Checking In On Things (A49)
May 25, 2019 17:15:18 GMT -5
vastrix, shanemitchell, and 1 more like this
Post by Kintaru on May 25, 2019 17:15:18 GMT -5
“Well, the man certainly knows the life style he wants...” those are the first words to come out of the mouth of Chris Parsons as he approaches a large, palatial estate. He looks over the place as he stands outside the black rusted metal fence surrounding the perimeter of the house.
While the place was surely once vibrant and stunning, it now sits as a decrepit shell. Broken, boarded up windows cover the sides of the building, with the front door sitting wide open. Parsons doesn’t miss a beat however, as he proceeds to make his way across the dead lawn in front of the house.
Upon reaching the front door, he stops, hearing the black gate behind him squeal. Looking back, he sees a person with a hood blocking their face fumbling with the gate, before noticing Parsons and scurrying off. He takes a step toward them in pursuit, but quickly stops and turns his attention back to the house.
“Two guests in one day, huh? Mr. Popular over here.” Parsons lets out a small chuckle as he brushes his hair out of face, and proceeds to make his way into the mansion. Inside, things look much the same as outside. The only light coming from the holes in the boarded up windows, reveal a clearly unlived in portion of the house. Every surface is caked with layers of dust, and any furniture in the room is upturned, lying on it side, or just upside down entirely. Any corner you look at is filled with spider webs of all kinds, and there are more spiders than there are webs.
Parsons doesn’t survey long before noticing a staircase up to the second floor, and at the top of the staircase he sees a flickering light pulsating behind a mostly closed door. He immediately investigates, climbing the stairs. Each step making a louder, more worrying creak than the last. As he finally makes it to the top, he begins to realize there are voices coming from behind the door.
“But why haven’t you been back? Even with a loss to Lex, you were clearly in the main event scene. A win or two and suddenly you’re a contender again!” The voice of Sophie McQueen catches Parsons off guard as he slowly pushes the study door open, to reveal an immaculately well kept room. Pristine leather couches, a shiny hardwood floor, covered with circular fluffy white carpets.
At the other end of the room is a large, black leather chair sitting in front of a fireplace, with it’s back turned towards the doorway. Next to the chair is Sophie McQueen, wearing a tight pair of white jeans, with a form fitting red top, with her long fiery red hair draping over her shoulders. She’s leaned over onto the arm rest, all her attention focused on the person sitting in the chair.
“Why? Because I’m not here to fight for the sake of fighting. No, this is about something bigger. When I show up, the time has to be just ri-“ The voice stops as a knock on the study door vibrates through the room. Sophie turns her attention towards the door, letting out an interested gasp.
“So this is what you’re doing when not showing up for work? Tugging your own dick like being a fuck up is a valid excuse?” Parsons waits by the door as the three sit in silence. Before long, the man rises from the chair, revealing himself to be Kintaru. Wearing a black suit with a red tie, he peers at Parsons for a moment.
“You see? You did that stupid no show thing you always do, and now you’re in tro-“ Kintaru waves a hand in Sophie’s direction, causing her to dissolve away into dust.
“WHOA! WHAT THE FUCK?!” Parsons is clearly taken aback by the sudden Thanos-ing of Sophie McQueen. Kintaru simply responds with a perplexed look, raising an eyebrow as he addresses Parsons.
“Wait, you... You can see her?” Kintaru gives a snap of his fingers, scanning Parsons carefully. It had been a while since the two men were in the same room together. Parson’s stylish eyepatch for instance was a new feature. However much was still the same. He had the same long flowing hair, and his style of a simple black TIB T-Shirt with jeans held strong through the years.
“Well, you seem a bit more interesting than he ever gave you credit for.” Parsons flinches a little as Sophie McQueen suddenly appears beside him, her mouth dangerously close to his ear. As he turns to face her, he finds that nobody is there. He quickly begins looking around the room before realizing she's now standing innocently in front of him.
“You’re living a little dangerously there, don’t you think?” Parsons attempts to keep his composure responding to Sophie, who has a cheeky grin on her face as she slowly starts circling around him. Parsons keeps his eye on her this time, not letting her get out of his sight.
