celebrate being the BWF’s head man, the World Champion, and what does he do?
Attempts to assault an innocent woman for her opinions. Hell, I was hoping Captain Marticus would
have won as well, at least then I’d be facing a credible champion! Wonder if Toxic would have tried the same move
on me, if I’d said that to his face!”
“Instead, you beat up a cake.”
Blinking,
Chamelion turns to look skeptically at his brother.
“Who’s side are you on??”
Raizzor actually
smiles softly, and Chamelion gets the joke.
“Fine! Fine! But hey,
I sent a message, didn’t I? And Tonya
got a nice face full of cake, which was fun.”
“As devious as ever, little brother.”
“Damned Straight! Hey
man, there was a hotel just down the street, why don’t you go check us in. I
want to look around here a bit longer, get a feel of the place. Pick me up when you’re done, okay?”
Nodding silently,
Raizzor slips into the drivers seat and starts the engine. Chamelion nods as he
pulls away and then turns to look back up at the arena.
“Yeah, sent a message alright. Ya know, Toxic, for a man who struggled and
fought to reach the top of the game, you sure seem lax about what’s about to
happen. You fell off your game plan last
week, and you paid for it. Now, this
week, again, you seem unable to grasp the concept of the trouble you’re
in. It’s a good thing you came out
Monday to celebrate being the new BWF World Champion, because it’s the last
moment of happiness you’re going to have carrying that title.”
He begins walking
slowly, gazing around him nonchalantly.
“You talk about being perfection, kiddo? What was it you said; “Because everything I
do is nothing short of perfection?” Was
Monday an example of that? Were you perfectly distracted? Were you perfectly
pinned by Sirus? Let’s go one further,
will you be perfectly beaten this Monday against Legend and I? I’d like to think so! Hell! I know so.”
Stopping for a
moment, Chamelion turns his attention elsewhere.
“Let’s not forget your partner, Rob Torborg. We fought a classic battle, Rob, but you
walked out, ran away. Why? Because you
knew you couldn’t beat the most Devious SOB in the business today! I kicked out of your ‘impervious’ R-K-O and
you ducked getting blasted in the face and paying the price for stepping in my
path. Oh, I know you managed to escape
the Rupture, I haven’t forgotten that, but I didn’t worry… I knew I had more to
offer, and that’s when you scurried off.
You’ve done this before, namely against Legend himself, and now here you
are; involved in a tag team match where the two men you’re up against, you ran
like a scalded dog from. Is that your
M.O., is that what we can expect from you again Monday?”
“I really hope not. I
want to see what you really have when you swallow your fear and go all
out. I know you have it in you because
you have held championship gold before.
However, I didn’t go back in time and watch how it happened, so who
knows, maybe your opponents just happened to be sick that week? So far, for the hype that you seem to carry,
I’ve seen nothing to support it. You
failed at Broken Resolutions, you ran away from me on Havok… and then behind my
back you slam a chair into my skull.
Think that makes you a big man, a champion, Torby? Makes you devious, I give you that, and hey,
gotta appreciate the deception! I guess,
however, you didn’t expect the Legend to become involved, to drive you off like
the coward you really are. Heh, I didn’t expect it either… and much as I hate
to admit it, I’m glad he was there, because I don’t need any concussions going
for the BWF World Title.”
“In fact, when Legend and I decimate the both of you on
Havok, two things will be accomplished in short order. One, I’ll get my little
revenge on Torborg for his little chair attack and two, Toxic will learn first
hand just what he is up against at Hearts on Fire. I really do like these two for one deals,
saves me a lot of time. Toxic, simmer in
your own boil, kiddo… knowing that your time as the BWF champion… as the ‘new
greatness’ as you call it, is coming to an end very quickly. The BWF has been waiting for the Chamelion to
take his rightful spot on top of the mountain, and I am surely a man who does
NOT disappoint. And Rob? No sneak
attacks Monday, you have to face your fears and take what you have coming to
you like a man! Don’t even try to run
out of there, because why do you think Raizzor’s come with me? You really don’t want him having to hunt you
down, now do you?”
He pauses, and
sighs.
“And Anthony? Get
your head out of your ass and focus.
Toxic and Rob may think our dislike for each other is going to cost us
Monday’s match, and I’ll be damned if I let them be right. You said you’d watch my back, be a worthy tag
team partner, then I suggest you start acting like one! Doughnuts, lingerie and proposing? That’s not the shit that wins a match, kiddo…
and if your mind is not focused on Monday, I can promise you one thing; it’ll
be you getting your shoulders pinned to the canvas… because I am not taking a
fall, breaking my lovely streak, over your romantic interlude… GOT IT?”
Checking his watch,
he realizes it may be a few more minutes before his brother returns, so
Chamelion shoves his hands in his pockets and begins to stroll in the direction
of the hotel.
Fade