The Second Fallen Domino
Feb 28, 2021 16:22:31 GMT -5
Lissie Hope, Carter Shaw, and 1 more like this
Post by CJ Phoenix on Feb 28, 2021 16:22:31 GMT -5
A black and white key. Where does it go? Why isn't CJ telling her when she asks? Why must his answers always be so cryptic? Questions like these flow through Kaiyah's mind as she watches her husband prepare for the OG Bishop Battlebowl Memorial, an event honoring a beloved legend both inside and outside of the industry. At least, that's what he told her he was doing as he's spent three straight hours drawing circles and then ripping them up. The most information that he had given her this time is that she was capable of finding the answers that she seeked and the next step to solving this mystery was inside of her mother's home. After thinking things over, she decides to play his game in hopes that it will lead to her figuring out what it is that he's been hiding from everyone. Maybe then that ominous feeling will go away. She packs a suitcase and exits their home. She had already booked a flight to Colorado, so all she had to do now was get there. As she drives to the airport, the radio is on. The sound of music playing helps ease her mind. However, something strange happens along the way. Another signal starts to come in. It's distorted and mainly just static at first. Then, a voice could barely be heard as the choppy signal made it impossible to hear any words for a moment. When the signal finally gets strong enough for words to be heard, two words are heard from a whispering voice.
Voice: .....tragedy.....triumph.....
The signal gets choppy again before going away completely. It left just as quickly as it arrived. The radio station continued playing as if nothing happened. Kaiyah has a look of disbelief on her face as she returns her focus to the road in front of her. Now she has even more questions on her mind. One problem at a time though, so she finishes her drive to the airport.
Meanwhile, CJ is still tearing up sheets of paper. He's lost count of how many pages he's destroyed, but he was never really keeping track. The shredded sheets all over the floor seemed to have nothing in common other than the fact that they were once drawings of a circle. There was one other thing that they all had in common. Before being torn into bits and pieces, the first tear would be the most careful and would always take off a little more than half of the circle on the same side. Suddenly, something changes with his pattern of destruction. He calmly makes the first tear. Then, he sets the piece with the smaller portion of the circle to the side before ripping apart the piece with the bigger portion. After that, he picks up the piece he sat down and folds it into thirds. Next, he gets some tape and tapes the creased piece onto the side of the television. He then holds his phone up to his face while turning on the television. The TV screen shows a close up on CJ's eyes, indicating that it's broadcasting what his phone's camera sees. The taped paper is directly over his left eye, with the end of the middle fold resting on the center of the pupil. Finally, he taps a button on his phone and the screen changes color. The right half gets brighter while the left half gets darker. A red light runs across his left eye as well as the paper. CJ grins as he stares at the screen...at himself...watching.....
Phoenix: Perfect...now to prepare the final tests....and then.....the show can begin.
Kaiyah is at her mother's house. She slept when she got there after talking to her. Unfortunately, her mother didn't know anything about whatever CJ was up to. Now fully rested, Kaiyah continues her investigation. It would soon lead her to where CJ cut his promo back in November. That's where she finds something out of place. A metal pipe. The same one that he had when he was talking to the camera crew. Kaiyah observes the object, but initially finds nothing. However, she decides to take a chance and turn the light off to see if he may have hidden something. It turns out that he did as a series of numbers glow on the pipe. "19-11-25-02-15-24" Kaiyah looks perplexed at the numbers for a few minutes. Then, her eyes widen as she seems to have figured out what the numbers mean as the scene fades to black.
