PROMO: "Date With Destiny."

[Guest Kibagami]

PROMO: “Date With Destiny.”

 

 

 

The camera shows Nathaniel Kibagami, cane in hand, standing victorious on the turnbuckles, a smile on his face as a sold-out arena cheers wildly for his return. Around him, the Battleground logos loom large, cameramen scramble back and forth looking for the best angle, and pyrotechnics begin to stream down from the rafters to the outside of the ring – all in all, a very impressive display. The footage slows to a crawl as the sparks from the pyrotechnics begin to obscure Kibagami, and a voiceover muffles the explosions and the cheers of the crowd…

 

”I thought things would be different, after Battleground. I thought I could fix my mistakes, atone for my sins…that sort of thing. I thought I could change a lot of things, then.”

 

The camera cuts to an empty locker room where Nathaniel sits on an empty bench, his back against a locker, his ring gear on and his dyed-red hair hanging in his face. He looks up into the camera.

 

 

 

”I was wrong.”

 

 

 

”A burning plane as it’s going down, the last scream before it hits the ground…”

 

 

 

“This is it! It looks like the Judge is going to find Rough Redemption at the hands of Nathan Kibagami!”

 

Nathan quickly lifts him and flips him up onto his shoulders, where he slides him back into Crucifix position… but the Judge pulls one of his arms away! He goes tumbling down Kibagami’s back on his side, and before Nathan can react Justice threads an arm through his legs and pulls him down with a School Boy! The crowds is stunned as Hall goes down and the Judge takes a handful of tights for good measure.

 

“ONE!”

 

 

 

”TWO!”

 

 

 

 

”THREE!”

 

*DING DING DING*

 

“The winner of the match via pinfall… WILLIAM HEAAAAAARFOOOOOORD!”

 

 

 

”I’ve lost something.”

 

 

 

”A lost ship on a raging sea, a blinking distress signal of emergency…”

 

 

 

Frost torques Kibagami out to the side with his head pointing straight down. Frost jumps into the air for that extra whump and plunges to drill Kibagami’s head into the mat with the smack of bone and crunch of cartilege! His neck appears to telescope into his skull and Nathan flips over comatose to his back. Frost rolls over to all fours, resting for a second he knows he cannot spare, then dives onto Kibagami, hooking the leg.

 

ONE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TWO!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THREE!

 

Kibagami’s body flinches on impulse, but it’s too late.

 

DING DING DING

 

The arena becomes a sea of noise! Hardcastle checks on both men as Funyon announces, “Here is your winner by pinfall, FRRRRROOOOOOSSSSSST!”

 

 

 

”I’m not sure what it is…what it was. Or when it happened.”

 

 

 

”A runaway train careening off the tracks, the last breath before a heart attack…”

 

 

 

Janus plants his feet square on the mat and secures the body of Nathaniel Kibagami on top of his shoulders. Atlas looks on, knowing exactly what Janus is about to pull off and immediately clears the way for him. He takes Van Siclen by the hand and spins him around, nearly taking MVS in an entire rotation before flinging him over the top rope to ringside! Meanwhile, Janus lets out a thunderous growl as he latches on to Kibagami with his hands, lifts him off his shoulders....

 

AND DRIVES HIM INTO THE CANVAS WITH A DARK BOMB FROM THE APRON!!!

 

 

 

”But the fact remains…I am not the same.”

 

 

 

” The earthquake as it shakes your room, promising falling skies and impending doom…”

 

 

 

Kibagami is standing on wobbly, tentative legs, but he is still ready to fight. He charges in, lifting his knee, for the start of a Yakuza kick, but then lunges forward, sticking out the knee.

 

Atlas doesn’t bite.

 

“I guess Atlas expected Kibagami to fake the knee,” says Stevens, as Atlas goes to the side and takes out the other leg of the Slaughterer. Kibagami gets up, but gets kicked in the gut. Atlas closes the distance fast, getting a tight front facelock. He lifts him up, but grabs him around the waist... and drops him onto the mat with an Exploder!

 

“Oh man... what a vicious Exploder.” Stevens states this matter-of-factly. Kibagami is down, and he doesn’t seem to be getting up very quickly. Atlas picks him up by his hair and pants, and tosses him up and over, out of the ring.

 

 

 

” One chance – you feel it – before you meet with your destiny,

“One chance – you need it – to come to terms with mortality…”

 

 

 

Perching on the top rope, Nathan looked down at the fallen giant, then bowed his head and leapt into the air...

 

...spinning forward in a four hundred and fifty degree rotatation...

 

...and driving a HUGE elbow home straight into Janus' heart!

 

"LAST RITES! NATHANIEL JUST NAILED JANUS WITH THE LAST RITES! THIS IS IT, FOLKS!"

