[RP IN]

Avenger Private Security Company Headquarters
Las Vegas, Nevada
8/13/09, 8PM

“Welcome back, SJ.” Sergei Volkov greeted Steve Jason as he stepped out of the elevator into the main foyer of Avenger Private Security Company. Whether that was in relation to Steve’s return to professional wrestling, or simply welcoming Steve back to his home base was uncertain.

The main foyer of Avenger PSC was… perhaps high-tech was the best way to describe it. Somewhat more polished and sterile than most of Steve’s other haunts, the headquarters reflected the elite state-of-the-art image it sought to present to the world. Deep blue lighting illuminated a black marble floor, upon which the logo of the company, the outline of a diving hawk over a turquoise half-circle, had been etched. On Steve’s left, a reinforced glass window overlooked a busy street complete with casino buildings and various cars, while on his right was a chrome reception desk and a magnetic glass door leading into the main building. Directly in front of him was a black wall, once again etched with the Avenger logo and the company name- and also there was Sergei.

The stocky Russian seemed to be adapting into his role as Steve’s ‘executive officer’ rather well, dressed in an impeccable black suit, white undershirt and tie, which offset Steve’s own black calf-length coat, charcoal undershirt, braces and slacks. His head as usual was shaved, and unlike Steve, he still retained his five o’clock shadow bears.

Quite a bit had changed over the past several months, when Steve finally packed in his XWF career to finally go after the now-corrupt Setsujoku-Kai clan and their nefarious leader Ekachi in order to rescue his twin son and daughter from their grasp. In a struggle that involved several skirmishes around the world, Steve finally pinned down the Kai and defeated Ekachi- and more than that, he’d found the central core of the clan itself- a mainframe computer with every written record of the Setsujoku-Kai on it, including the secret knowledge required to lead the clan. With it, Steve could have seized control of the clan himself and personally turned it back to the proverbial light.

But that didn’t happen. The Setsujoku-Kai were gone- worse than gone. Steve hadn’t just taken Ekachi out of commission- no, this time, that wasn’t enough. Despite the imploring of Richards Conglomerate head honcho, Nestor Richards in the vain hope that the Kai could be reformed and brought back to the side of good- and as a useful tool for Nestor- Steve knew the decision he had to make that night. The Kai had finally gone too far- were finally corrupted beyond redemption. And so it was that fateful night that Steve had destroyed the core mainframe computer of the Setujoku-Kai- and with it centuries of history, organisational information and records that made up the history of the clan. In one swing of a sledgehammer, the secret society was utterly destroyed- with no leadership and no records to guide a future leader, it was as good as dead.

It had come at a price, of course. While Talia Richards had been sympathetic to Steve’s motives- and even secretly had to admit that maybe he’d done the right thing- the loss of a valuable asset had Nestor in a fury. The patriarch of the Richards Conglomerate reacted in extreme harshness. Talia was only lucky enough to be demoted- pushed back into the Entertainment Division for defying her father. Dougy and Steve, however, were the examples. They were stripped of their offices in the Conglomerate, denied all the resources of the company, and as far as Nestor was convinced, they were persona non grata.

That had left Steve with little choice but to go into business for himself. Fortunately, a few friends inside the Conglomerate had defected in protest at the treatment of the two men, providing enough manpower to form a private security company. That private security company became none other than Avenger PSC- and its headquarters was built over what was once the inner sanctum of the Setsujoku-Kai.

“Much appreciated, Sergei,” Steve replied with a wry grin, “Did you mind the store OK?”

“Well, we’re still standing…” Sergei actually managed an amused laugh, “Somehow. Fortunately John and Dougy seem to be able to pick up the slack, but you generated a lot of… interesting moments with your impromptu little appearance on XWF Anarchy.”

“Oh?”