I find myself in a rather odd situation. This....Battle Royal....is unlike any I've had before. I find myself at an advantageous disadvantage. Eight of us are competing for the right to be the final Havoc entrant. However, myself, Dandy DiVito, and Kyle Kemp all come in toting the flag of The Following. In that sense, it's an advantage as it statistically gives us a 3 in 8 chance of having Havoc's final entrant be one of us. Sounds great, right? Being able to show up fresh at the tail end of one of the most chaotic matches of the year is quite enticing. It allows you to not have to guess at when you're coming down that ramp. The survivors up to that point know that your arrival is inevitable, and that could be a boost for you psychologically. The hope of walking out victorious shines a bit brighter. At least, it does until the reality of despair sets in. While we have a 37.5% chance of success on paper, we are actually at a numerical disadvantage. We have become a three-headed raid boss for the other five players in this game. That means that we're actually in a 3 versus 5 situation. They know that the only way for any of them to even hope to escape with a win is for them to collectively put aside their differences and focus solely on taking us out. While it's theoretically possible, it's also absolutely preventable with the strategy that has brought us to this point in the first place. Divide and conquer. The optimal approach would be for us to endure their initial wave of offense, let them get in each other's way, and then pick them off until only the three of us remain. After that, it's nothing more than a training session with a prize to win. In that case, I care not which of us takes home the win because we would have already won collectively.
Well.....I actually win no matter how this match goes. While my friends and foes will be fighting for one prize, I'll be going for seven. None of which involve my placement in the Havoc match. No, my prizes are much bigger, much better, and much more effective for me in the long run. I'm referring to my seven opponents. Seven chances to intertwine the light of despair with the darkness of hope. So once again, I shall call upon the Eye of Horus to protect me from the poisons that have corrupted this roster. I shall draw strength from the Eye of Ra and pierce through the veils of ignorance that blinds them all from the truth. Let us take one step closer to a better future together!
It would be a bit unjust for me to not start with the man that walked the path to this match with me. Dandy DiVito. You are certainly a force to be reckoned with. A man truly deserving of being a tag team champion. Your ability to motivate others on the downswing is quite admirable. In fact, it's a rare and truly valuable asset. One that I respect and applaud you for having. However, your fiery temper is a double-edged sword. It isn't as explosive and out of control as it once was, but it is still a vice that your foes will try to take advantage of. A strategy that boils down to the formula of more fury equaling less focus. A fury that could cause you to go into a blind rage. You know what happens to people when they're in a blind rage, right? They turn friendly fire on and go ballistic. You must be able to keep that flame controlled and concentrated because our adversaries will likely try to turn us against each other as well. Let us prove that our unity prevails even when the lustful temptation of going down a selfish path tries to distract us. Fight that temptation, Dandy. Fight that rage and control it like I know you can! That is how you will be better equipped for the future!
Speaking of being equipped, few are more armed mentally than you, Kyle Kemp. A strategist in the ring and a genius outside of it, your calm mind and rationality makes it easier for you to see the big picture. Even when things upset you, you try your best to respond in the most efficient way. In truth, you're a perfect complement to Dandy, which is why it's no surprise that you also hold gold as tag champ. I'm sure you've already calculated the things that I've mentioned earlier, and I would hope that you also realize that this match is a hidden test of the bond between members of The Following. Additionally, you have another obstacle in your path to overcome. Overthinking. In an battle royal environment, chaos and circumstance rule supreme. You could come in with the smartest possible approach and still end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm not saying you should simply prepare to fail. Instead, I'm telling you to acknowledge the possibility of things not going your way, and using that acceptance to prevent yourself from getting too confident. Be aware, but not arrogant, my brother.
Worry not, my fellow competitors. I have not forgotten you. Carter Shaw, it was nice having you visit. It was even nicer seeing you put your pride away long enough to make it here as a temporary affiliate of The Following. To say that you've made an impact during your relatively short time here is an understatement. Although, there's something else that caught my eyes when it comes to you. You and I aren't all that different, are we? We've both had moments of triumph. We've dealt with the bitter despair of pain. We've even had to overcome our own demons in order to reach new heights. And now here we are, a pair of enigmas traveling in different directions. You and your Philidor friends may be quite the mystery, but I see through your facade. You're still uncertain. Trying to figure out your true purpose. Worrying that you'll never find the answers that you seek. All you can do is fight, but you're just not good enough at understanding yet. I don't mind shining a light for you to see where you're going. If it helps ease your burdens, I'll answer one of your questions for you. No. You will not win this match. You aren't the electric rookie taking the show by storm. Your flaws are visible through film. Your ruthless style of brawling and grappling will only tire you out in a match like this until you find yourself eliminated. Hopefully, you'll follow the light afterwards and start to understand my teachings.
