PROMO: Devil In The Dark

[Guest Freakish_Twist_Of_Fate]

This TV Title thing takes dedication, I've discovered.

 

I say this as I find myself at a semi-darkened gym in Portland, roaming around an old wrestling ring. I bounce idily, back-first, against the ropes... Letting my mind wander after a good hour of working and trying to work on my moves. Well, at least as much work as one can do while flying solo. I wipe the sweat from my brow, and take a swig from the water bottle.

 

Amazingly, I'm not-so-sore from this workout, despite the beating I took in my first title defense against Geddion. I smile, and glance over at the table where the title lays. It's a step in the right direction, at least. But my smile fades as I realize how close I came to losing the damn thing, after fighting so hard to get out of my funk... Thus, the extra practice session.

 

I step through the ropes, and head towards the aformentioned table. I set my water down, and I stop... It almost sounded like someone else in the building... I could've sworn I heard footsteps. I look around for a moment, but can't make anything different out in the quasi-dark. I know it can't be the bulding's owner... At least I hope not. I gave him decent money to shut the place down for my session.

 

"Is anyone there?" I half expected an answer... But needless to say, one wasn't coming. I shrug to myself, set the water down, and step back to the ring... Only to hear another sound: That of a door slowly shutting. Now I -know- heard that one! I wheel around in the direction where the sound came from, but... Yeah. I can't see anything in the darkness. This is pissing me off slightly, and my face must show it, even in the dark.

 

"Whoever's there, you'd better show yourself. I'm a professional." And for a moment, I laugh... Wait a minute... That's not me. And it's coming from... Behind me! I spin around, only to see... A small spot of light. And laughter. And an odd smell... That makes the light the 'cherry' from a lit cigarette. But the laughter...

 

"I know you're a professional." The voice is... Deep, powerful... To most others, it'd probably be a bit unnerving. "That explains that lovely gold paperweight on the table there." The mystery man takes a drag off his cig, and blows some smoke in my direction. It twirls and rises into the lights.

 

"I don't know who you think you are," I start... This guy's got my hackles up. "But that belt is more than a 'gold paperweight'..."

 

"I know," the man says with a suddenness, a conviction that's... Unnerving. Yeah, now I'm unnerved, because the guy almost sounds like he knows what he's talking about.

 

"I know," he repeats, a little calmer, cooler, "because I used to put my body on the line for it before." I look harder into the dark, trying to get a good glance at this guy... But he steps forward into the light like he read my mind... And that doesn't help much. He's about my height... He seems a little more compactly built, but it's hard to tell. He wears what looks like a black duster... Kind of like the old gunslingers of the West. He wears a pair of silver-rim sunglasses... I don't know what worries me more: The fact he's got them on in the dark, or the fact I can't see his eyes behind them. But his most striking feature, the one I can tell even in the dim light, is dark red hair... It's pulled back, probably ponytailed.

 

"I've been watching you for a while, Storm," the man announces casually. This guy's got me all sorts of fucked up... He knows who I am, what I do... He even knows about the damn belt! Hell, it sounds like he's fought for the thing before! "You've got some talent, kid. But, you're green. Rough around the edges. You wrestle like you have a chip on your shoulder." He takes another drag on the cigarette. "You've got energy, but no focus..."

 

"Look," I interrupt, and the guy's expression gets sour. I frankly don't care at this point. "I don't know who you are, or what your game is... But you'd better leave, before I kick your ass and leave you for the cops." I thought I saw a smile cross his lips for a moment, but he brushes past me before I can say for sure. He climbs into the ring, slow but sure, and finally comes to a rest in the center of the squared circle. I can feel his stare through those dark shades as he spreads his arms, almost a mocking plead.

 

"I'd love to see that." He really smiles this time, and I just lose it... Charging, sliding into the ring... As I stand, the mystery man wheels around and... CRACK!!!!! I'm left swimming in a sea of stars. The man brings his foot back down after the spinning kick, and regards me with a grin.