“We’ve been getting a lot of disgruntled calls from Home Office and XWF management at all levels- most of them demanding to know what in the hell you thought you were doing and whether you were out of your god-damn mind. I think it’s safe to say that management may no longer want to work with you, after making yourself a fairly impartial Chief of Security at Anarchy.” Sergei chewed on the inside of his cheek nervously, “Do you think we’ll lose the contract?”

“I don’t think it’s time to be that drastic yet.” Steve answered, “Although with that said, you’re right, I’m probably not going to be able to hang on to the Chief of Security position. Conflicts of interest and all that. It could be that they’d prefer to work with another member of the PSC, if you catch my drift.”

“Me? You want me to deal with Home Office?”

“Logically, as executive officer you’d be the next person to go to if I wasn’t able to do the job properly. I could be wrong, after the last stunt Home Office might want to wash their hands of Avenger PSC completely, but let’s not assume that until it happens.”

“Oh, thanks…” Sergei muttered dryly.

Suddenly with a faintly-audible chiming sound, the door slid open and Steve Sayors entered the room, the XWF interviewer accompanied by a small camera team. He seemed to be in awe of his surroundings- obviously he wasn’t expecting the promised interview to be taking place in a set-up like this. He took a look around with a low whistle.

“Nice place you’ve got here, SJ!”

“Don’t touch that.” Steve murmured absently, catching a sheepish Sayors before he could press one of the buttons on the far end of the screen.

“Oh. Sorry. Anyway Steve, we’ve got the interview set up ahead of us. Do you want to spend some time catching up, or shall we get right to it?”

“Let’s just get on with it.”

With that said, and with a nod, Sayors turned to regard the camera with a beaming smile. Sergei quickly shuffled out of the way, while Steve remained standing in position as the interviewer began his introduction.

“Thank you for joining us today, ladies and gentlemen- this is XWF Interviewer Steve Sayors, coming to you live in Las Vegas from the headquarters of Avenger PSC, the private security company recently started by recently-returned XWF Legend Steve Jason. First of all, Steve, thanks for allowing us here- we know you’re a man who values his privacy and we appreciate you allowing us into this part of your…”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it, Sayors…” Steve cut in irritably, “You’re welcome.”

“Right… um… wasn’t expecting that…” Sayors seemed caught off balance by that, moving to regain his composure, “Anyway, as we all witnessed, the last Anarchy saw you making something of a shock move as after months since your retirement match at the X superevent, you came out of the blue to rescue James Raven, deliver a sound pummelling to long-time thorn in your side Chad, and revealing yourself as a member of the Prophecy all without saying a word! It’s quite a big series of moves with some major implications for the XWF, so we were hoping to get at least some words for our fans?”

“Yeah, well, I gathered you were here for a reason other than chatting up my secretary. Alright, Sayors, ask your questions. I can’t guarantee you’ll get all the answers you’re seeking… gotta keep doing the ‘twisting and turning’ if you catch my drift…” With a sardonic laugh, Steve raised his fingers to make quotation-mark gestures, “But ask your questions and I’ll see which ones I’ll select.”

“OK then, I’ll begin with the obvious one. Very few people were expecting to see you re-emerge onto the XWF scene after X. You’d made it rather clear that you were planning to move on with your life, and you’re generally not one to go back on those kinds of promises. Yet it certainly seems like you’ve returned to the XWF in at least some kind of capacity. So that begs the question- why have you gone back on this?”

“Oh, come on, Centurion went back on his retirement- again- and I’m the one that gets grilled?” he remarked sarcastically. The sarcasm was lost on Sayors, who proceeded to stumble and splutter.

“I… well, that is…”

“Kidding, man. Lighten up. Look, I’m gonna be honest, the plan originally was to stay out of the game. From my point of view, the game didn’t need me any more, and I was more than prepared to try a few new things with my life. And for a while that works. Then, the trouble started.”

“The trouble?”