Sammy Sam Sammity Kidsgrove. A journeyman with success in many companies and even in show business. You're somewhat of a role model to aspiring actors and fans of your work. That's great. Even your in-ring capabilities are impressive. Unfortunately for you, there's a bit of a violent reunion coming up between you and Dandy. Are you sure you can resist your urge to focus him out? I know that hatred is still there. You have hope of being able to move on, but we both know that as long as you two exist on the same roster, you're bound to cross paths. Granted, Dandy's changed a bit since then, have you? No. You haven't. The moment you two see each other, all of those memories will come back. That drive to take him out will be reignited, only for it to be put out by the truth. That truth is the fact that six others are also in that same ring. Ultimately, it shall lead to your demise, and no, you can't yell "CUT!" and take two after your dreams of victory are crushed. What you CAN do is see what I see. A man who can put on a good act, but is a miserable mess when the cameras stop rolling. Only then can you learn to truly become the hero you pretend to be.
Then there's the aptly named Corey Bull. The bringer of hate. Deliverer of disdain. Dawnbringer of despa-oh wait, that's me. First off, thank you for keeping my monster-of-the-week streak going by making it this far. Your work speaks for yourself, doesn't it? A giant force of destruction and a cause of decimation. We have a few of those here. I've met them. I've faced them. I've changed them, and have no intentions of slowing down or stopping. So what makes you different from any of the other behemoths that I've faced? Simple. Your mask. It's gone now, isn't it? And with that, an opportunity has arrived. I challenge you to remove the mask of despair in your soul. Take a step into the light! I can guide you. I can help you. Or, you can just stay trapped in your cloud of darkness after your eviction from the Battle Royal. That part is imminent. Your thirst for brutality will drown out your objective focus. Yes, you will succeed at hurting others, but it will come at the cost of your shot at winning. That doesn't concern me. My interest lies in your choice afterwards. Will you continue to be the senseless, one man demolition derby who's only capable of causing pain, or will you understand my words and follow my path to a brighter domain? The choice is yours, hate bringer.
It's a shame we haven't crossed paths more often, Howard Black. You're honestly a rare true neutral. I like that. You don't exactly specialize in anything well enough to be extremely proficient, but you're good enough to be versatile. An in-ring Swiss army knife. That makes it easier for you to adapt to matches like this. You remind me of me when I first stepped between the ropes. You go where the wind takes you. I used to as well, but now it is I who guides the wind. I shall guide you as well. First away from any false hopes you have at winning. Then, I'll guide you towards something greater. A purpose. An objective. An achievement to chase so that you can stop settling for just kinda being serviceable at lots of things and strive for being great at everything! Greatness is what it will take to succeed, so this time, just being good enough....won't be good enough.
Last, but not least, but not best either and that's okay, is one Spencer Adams. Ninety four. I know you've been waiting for this moment. Sunday will mark 94 days since Turmoil. I bet a part of you was hoping that we would both be in this match. Your mind filled with thoughts of revenge against the man who gracefully kicked your consciousness right out of your body right before you lost the tag titles to the other two Following members in this match. With us being on different shows ever since, your shot at vengeance seemed hopeless. Fortunately for the both of us, this tournament happened. I was rooting for you as well, you know. Out of everyone in the tourney, you're the one I'm looking forward to seeing the most. Surprising, isn't it? You hate me more than anyone else in this match does. You have the most reason to target me. Most of all, your frustration is admittedly justified. The despair that came with the heartbreak of that Turmoil is partially my fault after all. That's why I'm looking forward to your hatred. Let out all of those frustrations! Embrace the drive for vengeance as it costs you the match! I want you to let out those repressed feelings so that you can make room for the hope that I shall provide. A hope equally as powerful as the despair that I caused you three months ago. You may say what I did was wrong, but it was a necessary step for things to go right. Not just for me, but for you as well. You'll understand what I mean soon.
