Post by J on Jan 7, 2021 14:20:45 GMT -5
I: Strike First
//Off Camera//
Pazzini Mansion
Palermo;Sicily
January 1st 2021
Holidays were over, the celebrations, the horrid year that was known as 2020 had ended, it was time for a new, better beginning, a brave new world reeling yet rejuvenating from it’s struggles and woes. Or for most of us it was at least that. For Richard Rhodes III the new year promised beatings, assaults and pure onslaught from all sides. So what was his strategy, the master plan, the Machiavellian move: To get plastered, alcohol and plenty of it, hiding in a dark room where the only source of light or life was the blue light of the screen, non-stop movie footage of years gone by. Something he could believe in, sink into, to numb his whole existence the fuck out.
A simple tournament, points score the winners, the one who stands tall is the strongest, the victor, the champion on the mat as in life.
A knock on the door, he didn’t hear it, he didn’t see the door opening the creak of light sliding in as the door opened and the figure of a woman standing there.
“..Richard?”
He didn’t hear that voice, understand the words he just sat there, shirtless, sweating, hair on his head, face and bare chest all matted up to a mess, glazed eyes focused on the events of the screen.Roars of the fight, cheers of the crowd.
TV: POINT! THAT’S TWO FOR LaRusso!
He cringed, bit his tongue.
“What are you doing here in the dark..?”
She steps in further and sits next to him
TV: Time out, go to your sensei!
She watches him as he watches a kid in black walk off the mat, leaving the kid in white laid out on the mat. Kid in black walks to a stern looking older man in black, a menacing look is exchanged, the older man checking his student for injuries, without flinching once.
“Richard, what the fuck?!”
TV: Sweep the leg, you have a problem with that?!
She looks at the TV then him.
“How many times have you watched this shit?”
He pays no attention to her, just stares at the screen, eyes glazed and responds to the second with the character on the screen.
Ricky: No sensei.
“Too many fucking times” She says, getting up and walking to the TV as the menacing man in black looks at his student, expressionless.
TV: No mercy
*CLICK*
She switched it off, just like that turning back to him.
Camilla Pazzini stood there looking at the confusion on her partner’s face when Ricky finally returns to the world around him again, clearly displeased of the turn of events.
Ricky: Hey I was watching that!
Camilla: For what?
Ricky: Match research.
She scoffed in return.
Camilla: What possible use would it be for you to sit here and watch a movie made 36 years ago, a movie that you know from line to line, that you probably have seen enough times to recite it on your own..it was made in 1984, before you were even born Richard, that is not reality, that shit you preach to does not exist, it’s fake..scripted, this does NOTHING but get your focus away from your next match!
He sits there, shoulders slumped watching the woman bark at him, his body twitches, lips quiver and then finally a sniffle.
Ricky:She’s gonna kill me, isn’t she? That crazy fucking ginger is gonna brick my head in..
Camilla: Don’t be a idiot Richard, she can’t do shit to you! Vinnie’s gonna be there with you, Nico’s going to be there too. They ain’t gonna do SHIT to you, got that?!
He shakes his head.
Ricky: She’s bringing like half of east London with her Cam, I’m afraid of her, I’m afraid alright?! I’M AFRAID!
His voice cracks as she stands there watching his torment, steps in closer, does her best faux sensei voice. “It’s okay to lose to an opponent, you MUST NOT LOSE TO FEAR!”
He sat there flabbergasted, realizing where she got that quote from. His mouth open for a moment before he slowly manages to stutter out.
Ricky: You just thought the movie was bullshit and now you are throwing Mr. Miagy life lessons at me?!
She smirks at his surprise.
Cammie: You aren’t the only one who saw the franchise Ricky, now forget that those words of wisdom came from your mortal fictional enemy’s sensei. Stay focused, remember what you learned and put it into practice. You wanted to be this big man, you wanted to prove to me just how tough you really are and what you can do. So remember the three lessons on way of the fist and follow that, right?
He shakes his head, trying to rattle the brain around and get his head on straight, it was clear that the world was buzzing around in and out of his head just a bit too much.
Ricky: No, you said it was bullshit that it won’t help me, She’s gonna kill me , I’m scared of her and her friends they’ll..I can’t do this forget about it I just wanna go home and..
Camilla: For fuck’s sake..
Then she realizes it, she needs to reach him, talk to him in terms he could understand. So without as much as a warning Camilla steps up to Ricky grabs him by the chin and smacks the everloving snot out of him. Saliva flying out of his mouth.
*WHACK*
Once
*WHACK*
Twice
*WHACK*
Three times a Ricky.
As he sits there and stopped babbling, she heard his heavy breathing, grabbed his face and yanked it back so he had too look up to her. Her voice was cold, emotionless just like the man in black had before on screen.
Camilla:Your opponent, I want her out of commission Mr. Rhodes.
Ricky: But I can beat her!
She clenches her grip.
Camilla: I didn’t say, beat..
Her voice is cold as ice.
Camilla: Out of commission.
She sees his eyes widen.
Camilla: You got a problem with that?
Realization kicks into those eyes as he responds.
Ricky: No sensei!
She smirks letting him go.
Camilla: No mercy.
