Post by CJ Phoenix on Sept 26, 2021 0:52:43 GMT -5
There's a whole ass concert happening in the Luminary of Despair's mind. The Hex Girls are performing in front of a massive crowd. The energy is intense as cheers could probably be heard for miles. CJ Phoenix is floating in a bubble high above and behind the audience along with Whis. Beerus didn't want to show up, so he didn't. Instead, one Son Goku is here.
Whis: I can see why you like their music so much. It's pretty catchy.
Goku: Makes me wanna fight!
Phoenix: EVERYTHING makes you wanna fight.
Goku: Nuh uhhh. Food makes me wanna eat.
Phoenix: ....and then after you eat?
Goku: I wanna fight........ohhhhhhh I get it now.
Whis: Great, now we can move on with CJ's training. Remember what we discussed last week?
Phoenix: About working with others when you have a common enemy?
Whis: Yes. You showed that in your last match.
Phoenix: Yeah, and I got rewarded by being attacked after the match.
Whis: I told you it wouldn't be easy. It's like Lord Beerus said. More people trying to stop you is a good thing in this case. On top of that, you and Damian Kaine worked well together out there. You showed that you can make the most out of uniting with someone by adapting to their strengths. Now, you have to do that on a larger scale with a teammate you've faced off against multiple times. Although there isn't any deep hatred between you two, you must settle your differences if you want to capitalize on what he brings to the table.
Goku: I've had to do that with a lot of my old enemies, and now most of them are my allies!
Whis: I'd prefer the term "friendly rivals". There are plenty of advantages to being able to work well with anyone. Not only does it showcase your versatility. It also shows humility in that you're brave enough to put your ego aside when necessary. Those kinds of things tend to earn you respect from your peers and love from your fans. The latter is why we're at this concert.
Whis points at the trio of ladies on stage.
Whis: You see that? All of those people in the crowd are supporting them with their energy through their cheers and dances. That support can be very powerful if channeled properly. Take Goku here for example. The reason he's here is so that he can teach you a technique that I believe will lead to you reaching your goal of lighting the world up with despair.
Goku: Yep! I'm gonna teach you the Spirit Bomb!
Phoenix: Really? Nice!......wait. Why? I can't exactly use that in the ring. I mean, I could label a bomb "Spirit" and use it, buuuuut that would just lead to unnecessary casualties.
Goku: Hmmmm. Good point. I didn't think of it that way.
Whis: You won't be making an actual Spirit Bomb out there. Your goal is to do what it takes to create one. Harness the energy of those around you. Everyone from the people watching at home to those cheering in the stands has the capability to give their energy to the people competing. That energy creates a euphoric rush that can lift a person to heights that not even they thought they could reach. Consider how far you've already come. Despite the betrayals, the sneak attacks, the heartbreaks, and everything else that has gone wrong, you still get back up whenever you're knocked down. You used that despair to improve upon yourself. That's inspiring. It gives people hope when they see someone refuse to give up even when all hope seems lost, especially when that person finally breaks through and succeeds. It shows them that if you could overcome all of those obstacles that you had to deal with, perhaps they could do the same with their own journeys. Do you understand, mister "Luminary of Despair"? Those people cheer for you because they want you to succeed. They need to see that persistence can in fact lead to perseverance. Because of that, they're willing to give you their despair. Unlike Goku's Spirit Bomb, you won't be holding it up in the air. Instead, YOU'LL be the bomb itself, fusing yourself with the despair that you draw in.
Phoenix: Wow.....a Spirit Bomb made of despair. That....that's amazing...
Whis: Yes, but also nearly impossible to pull off. This isn't something that you work on for your next match like your regular training. This is something that will take time and effort to achieve, and even then it's not guaranteed that you'll ever successfully do it. Are you willing to take that risk?
Phoenix: Absolutely.
Whis: Good! I'm off to check on Lord Beerus. Take care, and remember, you have two teammates this week. Their energy is just as valuable as the crowd's.
The Luminary of Despair is in his hotel room relaxing and playing Rocket League. While it may seem like he's just casually ruining people in car soccer, there's more to it than that.