“Maybe, if I were actually real. But things here can never really be that simple.” Sophie’s cheeky grin grows wider as she stops in front of Parsons, softly but confidently placing her index finger on his nose. “But you being able to see me turns the convolution here up to 11.” Parsons recoils slightly as he tries to push Sophie's hand away, only to have his hand pass through her arm.
“Ok, I really need a second here. Just, hold up.” Parsons puts his hands up symbolically, as the world around him begins slowing down, until even the flames in the fireplace have ceased movement. Parsons lets out a sigh, closing his eyes as he runs a hand through his hair again to brush it out of his face. “Nothing can ever just be simple, huh?”
“Wow, that’s an interesting little trick you’ve got there. You get more intriguing by the second.” Parsons eyes shoot open to reveal Sophie hasn’t been frozen by the time stop. She is now crouched over the fireplace, seemingly touching the fire as if it were a solid. Parsons spares a quick glance over at Kintaru, who is still just glaring at Parsons from the leather chair.
“Oh, don’t worry, your little trick worked. He’s completely frozen like everything else. I'm a little envious right now if I'm being honest.” Sophie suddenly appears from Behind Kintaru, before casually leaning on him, folding her arms across her chest. Parsons’ face twists in confusion as he thinks about his response.
“What... Are you?” Another cheeky grin spreads across Sophie’s face, before she suddenly appears leaning against Parson on his blind side, casually checking her nails. Once again Parsons recoils, leaving Sophie leaning against nothing.
“It really depends who you talk to. To Kintaru, I’m his ‘Psyche’, providing him a closer look to the unconscious side of his brain. To the reader, I’m an entertaining plot device that they can become invested in. But to you...” Sophie pauses for a moment, as she stands up straight, turning her full attention to Parsons. She quizzically grabs her chin, and squints her eyes as she thinks about her next response. “To you I seem to be the proof that your perception is... A little beyond everyone else’s. It’s quite fascinating actually.” Parson's eye widens suddenly as if he's made a realization.
“The reader...? Oh wait... WAAAAAIT... I’m being written by someone else, aren’t I??? That explains why everything feels so weird! I thought I felt less attractive than usual!” Parsons slams his fist into his palm as he starts to put the pieces together. Sophie sits back silently, letting him draw his own conclusions on the situation. “So you’re basically this other writer Mary Sue-ing you to not be effected by the time stop the other guy writes in for me. Ok, this is starting to make sense.” Sophie giggles to herself a bit, breaking Parsons train of thought.
“To a certain extent you’re correct. But let’s not drudge on with all the little details or implications of my existence. You’re here to talk to Kintaru right? He’ll be too pre-occupied by you being able to see me, so you may want to fix that introduction.” Sophie appears beside Kintaru once again, pointing out the confused scowl on his face, using her finger to outline to angry curve of his lips. “He doesn’t really like losing the things that make him special.” Parsons snickers to himself quietly in response.
“You bring up a good point. Before I go fix that though, I’ve gotta ask... What exactly is Kintaru doing here? I don’t expect I’ll get a straight answer from him.” Sophie takes a moment to look deeply at Kintaru, before she responds to the question. She sounds almost distracted as she does so.
“I’m not actually sure he knows what his plan is anymore. Which is kind of funny, because everything IS going according to plan.” Sophie suddenly appears beside Parsons once again, the smile on her face becoming a little more twisted. “Everything has progressed EXACTLY according to plan.” Parsons casually turns his attention towards Sophie now, becoming desensitized to the disappearing act.
“So I take it you know what his plan is then?” Sophie’s smile lightens up as she begins giggling to herself again, before appearing back beside Kintaru. She casually drapes her arm over Kintaru's shoulders before responding.
“Remember, don’t let him know you can see me.” With that, Sophie disappears into a plume of dust once more, leaving Parsons alone in the study. He let's out a a heavy sigh while rubbing the bridge of his nose.