 

 

 

” All that’s important to me –

Everything inside of me…”

 

 

 

Nathaniel Kibagami and Yuuchiro Kaesaeme stare at each other in the center of the ring, neither one daring to move for several moments. Kibagami looks questioning and hurt, and Kaesaeme almost fanatical again...

 

..before he kicks Nathan stiffly, right in the gut! Doubling over in pain, he's helpless as Thoth scoops him off his feet, lifting him up and cradling a leg...

 

...before DRIVING HIM INTO THE MAT WITH THE RIOT OF THE BLOOD!

 

"HOLY SHIT! WHAT THE HELL IS THOTH UP TO!?" Stevens bellows.

 

"You swore! Jesus, Stevens, how do I know! He just spiked his own brother into the canvas!" is Riley's response.

 

The crowd boos Thoth as he stands again, looking down at his brother as Nathan rolls on the canvas, clutching at his neck. The boos intensify as Thoth attempts to help Janus up, and comes face to face with the bloodied, hellish glare of the Hell Machine. The brother of Nathaniel Kibagami smiles, and steps away, pointing at Kibagami and yelling something at Janus, something that sounds very much like "Finish Him".

 

The Hell Machine rises to his feet, staggering after taking that skull-rocking gamengiri, and looks down at Nathan. Then at Thoth. Then back at Nathan. Then he growls at Thoth, voice low and ominous.

 

"Pick him up."

 

With a widespread grin on his face, Thoth grabs his brother by the shoulders and begins dragging him upright...into just the right position for ANOTHER boot to the gut from Janus, who locks a front facelock on Nathan and hoists him up in a stalling vertical suplex!

 

"Oh god, Janus, don't! He's already been head-dropped into the canvas once!"

 

"Do it twice! Wooooo!"

 

"Dammit Riley, this could break Nathan's neck!" Stevens is indignant.

 

"He knew the risks, Stevens! Suck it down!"

 

Staggering on his feet, the Hell Machine glares a hole through Thoth and nods at the top rope, and Yuuchiro complies, a wide grin on his face as he guesses the giant's intentions. Mounting the turnbuckles, Thoth stands on the top rope, as Janus twists Kibagami's body around in his grip...

 

...kicking his legs out from under himself and beginning to drop, as Thoth springs off the top rope to plant his hands on Nathan's legs...

 

...and KIBAGAMI IS UTTERLY MURDERED WITH A SPIKE RAGE UNLEASHED! The crowd's booing is tremendous as Nathan crumples to the canvas, limp as jello. Thoth just rolls out of the ring and rises to his feet with an amused expression on his face as Janus rolls Kibagami and hooks a leg for the academic pin.

 

ONE!

...

....

.....

TWO!

...

....

......

THREEEEEEEE!!!

 

*DING DING DING*

 

 

 

All that's trivial will fade and soon recede;

You will see – you’re on a date with destiny…”

 

 

The camera returns to Kibagami in the locker room.

 

”I blame myself for this. For a while, I had forgotten why I fight. I had forgotten why I’m alive and walking in the first place. I forgot the necessity of pain.”

 

Kibagami stands and turns to the locker behind him.

 

”The necessity of sacrifice. Without pain, without sacrifice…I would have nothing.”

 

 

 

” Look in the jaws of your own demise, watch your life pass before your eyes…”

 

 

”Once…I was one of the best.”

 

 

 

“CRADLE! CRADLE! EDWIN’S GOT SILENT!” The crowd goes nuts as the ref dives in!

 

ONE!

TWO!

THR—and Silent explodes outward, bursting to his feet almost immediately! “Edwin reversed that so easily—these two really DO know each other in and out!” Edwin too climbs up, spinning back around with a mild grin…and getting ABSOLUTELY LEVELLED by a mighty roaring elbow! Silent’s arm cracks Edwin firm across the face and drops him like a sack of rocks, and the former world champion curls up, clutching his neck!

 

“250 pounds of pure aggression and hate behind that elbow!” screams Riley. “Edwin’s neck has got to be COMPACTED!” Not wasting any time, Silent quickly wrenches up off the mat, glaring at an irate Thoth, the lithe Balancer just waiting for a chance to get his hands on Silent. With a smirk, Silent suddenly slams Edwin into a tight standing headscissors…

 

“No way!”

 

And gutwrenches him up…

 

“Yes way!”

 

…hooking one leg in position for a cradle tombstone piledriver!

 

CRUUUUUNCH!

 

“RIOT OF THE BLOOD!”

 

 

 

” Did you live like a dream come true, or did you just survive? Did you do all you could do?”

 

 

 

”I was focused. I was calm. I was in control.”

 

 

 

In the meantime, with Thoth stunned and the ref's back turned, Silent listlessly picks up the cane. He spins the disoriented Annie around and nails her on the left side of the neck with the cane... but Annie stays standing! He swings the cane out and hits her on the right side of the neck! She wobbles, but doesn't fall down! Finally, the Slaughterer lifts the cane up high and swings it down hard, sending the wooden shaft crashing down onto the top of Annie's skull!