Phoenix: Never thought I'd see the day where Rocket League would prepare me for a wrestling match, and yet...here we are. Three-on-three. Violence everywhere. Knowing how to work with your teammates as well as how to attack your opponents. It's just like my next match. It appears that the three stooges have finally reunited. Strikey, Robby, and Beef have joined together to dig their own graves. Such worthless scum. Three pieces of trash tossed out a window and onto the interstate by a careless driver, hoping that the wind will carry them to the promised land. When will they learn that hiding behind ambushes and empty threats will only get them slain by the axe of despair? I could end this match before it has a chance to begin. I could just go to a place within myself, perform a hat trick of public executions, and wait for the police to show up, but I have a better plan. I'm gonna use this opportunity to both cause and assist with the brutal pain and suffering that those ignoramuses are going to feel.
Consider my partners for this demolition derby. Working with Damian Kaine was rather easy. Although it's a bit cloudy, we do share some semblance of alliance in the past. He and I know how to assess a situation like this and work together to stomp out such inferior competition. John Black is a different story. We have no prior history of teamwork. Every time we've been in the same ring, we've been opponents. From Battlebowl to the Execution cage match to the All-In ladder match, we have always been opponents. Now, we're expected to get along and work together. Fortunately, we share a common dislike for the terrible trio that we're up against. The kids would consider this somewhat of a superhero team up. Three forces that happen to be dealing with the same problem at the same time, coming together to eradicate their foes. The best part about all of this is the hardcore setup attached to it. That means the playing field is leveled. No more hiding behind sneak attacks with weapons for them. We're gonna be armed and dangerous, and they're gonna be disarmed and dismembered. I'm looking forward to leaving them choking on their own blood as they struggle to maintain their consciousness.
In a sense, it's starting to feel like rejecting a desperate and clingy maniac. No matter how many times I keep stomping them out, they don't know how to take a hint and move on. It all started with Beefer and Striker in Tokyo. Wrecking those clowns on another continent was joyful, but I moved on. So when I faced Beefer a few weeks back, the objective was clear. Kick his ass and move on, but he and his piss stream partner didn't want to move on. They were afraid to be left behind, so they decided to meddle in my business. I even ruined them with Kaine decisively a few days ago, but they couldn't accept moving on. They had to fish out their third wheel as a last ditch effort to try and be relevant. I can't even go through a night without one of those bumbling idiots running down the ramp and attacking me, and for all of their efforts, what have they gained? Nothing. I still show up the next week and put them to shame. It doesn't matter if there's 3, 30, or 300,000 of them. Whether it's by myself or with DK, John Black, random fans in the stands, cardboard cutouts or whatever else, I'll pick each and every one of them apart until I'm standing on a mountain of broken bodies.
The game ends in a 10-0 victory with CJ scoring 4 goals and racking up 6 assists. He's taking the Steve Nash approach. Even though he knows he's more than capable of decimating his opponents Monday, he's also aware that his partners in the match also have scores to settle with them. Setting them up to also dish out a healthy dose of despair would benefit them all. If he can work well enough with them to have them entrust their despair to him, even if it's just for this match, it's another step closer towards being entrusted with the despair of everyone watching.
Inside the mind of the Phoenix, we find CJ and Goku in the outskirts of a city. CJ spends several moments in deep concentration before letting out a frustrated sigh.
Phoenix: Uggghhhh nothing's happening.
Goku: Whis did say it would take some time, and you've only been at this for a few days. It might also be your connection that's the issue.
Phoenix: What connection?
Goku: Your connection with the people. How often do you talk to them?
Phoenix: Not often. I'm not really fond of people.
Goku: You don't have to be. Vegeta doesn't like people, and look how much he's grown. The Androids didn't like anything but murder, and now they're protective. You'd be surprised at how much you can gain from a single interaction. I talked to those ladies after the concert, and their singer agreed to help you out. She's a witch!
Thorn: A wicken, not a witch..
Goku: A wicken? A white chicken?
Thorn: ..........I'm gonna ignore that.
Phoenix: Good idea.
Thorn: I hear you're trying to have a better bond with your fans. My advice: go the extra mile. Try talking to them. Sign a couple of autographs or something. Really make their day. Even if it's just for a few moments, they'll remember those times and support you even more.
Phoenix: That makes sense.
Thorn: Want proof? We have a song about casually putting a spell on people, and they love it. If we can get away with that, you can get away with getting them to want despair.
Phoenix: I guess I'll try it and see what happens. Maybe after I'm done bludgeoning those nimrods with DK and John Black, I'll hang around after Clash and talk to some people.
Thorn: That's a good start. Good luck out there.
