Reunion

[Guest Powerplay]

*Click*

 

The T.V. screen blackens out, the image of a darkened private gym fading into infinite blackness quickly. As the image leaves the screen, William Hearford III leans back out of his easy chair and looks over at his old friend, Yoshihiro Saichiru. “Do you notice anything to exploit?” He says, and Yoshihiro scratches his chin in contemplation, looking down at the notes he’s jotted down on his yellow legal pad. Finally, he looks back at William and asks him a question.

 

“Do you know anything of Jazz music?”

 

Hearford is slightly confused by the odd question, but he answer it somewhat truthfully.

 

“No, not as of late.” Or ever. I was never really one for music, Yoshihiro. You know that.

 

Yoshihiro gets up and goes over to the small bar counter that looks across into the kitchen.

 

“Look at it this way, William-san. In jazz improvising, it is all about transitions. You have to get from one chord to the other with a proper transition. This is much like the style he is using. He looks like he uses many different combos, but in actuality he is using the same combos over and over, you just don’t realize it. Just like jazz.”

 

Saichiru looks back at Hearford, and taps an imaginary piano key on the counter, then does a quick chord of them.

 

“You transition to the same notes all the time, but the people unfamiliar with it never notice it. It’s all planned chaos: You make it look like spur of the moment improvisation, but you’ve already had it planned out for you. Example: Before he does a spinning heel kick in those videos he does a quick shotei. With his Judo kicks, he goes for the leg, then up to the stomach. He mixes these up, so they all look different, but they are just the same patterns repeated over and over in a different order.”

 

Hearford lets this sink in for a moment, finally realizing what Yoshihiro is talking about. The older, black haired Japanese man looks back at his legal pad again. He looks at something he circled a couple times, and speaks again.

 

“And that finishing maneuver he uses; the reverse underhook facebuster….. if you really need to…. And I mean ‘need’, because this is a dangerous maneuver…… you can reverse that into a maneuver that will end any match…..”

 

“What is it?”

 

Yoshihiro shakes his head like an angry school master. “You know this maneuver. Think about it. A reverse Gory....”

 

“…Special Piledriver….” Finishes Hearford, going over the incredible move in his head. Why didn’t I think of that? Bah, I need to concentrate more. Has dominating the league for so long made me lose my edge? He shakes his head for a moment. Well, I’m back now. And I have a clear purpose… “That is a dangerous maneuver, Yoshihiro. I’ll try to avoid using it.” Says Hearford, showing genuine concern for the safety of Myers. He’d be dead if a person of my size used that on him…… I’m going to enjoy my rematch.

 

Yoshihiro takes the bottle of wine and two of the many wine glasses out of the cupboard and pours the deep, deep red liquid into each cup. He walks back and hands one glass to Hearford, and sits back down in his easy chair. “William-san, there is something that I’d like to talk to you about……” Hearford looks at him with a confused face. “What is it?”

 

“William-san….. I’ve seen some of your matches in the….. SJL, is it? I’ve never seen you be like that before… so cruel… are you alright?” Hearford sighs, and pauses a moment before answering.

 

“It’s all kay-fabe, Yoshihiro.” Says the former Judge and lawyer, speaking with what seems to be incredible honesty. You wouldn’t understand the pain, Yoshihiro. You just wouldn’t understand, no matter how much I would try to explain it. “The people there want me to be mean like that. It’s all acting.” He gives a good hearted grin at his old friend. “And you know how good an actor I am.” Saichiru gives a small smile, and Hearford feels a little relieved. Poor Yoshihiro. You trust people too much…

 

“So you’ve put what happened a year ago behind you?”

 

Hearford gives a surprised look; it’s a question he’d never expected to hear from Saichiru. He quickly covers himself up a little, sighing and nodding. I should have expected him to ask some time. I cut myself off from everyone after the hearings……… and……… the match.

 

“Yes. It still hurts a little, but I’ve gotten over it.” Hearford gives a weak grin, hiding his true emotions like the devil himself.

 

“That’s good, William-san. Putting the past behind you is always the first step towards recovery.”

 

I’ll never be able to put that behind me. I can’t put that behind me. This is why you’ll never understand, Yoshihiro.

 

* Ring Ring *

 

The cordless phone begins to ring, and Hearford walks over to it, looking at the caller I.D.

 

Out of State call.

 

“By the way, Will-san….. where did you get these tapes? They certainly don’t hand these out….”

 

Hearford picks up the phone and hangs it up. He looks over at Yoshihiro, who gives him a cockeyed look.

 

“Solicitor, Saichiru. And someone laid them on my steps. I guess I still have some fans…” He says with a laugh, lying the devil yet again. After this comment, Yoshihiro drinks down the rest of his wine with a quick gulp and begins to put on his coat.

 

“Well, it’s getting late, and I suppose I should get going. I’ll see you tomorrow in the gym.” He goes out towards the door, and Hearford walks over with him, shaking his hand and giving him a small hug.

 

“<Goodbye, my friend.>” He says with a bow, and Hearford returns it back.

 

”<Yes. Goodbye.>” With that, Yoshihiro walks out onto the front porch and walks down the steps toward his car. Hearford watches from a window as Saichiru opens the door, gets in, and pulls out of the driveway. As he drives off, Hearford quickly pulls a curtain across the window, as if he were being watched by some third party. He walks over to the cordless phone, and quickly dials *69. It rings for a moment, before the operator comes up and tells him the number.

 

“Would you like me to connect you for an extra $2?”

 

“Yes, please.”

 

He waits with the phone up to his ear as it rings once….. twice….. thrice…. f-

 

“Hello?” A voice on the otherside answers, sounding slightly irritated and annoyed.

 

“This is Hearford. I couldn’t take your call at the time; I had an old friend over.” There is a pause for a moment, then the voice speaks again.

 

“Okay. Better safe than sorry, but don’t do it again. Tell him to leave, if need be. I don’t like waiting.”

 

“He’s helping me prepare for Myers. I can handle him now, but I want to destroy him when I face him for my title.” Hearford expounds the point with a clenched fist, and the voice speaks again.

 

“Good. How is our time line going?”

 

“Excellent. Everything is in order except for the legal papers…”

 

“Damnit, you haven’t finish that yet?”

 

“I’ve been sifting through a dozen contract stipulations and all damned paperwork. The place has the most convoluted corporate structure ever. But I think I have a loophole…” He walks into his bedroom, and goes into his bags. He pulls out a massive folder of papers, and begins looking through them.

 

“Well,” Hearford says, looking through dozens of different legal contracts, “It’s probably best I don’t get your hopes up by telling you this now. If it actually works, then I’ll explain it to you. I’ll keep you informed. But let’s leave it alone for now.”

 

“That’s fine. This is just a check up to see how you are performing. Beep me if you need my influence or sources to help you; I carry my beeper with me all the time.”

 

“Of course. Goodbye, then.”

 

“Goodbye, Hearford.”

 

*Click*

[Guest Powerplay]

Bah, even if you don't have a lengthy comment, please, just comment once. I swear, this is leading to something. Pwetty pwease? Either that, or I'm signing a Clusterfuck match and jobbing you all to backslides ..... Well, I'll get a good half of you before you take me down!

[Guest HollywoodSpikeJenkins]

Umm, good job?

[Secret Agent 0]

Wow, Judge. Just really wow. Like i told you in chat i believe, your charater gets more and more intresting with each new promo. It is refreshing to see a promo that doesn't revolve around attacking someone, but rather training to totally destroy the person in question.

 

Keep it up, I am totally enjoying these promos.