Post by Finn Whelan on Mar 6, 2018 16:35:51 GMT -5
THE WINGS OF ICARUS
•••••
02 MARCH 2018
“Are you an idiot? I don’t care if you feel justified in what you did, but you compromised yourself. Get your shit together, O’Hanlon, and figure out what the goal is here. Are you Icarus? Do you want to soar into the sky on wings made of wax and feathers? Because if you do, I want to remind you, as Daedalus said to his son, ‘Do not fly too close to the sun, or you will fall to your death.’ Don’t let your desire to make others burn become your fall, Kyodai.”
Kei had been the first to call him after his incarceration. He hadn’t been pleased, but honestly, Finn didn’t care. He had his family. Those same hands that spilled blood for Kei’s outfit also held his family far too dear to his heart. And it was for that family that he pushed himself as he had . . . and also to his championship.
He hadn’t expected this honor. It wouldn’t be a lie that he’d spent the better part of eight months imagining what it would be like to win the highest championship on the brand. Now that he had it, it seemed to loom in his mind like a never-ending thought. People didn’t believe he could do it. They never had. They pushed him down every step of the way, stating he wouldn’t win Shogun, that he would never see the championship. They venerated him as a competitor, but he could never be as good as they were.
Now he was, and he had something that proved it. He wasn’t walking into this match as an undefeated competitor in Union Battleground -- he was going in as a champion. He’d gone through the man who had won 'Wrestler of the Year', forced the him to use unconventional means to gain his win. Except his method failed.
That would forever mar his history and would forever elevate Finn's. He was nursing his wounds right now, and he knew he’d be back. And unlike him, Finn would be prepared. Because that’s what champions do. There was never complacency. You needed to be ready every step of the way.
“Don’t let it get to your head, Finnegan.”
The words his wife spoke were amused, as if she were giggling at him. Aaron Asphyxia sat across from him, her currently-blonde hair flowing gently down the sides of her face. She was dressed in a shirt that read “The Fist of Hydra” in scripted font and carried a picture of her sister-in-law. Her shirt was baggy, hiding the remainder of her pregnant belly that she was working so hard to remove. She was almost there, and that made her happy -- which obviously made him happy.
“I wouldn’t dare.” Finn snorted, leaning back in his chair.
“Good. Because then I would need to bring you down a few levels.”
She was a beautiful girl, much like many in the wrestling business. She’d trained him in the very, very early stages of his career and was a champion multiple times —- yet she’d never, not once, let it go to her head. She’d always said there was no point.
“You always do.”
She snickered, taking a sip of her iced chai. “It’s my job, Finneh. But remember everything you’re working toward. They hate you in one company, but you’re becoming popular in another. You have a choice, Callien. You can either push yourself as an egotistical fuckwit like everyone else, or you can continue to prove yourself. Emery Layton isn’t just popular here -- she’s revered in several places. Make sure you’re thinking of that before you open your mouth this time, yeah?”
He knew she was right. This wasn’t Lex Collins, a man that was so easily irritated by others who didn’t venerate him. This was a tried and true warrior, The Worst of the Pavees. She had history and skill riddled through her tenure at Union Battleground. He was the newcomer. And yet here he stood.
An opportunity to prove himself again and again.
The coffee shop seemed to stand frozen in time, slowing down almost to a stop. The barista in the corner worked on his coffee in still time, the espresso flowing frozen from the spout into a cup. A man swatted at a fly in the corner. It was as if the world had stopped. Simply for this moment.
Except Finn turned his head, as if to look through the fourth wall and into the eyes of the viewers. The corner of his lip turned upwards.
“This is a huge honor, Emery Layton. It really is. XWA Supreme Champion, a year-long reign as Union’s very own Trench War Champion, Wrestler of the Year . . .”
He paused, sitting back in his seat for a second, letting it sink in . . . whether to his own mind or two the opposite side of the playing field.
“I don’t even have to say what you’ve done, because we all know who you are. ‘The Worst of the Pavees’, the ‘Lethal Lackleen’ . . . I can’t help but think ‘holy shit’. A ten-two record, and not only that, but you bounce around from promotion to promotion, fighting people for your championships, winning against the likes of Blaise Fader.”
Another pause as he thought, but he didn’t stay quiet for long.
“Whether you believe in fate or not, I think that this match was written from the beginning, when we saw those brackets. I certainly sat down and stared at it, thinking, ‘Damn, that side of the bracket is either going to end up Flash Kassidy or Emery Layton. And ‘lo and behold, it ends up being you, Emery. Now, I’m not going to sit down and pick you apart. I only do that to those lacking in competition, those filled with complacency because they’ve reached the top spot and no one can hold it. But I’m also not going to sit there and tell you that you’re going to win. That I couldn’t compare. Because that’s honestly fuckin’ false.”
