NOW PLAYING:
Bad Religion - "Raise Your Voice"
(Mood Music)

[RP IN]

LOCATION: The Trump Centurion Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada
DATE/TIME: 11:15PM, Saturday April 13, 2007

-Cast-

"Aaaaaand Smitty wins once again! There wasn't a doubt that our man could do it!" Douglas Henry Phidippidies McNamara III yelled aloud, reaching an arm towards the roof and pumping it into a fist.

As one had no doubt surmised from that simple statement, right now Steve Jason and his assembled crew had all gathered to watch the monthly XWF Underground house show that had been scheduled for that particular Saturday night. While many of the XWF wrestlers who hadn't been booked for the event were likely watching from their homes, taking one of the few chances they could to rest and relax with family, Steve had decided to view the event on the big-screen at none other than his friend Centurion's and tycoon Donald Trump's jointly-owned Las Vegas property, the Trump Centurion Resort.

While the resort itself was nothing short of massive, expanding far beyond a casino to include various amenities that could only be classed as five-star accommodation, we pick up the story today quite close to the casino floor itself- more specifically, inside the sports bar. The aftermath of the Vincent Jamison/Hardcore Smitty World title match was currently depicted on a massive projector-screen on the far end of the bar- no doubt the show was on at the specific request of Centurion himself.

The sports bar had a fairly decent crowd populating it this evening- slightly above the average probably due to the screening of the Underground show tonight. Fortunately, Steve had arrived quite early and as a result was not one of the unfortunate people who were forced to stand on their feet at the bar. Instead, Steve had managed to wrangle a table at the front of the bar, quite close to the screen itself. Dougy was at the table, drinking one of three Corona bottles set in front of him, while Talia Richards also joined them at the table, dressed surprisingly low-key in a black sweater and jeans- as opposed to Dougy's Southern-style white suit and ten-gallon hat, and Steve's black sportcoat, pants and white t-collar undershirt. No doubt there were also a few Conglomerate security in plainclothes somewhere keeping an eye on Talia as well. Steve and Talia's drinks were a little more refined than Dougy's- a stubby-bottle of Canadian Club and Cola in front of Steve, and some whacked-out, neon-yellow drink with slices of pineapple and cocktail umbrellas in it in front of Talia. 

"Hrm, I don't know, actually..." Steve said with a nonchalant shrug, "I actually thought Amazing might have had him for a few. If he'd been able to hit that Amazing Driver... well, I guess it really doesn't matter now."

"Nope, not for a second." Dougy, a self-confessed Smitty mark, smirked and folded his arms, "Still champ!"

"Should be interesting to see who the man decides to take on next..." Steve mused, taking a sip from his drink.

"What about you, Steve? You qualify, after all..." Talia suggested slyly, nudging Steve in the ribs with her elbow.

"I won't if you keep smashing my ribcage like that. No, in all seriousness, I've got other things I need to do before I think about World title shots. I've got to get this business with Gibs on the road and dealt with, and then I've got to take care of a few more small matters. Even then..." Steve spread his hands in front of him, "I'm thinking about the Universal if things go well."

"Oh! Thinking about number four, eh?"

"Maybe. Again, it really depends, and there are certain things that I'd need to have taken care of by then. But that's a fair way off. Right now, I'm focused on the match straight ahead of me."

"What, you mean Honkey and Chambers?" Dougy rolled his eyes and laughed, "I don't know why you're even bothering focusing for them, mate. With the amount of effort they're reportedly putting out for this match- and being the ED of the Conglomerate, I'm supposed to be keeping my eye on it- you could probably beat them with both your legs amputated. Numbers advantage or no." He paused, then his infamous cheshire grin crept onto his face, "It'd be a certain amount of poetic justice actually, given Gibson lost his two-on-one just then. What better way to show him up than by winning a handicap yourself?"

"Good point. But to answer your question- if they're putting out no effort, which is more or less what I'm going to assume given the promos going out- then actually losing to them would be so degrading that it'd be almost unthinkable. Whereas if I totally decimate them, which so far is what it's going to look like, it's going to send a message. With that in mind..." Steve laughed- a deathly quiet laugh- "I really can't see any reason why I shouldn't take this seriously. Those two don't want to? Fine, but it's their funeral."