“Nothing can ever just be simple with this fucking guy.” Parsons stretches out his hands a little bit before turning his attention to the ceiling. “Alright Mr. Plagiarist, if we’re doing it, let’s do this right. I think we can both agree this scene needs a bit of a rewind!”
Parsons then begins turning his hand, as if rotating a dial, causing time to slowly start flowing backwards, until Kintaru is once again seated in front of the fire. Parsons releases the invisible knob causing time to resume normally, as if nothing had happened.
“You see? You did that stupid no show thing you always do, and now you’re in tro-“ Kintaru waves a hand in Sophie’s direction, causing her to dissolve away into dust. This time however, she winks at Parsons as she does, gently bringing a finger to her lips in a “ssshhh” motion.
“Mr. Parsons. It’s been a long time. To what do I owe the pleasure?” The venom in Kintaru’s voice makes it clear he didn't want to see Parsons right now. His tone is betrayed by the charming smile on his face however.
“You know damn well why I’m here, so you need to cut the shit. And tell me what is going on with you. Neither of us wants this to drag, and I’ve wasted more time than I’ve wanted to already.” An innocent chuckle escapes from Kintaru before he responds. The charming smile has slowly begun morphing into more of a cheeky one.
“Why, Mr. Parsons, I have no earthly idea what you’re talking about. Care to elaborate?” A sly grin spreads across Kintaru’s face, while he raises his hands accusedly up in the air. Parsons let's out another heavy sigh, closing his eye in the process.
“Fine, if you REALLY want to do this your way... You threw a Pay Per View Match with one of the biggest faces RSW had at the time, and then proceeded to disappear, cancelling two matches single handedly by simply not showing up! Failing to provide advertised matches affects our ticket sales, and as a minority owner of RSW, that directly affects me. So I’m here to find out what the fuck you think you’re doing, before we kick you to the curb, forgotten and alone. So again, what the fuck is going on with you?” It’s clear this interaction was not Parson’s first choice in solving this. Kintaru’s smile disappears as he walks around the leather chair, towards Parsons.
“I’m not here to be your talent, Chris. If I don’t like the match I’m in, I’m not gonna go out there. No one will remember Kintaru vs. Adam Reck, and if it’s not remembered, it doesn’t matter.” The calmness now in Kintaru’s voice is almost chilling. It almost seems like the coldness emanating from Kintaru is weakening the flames in the fireplace. Parsons however doesn't miss a beat.
“And disappearing into obscurity will be? You’ve been talking about being remembered since you came back, yet you’ve done absolutely nothing memorable. You need to do something! Your history means nothing here, and you need to finally come to grips with that”. Kintaru chuckles lightly to himself, as he begins leaning on the back of his leather chair. He casually folds his arms across his chest, letting up on the coldness.
“Nothing? It means nothing? Then why am I here, Chris? Why am I allowed to walk out onto that stage and attack any big name I see fit at a whim? Hmm? Why am I allowed an open door into the home of the elite, at a moments notice? The answer, is because you all know what I COULD be. You all know that I can beat anybody on your roster if I really set my mind to it. If I focus, and cut the bullshit, there is NOBODY who can stop me. Not you, Not D, Not Lex, not even your RSW Champion, Shane Mitchell. Having someone like that is invaluable. The spontaneity, the shock value, the competition. I’m a feather in your cap you can’t afford to thr-“
“BUT YOU HAVEN’T FOCUSED ON ANYTHING IN HALF A FUCKING DECADE!” Parsons cuts Kintaru off abruptly, placing a look of surprise on Kintaru’s face. Kintaru suddenly loses the cocky demeanor, and brings himself up to a solid base, as Parsons continues. “You talk about this potential you have, this endless master plan, but you don’t DO anything. You’re handed title shots, and big ticket names. Opportunity after opportunity, because you’re right! We do know you can beat these people. We do know you could beat anyone on the roster on the right day. But it’s never the right day, and you’re running out of days.” The sly smirk on Kintaru’s face has completely faded away, as he locks eyes with Parsons. The intensity in the room has suddenly become palpable. Kintaru however tries to play it off, with a forced cocky smile, and a slight wave of his hand.
