Post by J on May 27, 2021 10:46:39 GMT -5
***Disclaimer this is a follow up to an earlier piece you can read from
RUNAWAY PART 1
April 29th 2021
Thursday
First thing Richard Rhodes III heard was a crooning voice.
~Baby I’ve been waiting,
I’ve been waiting night and day,
I didn’t see the time,
I waited half my life away~
“Leonard Cohen, I thought you were dead?!” Ricky mumbled opening up his eyes, bright lights hit him hard enough to shut them right away.
“He is, surprised someone like you would even know of him..”
That voice, he knew that voice, but he didn’t dare to look, turning around he wanted to squint just a--
With a thump he fell to something that was harder than the surface he had laid on before, colder too..must have been some elevated space from the floor.
“Do I have to be watching you like a hawk for every damn second?! Christ Rick you are like a child.”
When Rhodes did open his eyes he could finally see properly and then immediately wished he couldn’t.
“Rose Jenkins! Now I know I heard you were dead!”
The woman formerly known as the Brooklyn Behemoth smirked mischievously.
“Well I’m not,want me to prove it to you by punching you out cold again?”
He twitches.
“I thought pinching was the traditional way to prove it..”
She chuckled.
“For dreams maybe but if you want proof that I’m real we can’t settle for that. Besides, Been waiting to punch you in your smug face for a while now, could do it a few times more.”
Ricky stumbled up to his feet, felt a bit wobbly and with ease from her years of experience working as a bouncer Rose pushed him to a booth where the slender man slumped down. Clearing up his throat Rhodes tried to make sense of his surroundings.
“It’s been more than a while..I mean I haven’t seen you since..”
“Since you screwed me out of my last good chance for a championship in that shitshow of a company you ran down in Memphis? Yeah you should thank your lucky stars you didn’t..Richard.”
She dropped his name with such ice that Rhodes knew better than to try to argue with the logistics of their last encounter or the semantics of making matches and planning for a future, especially for a place that didn’t even exist anymore. Instead he took this moment to survey his surroundings. What he seemed to be in looked like a time warp about half a century back, a vintage diner of sorts. What he had previously laid out on had to be one of the establishment’s tables.
He was still trying to clear up his throat when Rose came back with a pitcher of water and a glass. Filling it up. She sat across him, grabbing him by the chin to survey any damages. After a few turns she nodded.
“Seems like I still know how to throw them back, no permanent damage. Not that anyone would notice with your looks, once a rat in an expensive suit..”
She looked at the less than immaculate look of her former employer.
“..well a rat in a ruined expensive suit is still a rat I suppose”
Rhodes sat there in silence, his shoulders slumped down,he looked as close to a drenched rodent as one could while being dry this brought out some sort of long hidden and locked away maternal instinct out of the Behemoth opposite him.
“..not that I give a shit Rick, but why the fuck are you wondering outside completely drunk in this neighborhood anyway and on your own to boot..Where’s Camilla?”
She referred to Camilla Pazzini, another aunt of Nico’s and Ricky’s former business partner and assistant in another life..another time.
“Camilla’s not with us..”
That brought some genuine concern and shock on the Brooklyn native’s face.
“Oh gosh, Richard I’m so sorry for your loss..I had no idea, haven’t followed up on wrestling and..”
Rhodes shakes his hands
“Oh she’s not dead, she’s just back in Sicily I’m here with Vincenzo and Nico..we ara team now.”
This brought a bellowing laugh out of the behemoth.
“A team? YOU and NICO?! I don’t know Vincenzo but he better be great to carry your scrawny asses to any wins.”
Somewhat gruntled by the lack of belief Rhodes mumbles on.
“Well we do have important match coming up on saturday against the disciples of 7th circle..”
Rose Jenkins damn near spit-takes some coffee hearing that.
“What the fuck is that like a hardcore chapter of the latter day saints or some shit..Richard, are you idiots trying to fight a fucking cult?! Don’t you know anything!”
He seems flustered.
“Well Brad Jackson makes the matches, I don’t make them how would I have choice who I fight and..”
She slams her meaty palm on the table.
“Rick, I don’t like you, I never liked you but out of all the runts, weasels and rodents that ever managed to slither their way to a suit and a position of power at least you had the decency to admit what you are, so I'll level with you. I do not like Nico Pazzini or any Pazzini to begin with if you are teaming with him and this Vincenzo person..do what you do best.”
He looks at her hopefully.
“Run a revolutionary wrestling organization?”
She quickly kills those hopes.
“HA! No you dummy, hide, avoid being in the ring. Pretend like you are fighting someone else leave Nico to his own vices, he is a stupid fuck and I don’t think a few more lumps to that nogging of his won’t do any massive damage. You don’t have the power but you have the brain the survival instinct of a damn rat, utilize that and if all else fails just runaway, you’ve always been really good at running away from responsibilities even when you were behind that stupid desk of yours in that shithole you called an office.”