“Whatever you believe in yourself, Emery, I can tell you right now that I believe in myself. You want to see yourself become the,” he raised his fingers and air-quoted, “‘duel’ champion of Union Battleground. I find that remarkably selfish, but you know what . . . life ain’t fair, right? A chance at the top title in the company, whenever you want -- it’s something to be selfish about, isn’t it? We all wanted it. We all suffered for it. One day, we all want to see ourselves at the top of the promotion. And some of us, we have to fight for it with everything we’ve got for it.”
“It comes down to focus and skill. Clearly, we’re both determined for the championship. We’re both fairly skilled. We’ve both won outside tournaments. But I know I’m the underdog coming into this match. The cards are written in your favor, aren’t they? As a traveler, you’ve seen so much. As a champion, you’ve done so much. But here’s the thing, at some point and time, everything comes to an end. You won’t lose your championship, but like you yourself have stated time and time again . . . you won’t be coming out of this set of brackets the winner.”
“I have no qualms with you, Emery. But I want to remind you that you’re not the only verified combatant in there. I’m just as fast as you, and while you’re definitely someone who’s versatile in changing their scheme, so am I. I don’t just sit back and mouth the hell off because I can. I look at previous matches. I learn what you can and can’t do. I’m not infallible, but I’m smart. It’s the reason I survived so long in the Ultraviolent environment, it’s why I am where I am. I’ve not lost a match since August. So you tell me -- did I belong in this tournament? Do I belong in this spot? Yes. And I will fight with everything I’ve got to win this tournament.”
“I’m not Icarus, Layton. I push myself to new heights. I soar above the heavens. But my wings are not made of wax and feathers. They are made of steel and forged in fire. I will continue to climb, and the closer I get to the sun only leaves me to eclipse those who fall into my path. When we meet in India, Layton, I will rise to the occasion, as I have in every moment before this. I will stand tall at the end of this match. I will be the Cobra just as much as the Wolf. I will raise that championship at the end of the match. So good luck, Layton. And may the best survive this encounter. Because I know I’m putting everything in. End of story.”
A huge, white structure stands tall and proud, surrounded by towers and illuminated by stars and a big, brilliant moon. A smaller building stands behind it, like the servant of this great and glorious king. As we slowly back away, we view it from across the Yamuna River. Sat with her knees to her chest, Emery Layton's eyes dance between the great big structure and the stars glistening in the river. Next to her, she has a big box of half-eaten curry, four Naan bread sat on top of it.
EMERY LAYTON:
"There are just some things you can't prepare your eyes for, know what I mean? Your eyes and...sod it, your brain. Not for want of trying, though. Look at it. I mean, just look at it, man! The work that went into that! Talked about when I was a kid last time we chatted, didn't I? Well, I got stories for years, so strap yourselves in. Last time we met, I talked about how I used to meet a dude outside a school. Thing is I never really went to school, though. Way I learned was through nicking stuff from the library. I used to rip pages outta books and then just shove them in a scrapbook. Pictures, mostly. And right on the front page was..."
She points to the palace-like structure. Emery smiles, shaking her head in total disbelief.
"That. The Tahj Mahal. I always wanted to get to it and I wasn't gonna stop till I got here.
Travelling's been my life. I was born into it, yknow? And cos of that, I had places I always wanted to see but just...ah, there was never the chance. Or the reason. I mean unless my Da was gonna come fight some tacky Traveller in India for some reason, me ever getting out here wasn't gonna be a thing. It was a daft idea. Best I could hope for was a field or a carpark we'd raided till the Police told us to get gone. Nearest I'd get to Bollywood was a dude we knew called Shitdog sat on the back of a horse tryna sing a song he'd heard after he'd retuned his dodgy radio to an Asian station and just spouting gibberish over it. He did that without music, actually...
But today, first time I'm ever seeing the Tahj Mahal for real. Y'know that thing was built in honour of an Emperor's favorite wife. And good for her. Hope someone builds me a big castly-looking thing when I'm all done and dusted. Probably end up doing it myself out of boxes of Toblerone. In fact, I might do that anyway. Toblerone's delicious and I like a challenge, so brace yourselves for Castle Emery. I'll find a quarry somewhere and build it. I'll get in all the tourists!"
She picks up a rock to the side of her and throws it forward, into the water, watching it bounce, bounce, bounce along until stops and drops into the water.