"I hate to break the topic here, Steve..." Talia, who'd been relatively quiet for the last few minutes, interrupted, "But it's time to talk some business."

"Fair enough..." Steve answered, "What's going on?"

"Well, we've got a bit of a problem with our entertainment situation at the moment. You were running Club Oceania for us back in Los Angeles, but since it's no longer safe for you there for any kind of extended period, we're going to have to accept that you can't do that anymore. That's cool, but..." She spread her hands helplessly, "I don't really have anything else to offer you to run on a partnership level. Everything else is taken I'm afraid."

"I see." Steve cupped a hand to his chin, his brow furrowing, "Well, I'm not just going to sponge off you guys. You're putting your rep with the Setsujoku-Kai at a serious compromise by taking Ariasha and I in. And hell, she's earning her keep as we speak!"

"I have to admit, she makes a good operative." Talia said with a serene smile, "I thought you might have been exaggerating, but she's been able to keep a pretty watchful eye on our people of interest here in Vegas." She shrugged slightly, "I know you did a bit of work for our organization when my father was in control, Steve. I'd be happy to give you something to do in HQ when you're not wrestling or doing other things, if you don't feel... you know, weird about working for a close friend."

"Doesn't bother me at all. I'd feel better actually paying my way rather than just relying on the Conglomerate's protection out of good-will. Just send jobs my way when you've got 'em. I've got enough connections in the XWF to do a good job for you guys. Hell, if you want me to scout around with Ariasha, I'll even do that. Whatever works."

"Speaking of the lady, here she comes right now..." Dougy announced broadly, moving the hand not clutching a beer bottle to gesture towards the area separating the sports bar from the glitz, glamor and flashing lights of the casino floor. Sure enough, the familiar dark-haired, slender woman emerged into the bar, several heads turning at the unusual sight in front of them. Fortunately, she'd changed her somewhat exotic attire while working for the Kaihou Institute to fit in better in Las Vegas, wearing sturdy black pants and boots, followed by a short-sleeved women's t-shirt that clung to her figure and kept half her arms bare. It clashed considerably with her almost noble bearing, but by and large, she was passable. She wasted no time heading over towards the table, a solid, determined look on her face as she approached and spoke.

"I have some news that you might not like to hear, Avenger."

Steve didn't like the sound of that. It wasn't so much the fact that her voice was serious- virtually the entire time the semi-mystic spoke, it was serious. Instead, the sheer implication of 'might not like to hear' indicated that Steve should be concerned. That concern could have been anything from being on heightened alert to preparing for the Apocalypse.

"Hrm. This is going to be pretty bad, isn't it?" Steve predicted, "Alright, shoot. What's going on?"

"Well, part of my new duties involve investigating the various activities taking place in Las Vegas so I can best forward it to the Conglomerate..." she began, "And as I am sure you know, in order to do that I often need to talk with other figures, to... how was it Talia described it... 'tap into the rumormill'. Therefore, I can hear far, far more information than most people would."

"I gotcha. The XWF locker room more or less works the same way. More people you know and talk to, the more advance warning you have of somebody coming back or coming for you. What did you find out?"

"I spoke to two individual sources on the street, and they claim to have seen certain individuals on the street. Apparently they are operating some kind of organization here in Las Vegas. Usually one would not make much of this, but given the proximity to you, I think you need to be aware of it..."

"Why do I have a feeling one of the surnames of these 'individuals' is going to be 'Gibson'?" Steve muttered dryly, casting a glance to the ceiling.

"It is not one surname that ends in 'Gibson', Avenger..." Ariasha answered in a stoic fashion, arms folded in front of her. She paused for several moments- and before long, Steve assumed she was done.

"Well, that's a freakin' relief. Last thing I need is Gibs roaming around Conglomerate home turf..." Steve answered, breathing a sigh of relief- too early, it would seem...

"It is three surnames that end in 'Gibson'." she finished.

"Christ." Steve's facial expression didn't change, but his voice was clearly irritated, "Let me guess. Chrystian and somebody else?"