Actually, you'll ALL understand what I've been meaning soon. For now, the Battle Royal is my focus. When I emerge victorious, the final entrant in the larger, more chaotic battle royal at Havoc will belong to me. That means when that melee rolls around....expect me to be watching....waiting....and then STRIKING! Seven minds. Two friends. Five foes. All brought together for a darker hope and a brighter despair. The march towards the future continues.....
Tragedy.....
Triumph.....
Voice: .....tragedy.....triumph.....
The signal gets choppy again before going away completely. It left just as quickly as it arrived. The radio station continued playing as if nothing happened. Kaiyah has a look of disbelief on her face as she returns her focus to the road in front of her. Now she has even more questions on her mind. One problem at a time though, so she finishes her drive to the airport.
Meanwhile, CJ is still tearing up sheets of paper. He's lost count of how many pages he's destroyed, but he was never really keeping track. The shredded sheets all over the floor seemed to have nothing in common other than the fact that they were once drawings of a circle. There was one other thing that they all had in common. Before being torn into bits and pieces, the first tear would be the most careful and would always take off a little more than half of the circle on the same side. Suddenly, something changes with his pattern of destruction. He calmly makes the first tear. Then, he sets the piece with the smaller portion of the circle to the side before ripping apart the piece with the bigger portion. After that, he picks up the piece he sat down and folds it into thirds. Next, he gets some tape and tapes the creased piece onto the side of the television. He then holds his phone up to his face while turning on the television. The TV screen shows a close up on CJ's eyes, indicating that it's broadcasting what his phone's camera sees. The taped paper is directly over his left eye, with the end of the middle fold resting on the center of the pupil. Finally, he taps a button on his phone and the screen changes color. The right half gets brighter while the left half gets darker. A red light runs across his left eye as well as the paper. CJ grins as he stares at the screen...at himself...watching.....
Phoenix: Perfect...now to prepare the final tests....and then.....the show can begin.
Fifteen hours later...
Kaiyah is at her mother's house. She slept when she got there after talking to her. Unfortunately, her mother didn't know anything about whatever CJ was up to. Now fully rested, Kaiyah continues her investigation. It would soon lead her to where CJ cut his promo back in November. That's where she finds something out of place. A metal pipe. The same one that he had when he was talking to the camera crew. Kaiyah observes the object, but initially finds nothing. However, she decides to take a chance and turn the light off to see if he may have hidden something. It turns out that he did as a series of numbers glow on the pipe. "19-11-25-02-15-24" Kaiyah looks perplexed at the numbers for a few minutes. Then, her eyes widen as she seems to have figured out what the numbers mean as the scene fades to black.
I find myself in a rather odd situation. This....Battle Royal....is unlike any I've had before. I find myself at an advantageous disadvantage. Eight of us are competing for the right to be the final Havoc entrant. However, myself, Dandy DiVito, and Kyle Kemp all come in toting the flag of The Following. In that sense, it's an advantage as it statistically gives us a 3 in 8 chance of having Havoc's final entrant be one of us. Sounds great, right? Being able to show up fresh at the tail end of one of the most chaotic matches of the year is quite enticing. It allows you to not have to guess at when you're coming down that ramp. The survivors up to that point know that your arrival is inevitable, and that could be a boost for you psychologically. The hope of walking out victorious shines a bit brighter. At least, it does until the reality of despair sets in. While we have a 37.5% chance of success on paper, we are actually at a numerical disadvantage. We have become a three-headed raid boss for the other five players in this game. That means that we're actually in a 3 versus 5 situation. They know that the only way for any of them to even hope to escape with a win is for them to collectively put aside their differences and focus solely on taking us out. While it's theoretically possible, it's also absolutely preventable with the strategy that has brought us to this point in the first place. Divide and conquer. The optimal approach would be for us to endure their initial wave of offense, let them get in each other's way, and then pick them off until only the three of us remain. After that, it's nothing more than a training session with a prize to win. In that case, I care not which of us takes home the win because we would have already won collectively.
