Promo: Violator, part III

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

“Silent! SILENT!”

 

Edwin MacPhisto rushes through the Key Arena, heart pounding, blood boiling, blood dripping.

 

How did this happen? How the bloody hell did this all happen?

 

It’s moments after Wargames…or is it minutes, or hours? There are still people backstage, and they are giving him the strangest stares…he’s lost all notion of time as he clambers from room to room, throwing his head into doorways, shoving people out of the way. “Where the bloody hell are you?”

 

Does he really want to find him?

 

-----

 

Phoenix, Arizona. October 26th, 1996.

 

He gets up out of bed.

 

“Jess…this motel stuff…it has to stop.”

 

“…what do you mean?”

 

“We’ve…got to come out with it.”

 

She sighs, half-relieved, half-doubting. “You’re nuts. You know what kind of a guy he is--”

 

“Yes, and he’s my friend. We’re going to be fine. The show’s tomorrow, right? What could possibly go wrong?”

 

-----

 

Edwin shoves past Ben Hardy, shoves past Gus, keeps running.

 

“Where’s he going?” mumbles Gus.

 

“Hell if I know…”

 

Edwin skids down the hall, breathing heavily. “Wilson…Silent…” Edwin turns the corner, stumbling with the disorientation of a man 40 minutes battered…and he reaches the Clan locker room. The door is wide open.

 

For some ridiculous reason, he turns the corner and steps inside…an empty room.

 

Edwin keeps running.

 

What else is new?

 

-----

 

He walks away from the bed and towards the lamp, looking out the window onto Highway 9. “I’m tired of it, Jess. I want to be honest.”

 

“We can do that, but you know he’ll be mad…”

 

He laughs. “Of course he’ll be mad—you two aren’t exactly strangers, Jess.” Another chuckle as he leans against the windowpane. “But it’s only going to get worse from here on out, right? Bloody hell,” he snickers, “we’ve worked ourselves into a corner here.”

 

“Don’t laugh--”

 

“It’s simple, Jess.”

 

He flicks on the light, and everything is illuminated.

 

-----

 

The Reaper.

 

The Balancer.

 

The Slaughterer.

 

What a list. Things just keep getting better.

 

Edwin dashes down the hall again, not sure where he’s headed. Anywhere will do. Anywhere is fine. He blows past Longdogger Pete and Tod deKindes, who stare for a moment before resuming their conversation.

 

There are only one door in this hallway—XF9’s room. Then, just more hallway. One way in, and one way out. He’s reminded of the bingo hall. Edwin keeps running.

 

-----

 

The lamplight fills the room. He covers his eyes momentarily, wincing off the glare.

 

Nathan Kibagami stands alone, pulling on a black button-down, glancing at Jessica Matheson as she curls up under the covers.

 

“Totally simple,” he says. “Tomorrow night, after the show—I’ll talk to Jimmy.”

 

“Do you…” She hesitates. “I mean, I haven’t said anything--”

 

Nathan laughs. “Trust me, Jess. I know it’s a weird situation, but it always comes back to this: James is my friend.”

 

A pause.

 

“I’m sure he’ll understand.”

 

-----

 

Edwin stops, panting. His hands are on his knees. Now that he’s stopped moving, he’s surprised he can still even walk after the match. He looks up.

 

He’s made it to the Carnival locker room.

 

No one is inside, except for a bloody heap some call Z.

 

“Edwin,” mumbles the one-letter wonder through his dried blood and broken muscles, “are you all right?” Edwin stumbles into the locker room, wordless. Concerned, Z shifts on his bench and stops taping up his arm. Edwin sits down next to Z, and in the mirror he can see that beneath the blood and sweat, they don’t look too different. “You don’t look so good, Edwin—but hey, I don’t either, ha ha.” An uncomfortable pause. “We did our best, though, that’s what matters…right?”

 

No response. Z opens his mouth, hesitates for a second…and then…

 

“Uh, hey Edwin? What happened out there with Silent?” Edwin turns to meet Z’s gaze, and those green and yellow eyes burn deep into the neophyte.

 

He laughs. “Remember ‘Nathan,’ Z?”

 

“Nathan?”

 

Z doesn’t…and then, his blood-stuck eyelids widen. “…oh, man. Oh man oh man ohhh man.” Edwin turns away from Z, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

 

It’s been six years.

 

He’s been running for a long time. And now, revenge has settled on his doorstep.

 

“Fuck all, Z.”

 

“…Edwin?”

 

Oldest and newest pillars of the Carnival, they sit, side by side, in the still.

 

“Fuck bloody all.”

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

After the Wargames debacle with the lack of hype given to the climax of your storyline, this promo saves the heat and brings it back into perspective, in my opinion.

 

I don't even really need to tell you what I think, do I?

[Guest Beingz0wningj00]

yoinks...

 

 

So is Edwin really British? I'm so confused!

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

...

 

It's not worth it.

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

...JD, if you or anyone are actually really deeply confused and don't catch the bit of a twist here, then let me know. I will be as blatant as necessary about it.

 

And Caaast, I don't see any Gluttony yeeet...

[Guest Kibagami]

The plot twists and turns and turns around again and thickens and does other things that plots only do every now and again...

 

Excellent promo, Edwin.

 

S.

[Guest Longdogger_Pete]

(Y) at random LDP appearances.

 

Promo rocks as always, Eddie Mac, though as usual, I don't understand a word of it.

[Guest Kibagami]

Yeah, you kind of have to have read all of Edwin's previous Violator promos, and then my "Art of War" promo and some of my JL stuff...it's one of those "involved" storylines...

 

S.

[Guest Longdogger_Pete]

Yeah, I've read all those... maybe it's just the fact that I've been awake for about 26 consecutive hours now, but I'm just not putting it all together...

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

A few pointers for those looking to decipher:

 

1) Wait for Storm to get a little more. Heh heh.

 

2) Remember that Jimmy/Nathan/Jess is in 1996.

 

3) Speculate on those relationships.

 

4) Don't overthink. It's not really toooo complicated. Situations simple, characters complex.

 

5) Hit me up on AIM so I can say MORE cryptic things at you. Blahahaha.

[Guest Rabbi_wilson13]

Question:

 

If Edwin's running from Silent, why didn't he just fire him in the JL when he was commish and Silent was his lowly servant? Or put him into all sorts of hellacious matches, trying to injure him?

 

Sure, there's the chance myself or Stubby or some other evil doer would pick up on that and use Silent against him, but we're not really bright individuals and probably wouldn't.

 

At least this promo did something. I've read "Art of War" twice and it doesn't do much for me. Alas, if you sayeth it'll be good eventually, then I will continue to readeth faithfully. Now i must writeth, or proceed to no showeth.

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

Ah, we've got you thinking now. Exxxxxxcellent. Mwa ha ha...

 

...and yes, don't no-show. Set them all on fire if you have to, but don't no-show.

[Guest Rabbi_wilson13]

Not really, but I wanted to reply out of good manners and that just kept popping into my head as a rather large lose end you boys have obviously thought about.

 

That's a good idea with the fire Edwin, because then I'd have a good shot at winning the match. BURN! With two meanings! I am eVil!!! Muhahahahaha!

 

2700 words downs, roughly 4300 to go and early tee time tomorrow. Yiiiiiiiippy. Thank goodness I've got Blues Brothers to keep me going. w00t w00t!

[Guest kelloggs]

Read it and forgot to comment...well like Z i got it a while ago but now I'm sure i got it. (Y) for me and getting it.