Post by DRAUGR on Apr 27, 2024 22:51:42 GMT -5
The mighty DRAUGR has been compromised. Devil's Gate is no longer safe. Entities lurking in the shadows have activated a spectre inside of the strongest of the strong. Unbeknownst to his handlers, he aided in the capture and torture of the New Brotherhood. All in an effort to weaken them in preparation for a showdown inside of the squared circle, the mighty DRAUGR followed commands once again from Pete Harper. Today, we are taken to an undisclosed black site. There we see Pete Harper standing over the comatose body of the mighty DRAUGR, as a team of whitecoats connect all sorts of needles and wires to the monster beyond mortals. Dr. Erik Konnors appears from the shadows with a smile on his face. He and Harper shake hands, and turn their attention to their ward. "Behold, my creation, DRAUGR! With unmatched strength and cunning, he shall dominate the ring of Action Wrestling, bending opponents to his will and spreading fear in every corner. Soon, the world will witness the reign of darkness as DRAUGR ascends to claim his throne!” "I've heard this song and dance before, Konnors. Two months into Projekt ICE, he broke free and that harlot took him from us. She took everything from us, and she must pay.” "It will be done. You have my word.” “This is your last chance. If you fail me again, we will be having… an unfortunate… conversation.” There is an awkward silence. Konnors is desperate to change the conversation. “For all of the trouble Sara Pettis has caused us, she has done a remarkable job guiding the mighty DRAUGR. His hold on the United States Championship is proof of that.” "Proof? Proof?! He should be WORLD Champion! He should have IT ALL!! When he was first placed in Action Wrestling, the Television Championship was fine for the time being. It was a stepping stone. Had he not broken free from us, he would have been World Champion by now. So, no, Sara has not done a remarkable job. She derailed his progress and made him soft. Without us, he has been weakened in the ring by lesser mortals. Jessie Lee. Jody Madrox. Muru. Even Jonny Cedrone did lasting damage to the mighty DRAUGR!” “And then on Clash, when he was forced to team with that wretched oaf Cipher… he flew too close to the sun and paid dearly for it. How will he be punished for his failure?” “I've got something in mind, but let's see how he fairs at Blast against the New Brotherhood. They will be out for revenge for what the mighty DRAUGR did to them under our control, and I'm eager to see how he survives this one. Of course, the possible wrinkle in all of this is that peppy twerp Lexi being the last bit of humanity in the steonge of the strong.” “How will she be dealt with?” “Again… I've got something in mind. Cipher and Bishop have one hell of a battle ahead of them. The mighty DRAUGR is the embodiment of terror itself, and they will be powerless to stop the dark fury that is the mighty DRAUGR. He will decimate both men single-handedly, and stake claim to the Tag Team Championship. Everything is going according to plan, and that spells inevitable demise for the New Brotherhood.” The mighty DRAUGR appears from the shadows, huffing and puffing from a vigorous workout. He takes a seat in a chair, where nameless whitecoats strap down his arms and legs, before strapping a device onto his head. Konnors stands before him, starting to show concern. “Is this really necessary?” He places a gag in the mighty DRAUGR's mouth. “Nothing has more strength than dire necessity.” They both step back to a safe distance, and Harper pulls a lever on the wall that delivers an unknown voltage of electricity through the body of the mighty DRAUGR. We are taken far from the black site, to the warmth and hospitality of Cold Bruise, across the street from the CoolWear Complex in Bayside, New York. There we see Lexi Sparkles drowning her sorrows in a cappumochasomethingcoffee as Sara Pettis paces around in the distance on the phone. The seat next to Lexi is occupied by Jason Christopher, who will be fighting on May 13 for the Ultra Combat Sports Championship. He takes a sip of his Americano and audibly sighs. “I wish I had words of wisdom to help you through this, Lexi. This is far beyond my skill set. If there was something to punch or choke out, I would be more useful.” “I'd sure like to punch my grandpa right now. I just don't understand how this happened. We were making great progress with him and then… BAM! He goes and kidnaps two grown men! Then he tortures them in some dungeon somewhere! What the heck?!” “I know it isn't much, but the silver lining in this is you've got a Tag Team Championship match to look forward to.” “Oh, yeah. Great. That worked out super awesome the last time.” Jason raises an eyebrow. “Four years ago, my dad and I won the Showtime Tag Team Championship… and then he… died.” Jason sulks over his Americano. “I'm sorry that this is bringing up… all of that. This should be a great time in your career and it's… just… not. Any idea how you're going to handle teaming with… him?” “I'm going to try to get him alone, with those… jerks. If I can just get through to him… if I can speak to his humanity… maybe I can bring him back. Maybe I can… save him… again.” She sighs and takes a sip. “All I've wanted since signing with Action Wrestling is the chance to continue my family legacy. What kind of legacy is it… if my grandpa is doing unspeakably evil things?” “Lexi, I've known your family for a long, long… long… time. Your