Staring at the glass Rhodes grumbles.
“Gee, thanks? I guess..You know I was actually thinking that since you and me met up again maybe we could..”
“No!”
“Rose, please listen..”
“N-O, no way Dickie boy. I’ve seen that look in your eyes before, I know that you aren’t supid enough to suggest some sexual shit since Nico Pazzini was the only narrow ass white boy stupid enough to try that shit and you know better than that..so you are either planning to bring me in to this show of yours as a wrestler or you want me as some sort of a backup. See this place here?”
She gestures around the diner.
“This is ALL mine, Dick. I own it, I am my own boss, it may not be much but nobody tells me what to do, nobody makes money off my back and I don’t have to put up with anyone I don’t want in here. Getting back to wrestling, in or out of that ring would mean I’d have to put up with people like you again and I’m done with that. I’m doing good now, this is my life and what happened between us in Memphis, was shit. You abused your position of power and Karma got you for that. I could kill you without breaking a sweat but I don’t need any of that shit in my life. I gave you some advice, I told you what I think of your associate and what happened out there tonight..you got lucky, don’t gamble with your destiny Ricky because sooner or later you will not luck out anymore. Now I gotta get ready to open this place up for the morning crowd so unless you are planning on buying anything..”
Rhodes got up
“Yeah, I’m going Rose, I’m going.”
He heads to the door then turns around, feeling a lump in his throat.
“Look Miss Jenkins, I mean Rose..what you did tonight and in Memphis and what I did I’d just like you to know that I..”
“NOOOPE, Don’t say it. Not a goddamn word out of you Rhodes, not one word. I don’t want to hear that.”
She gets up and makes her way to the man laying a palm on his shoulder.
“Matter of fact..I am going to give you a drive back to that hotel, but to make sure you don’t come back here or bring any of your stupid ring rats and other riff raff to bother my customers. You will get to the boot of my car.”
He looked up at her.
“Not fucking getting into the boot of some fucking car.”
She chuckles.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
Cracking her knuckles she pulls back an arm.
“ROSE NO DON’T!”
Then it got dark again..
When Ricky woke up he was at the parking lot of the hotel most of UPRISING’s wrestlers stayed in, feeling himself up he got to his feet going through his pockets and found a note.
“Good luck Dickie, you’ll be needing it.”
Not a signature but he didn’t need one, Ricky folded the note back and stuck it to his wallet.
“Thank you Miss Jenkins, for everything.”
With that he headed up the stairs to his room, he’d need sleep before putting with Nico Pazzini again.
RUNAWAY PART 1
//Off Camera//
Reno NevadaApril 29th 2021
Thursday
First thing Richard Rhodes III heard was a crooning voice.
~Baby I’ve been waiting,
I’ve been waiting night and day,
I didn’t see the time,
I waited half my life away~
“Leonard Cohen, I thought you were dead?!” Ricky mumbled opening up his eyes, bright lights hit him hard enough to shut them right away.
“He is, surprised someone like you would even know of him..”
That voice, he knew that voice, but he didn’t dare to look, turning around he wanted to squint just a--
With a thump he fell to something that was harder than the surface he had laid on before, colder too..must have been some elevated space from the floor.
“Do I have to be watching you like a hawk for every damn second?! Christ Rick you are like a child.”
When Rhodes did open his eyes he could finally see properly and then immediately wished he couldn’t.
“Rose Jenkins! Now I know I heard you were dead!”
The woman formerly known as the Brooklyn Behemoth smirked mischievously.
“Well I’m not,want me to prove it to you by punching you out cold again?”
He twitches.
“I thought pinching was the traditional way to prove it..”
She chuckled.
“For dreams maybe but if you want proof that I’m real we can’t settle for that. Besides, Been waiting to punch you in your smug face for a while now, could do it a few times more.”
Ricky stumbled up to his feet, felt a bit wobbly and with ease from her years of experience working as a bouncer Rose pushed him to a booth where the slender man slumped down. Clearing up his throat Rhodes tried to make sense of his surroundings.
“It’s been more than a while..I mean I haven’t seen you since..”
“Since you screwed me out of my last good chance for a championship in that shitshow of a company you ran down in Memphis? Yeah you should thank your lucky stars you didn’t..Richard.”
She dropped his name with such ice that Rhodes knew better than to try to argue with the logistics of their last encounter or the semantics of making matches and planning for a future, especially for a place that didn’t even exist anymore. Instead he took this moment to survey his surroundings. What he seemed to be in looked like a time warp about half a century back, a vintage diner of sorts. What he had previously laid out on had to be one of the establishment’s tables.
He was still trying to clear up his throat when Rose came back with a pitcher of water and a glass. Filling it up. She sat across him, grabbing him by the chin to survey any damages. After a few turns she nodded.
“Seems like I still know how to throw them back, no permanent damage. Not that anyone would notice with your looks, once a rat in an expensive suit..”
She looked at the less than immaculate look of her former employer.