Well.....I actually win no matter how this match goes. While my friends and foes will be fighting for one prize, I'll be going for seven. None of which involve my placement in the Havoc match. No, my prizes are much bigger, much better, and much more effective for me in the long run. I'm referring to my seven opponents. Seven chances to intertwine the light of despair with the darkness of hope. So once again, I shall call upon the Eye of Horus to protect me from the poisons that have corrupted this roster. I shall draw strength from the Eye of Ra and pierce through the veils of ignorance that blinds them all from the truth. Let us take one step closer to a better future together!
It would be a bit unjust for me to not start with the man that walked the path to this match with me. Dandy DiVito. You are certainly a force to be reckoned with. A man truly deserving of being a tag team champion. Your ability to motivate others on the downswing is quite admirable. In fact, it's a rare and truly valuable asset. One that I respect and applaud you for having. However, your fiery temper is a double-edged sword. It isn't as explosive and out of control as it once was, but it is still a vice that your foes will try to take advantage of. A strategy that boils down to the formula of more fury equaling less focus. A fury that could cause you to go into a blind rage. You know what happens to people when they're in a blind rage, right? They turn friendly fire on and go ballistic. You must be able to keep that flame controlled and concentrated because our adversaries will likely try to turn us against each other as well. Let us prove that our unity prevails even when the lustful temptation of going down a selfish path tries to distract us. Fight that temptation, Dandy. Fight that rage and control it like I know you can! That is how you will be better equipped for the future!
Speaking of being equipped, few are more armed mentally than you, Kyle Kemp. A strategist in the ring and a genius outside of it, your calm mind and rationality makes it easier for you to see the big picture. Even when things upset you, you try your best to respond in the most efficient way. In truth, you're a perfect complement to Dandy, which is why it's no surprise that you also hold gold as tag champ. I'm sure you've already calculated the things that I've mentioned earlier, and I would hope that you also realize that this match is a hidden test of the bond between members of The Following. Additionally, you have another obstacle in your path to overcome. Overthinking. In an battle royal environment, chaos and circumstance rule supreme. You could come in with the smartest possible approach and still end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm not saying you should simply prepare to fail. Instead, I'm telling you to acknowledge the possibility of things not going your way, and using that acceptance to prevent yourself from getting too confident. Be aware, but not arrogant, my brother.
Worry not, my fellow competitors. I have not forgotten you. Carter Shaw, it was nice having you visit. It was even nicer seeing you put your pride away long enough to make it here as a temporary affiliate of The Following. To say that you've made an impact during your relatively short time here is an understatement. Although, there's something else that caught my eyes when it comes to you. You and I aren't all that different, are we? We've both had moments of triumph. We've dealt with the bitter despair of pain. We've even had to overcome our own demons in order to reach new heights. And now here we are, a pair of enigmas traveling in different directions. You and your Philidor friends may be quite the mystery, but I see through your facade. You're still uncertain. Trying to figure out your true purpose. Worrying that you'll never find the answers that you seek. All you can do is fight, but you're just not good enough at understanding yet. I don't mind shining a light for you to see where you're going. If it helps ease your burdens, I'll answer one of your questions for you. No. You will not win this match. You aren't the electric rookie taking the show by storm. Your flaws are visible through film. Your ruthless style of brawling and grappling will only tire you out in a match like this until you find yourself eliminated. Hopefully, you'll follow the light afterwards and start to understand my teachings.