 

"So," he asks casually with a chuckle. "How do you like the taste of a steel toe?" Growling, I charge at him again, my anger parting the stars in my vision. Again, the man spins around... This time, it's the "CRACK!!!!!" of bare knuckles against my temples that staggers me back. And just as quick, he's out of sight. Suddenly, a chuckle from behind... As I turn, the man levels me with a swift clothesline. He stands over me like some sort of vengeful demigod with a mocking smile.

 

"I've noticed you have trouble with people faster than yourself," the man says. Damn him... He's watched me -real- closely. "I can help you with that, you know..." His offer is cut off mid-sentence as I swing my legs around, and put him down to the mat with a ground-level leg sweep. I spring up, panting... This isn't quite the workout I planned!

 

"The only thing I'd be interested in," I breathe out, watching this character carefully, "Is mopping the mat with your face!" I tense as he starts to move again. He sits up with a chuckle, reaffixing his shades to his face... That's when I finally catch a brief glance at his eyes... A bright blue. But quickly they're covered again, and he regards me cooly.

 

"I was cocky like you once," he states after a few moments. "Then, someone taught me humility... Stripped away everything and everyone I had... He taught me to take my anger, cockiness, energy... And hone it to a fine, sharp blade..." He smiles, a twisted, sadistic smile, and it chills me to the core. "He taught me to take that blade, and carve a name for myself. Storm, you'll have to learn, like I did, that to get what you want, the only ones that can be trusted are the ones like yourself." I try to figure out what he's getting at.

 

"Like you, perhaps?"

 

"That's right." I laugh, and by the way the mystery man's expression cooled by several degrees, it wasn't the reaction he was expecting.

 

"I work alone." At that, there's a flurry of action as the man in black flips himself up to standing from the dead sit, and tenses slightly, a sneer crossing his lips.

 

"Well then," he says coldly. "I guess I'll just have to give you a lesson in humility then." And without a breath of warning, he springs forward at me, and slams me back down to the mat with a Spear out of nowhere! He backs off then, and I slowly get to my feet, gasping... This guy's speed with his size... His strength is pretty intense. Suddenly, he plants a steel toe into my stomach, forcing me to double over though I don't want to... He proves to me that that was his intention as he locks me quickly up into a 3/4 facelock, and swiftly kneels, driving my jaw into his shoulder... But... He doesn't let go. I feel him coming back to a stand, and then the bottom really drops out as he sits out, and... WHAM!!!!! I go flying back, and I feel like my head got knocked clear off my shoulders. I'm gasping, my body is all sorts of screwed, and I can't get it to move right... And this guy's not done. He hauls me up by the hair, and walks me slowly towards the corner.

 

"The plan is simple, Storm," he states as he walks me towards the turnbuckle. "You take me on as a manager, and I'll show you the ropes of winning... How to trade that paperweight on the table for something more meaningful... Like a World Championship." He climbs up to the second rope, still hanging on to one of my arms now. He drapes a leg over the back of my neck, doubling me over again. Then, there's a moment of silence, and I feel his weight pushing me down... WHAM!!!!! My vision goes fuzzy as I feel my face planted hard into the canvas. The man pulls me back up once more, and looks me dead in the eyes, smiling wickedly. I can feel something trickling across my lips... Warm, metallic-smell... I taste my own blood. The bastard broke my nose!

 

"You can agree to my offer," he continues, "and I'll help you get to heights you've only dreamed of. Or, you can refuse..." Suddenly, find myself face down on the mat again after a skillful leg sweep. At this point, I'm pretty well paralyzed by pain... He's moving too quickly for me to retaliate. It slowly dawns on me that I don't have much of a choice but to listen to him. But then, my mind filled with a red explosion of pain as he gets me into some sort of Indian deathlock / chinlock combo... It's excruciating beyond words, and I have trouble keeping with the concious world.