“You bring up a goo-“
“Shut up! I’m not finished. If you don’t want to be here, you are free to leave. There are plenty of people we can give your opportunities to. But this half assed plan, and doing nothing bullshit is done, alright? Time’s up. You wanna be remembered? Then do something memorable. Because we’re tired of waiting.” The two men sit in silence as Kintaru scans over Parsons, reading the situation. He stands up from the back of the chair, before approaching Parsons, until they were face to face with eachother.
“Well, it’s a little earlier than expected... But if that’s the way you feel, then give me Mitchell.” An intensity suddenly flares up in Kintaru’s eyes. Chris seems almost taken aback by the response.
“Were you even listening? You’re going to respond with demands in this situation? Are you delusio-.” This time it’s Kintaru who interrupts Chris, almost snapping at him as he does so.
“Delusional? No, Mr. Parsons, I’m sure you’re well aware that I’m completely in tune with the situation. You said it yourself, you’ve been handing me opportunities. So what’s one more? One final showing, to show the world exactly what I’m capable of? If I fail, that just might be the sign that it's time for me to hang up the boots. I clearly can’t live up to my own hype when the chips are down, and I have no right to try and climb to the top of the mountain... But if I win, just imagine the implications! Heading in to Pandemonium, the unstoppable Shane Mitchell shows a chink in his armor. How do you think D would react to me of all people off handedly beating the man he just can’t seem to win against? Oh man, just thinking about it sends chills down my spine. Plus, I just hate preachers. They’ve always rubbed me the wrong way.” Kintaru gives a small shrug, clearly uninterested in the specifics, before Parsons replies.
“You’re aware that Shane hasn’t actually been a preacher for years, right? You’ve missed a whole character arc while you’ve been gone.” Once again Kintaru begins chuckling to himself. This time however it is not light hearted, but instead feels menacing.
“Oh please, the man’s a fucking cult leader. He simply started preaching the word of himself instead of the word of God. But you’re getting distracted. Are you going to give me this match, or not?...” Kintaru slowly extends a hand out to Parsons. Parsons looks down at the hand for a moment, before matching Kintaru’s gaze once more.
“You know I’ll never trust a handshake from you ever again, so you might as well put that away. But whatever, fine. Anarchy 49, Shane Mitchell vs. Kintaru. Non-Title obviously.” Parsons folds his arms across his chest, rejecting the handshake, elliciting another evil chuckle from Kintaru as he pulls his hand back.
“Oh, obviously. I wouldn’t expect THAT much preferential treatment. Don’t you worry one second longer. Anarchy 49 will be the start of something you’ll never forget. I guarantee it. Now is there anything else you needed from me?” Parsons responds with a long stretch as he shatters the mood in the room, losing all the intensity he was emitting moments prior.
“Nah, I believe that’s everything. I gotta get moving anyway, and talk to the boys in the office before they book Shane in a match that’ll ACTUALLY happen. Good luck to you Kinny. I hope your plan goes well.” With that, Parsons lets out a yawn as he makes his way out of the study. As he reaches the door however, he stops, turning his head to look at Kintaru with his one good eye. “Never gonna forget, huh?” The question hangs in the air for a single moment, before Kintaru assures him.
“Absolutely never. I guarantee it.” The two stand in silence once more, before Parsons finally turns away, raising a hand in farewell as he walks out the door. As if on cue, Sophie suddenly appears beside Kintaru, watching Parsons leave.
“A match with the RSW champion, coming off a losing streak. People are gonna start thinking you’re getting unfair privileges here.” Kintaru walks back to his chair, sitting down to watch the fire. He seems almost lost in his gaze of the flames.
“Well what can I say? I’ve got a hell of a history.” Kintaru begins sounds distant as he stares off into the fire. Sophie crouches down next to him, staring intently. The two sit in silence for a long while before Sophie finally says something.
“You know you can’t beat him right? Not anymore.” Kintaru never looks away from the dancing flames, as they flicker and light up different corners of his face.