"Chrystian Gibson did in fact join his brother here in Las Vegas, Avenger." she agreed, "In addition, there is another brother you are not aware of. From what I understand through connections, I believe his name is Bryce. Another former wrestler, as I understand it."

"Three Gibsons, three connections to the wrestling industry. I don't like it. For the last three years, I've had to deal with Gibson's pawns. First Extremer, then Blizzard. These brothers could be the next ones in line. Do you have any idea what they're doing here?"

"I am afraid I do not." Ariasha said apologetically, "All I know is that they have been seen here in Las Vegas. They could be here on completely legitimate business."

"Yeah, but I'm betting that they're not." Steve answered suspiciously, then turned to regard Talia, "Tals, do yourself a favor. Don't go out without some security for the next few days. They got Dougy last time, logically you're the next one on the list."

"Is that really necessary?" Talia lifted her head proudly, "What you forget is that Las Vegas is Richards Conglomerate country. The Setsujoku-Kai can't get you here, so there's no way in hell any Gibson can get me here. Not without a private army coming for them. And Dougy has a chip on him, let's not forget. But I'll be careful, if that's what your suggesting."

"Good. Dougy, you're safe because of that chip they put on you, but still, keep your eyes open. If they're going to be predictable- and Gibson often is- they may try to do more than just kidnap you."

"Will do. Where does that leave you?" Dougy's green eyes traced towards both Steve, obviously curious to know exactly what it was he was planning.

"What do you think? Once this Massacre is over with, I'm going to go do some snooping around Vegas. See if I can't get to the bottom of this whole mess. I want to know exactly what Gibson thinks he's doing here in Vegas, and I definitely want to know why half his family is here with him." He paused, then smirked at Talia, "Guess I just found myself something to do."

"Ourselves something to do." Ariasha interjected firmly, stepping forward to Steve's side, "I will be assisting you, Avenger."

"Are you sure?" Steve's expression and voice were very serious now as he turned to regard Ariasha, his ice-blue eyes boring right down the core of the matter as they locked onto her own much darker, equally-serious eyes, "This is serious, Ariasha. Dougy took a sledgehammer to the head and was abducted by Gibson once and threatened with death, and he didn't even actively work against him. Talia almost got beaten down solely because she was my friend. If you help me find out what's going in, you're diving in deeper than either of them have gone. I don't doubt that you're capable of dealing with the consequences, but I want to make damn sure you know what you're signing on for."

"You forget how long I and my kind have been watching you for, Avenger." Ariasha reminded him almost defiantly, no sign of intimidation clear on her face, "I know what Andrew Gibson has done in the past. I know what he is capable of. I know that, but I still volunteer my services nevertheless. I have a certain vested interest in this too."

"Suppose you do, at that." Steve conceded, nodding affirmatively, "Alright then. Once Massacre's over, we'll filter out and see what we can find out about this. For now, I suggest everybody head back home and get some rest, because I'm headed out towards Massacre tomorrow morning. Talia, are you running things back at HQ while we're all over there?"

"Yep. I'll keep in touch with you guys as best I can, but I've got a lot of work to do in the offices, so I could be out of touch for a while. You guys should be fine without me."

"Alright then, ladies and Dougy..." Steve drew himself up to his full height, turning slightly towards the exit of the sports bar, "I'm out. I'll see you all bright and early tomorrow... and I guess we'll see just how deep the rabbit hole goes."

[Steve's Thoughts]

Chaaaaaaaaaaambers?

Chaaaaaaaaaaambers?

Earth to Damien Chambers?

Can Damien Chambers please report to the lost kids' section of the store where his folks are waiting to collect his vanished-under-the-radar backside?

Attention all units, be on the lookout for Damien Chambers, suspect is six feet two inches, about 220 pounds, last seen getting blended at the hands of Helmut Blok?

Seriously, Chambers, do you even work here any more, pal? I've been asking around and nobody seems to have seen you anywhere. Nobody saw you backstage at the Underground, nobody seems to have seen you at XWF Home Offices, hell, I don't think anybody's actually spoken to you in several weeks. And it seems that you still, despite my continual urgings and desperate attempts to motivate you so that you and Honkey can actually give me some degree of a challenge, have refused to put a promo on air, nor have you made an appearance or done anything! Have you been hanging out on your couch all week or something?