“..well a rat in a ruined expensive suit is still a rat I suppose”
Rhodes sat there in silence, his shoulders slumped down,he looked as close to a drenched rodent as one could while being dry this brought out some sort of long hidden and locked away maternal instinct out of the Behemoth opposite him.
“..not that I give a shit Rick, but why the fuck are you wondering outside completely drunk in this neighborhood anyway and on your own to boot..Where’s Camilla?”
She referred to Camilla Pazzini, another aunt of Nico’s and Ricky’s former business partner and assistant in another life..another time.
“Camilla’s not with us..”
That brought some genuine concern and shock on the Brooklyn native’s face.
“Oh gosh, Richard I’m so sorry for your loss..I had no idea, haven’t followed up on wrestling and..”
Rhodes shakes his hands
“Oh she’s not dead, she’s just back in Sicily I’m here with Vincenzo and Nico..we ara team now.”
This brought a bellowing laugh out of the behemoth.
“A team? YOU and NICO?! I don’t know Vincenzo but he better be great to carry your scrawny asses to any wins.”
Somewhat gruntled by the lack of belief Rhodes mumbles on.
“Well we do have important match coming up on saturday against the disciples of 7th circle..”
Rose Jenkins damn near spit-takes some coffee hearing that.
“What the fuck is that like a hardcore chapter of the latter day saints or some shit..Richard, are you idiots trying to fight a fucking cult?! Don’t you know anything!”
He seems flustered.
“Well Brad Jackson makes the matches, I don’t make them how would I have choice who I fight and..”
She slams her meaty palm on the table.
“Rick, I don’t like you, I never liked you but out of all the runts, weasels and rodents that ever managed to slither their way to a suit and a position of power at least you had the decency to admit what you are, so I'll level with you. I do not like Nico Pazzini or any Pazzini to begin with if you are teaming with him and this Vincenzo person..do what you do best.”
He looks at her hopefully.
“Run a revolutionary wrestling organization?”
She quickly kills those hopes.
“HA! No you dummy, hide, avoid being in the ring. Pretend like you are fighting someone else leave Nico to his own vices, he is a stupid fuck and I don’t think a few more lumps to that nogging of his won’t do any massive damage. You don’t have the power but you have the brain the survival instinct of a damn rat, utilize that and if all else fails just runaway, you’ve always been really good at running away from responsibilities even when you were behind that stupid desk of yours in that shithole you called an office.”
Staring at the glass Rhodes grumbles.
“Gee, thanks? I guess..You know I was actually thinking that since you and me met up again maybe we could..”
“No!”
“Rose, please listen..”
“N-O, no way Dickie boy. I’ve seen that look in your eyes before, I know that you aren’t supid enough to suggest some sexual shit since Nico Pazzini was the only narrow ass white boy stupid enough to try that shit and you know better than that..so you are either planning to bring me in to this show of yours as a wrestler or you want me as some sort of a backup. See this place here?”
She gestures around the diner.
“This is ALL mine, Dick. I own it, I am my own boss, it may not be much but nobody tells me what to do, nobody makes money off my back and I don’t have to put up with anyone I don’t want in here. Getting back to wrestling, in or out of that ring would mean I’d have to put up with people like you again and I’m done with that. I’m doing good now, this is my life and what happened between us in Memphis, was shit. You abused your position of power and Karma got you for that. I could kill you without breaking a sweat but I don’t need any of that shit in my life. I gave you some advice, I told you what I think of your associate and what happened out there tonight..you got lucky, don’t gamble with your destiny Ricky because sooner or later you will not luck out anymore. Now I gotta get ready to open this place up for the morning crowd so unless you are planning on buying anything..”
Rhodes got up
“Yeah, I’m going Rose, I’m going.”
He heads to the door then turns around, feeling a lump in his throat.
“Look Miss Jenkins, I mean Rose..what you did tonight and in Memphis and what I did I’d just like you to know that I..”
“NOOOPE, Don’t say it. Not a goddamn word out of you Rhodes, not one word. I don’t want to hear that.”
She gets up and makes her way to the man laying a palm on his shoulder.
“Matter of fact..I am going to give you a drive back to that hotel, but to make sure you don’t come back here or bring any of your stupid ring rats and other riff raff to bother my customers. You will get to the boot of my car.”
He looked up at her.
“Not fucking getting into the boot of some fucking car.”
She chuckles.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
Cracking her knuckles she pulls back an arm.
“ROSE NO DON’T!”
Then it got dark again..
When Ricky woke up he was at the parking lot of the hotel most of UPRISING’s wrestlers stayed in, feeling himself up he got to his feet going through his pockets and found a note.
“Good luck Dickie, you’ll be needing it.”
Not a signature but he didn’t need one, Ricky folded the note back and stuck it to his wallet.
“Thank you Miss Jenkins, for everything.”
With that he headed up the stairs to his room, he’d need sleep before putting with Nico Pazzini again.