"Y'know, I read a thing about the Taj Mahal a few years back. They said it was gonna fall down and collapse. Something about structural this-and-that and it getting all weak and stuff- I dunno. I'm a Traveller, not a place-builder-person. Unless it's made of Toblerone. But they said if something wasn't done, it'd fall. Just drop to the ground.
...By 2016."
She puts her hands together in a square shape and closes one eye, looking closely and astutely and then checking a watch that isn't on her wrist.
"Now I dunno about you but it looks like it's taking it's fecking time about it, yeah? Everyone's looking at this big, historic building and wondering when the day'll come when it finally falls down so they can swoop in and go 'haha-ha! I told ya so!' and be all smug. Know how it feels. But the key word there? If! If something wasn't done, it'd fall. But it hasn't.
If, if, if!
If my aunty had a cock she'd be my uncle, but she doesn't...I think. If I hadn't run away from home, I'd be married with seven kids, but I'm not. If Kimitsu Zombie wins the War Horse Championship, she could end my reign as Trench War Champion, but she won't. And that's the funny thing about 'If'. It ain't, like...er, what's the word- a definite? It ain't a definite.
You can't let 'If' tell you it knows better, cos it don't. It's not even real. For every if, there's a 'but' and I spend my life tryna have that answer so I can get where ever I wanna get, and I think too many people out there are scared of 'If'. You wanna win, you wait for If and when he rear his pointy little head, you kick him firmly up the arse and tell 'im to get lost. And that's what I think of If and that big fella over there, under those stars, is Exhibit A of why! Should've fallen down ages ago, but every second it stands is a massive 'fuck you' to people who say it shouldn't!"
She looks around for a bottle but she doesn't have one. Frantically, she reaches in the pocket of her leather jacket and pulls out her hipflask, raising it in the air with a cheesy grin.
"Cheers!"
And she downs a massive swig from her flask- obviously it's run- before grabbing a Naan from the pile, which she sticks in her mouth with an audible crunch sound. The Lethal Lackeen nods with approval.
"Man...this is good stuff.
Let's be real, now. Finn Whelan's my worst case scenario in the final of this tournament. This coulda been, like, way easier. But it ain't gonna be, I tell ya now. This pavee's gotta face a guy who's maybe just as determined to win this whole thing as she is. The dude's already a world champion. Why's that make him dangerous? He's seen the top of the mountain, he's tasted the top of the world and he still wants more. Finn's the kinda dude who plays for all the marbles, yeah. He's a fella who walks in and he's got you figured out. That's cool. I got a friend like that- he's a hard nut to crack, like Finn is, too. He's a clever dude, he don't back down and he ain't no quitter. He's been through some of the best in Union to get here and he ain't stopping.
But here's the big old secret...I'm his worst case scenario, too."
She sits up, brushing her hair back as she takes another Naan bread.
"Finn, to you, this is a chance to sorta give yourself that leg-up you need in Union Battleground. You get to be on top of this place and you get to hold that timebomb we're calling the Crown of the King Cobra in your hand and say 'oi, I get to choose what you do, Mr. Champion'. But to me...this is a chance to get what I came to Union Battleground to do. I been here since day one, fella! In those first two months, I fought off Hunter Grand and Anton Chase to try and get to the Union Battleground title, but I got knocked outta that tournament by Tweeder. Now, he ain't even here but I've spent this entire year holding the Trench War Championship, defining something new and proving that one day, whenever it came, whenever I got that chance, I could finally, FINALLY win that title I came here win and catch that white whale. You want to win. I NEED to win.
I ain't just the Trench War Traveller, Finn. I may be the Worst of the Pavees but dammit I'm the Best of the Battleground and you might be good, you might be a fighter like me and you might think you got this figured out, but there are some things that you can't solve, and even after 365 days, ain't nobody managed to find a way to solve this Emery Layton problem. I'm at this point where I'm, like, this force o' nature running through Union Battleground. No matter where ya look, I'm there. I'm everywhere, Finn. Go call that dude from Dirty Dancing cos I'm like the wind!"
She begins to make wind noises with her mouth. And she does it for perhaps a little bit too long before she slows down and eventually stops, hearing the total and utter silence for a moment. Emery looks from side to side.
"...Alright fine. I'm never doing that again.
But all that, the year I spent making the Trench War Championship what it is, taking on all challengers, going through this tournament, and getting here...
If I can't beat you and win the Crown of the King Cobra, I'm right back at the beginning."
She pauses for a moment, before raising one finger.
"...If, Finn. If.
Bring it."
And with that, Emery Layton eats curry at the midnight hour.