“The usual suspects. Cyren, Spice One, and their little confederation of jackasses. Now why they let Chad and Cyren back in here is beyond me- and I have to point out that it was against my most strenuous objections- but the damage was done. Within a few weeks the Black Order was in, then Cyren somehow wound up Universal Champion, and then they spread the same filthy vitriol they always do. And then Yui Hanahara and PWE started causing crap. With all of that, It was evident to me that my help was still needed- and to be quite frank as much as I wanted to enjoy retirement, I’ll be damned if I stand around letting all of those nimrods trash my federation.”

“So it’s damage control then?”

“For now, yes.” Steve steepled his hands and leaned further across the front of the table, “And while Cyren and company are gone, there are still the stragglers to clean up- and one in particular definitely needs to be dealt with immediately.”

“OK then. I suppose the next question that’s on everybody’s mind is regarding how you chose to return. You made a very serious statement by aligning yourself with the Prophecy. Some would argue that the Prophecy’s earned themselves one hell of a ‘big gun’, but at the same time we can’t help but wonder if you’ve brought the ire of all of their foes upon you. So why, Steve? Why?”

“Because unlike some of the conspiracy theory morons…” Steve didn’t even bother hiding the contempt in that statement, “…I know that the Prophecy are where they are because they’re that damned good. They’re a force to be reckoned with and I think it’s fair to say that they’re the future of this company. It’s a choice between the Prophecy and the idiots complaining about the Prophecy, and quite frankly I know which side deserves my support. So I gave it to them.”

“I suppose it can’t hurt that Centurion is one of your best friends, right?”

“That certainly made the decision easier. There are other factors of course, but I’m choosing not to disclose them at this time.”

“Well, we’ll get to see the consequences of both of the major things you did last Anarchy in this week’s main event. James Raven himself, the man you assisted at Anarchy, will be in your corner as you take on his assailant himself- and the man you knocked for a loop- Chad. What are your thoughts on that?”

And now it had come to this. The meat of the interview, where Steve would discuss his enemy. Under some circumstances this would have been a pleasant, mutually-respective discussion, but given his opponent, Steve was about ready to sink the talons in. He breathed in slightly, then began.

“Let me start by telling you one thing, Sayors. In my time here in the XWF I have had many, many foes- some of them very dear. Sometimes I wonder how any of us survived the battles we had, they were that severe and that ruthless. But in spite of any personal animosity, most of my enemies enjoyed my respect. May not have liked them, but I respected the hell out of them. So I hope that makes it clear just how serious it is when I say I don’t have one single iota of respect- either for Chad or for anything that garden gnome with a fishing pole up his arse stands for.”

Suddenly Sayors burst out sniggering in laughter, completely offsetting the outright contempt in Steve’s voice. The guards turned their heads to stare in disbelief at the giggling interviewer, while Steve could merely raise an eyebrow.

“You alright? Don’t cream yourself or anything, Sayors.”

“Sorry, sorry, it’s just the first time I think anybody’s used the term ‘garden gnome’ as an insult here in the XWF.”

“Well, I’ve got to be creative. Wouldn’t want anybody to think I’m saying the same thing over and over again, would we? But I think you see where I’m going with this. The fact of the matter is that Chad and his douchewit associates have been a cancer on this place for a very long time.”

“But why do you need to deal with it? I mean… surely you have other things to take care of now.”

Steve interlocked his fingers, running them over his forehead and closing his eyes briefly before replying.

“Picture this, Sayors. Imagine a place that you consider very dear to you. Maybe somewhere you grew up, or a place you lived that you really felt you belonged, where you had a lot of cherished memories. You got that? Now, imagine a mob of raiders suddenly come storming in, plundering, raping, pillaging and taking a piss over all that you held dear. Something like Genghis Khan’s crew, but obviously mentally retarded. What would you do, Sayors?”

“Um… run for my life, hide in a corner and cry?”