II: Strike Hard
//Off Camera//
January 4th
Reno Nevada
Training for an upcoming match had its own sense to everything, your mental state, your physical well being, diets, regimens, all of that shit mattered but while the ways were similar to all the methods of inspiration were different. A loose fitting black hoodie, sweat pants along with it and bare feet. His earbuds were blaring out.
We do not train to be merciful here. Mercy is for the weak. Here, in the streets, in competition: A man confronts you, he is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy.
The horrid rock riff and karate kid inspired lyrics along with drums kicked off “Dojo” from Wack Ass Egyptians the very song he used for his entrances, except now it drove him forward. Ricky Rhodes sweating like nobody’s business, working himself to death to be the leanest, meanest damn killing machine in that ring for his matches.
!FEAR DOES NOT EXIST IN THIS DOJO DOES IT?!
He lands a series of vicious elbows on the bag.
Ricky: No Sensei!
!PAIN DOES NOT EXIST IN THIS DOJO DOES IT?!
Swift kicks in exchange to the bags sides lefts, rights, keens and heels
Ricky: No Sensei!
!DEFEAT DOES NOT EXIST IN THIS DOJO DOES IT?!”
He stands there, trembling with exhaustion, his eyes lit up with a maniacal glee, sweat running rivers down his body but the smile could not have been any wider.
Ricky: No Sensei!
He had repeated this for days now, going harder and further every damn session. Pushing himself, his mind, his body, beyond limits he thought he would ever reach. Winning matches was all well and good, beating on people would be even better, but if he wanted to be true to the way of the fist he had to do more than his “best” none of that pussy shit would fly in the long run, he had to be his absolute perfect form in all ways, not relying on Nico or Vincenzo, if he wanted to send a message, make people notice him, then this was his chance, this was the match to do it on..against one of the biggest headcases to embrace the UPRISING ring.
Lollipop, you psycho scot, you gonna pop, you gonna crack, you gonna break!
III:No Mercy
//On Camera//
What we see first is the face of Ricky Rhodes, that slimy damn near rat-like appearance just got worse the more he smiled. He steps back letting the camere get a good look at the surroundings: dark wood walls, it looks more like a stage set than an actual room anywhere. Some symbols of the very animals one is told to watch for, snakes, rats, and the like. Artistic portrayal of them of course, writings in different languages clear to even people who would be able to make out what they said would not be anything nice. Then there was the man himself. Richard Rhodes III: All black everything from head to toe. Looking ever as much of the pompous rat-bastard you would expect a weasel in a suit like him to look like.
Ricky: So here it is, the match that will steal the show come Revolution 4. Because let’s face it, it isn’t the battle of the freaks or the weird game of musical chairs that went from a tag match to a triple threat because one of them decided he’d rather not be around the other three, so now we get some sort of weird art peace that might end up being called 2 Guys 1 Dragon or something the like..nu-uh, that’s not where the money is at folks. I am ALL about money and when I’m telling you that the match to watch this Saturday is Ricky Rhodes Vs Lollipop, you can bet your life on I believe every last word of it. For those of you wondering, me and the ginger known as Lollipop have some history, something she has hung up on for a good few years now and if she thinks I’ll pull any punches or go easy on her because I feel sorry for her or what happened to her: she better think again!
His eyes flare up as he goes on.
Ricky: You hear me you haggis munchin’ bagpipe playin’ kilt wearin’ disgrace of a ginger! I’m not sorry, not at all, not even a little bit! You got what you deserved, I did what was best for business and if you think I am cutting you any slack you should be thankful I didn't just fire your ungrateful ass, how’s that, huh?!
He seems to calm himself down, fixing his tie and chuckles.
Ricky: Like I said, totally cool with the past, she’s the one with the issue, she’s the one who is hung up and if she thinks bringing her pal Heidi to ringside is gonna save her from catching the ass-kicking that will make what she experienced years ago to seem like a pleasant memory in comparison? She’s wrong. I’m Ricky Rhodes damn it! You don’t mock me and make jokes at my expense without comeuppance? I got the biggest, meanest son of Sicily in my corner, bring your pal Heidi, bring that tea sipping Oscar Wilde of modern era fossil of yours, hell bring the little minx Caramel too if you like...they won’t stand a chance against me and Vincenzo...oh and I guess Nico might be there too. Because it’s a new day, new year and new time in UPRISING and you will be the very first to experience that TRINACRIA or Ricky Rhodes does not take prisoners in 2021, this is going to be our year and once I’m done with you Lollipop, you can crawl back to whatever they saw you crawling out for to sign up to this company.
He smirks again with a twinkle in his eyes.
Ricky: I’m sick of your jokes Lollipop, I’m sick of your wiseass friends and their cracks, I’m sick of the whole lot of you misfits, outcasts and clear hooligans and thugs. It’s because of people like you the once proud Empire now holds the distinguished title of most obnoxious tourists in the world and I hope you got those return tickets ready for everyone, because when our match is done. There is nothing you will want more than bugger off back home to Scotland and keep drinking yourself senseless and we both know you are great at being out of your senses, don’t we Lolly? Time for jokes is done, when you go up against me this Saturday because all I need is for you to blink, do one misstep and I will make Lollipop snap, crackle and pop...you will be shown: No Mercy.
Rhodes smirks at the camera so wide it looks like his face could crack at any given moment, we see the looming presence of Vincenzo in the shadows, expressionless and motionless, a complete contrast to the brash and crass man who switches off the camera.