 

"And if you refuse," I hear his voice swimming through the waves of blackness invading my sight, "I haunt you for the rest of your days. I deny you everything that you ever want... Ever need... And you'll have no choice but to make the ultimate escape or be driven mad." I try to struggle for a moment, but he has this move locked in like a professional... He's serious. I start tapping like a fiend, and just as my world swirls into the black whirlpool, he lets go. Every sensation comes flooding back with searing clarity, and I roll around on the mat, gasping and wincing in all sorts of hurt.

 

"So," I hear him behind me... I hear the smile in his voice. "What say you, Omega Storm?" I fumble for a moment in the fetal position, getting to a kneel, my back to this... Beast.

 

"I... I say..." I pause a moment, catching a breath. "I say... FUCK OFF!" I spin around quickly, flipping the switch on the hidden tazer to its most lethal, and, with the quickest of glances, hurl it at the man's neck. To my amazement, he doesn't look surprised. With a smoothness of motion that seems to bely all that's normal, he slides something from inside the black duster... A kendo stick, nearly as long as he is tall. He swings it easily, slapping the tazer from the air as if it were a fly. Then, in just as swift and smooth a motion, he lances the stick out at me. I manage to duck forward so I don't catch it on the top of the head, but it strikes me almost full-length on the ack. The pain that it leaves is undeniable, unbelievable... If it would've hit me in the head, I would've been splitting hairs, quite literally. I lie face-down on the mat, sucking huge amounts of wind, and in dire straights. Suddenly, I feel something against my back, over my heart... The point of a blade, barely digging in. I hear him clear his throat.

 

"So," he says slowly, deliberately. "What say you, Omega Storm?"

 

"What's... What's in it for you?"

 

"For me?" I hear him chuckle, the bladepoint never wavering. "A chance to finish something I started a long time ago, in more ways than one. You may see one day, if you don't prove unworthy to me." I take a shallow breath, feeling the point dig in slightly on each inhale. It seems I'm in a no-win situation, but this man... He seems to know a lot about the SJL... He's strong, agile, and managed to best me in every way. Perhaps I'm signing my soul to the devil, but...

 

"The devil never backed out of an agreement." I hear a chuckle behind, above me... I must've spoke my thoughts loud enough. The blade suddenly disappears, and I hear the man moving away from me.

 

"Very well," he says simply. "Meet me at the Rose Garden in 30 minutes. Then we'll see how good you are, one-on-one." I push up to a kneeling position, and watch the man disappear into the shadows.

 

"Who are you?" Is the only question, the only words that come to my lips. I see the shadow of his form turn, a lighter, then the cherry of a cigarette.

 

"I am Fury personified." And he turns away, leaving a smoking trail behind.

[Guest Ace309]

OMGZ OMGZ OMGZ HISTORY jesus christ.

 

And I think this is a GREAT compromise, by the way.

[Guest Freakish_Twist_Of_Fate]

OMGZ OMGZ OMGZ HISTORY jesus christ.

 

And I think this is a GREAT compromise, by the way.

Heh... I thought so myself.

 

Thank you, thank you. (Bow)

 

And let me just say I'm disappointed in the exactly... (Checks) ONE RESPONSE! For shame, people!

[Guest Insanityman]

Okay Fury, this is proof of what your still capable of. I read this promo twice, big props and hope you just get back into your older skills- the history in this is a great touch.

[Guest Lightning Flik]

It's a great thing Fury. Way to go.

 

...although I can't believe I actually went out of my way to read that.

[Guest kelloggs]

I was too lazy to comment before but I like it. A much better idea than using the old Fury character in ring.

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

I'm sorry I only got around to reading it now, but what a brilliant little piece this was. As everyone has stated, an absolutely excellent idea that should have some solid payoffs.

[Guest Evolution]

Since everyone is responding to OS' promo, maybe you could respond to my recent one, "Answering the Door", too.

[Guest Evolution]

Double post, bah.