“That’s the route we’re going with today? Self doubt? Shane’s simply on a hot streak, and every streak has to end eventually. Besides, his head isn’t exactly ‘clear’ right now. He’s bound to make a mistake.” A short smile spreads across Sophie’s face, as if she heard an amusing joke. Kintaru spares a brief look at Sophie, before returning his gaze to the fireplace.
“You know I wasn’t talking about Shane. Everyone knows he’s been off your radar since your return.” Kintaru takes his turn smiling at Sophie’s response, half turning his attention to the red head before responding.
“Off my radar? The man is the RSW champion. The most notable name in the company. The man has beaten everyone there is to beat, and only lost to the best. No, I’ve watched Mr. Mitchell very closely. He was always the next step. You know that.” Sophie suddenly appears sitting cross legged on the floor, directly in front of the fire place, staring at Kintaru. Her arms ar wrapped around her knees, with an unamused look on her face.
“You’re deflecting. You know this match isn’t about Shane. This is about sending HIM a message. But it doesn’t matter. You can’t beat him anymore.” For the first time in a while, Kintaru lets out a true laugh at Sophie’s implications. Sophie rolls her eyes at the reaction as Kintaru begins speaking.
“Wait, are you saying this is about D? The man is beating himself Soph. He’s going back into the darkness, because the light just wasn’t cutting it, and it’s driving him insane. He’s hardly even worth beating at this point.” Sophie’s hazel eyes flash a much sharper emerald green for a moment as a grin spreads across her face. She releases her knees as she casually leans back onto her hands.
“But he WOULD be worth it if he were the RSW Champion... Wouldn’t he?” The smile on Kintaru’s face slowly starts to fade away, as he continues listening to Sophie. She casually leans forward now, placing her head in her hands. “Wouldn’t it be amazing? D vs. Kintaru main eventing an RSW PPV for the top title in the company. Just like the glory years. Just like your prime.” Kintaru clenches hands around the arms of his chair tightly as he continues staring down at Sophie, her grin spreading even wider. After a couple seconds, Kintaru forces a response through clenched teeth.
“I suppose that WOULD be a relatively memorable moment.” Sophie laughs mockingly at Kintaru, uncrossing her legs while still sitting on the floor.
“You suppose?! You can’t lie to me! This was your plan from the start. Relive the glory days! One last shebang before you run off into the sunset! Your legacy was going to be that you were the heart of Genesis until the very end. Until your very last moment! It’s the perfect way to go. The POETIC way to go... But there’s one giant flaw with this plan. You can’t beat him. Not anymore.” Kintaru suddenly shoots up to his feet, sending the chair tumbling to the ground behind him as he does so. Sophie's joking demeanor immediately disappears as she sits up at attention.
“I’m the only one that CAN beat him! That can TRULY beat him! But now we have Shane Mitchell trying to steal MY prize! MY LEGACY TO CONQUER! He thinks he gets to be the one who can break The Enigma?! He thinks he gets to be the one to unleash the darkness THAT I PUT THERE?! THAT’S MY MOMENT! THAT’S MY UNFORGETTABLE FINALE!” Sophie calmly, but quickly rises to her feet as well. She gently places her finger on his lips before placing her hands on the side of his face to direct his attention solely towards her.
“You cannot beat Shane if you make this about D. He’s not someone for you to look past, he’s not another step in the plan, he’s the wall to your plan. Not ‘A’ wall, THE wall.” Kintaru clenches his jaw as Sophie pulls her hands away. Fury burns in his eyes as he stares through the ghost.
“You’re the one who brought up D...” Kintaru’s words are strained as he tries to reel in his emotions. Sophie places her hands on her hips, making sure to never break eye contact with Kintaru.
“Because if you didn’t admit you were focusing on him the whole time, you never would have taken Shane seriously. But you know this! You know Shane is currently the most dangerous man on the Roster! Hell, he might be the most dangerous person IN THE WORLD. HE is who you are fighting at Anarchy 49 now. YOU asked for this. YOU created this opportunity, and if you don’t focus YOU will lose EVERYTHING, OK?! There will be no plan, there will be no finale, and you WILL be forgotten.” The two stand in silence for a long time as Kintaru quietly processes the information. Eventually though, a warm smile spreads on Sophie’s face. She gently places her hands on Kintaru’s shoulders, as she looks into his eyes.
