Did it hurt?

[Bruce Blank 0]

(Partially to tell Landon just what shape Bruce is in right now and also to sell the match and stuff)

 

Location: The “Parks Unknown” Airport located continently enough just outside “Parts Unknown, USA”

 

Bruce checked himself out of the hospital less than 12 hours ago, the doctors were all concerned and blah, blah, blah giving him all sorts of shit over it but he didn’t care. He couldn’t stand to be in that little room – every time he was in bed looking up at the ceiling he saw one thing

 

That damn Hell Machine staring down at him from the edge of the grave

 

And frankly he was sick and tired of that image haunting him, all he had to do was close his eyes and see how the red and greened Australian had put him in the grave – instant mental replay

 

“No fucking off switch” Bruce mutters out loud which causes a few stares from the other people in the departure hall.

 

Of course the fact that he’s a 6’7’’ 295 pound monster of a man draws some stares too, add to that the fact that the beat up dusty cowboy hat and black shades only partially covered his mess of a face and you have a regular side show attraction

 

Bruce’s shades covered two very black eyes, the swelling had gone down a bit and he could see but one of them was still discoloured so bad that there was no white to be seen in his eye.

 

Did it hurt? Damn right it hurt

 

Of course a had and shades can’t really hide the many cuts and nicks he’s got on his jaw and chins from being thrown into glass windows face first.

 

Did it hurt? Quite a bit yes, thank you for your morbid curiosity.

 

Bruce hears someone shout out something to him as he walks through the crowd towards the United counter.

 

“Oh yeah? Well fuck you too” he bellows out in reply before stepping up to the ticket counter. The small girl behind the counter, “Sharon” her name badge said was busy typing away when Bruce steps up to the counter. He stands there with his bag slung over his right shoulder for a moment then he knocks on the desk

 

“Oh sweet mercy” Sharon lets slip as she looks at Bruce towering over her “erm.. I mean how can I help you sir” she tries to recover, United has strict rules about customer treatment – “Sweet mercy” wasn’t in it.

 

“Yeah I got a ticket reserved for me” Bruce said not even caring that Sharon stared at his ear, he would have to get used to it having the top part of his left ear cut off and all.

 

Hurt? No it’s totally gone how can that part hurt you dork?

 

“Okay sir, and your name is?” She asks politely

 

“Bruce Blank”

 

“I can’t just leave your last name blank sir, our system can’t PNR you without a last name.” She says nervously.

 

Bruce sighed, every damn time they went through this – he had considered a legal name change, maybe it was about time. “It’s Blank missy. Not that there isn’t one, my name is ”B-l-a-n-k” okay?”

 

“Ah right, yes of course” Sharon replies, inwardly cursing, trying to figure out if someone is playing a prank on her. “Ah yes here is your ticket, all paid for… but”

 

Sharon doesn’t say anything she just looks at the broad shoulders of the Ultraviolent champion. “Erm well you see” she starts

 

“What?” Bruce replies angrily, he just wanted to get his ticket, get through this and get the hell out of this place

 

“Well you would disturb the passenger next to you being so… erm… over dimensioned” she says reluctantly.

 

Bruce finally realizes what’s going on and doesn’t even argue “Fine I’ll buy two tickets… whatever” It was not usually in Bruce’s nature to just take this kind of insult, but he wasn’t his normal arrogant swaggering self either – Janus took the swagger out of his step.

 

“Alright sir, then I just have to ask you a few things as part of our standard safety routine. Number 1: are you a terrorist?”

 

“What?” Bruce blurts out, surprised at the stupidity of the question – that’s Homeland Security working over time right there! He looks at her and then looks at the guards by the security check point and figure that this was NOT the time to be a smart ass so he just says no.

 

“Do you have any weapons in your bags? Anything wrapped in barbwire? Signature weapons of any kind” She asks him

 

“Signature weap… what kind of question is that?” Bruce asks all confused.

 

“Well you see sir that’s a question we only ask here, you wouldn’t believe the number of guys travelling with barbwire 2 by 4s or snow shovels from “Parts unknown” she says to explain the odd question.

 

Bruce just shrugs, then he winces and grabs his right shoulder the one that they had to pop back into the socket and close several major gashes

 

Did it hurt? No he winces in pain for the hell of it duh!