“OK, maybe I shouldn’t have asked you that question. The answer I was looking for, Sayors, would be to get pissed off! And that is the very situation I am confronted with right now. The fact of the matter is, Sayors, that Chad doesn’t exactly have a history of being beneficial for this place. Need I point out to you that this man sexually harassed half the female roster at one point? And the fact of the matter is, while he’s been acting up he called it a Jonathyn issue, but the fact of the matter is that we’ve had a rotation of head honchos in the past few months and he still rages against the machine. I put it to you, Steve Sayors, that the problem ain’t management. The problem is Chad. And I think it’s high time we deployed an antivirus to deal with this parasite once and for all.”

“’Parasite’?” Sayors blinked, “Kind of a harsh word to describe Chad, don’t you think?”

“No, I think it’s perfectly fitting. That’s all he is. This place feeds him, clothes him, provides for him. If it wasn’t for the XWF, he’d be rooting around some dumpster in Milwaukee, left to fend for himself. Chad owes the XWF- we all do- and how does he repay it? By continually attempting to sabotage it at every opportunity. By continually stirring up dissention. By continuing to spread a cycle of chaos that could kill the place. It’s exactly what a mosquito does- it sucks the blood of its host to sustain itself, and all it gives in return is disease and filth. Make no mistake- Chad is the proverbial mosquito of the XWF.”

“If you don’t mind my asking… as Chief of Security, you had the power to deal with Chad. If he truly is as negative a force here as you say, why didn’t you just never allow him into the arena again when you were in power?”

“Because management didn’t have the balls to let me.” Steve retorted sarcastically, “I still have to answer to the people in charge here- and Home Office are evidently too much of a pack of cowards to take decisive and permanent action against Chad. But that’s OK, Sayors, because I’m not bound by red tape any more. This is X-Treme Rules, this is mano-a-mano. Management may not take care of Chad… but mark my words, I will. And this time it’ll be once and for all.”

“Indeed- this is not your first clash with Chad. The first you emerged victorious in, something that will no doubt be counted in your favor. But this time the stakes are a lot higher and it’s X-Treme rules. Chad’s been X-Treme Champion and you haven’t, so with that in mind, you surely must realise that it may not be that easy this time- and that’s not even counting Ranma Saotome into the mix.”

“Ah, Ranma Saotome.” Steve chuckled quietly at that, “Y’know, I have no idea how those two wound up on the same side. Clearly Ranma’s got some form of amnesia or he finally took one too many shots to the brainpan, because hasn’t Chad spent the better part of the last year hating Ranma for taking his precious Lord of the Ring? Didn’t Chad deny losing? And we’re expected to believe that animosity just magically disappeared? Sounds to me like Ranma’s making an epic error of judgment, because the moment he outshines Chad- as he inevitably will- he’ll be turned on. As it is, I’d strongly advise Ranma to keep outside the ring where he belongs in this match. If he does not, the ramifications will be… fairly dramatic.”

“And what about the X-Treme Rules? How do you plan on dealing with the disadvantage there?”

“As far as I’m concerned, there ain’t one. Sure, I’ve been in fewer X-Treme bouts than Chad- but that’s because I’m a higher achiever than him. Need I point out who’s won X-Mas X-Treme, the ultimate X-Treme Rules tournament, and who did not? I think if you’ll look in my match history, while I’ve had fewer X-Treme bouts, each and every one of those has been one hundred percent classic. Chad? Eh… not quite so much. And besides, Chad’s X-Treme reputation is a lot of talk. Isn’t this the guy who’s supposed to prefer dismemberment to tapping out? Yet I know for a fact he taps, because I made him do it. As far as I’m concerned, the choice of the X-Treme setting is perfect.”

“Care to elaborate?”

“It allows me to finally chastise Chad to the extent that he truly deserves. Before I was constrained by rules- this time I don’t have that. I have the means to make Chad well and truly remorseful for his past, and rest assured, Sayors, he will never be a problem for anybody here after I’m through with him. And that… IS UNDENIABLE!”