“The end is coming. You just gotta focus, and prove you’re as talented as you say you are.” Kintaru doesn’t say anything as he simply stares at Sophie. The malice, and hatred in his eyes betraying the calm stoic expression on his face.
“No Sophie...” Kintaru breaks the silence in the room with a snap of his fingers, causing the illusion to fall apart into dust once more. “The end is already here”.
~~~
**Minutes Prior**
Parsons makes his way out of the building, taking in a deep breath of fresh air as he does so. He let's out a satisfied sigh as he exhales, while looking up at the sky.
“My god, that mans needs to open a window. What a musty old place, it's no wonder the guy's going insane.” While he looks up at the sky, movement in front of him catches his eyes. As he inspects the movement, he sees the hooded person from earlier, scoping out the outside of the building. A bemused grin spreads across Parson's face as he begins approaching the person. “Back again huh? Well you know I gotta figure out what THIS person's deal is.”
The person doesn't seem to notice that Parsons has started following them, and simply continues looking at all the different windows, presumably trying to see inside. As he gets closer, he hears the person muttering to themselves. The voice sounds agitated, and female.
“This fucking guy, a decade and he still lives in this shit hole. There's no way this can be healthy.” Parsons casually approaches the woman, until he's within arms distance of her. He pantomimes behind her for a while, silently staying out of her line of sight, before finally tapping her on the shoulder. She let's out a dramatic scream, before whipping around and pressing her back against the outer wall of the building. In the process, her hood falls down revealing Jessica Price.
“Ms. Price. well isn't this a surprise. What are you doing here?” Jessica places a hand on her chest as she slowly starts to gain control of her breathing. After a few seconds, she seems to realize it's Chris Parsons talking to her.
“Wait, Chris? What are you doing here? Are you here to fire him?” Parsons has an amused grin on his face as he folds his arms across his chest.
“I believe I asked you what you were doing first, but whatever. No, I did not come here to fire him. Not yet anyway. I simply came to see if he intended to come to work some time, or if I HAD to fire him. Now I'm gonna ask again, what are YOU doing here?” Jessica's shoulders rise up as she pushes herself sheepishly against the wall.
“I was starting to get worried about him when he started no showing. I... Just wanted to make sure he was okay.” Parsons lets out a little chuckle as he places a hand on Jessica's shoulder.
“Well, you don't have to worry. He's... Doing as well as he ever is. Whether that's 'good' or not is up for debate. You know how it goes.” Jessica let's out a nervous laugh in agreement, before daintily removing Parsons' hand from her shoulder.
“Yeah... He's seemed to be particularly bad lately. Ever since I told him Sophie told me check on his RSW return, he seems to be a little more... 'broken'... Than usual.” Parsons' charming smile suddenly fades, as he powerfully slams his hand against the wall next to Jessica's head.
“Wait, what? Sophie is the one who told you to bother me for weeks?” Jessica suddenly shrinks into herself trying to get as far from Parsons as possible.
“Well, uh, no... I... I just told him that to get him to stop choking me. I... I really thought he was gonna kill me.” Parsons lowers his hand from the wall, as he turns his attention away from Jessica, immediately lost in thought.
“Did he straight up create that thing because of this bimbo? What a fucking puzzle... I'm gonna need to keep an eye on that one and make sure it doesn't get out of hand...” Parsons begins walking away, clearly uninterested in Jessica now.
“Umm, what? What are you talking abo-” Parsons holds his palm up towards Jessica, silencing her as he comes to a stop.
“Jess, please, the adults are thinking. I'm gonna need some time to think this over. You... Have fun doing whatever it is you're doing.” Parsons then continues walking away from Jessica, leaving her alone in the front yard. She stands there alone trying to figure out what happened for a few moments, before turning her attention towards the house.