 

 

 

”In a fall from a burning tower – what would you do with just one more hour?”

 

 

 

”No one was really my equal, then. No one.”

 

 

 

THUNK.

 

THUNK.

 

FWOOOOOOSH! THUNK!

 

THUNK-THUNK!

 

THUNK!

 

THUNK!

 

“Good Lord…Chris Raynor is a bloody mess! Somebody stop this now, damn it!”

 

 

 

”Live that hour out every day like it was your last – you'll live much better that way…”

 

 

 

”Can I go back to that?”

 

 

 

CRACK!

 

CRACK!

 

CRACK!

 

CRACK!

 

CRACK!

 

“SOMEBODY CALL A FUCKING PARAMEDIC!”

 

 

 

” One chance – you feel it – before you meet with your destiny,

“One chance – you need it – to come to terms with mortality…”

 

 

 

”I can’t afford to stumble again.”

 

 

 

“You shouldn’t have come back here, if you felt like this.” Thoth leans down next to his brother. “You’re my brother, and I care about you! I want you to go back home. I want you to go home, and let me take care of this. I’d hit you again, Nathan, but I don’t think it would prove anything to either of us. I’m leaving now, Nathan, and I’m taking Janus with me. He belongs to me now. When I leave this wrong, and you find it in yourself to get up...”

 

“Don’t follow us.” Thoth drops the mic and leaves the ring without so much as a second glance. Janus follows after spitting on his opponent, and his former Clan master.

 

 

 

” All that’s important to me –

Everything inside of me…”

 

 

 

”Too many people have forgotten who I am. Forgotten what I can do. Forgotten what’s really important.”

 

 

 

Silent holds on to the iron bar! Thoth comes and tries to stomp on Silent’s hands, to send him straight to hell...But Silent grabs Thoth’s leg! Silent holding on to Thoth’s leg now, trying to drag them both to hell! Silent...Silent is laughing!

 

”I don’t believe this!”

 

“ Silent is actually enjoying this!”

 

Silent yells to Thoth. The camera picks it up...

 

” So Thoth, do you like this? You, the angel, and I, the devil! I can drag you down with me, take you to a place you’ve never been, Thoth!”

 

 

 

”All that’s trival will fade and soon recede…”

 

 

 

”But I won’t. Thoth, you’ll never be as powerful as me!”

 

Silent lets go of Thoth’s leg, and he falls…

 

 

 

The camera cuts back to the locker room. Kibagami stands with his back to the camera…his hair is black. His tattoo – “No Salvation” – is clearly visible. His arms are raised in the all-too-familiar crucifix pose. And clutched in his left hand is his cane…

 

 

 

”I can never stop paying the price. And if I have to pay it – if I must make my sacrifice again, and again, and again… then so do you.”

 

 

 

Nathaniel lowers his right arm and pulls one more thing out of the locker.

 

A black trenchcoat.

 

 

 

”So do all of you.”

 

 

 

”You will see – you’re on a date with destiny…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of old the skilled first made themselves invincible

to await the enemy’s vincibility.

 

Invincibility lies in oneself.

Vincibility lies in the enemy.

 

Thus the skilled can make themselves invincible.

They cannot cause the enemy’s vincibility.

 

Thus it is said, “Victory can be known.

It cannot be made.”

 

--Chapter Four of the Sun-Tzu.

 

 

 

END

[Guest Crowe]

This is the worst promo ever.

 

(Translation - Very cool and moody, the quotes intertwined excellently with the wrestling. Keep it up, as per usual, Kibs.)

[Guest realitycheck]

If I could be allowed a flashback of my own...

 

I will not fight for Angel. I will not fight for Edwin. I will not fight for our father. And never again will I fight for you.

I can't help but feel that line has some relevance to this storyline, besides the obvious. I could be wrong, but I felt like restating it. It's one of my favorite lines ever from one of my favorite promos ever.

 

Regardless; slick, polished work, like pretty much everything else you write. It all plays very well into the storyline motivation Thoth brought up in his opening promo on... Storm, was it? I'm not sure. Although, I would be lying if I didn't say that the interior monologue clashed with the lyrics. Complete with the flashbacks, it made everything seem a bit... crowded? Granted, that's the problem you initially thought you'd have, but I can't think of any way to help with it. Solid work still.

 

-Z

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

Ah, taking a losing streak and running with it. That's my boy. Fine trip down memory lane.

[Guest The Superstar]

Wow, *excellent* promo. I'm a fan of flashbacks, and the quotes fit in perfectly. Very nice~

[cmclennan 0]

*marks for Kib's promo.*

 

Excellent promo, if I do say so myself. And I do. Watch: "Excellent Promo". See, I told you so.