To be honest, Chambers, I don't have a lot to say to you. I pretty much emptied the tank on you last week, because... well, hell, you haven't said anything! I haven't been given anything to respond to. And usually that's not even a problem, because I can find enough in what people have said in the past or their general actions to work with. You, though? I don't seem to be able to find anything on you. Anything at all. Nothing about who you are, where you hail from, what you've done, what your attitude it like, nothing. It seems that literally all that the XWF has about you on record is that you roll up, lose matches and go home. A lot of people call opponents 'nobodies' to be offensive, and usually it doesn't make sense, but Chambers... you're literally nobody. So congrats. I'm flat out of things to rip into you about.

I guess there's a plus side to that. Since you're nobody, you really have nothing to lose once you're finished off. And make no mistake about it, Chambers, you will be finished off. Maybe it won't be this Massacre- although that's quite likely- but your candle will be snuffed out in the coming weeks. Either you'll get hurt as wrestlers often do when you don't put out the effort and ability required, or alternatively, management will finally have enough of you and fire you. I don't really care, Chambers, I honestly don't. You don't appreciate what you've been given the opportunity to do here, therefore, you don't deserve it. So I hold absolutely no qualms over a massive humiliation defeat you might get at Massacre.

And then there's Honkey. I managed to take in the reaction he had to what I've been saying recently- all fifteen seconds of it. In very much a similar way, Honkey, I honestly don't have that much more to say to you. In fact, from the time I said 'and then there's Honkey' up until now, I've said virtually as much if not more than you have in a week. I think that more or less sums up exactly who takes this match seriously and who's either given up all hope of winning or, alternatively, who's so delusional that he can't even see that he's marching up the path to failure.

Out of curiosity, Honkey, how much training have you actually done for this match? I'm actually willing to bet that at the absolute maximum, you've spent about fifteen minutes in front of a punching bag before going 'screw it, this is too much effort'. I'm surprised that Chambers has made it this far, Honkey, but I find it downright unbelievable that you've somehow managed to cling on to your career for considerably longer. I guess someone in Home Office feels sorry for you.

The point of a professional wrestling promo, at least from my point of view, is a psychological work intended to get a message across to your opponent, get in your opponent's head, maybe stir a little fear up, and get what you want to say across. Now, I can safely say beyond all shadow of a doubt that all Honkey's managed to do is actually increase my estimated chance of success against these two clowns. Granted, it was pretty high as it is, but I've now bumped it up from 'extremely likely' to 'nothing is going to stop my victory short of a Biblical plague'. 'Small names', Honkey? Are you talking about the layout of a card on the XWF99.com site? That makes you a bigger name than me? I'll tell you something, Honkey, have you compared crowd reactions any time...

...Grr! This is frustrating. I'm supposed to not be trying to play the hero, but yet it's clearly obvious to everyone on this planet that I'd get more of a pop by snapping my fingers than Honkey would get wrestling an entire match.

Honest truth is, Honkey, you're not a name, you're a joke. Everyone knows it but you. You delude yourself, probably because to face the reality and actually do something about it is just too freakin' hard for a lazy carbon blob such as yourself. There's only one reason you and Chambers have been thrown into this match, and that's in the vain, vain hope that maybe when confronted by a far-superior force, you might wise up and actually fight like a man. As we can no doubt see, that was the stupidest idea ever, since it looks like the two of you are going to serve as little more than an example for a few enemies of mine.

You aren't winning this, Honkey. There's no chance. I very rarely actually say that- usually I'm actually prepared to admit that things may go catastrophically wrong, but I can safely tell you that half the locker room could interfere, someone could drop a safe on me, hell, somebody could make this a 'the only way for anyone to win this match is to pin SJ' match and I'll still beat you. That is how confident I am in my abilities and how unimpressed I am with yours.

My boot and I will see you on Monday, Honkey. Stand still and I'll make it quick.

And that... IS UNDENIABLE!

[RP OUT]