“Well... I've come this far. I might as well check this out while I'm here.” Jessica raises her hood, and makes her way inside the house. Upon entering, her eyes are immediately drawn to the wide open door to the study, as the largest source of light in the house. As she approaches, she can hear a voice echoing down the stairs.
“...Back into the darkness, because the light just wasn’t cutting it, and it’s driving him insane...” Kintaru's voice echoes throughout the house as Jessica approaches the door, hiding just outside of it.
“Is he... Talking to himself?” Jessica peaks her head in through the door, to find Kintaru sitting alone in the study, staring at the fireplace, indeed talking to himself. “This is it! This is gonna get me that promotion from a website reporter for sure!” Jessica excitedly reaches into the front pocket of her hoodie, and pulls out a pad and paper. Then she began writing.
While the place was surely once vibrant and stunning, it now sits as a decrepit shell. Broken, boarded up windows cover the sides of the building, with the front door sitting wide open. Parsons doesn’t miss a beat however, as he proceeds to make his way across the dead lawn in front of the house.
Upon reaching the front door, he stops, hearing the black gate behind him squeal. Looking back, he sees a person with a hood blocking their face fumbling with the gate, before noticing Parsons and scurrying off. He takes a step toward them in pursuit, but quickly stops and turns his attention back to the house.
“Two guests in one day, huh? Mr. Popular over here.” Parsons lets out a small chuckle as he brushes his hair out of face, and proceeds to make his way into the mansion. Inside, things look much the same as outside. The only light coming from the holes in the boarded up windows, reveal a clearly unlived in portion of the house. Every surface is caked with layers of dust, and any furniture in the room is upturned, lying on it side, or just upside down entirely. Any corner you look at is filled with spider webs of all kinds, and there are more spiders than there are webs.
Parsons doesn’t survey long before noticing a staircase up to the second floor, and at the top of the staircase he sees a flickering light pulsating behind a mostly closed door. He immediately investigates, climbing the stairs. Each step making a louder, more worrying creak than the last. As he finally makes it to the top, he begins to realize there are voices coming from behind the door.
“But why haven’t you been back? Even with a loss to Lex, you were clearly in the main event scene. A win or two and suddenly you’re a contender again!” The voice of Sophie McQueen catches Parsons off guard as he slowly pushes the study door open, to reveal an immaculately well kept room. Pristine leather couches, a shiny hardwood floor, covered with circular fluffy white carpets.
At the other end of the room is a large, black leather chair sitting in front of a fireplace, with it’s back turned towards the doorway. Next to the chair is Sophie McQueen, wearing a tight pair of white jeans, with a form fitting red top, with her long fiery red hair draping over her shoulders. She’s leaned over onto the arm rest, all her attention focused on the person sitting in the chair.
“Why? Because I’m not here to fight for the sake of fighting. No, this is about something bigger. When I show up, the time has to be just ri-“ The voice stops as a knock on the study door vibrates through the room. Sophie turns her attention towards the door, letting out an interested gasp.
“So this is what you’re doing when not showing up for work? Tugging your own dick like being a fuck up is a valid excuse?” Parsons waits by the door as the three sit in silence. Before long, the man rises from the chair, revealing himself to be Kintaru. Wearing a black suit with a red tie, he peers at Parsons for a moment.
“You see? You did that stupid no show thing you always do, and now you’re in tro-“ Kintaru waves a hand in Sophie’s direction, causing her to dissolve away into dust.
“WHOA! WHAT THE FUCK?!” Parsons is clearly taken aback by the sudden Thanos-ing of Sophie McQueen. Kintaru simply responds with a perplexed look, raising an eyebrow as he addresses Parsons.
“Wait, you... You can see her?” Kintaru gives a snap of his fingers, scanning Parsons carefully. It had been a while since the two men were in the same room together. Parson’s stylish eyepatch for instance was a new feature. However much was still the same. He had the same long flowing hair, and his style of a simple black TIB T-Shirt with jeans held strong through the years.