 

“Is a wrestling title wrapped in barbwire considered a weapon?” Bruce asks

 

“Most definitely – you’ll have to check it in here before the flight” She replies and pulls out a metal case for Bruce to place the Hardcore title.

 

“Fine – is that all?” Bruce asks impatiently, his whole body aches and hurts in ways he never could have imagined before facing Janus, now he just wants to find a quiet corner and alleviate the pain.

 

“Yes sir that is all, now here is your ticket. Have a nice flight” She says with a smile as she hands him the tickets.

 

Bruce just kinda nods and then heads towards the security check point. Along the way someone again yells something at the big man which draws an angry response.

 

“Yeah? You try and step into a fucking cemetery with Janus and then we’ll see!!”

 

Bruce flips the guy off and then gets in line for the security check. After waiting for 3-4 minutes it’s finally his turn. He drops his bag on the x-ray belt and walks through the metal detector.

 

*BEEEEP*

 

“Scuse me sir, do you have anything metal on you?” a little scrawny security guard asks him as he waves a hand scanner in the air.

 

“Just my belt buckle” Bruce says as he opens his long coat to reveal a big ass metal beltbuckle that’d make him the envy of most of Alabama, Arkansas and parts of Texas.

 

The security guard begins to run the hand scanner over Bruce’s body not getting a result from anything else, that is until he runs it over Bruce’s head where it bleeps.

 

“Sir please remove your hat” he says

 

“My ha… oh I think I know what it is” Bruce says as he takes off his hat to reveal a forehead that’s bandaged and taped and stitched up in several places, then he bends his head forward to reveal a long gash at the top of his skull that’s stapled together.

 

“My god – how many staples are in there?” the security guard asks

 

“I dunno, lost count after 4 – lost consciousness too” Bruce explains

 

Did it hurt? Damn right a long gash in the top of his skull hurt – it’d hurt anyone!

 

The security guard runs the scanner over the staples and gets a hit. “Alright that’s it, you’re clear to go on”

 

Bruce reaches out for his bag but before he can snag the duffle bag he’s stopped by the airport police

 

“Is this your bag sir?”

 

*sigh* “Yes officer” Bruce replies, his headache is getting worse, pounding so bad in his ears that he can hardly hear that the officer is asking him to open it. But he can hear it, so he opens the bag and tips it over sending a few items of clothes and several orange pill bottles out on the table.

 

“Are these all yours?” The police officer asks as he begins to examine the various bottles, all of them contain strong pain killers – morphine based, codeine and stronger stuff.

 

“Yes officer, but I have prescriptions on all of them” Bruce just says with an indifferent attitude.

 

“And why on God’s green earth would you need this many pain killers son?” The gruff police officer asks him.

 

Bruce doesn’t say a word, he just unbuttons his long brown coat and takes it off to reveal his bandaged arms jutting out from under his T-shirt. Then Bruce pulls the T-Shirt off to reveal a right shoulder that’s wrapped up tight and a back that’s scarred in so many places it’s hard to see where one cut stops and another begins.

 

Did it hurt? More than you could imagine

 

The police officers just look at all the stitches on Bruce’s back, then at each other before they put the bottles back in Bruce’s duffle bag and zips it.

 

“I don’t think we need to see anything else”

 

“Really? I could always entertain you with scars on my lower body as well” Bruce said, the pain was making his testy – and he was in a lot of pain so he was also very testy by now.

 

Bruce just slides his shirt back on and puts his coat on trying to ignore all the onlookers who were gawking at his cuts and scars and bruises. Then he puts the hat back on, slings the bag over his shoulder and goes in search of a bathroom.

 

When he finally finds it he quickly shoves a guy out of the way, enters it and locks the door. Then he pulls a couple of medicine bottles from his bag, runs the water and takes a mixture of pain killers.

 

Once the pills are swallowed he sits back on the toilet, clutching his right arm to alleviate some of the pain as he leans back against the cold tiles.

 

10 minutes or so pass

 

Does it hurt? Not one damn bit right now.

 

It’s heaven

[Toxxic 0]

This promo kicks ass. And i love the crack about 'parts unknown'.

[Bruce Blank 0]

It's my favorite town *thumbs up* in fact we need to have a huge show from there one day - so many wrestlers would have the home town advantage