Goku: I hope it works. Whis told me you have a ton of untapped potential. I wanna see you reach that potential so that we can have a proper fight!
Phoenix: I...wha....you know what? Sure. First, I'll reach my potential, and then we can fight.
Whis: I can see why you like their music so much. It's pretty catchy.
Goku: Makes me wanna fight!
Phoenix: EVERYTHING makes you wanna fight.
Goku: Nuh uhhh. Food makes me wanna eat.
Phoenix: ....and then after you eat?
Goku: I wanna fight........ohhhhhhh I get it now.
Whis: Great, now we can move on with CJ's training. Remember what we discussed last week?
Phoenix: About working with others when you have a common enemy?
Whis: Yes. You showed that in your last match.
Phoenix: Yeah, and I got rewarded by being attacked after the match.
Whis: I told you it wouldn't be easy. It's like Lord Beerus said. More people trying to stop you is a good thing in this case. On top of that, you and Damian Kaine worked well together out there. You showed that you can make the most out of uniting with someone by adapting to their strengths. Now, you have to do that on a larger scale with a teammate you've faced off against multiple times. Although there isn't any deep hatred between you two, you must settle your differences if you want to capitalize on what he brings to the table.
Goku: I've had to do that with a lot of my old enemies, and now most of them are my allies!
Whis: I'd prefer the term "friendly rivals". There are plenty of advantages to being able to work well with anyone. Not only does it showcase your versatility. It also shows humility in that you're brave enough to put your ego aside when necessary. Those kinds of things tend to earn you respect from your peers and love from your fans. The latter is why we're at this concert.
Whis points at the trio of ladies on stage.
Whis: You see that? All of those people in the crowd are supporting them with their energy through their cheers and dances. That support can be very powerful if channeled properly. Take Goku here for example. The reason he's here is so that he can teach you a technique that I believe will lead to you reaching your goal of lighting the world up with despair.
Goku: Yep! I'm gonna teach you the Spirit Bomb!
Phoenix: Really? Nice!......wait. Why? I can't exactly use that in the ring. I mean, I could label a bomb "Spirit" and use it, buuuuut that would just lead to unnecessary casualties.
Goku: Hmmmm. Good point. I didn't think of it that way.
Whis: You won't be making an actual Spirit Bomb out there. Your goal is to do what it takes to create one. Harness the energy of those around you. Everyone from the people watching at home to those cheering in the stands has the capability to give their energy to the people competing. That energy creates a euphoric rush that can lift a person to heights that not even they thought they could reach. Consider how far you've already come. Despite the betrayals, the sneak attacks, the heartbreaks, and everything else that has gone wrong, you still get back up whenever you're knocked down. You used that despair to improve upon yourself. That's inspiring. It gives people hope when they see someone refuse to give up even when all hope seems lost, especially when that person finally breaks through and succeeds. It shows them that if you could overcome all of those obstacles that you had to deal with, perhaps they could do the same with their own journeys. Do you understand, mister "Luminary of Despair"? Those people cheer for you because they want you to succeed. They need to see that persistence can in fact lead to perseverance. Because of that, they're willing to give you their despair. Unlike Goku's Spirit Bomb, you won't be holding it up in the air. Instead, YOU'LL be the bomb itself, fusing yourself with the despair that you draw in.
Phoenix: Wow.....a Spirit Bomb made of despair. That....that's amazing...
Whis: Yes, but also nearly impossible to pull off. This isn't something that you work on for your next match like your regular training. This is something that will take time and effort to achieve, and even then it's not guaranteed that you'll ever successfully do it. Are you willing to take that risk?
Phoenix: Absolutely.
Whis: Good! I'm off to check on Lord Beerus. Take care, and remember, you have two teammates this week. Their energy is just as valuable as the crowd's.
The Luminary of Despair is in his hotel room relaxing and playing Rocket League. While it may seem like he's just casually ruining people in car soccer, there's more to it than that.
Phoenix: Never thought I'd see the day where Rocket League would prepare me for a wrestling match, and yet...here we are. Three-on-three. Violence everywhere. Knowing how to work with your teammates as well as how to attack your opponents. It's just like my next match. It appears that the three stooges have finally reunited. Strikey, Robby, and Beef have joined together to dig their own graves. Such worthless scum. Three pieces of trash tossed out a window and onto the interstate by a careless driver, hoping that the wind will carry them to the promised land. When will they learn that hiding behind ambushes and empty threats will only get them slain by the axe of despair? I could end this match before it has a chance to begin. I could just go to a place within myself, perform a hat trick of public executions, and wait for the police to show up, but I have a better plan. I'm gonna use this opportunity to both cause and assist with the brutal pain and suffering that those ignoramuses are going to feel.