dad was one of my mentors close to twenty years ago. He got me ready for my first tour of Japan… which turned into my life's mission. Before I left, I witnessed a lot of… things… that are best left in the past. All I will say is… there's always been a dark cloud looming over your family. You may feel it lurking… but never… ever… give in to it.” Sara hangs up her call. She storms over to Jason and Lexi. “What's wrong, babe?” “The admins are demanding that Lexi send in a promo for Blast. All this shit we're dealing with… and suddenly a promo is important.” “I don't want to do that, Sara. I'm just not feeling it… at all.” “I know, Lex… but it's stipulated in your contract.” “What would I even say? How do I talk my way out of this… mess?” “Dig deep into all of the trauma the last few weeks has caused. Use your frustration with Vik… as rocket fuel. The endgame has not changed. You will win the Tag Team Championship at Blast.” Lexi sighs as she slides off of her stool. “Okayyyy fiiiiine.” “To the promo studio!” Cut to– “Months of yearning for acceptance… and this is where it all pays off! I'm only a few days away from achieving my destiny! The Ozone Dynasty Duo finally… FINALLY… has the opportunity to fight for the Action Wrestling Tag Team Championship and revive the tag team division! The titles have been held hostage by those stalwarts Cipher and Bishop for what feels like… an eternity. They've sprinkled in a few meager defenses in that time… but I don't recall a single substantial defense in that time. I think there was a match with TJ and Jaice somewhere… but also… maybe that was a fever dream.” “Maybe all of this is a fever dream. Maybe my grandpa wasn't seduced by forces of darkness. Maybe he didn't kidnap two grown men and torture them for two weeks, while I was none the wiser. Okay, let's dig into that one. How weak are Bishop and Cipher that my near-century old grandpa can just… kidnap... them from an arena full of thousands of people?! I don't mean to victim shame them… but come on, people! How can I look at them as big, tough, awesome champions… knowing they fell prey so easily to the mighty DRAUGR?!” “I'm sorry, guys. I'm really amped up on caffeine right now… and I'm way into my feelings. This is supposed to be the greatest time of my life and… I'm just not in the right headspace for it. I guess that's what I have most in common with the New Brotherhood. Where we differ in size and experience… we are twinsies in trauma. What I'm going through pales in comparison to what my grandpa put them through… but also… like… I get it. Their deep-seated desire for revenge does not go unnoticed. And that puts me in a tough spot. While I feel like my grandpa should be punished for what he did to them… I also really, really… really... want to win this match.” “Their time in the spotlight has been… monotonous. They do some stuff for a little while, then they do nothing for a long while. Honestly… and I hate to say it… but like… my grandpa torturing them is the most exciting thing they've done all year. Yeah, it was like… super evil… but… uhh… this is the most anyone has talked about the New Brotherhood since they won the titles at XIII. I finally got around to watching that event, and… wow! What a difference that is compared to where Action Wrestling is today! For better or worse… it's just… different. At least I understand why my grandpa has the XIII logo burned into his skin now.” “Everything he's endured has made him the monster of a man he is today. The trials and tribulations in the 1970s that led to him being frozen for nearly fifty years. The systematic dismantling of his psyche by Devil's Gate when he thawed out… and again recently. All of the pain he has absorbed… and I am constantly in awe of him. We are on this journey together, but his detour into darkness threatens the triumph of winning the Action Wrestling Tag Team Championship at Blast. Oh, don't get it twisted, pals. We're going to find a way to work together and put the New Brotherhood Down for the count. Our strife isn't something we can’t work through. It's about the journey and the destination here.” “Congratulations, New Brotherhood. You're still alive. Most people are so ungrateful to be alive… but not you, not anymore. Against your will, you spent two weeks in Hell… and came out the other side… stronger. Do you feel it? What I did to you… was not to break you… but to make you whole again. Your stagnant reign as champions showed the cracks in your armor. Anyone could have picked up on your weaknesses and exploited them. Surprisingly, that didn't happen. Instead of brutal combat, you boys played figurative board games with various nobodies. You were weak, and I made you strong.” “You're welcome.” “Through my nefarious way, I built up a better team to dismantle at Blast, where my granddaughter and I will win the Tag Team Championship. She may never understand why I slithered back into the darkness, but it was a necessary evil to continue our family's legacy in this business. You boys were casualties of circumstance, and your bond will be stronger in defeat. I hope you find solace in each other when you no longer have a firm grasp of the tag team division. All I have done... and all I will do... are for a better, stronger Action Wrestling." "What can I say except... you're welcome." "You boys went to Hell and back. Hopefully you learned from the experience. All has gone according to plan." "Once you are in Hell, only the Devil can help you out.” |