Sammy Sam Sammity Kidsgrove. A journeyman with success in many companies and even in show business. You're somewhat of a role model to aspiring actors and fans of your work. That's great. Even your in-ring capabilities are impressive. Unfortunately for you, there's a bit of a violent reunion coming up between you and Dandy. Are you sure you can resist your urge to focus him out? I know that hatred is still there. You have hope of being able to move on, but we both know that as long as you two exist on the same roster, you're bound to cross paths. Granted, Dandy's changed a bit since then, have you? No. You haven't. The moment you two see each other, all of those memories will come back. That drive to take him out will be reignited, only for it to be put out by the truth. That truth is the fact that six others are also in that same ring. Ultimately, it shall lead to your demise, and no, you can't yell "CUT!" and take two after your dreams of victory are crushed. What you CAN do is see what I see. A man who can put on a good act, but is a miserable mess when the cameras stop rolling. Only then can you learn to truly become the hero you pretend to be.
Then there's the aptly named Corey Bull. The bringer of hate. Deliverer of disdain. Dawnbringer of despa-oh wait, that's me. First off, thank you for keeping my monster-of-the-week streak going by making it this far. Your work speaks for yourself, doesn't it? A giant force of destruction and a cause of decimation. We have a few of those here. I've met them. I've faced them. I've changed them, and have no intentions of slowing down or stopping. So what makes you different from any of the other behemoths that I've faced? Simple. Your mask. It's gone now, isn't it? And with that, an opportunity has arrived. I challenge you to remove the mask of despair in your soul. Take a step into the light! I can guide you. I can help you. Or, you can just stay trapped in your cloud of darkness after your eviction from the Battle Royal. That part is imminent. Your thirst for brutality will drown out your objective focus. Yes, you will succeed at hurting others, but it will come at the cost of your shot at winning. That doesn't concern me. My interest lies in your choice afterwards. Will you continue to be the senseless, one man demolition derby who's only capable of causing pain, or will you understand my words and follow my path to a brighter domain? The choice is yours, hate bringer.
It's a shame we haven't crossed paths more often, Howard Black. You're honestly a rare true neutral. I like that. You don't exactly specialize in anything well enough to be extremely proficient, but you're good enough to be versatile. An in-ring Swiss army knife. That makes it easier for you to adapt to matches like this. You remind me of me when I first stepped between the ropes. You go where the wind takes you. I used to as well, but now it is I who guides the wind. I shall guide you as well. First away from any false hopes you have at winning. Then, I'll guide you towards something greater. A purpose. An objective. An achievement to chase so that you can stop settling for just kinda being serviceable at lots of things and strive for being great at everything! Greatness is what it will take to succeed, so this time, just being good enough....won't be good enough.
Last, but not least, but not best either and that's okay, is one Spencer Adams. Ninety four. I know you've been waiting for this moment. Sunday will mark 94 days since Turmoil. I bet a part of you was hoping that we would both be in this match. Your mind filled with thoughts of revenge against the man who gracefully kicked your consciousness right out of your body right before you lost the tag titles to the other two Following members in this match. With us being on different shows ever since, your shot at vengeance seemed hopeless. Fortunately for the both of us, this tournament happened. I was rooting for you as well, you know. Out of everyone in the tourney, you're the one I'm looking forward to seeing the most. Surprising, isn't it? You hate me more than anyone else in this match does. You have the most reason to target me. Most of all, your frustration is admittedly justified. The despair that came with the heartbreak of that Turmoil is partially my fault after all. That's why I'm looking forward to your hatred. Let out all of those frustrations! Embrace the drive for vengeance as it costs you the match! I want you to let out those repressed feelings so that you can make room for the hope that I shall provide. A hope equally as powerful as the despair that I caused you three months ago. You may say what I did was wrong, but it was a necessary step for things to go right. Not just for me, but for you as well. You'll understand what I mean soon.
Actually, you'll ALL understand what I've been meaning soon. For now, the Battle Royal is my focus. When I emerge victorious, the final entrant in the larger, more chaotic battle royal at Havoc will belong to me. That means when that melee rolls around....expect me to be watching....waiting....and then STRIKING! Seven minds. Two friends. Five foes. All brought together for a darker hope and a brighter despair. The march towards the future continues.....
Tragedy.....
Triumph.....