Consider my partners for this demolition derby. Working with Damian Kaine was rather easy. Although it's a bit cloudy, we do share some semblance of alliance in the past. He and I know how to assess a situation like this and work together to stomp out such inferior competition. John Black is a different story. We have no prior history of teamwork. Every time we've been in the same ring, we've been opponents. From Battlebowl to the Execution cage match to the All-In ladder match, we have always been opponents. Now, we're expected to get along and work together. Fortunately, we share a common dislike for the terrible trio that we're up against. The kids would consider this somewhat of a superhero team up. Three forces that happen to be dealing with the same problem at the same time, coming together to eradicate their foes. The best part about all of this is the hardcore setup attached to it. That means the playing field is leveled. No more hiding behind sneak attacks with weapons for them. We're gonna be armed and dangerous, and they're gonna be disarmed and dismembered. I'm looking forward to leaving them choking on their own blood as they struggle to maintain their consciousness.
In a sense, it's starting to feel like rejecting a desperate and clingy maniac. No matter how many times I keep stomping them out, they don't know how to take a hint and move on. It all started with Beefer and Striker in Tokyo. Wrecking those clowns on another continent was joyful, but I moved on. So when I faced Beefer a few weeks back, the objective was clear. Kick his ass and move on, but he and his piss stream partner didn't want to move on. They were afraid to be left behind, so they decided to meddle in my business. I even ruined them with Kaine decisively a few days ago, but they couldn't accept moving on. They had to fish out their third wheel as a last ditch effort to try and be relevant. I can't even go through a night without one of those bumbling idiots running down the ramp and attacking me, and for all of their efforts, what have they gained? Nothing. I still show up the next week and put them to shame. It doesn't matter if there's 3, 30, or 300,000 of them. Whether it's by myself or with DK, John Black, random fans in the stands, cardboard cutouts or whatever else, I'll pick each and every one of them apart until I'm standing on a mountain of broken bodies.
The game ends in a 10-0 victory with CJ scoring 4 goals and racking up 6 assists. He's taking the Steve Nash approach. Even though he knows he's more than capable of decimating his opponents Monday, he's also aware that his partners in the match also have scores to settle with them. Setting them up to also dish out a healthy dose of despair would benefit them all. If he can work well enough with them to have them entrust their despair to him, even if it's just for this match, it's another step closer towards being entrusted with the despair of everyone watching.
Inside the mind of the Phoenix, we find CJ and Goku in the outskirts of a city. CJ spends several moments in deep concentration before letting out a frustrated sigh.
Phoenix: Uggghhhh nothing's happening.
Goku: Whis did say it would take some time, and you've only been at this for a few days. It might also be your connection that's the issue.
Phoenix: What connection?
Goku: Your connection with the people. How often do you talk to them?
Phoenix: Not often. I'm not really fond of people.
Goku: You don't have to be. Vegeta doesn't like people, and look how much he's grown. The Androids didn't like anything but murder, and now they're protective. You'd be surprised at how much you can gain from a single interaction. I talked to those ladies after the concert, and their singer agreed to help you out. She's a witch!
Thorn: A wicken, not a witch..
Goku: A wicken? A white chicken?
Thorn: ..........I'm gonna ignore that.
Phoenix: Good idea.
Thorn: I hear you're trying to have a better bond with your fans. My advice: go the extra mile. Try talking to them. Sign a couple of autographs or something. Really make their day. Even if it's just for a few moments, they'll remember those times and support you even more.
Phoenix: That makes sense.
Thorn: Want proof? We have a song about casually putting a spell on people, and they love it. If we can get away with that, you can get away with getting them to want despair.
Phoenix: I guess I'll try it and see what happens. Maybe after I'm done bludgeoning those nimrods with DK and John Black, I'll hang around after Clash and talk to some people.
Thorn: That's a good start. Good luck out there.
Goku: I hope it works. Whis told me you have a ton of untapped potential. I wanna see you reach that potential so that we can have a proper fight!
Phoenix: I...wha....you know what? Sure. First, I'll reach my potential, and then we can fight.