“Well, you seem a bit more interesting than he ever gave you credit for.” Parsons flinches a little as Sophie McQueen suddenly appears beside him, her mouth dangerously close to his ear. As he turns to face her, he finds that nobody is there. He quickly begins looking around the room before realizing she's now standing innocently in front of him.
“You’re living a little dangerously there, don’t you think?” Parsons attempts to keep his composure responding to Sophie, who has a cheeky grin on her face as she slowly starts circling around him. Parsons keeps his eye on her this time, not letting her get out of his sight.
“Maybe, if I were actually real. But things here can never really be that simple.” Sophie’s cheeky grin grows wider as she stops in front of Parsons, softly but confidently placing her index finger on his nose. “But you being able to see me turns the convolution here up to 11.” Parsons recoils slightly as he tries to push Sophie's hand away, only to have his hand pass through her arm.
“Ok, I really need a second here. Just, hold up.” Parsons puts his hands up symbolically, as the world around him begins slowing down, until even the flames in the fireplace have ceased movement. Parsons lets out a sigh, closing his eyes as he runs a hand through his hair again to brush it out of his face. “Nothing can ever just be simple, huh?”
“Wow, that’s an interesting little trick you’ve got there. You get more intriguing by the second.” Parsons eyes shoot open to reveal Sophie hasn’t been frozen by the time stop. She is now crouched over the fireplace, seemingly touching the fire as if it were a solid. Parsons spares a quick glance over at Kintaru, who is still just glaring at Parsons from the leather chair.
“Oh, don’t worry, your little trick worked. He’s completely frozen like everything else. I'm a little envious right now if I'm being honest.” Sophie suddenly appears from Behind Kintaru, before casually leaning on him, folding her arms across her chest. Parsons’ face twists in confusion as he thinks about his response.
“What... Are you?” Another cheeky grin spreads across Sophie’s face, before she suddenly appears leaning against Parson on his blind side, casually checking her nails. Once again Parsons recoils, leaving Sophie leaning against nothing.
“It really depends who you talk to. To Kintaru, I’m his ‘Psyche’, providing him a closer look to the unconscious side of his brain. To the reader, I’m an entertaining plot device that they can become invested in. But to you...” Sophie pauses for a moment, as she stands up straight, turning her full attention to Parsons. She quizzically grabs her chin, and squints her eyes as she thinks about her next response. “To you I seem to be the proof that your perception is... A little beyond everyone else’s. It’s quite fascinating actually.” Parson's eye widens suddenly as if he's made a realization.
“The reader...? Oh wait... WAAAAAIT... I’m being written by someone else, aren’t I??? That explains why everything feels so weird! I thought I felt less attractive than usual!” Parsons slams his fist into his palm as he starts to put the pieces together. Sophie sits back silently, letting him draw his own conclusions on the situation. “So you’re basically this other writer Mary Sue-ing you to not be effected by the time stop the other guy writes in for me. Ok, this is starting to make sense.” Sophie giggles to herself a bit, breaking Parsons train of thought.
“To a certain extent you’re correct. But let’s not drudge on with all the little details or implications of my existence. You’re here to talk to Kintaru right? He’ll be too pre-occupied by you being able to see me, so you may want to fix that introduction.” Sophie appears beside Kintaru once again, pointing out the confused scowl on his face, using her finger to outline to angry curve of his lips. “He doesn’t really like losing the things that make him special.” Parsons snickers to himself quietly in response.
“You bring up a good point. Before I go fix that though, I’ve gotta ask... What exactly is Kintaru doing here? I don’t expect I’ll get a straight answer from him.” Sophie takes a moment to look deeply at Kintaru, before she responds to the question. She sounds almost distracted as she does so.
“I’m not actually sure he knows what his plan is anymore. Which is kind of funny, because everything IS going according to plan.” Sophie suddenly appears beside Parsons once again, the smile on her face becoming a little more twisted. “Everything has progressed EXACTLY according to plan.” Parsons casually turns his attention towards Sophie now, becoming desensitized to the disappearing act.
“So I take it you know what his plan is then?” Sophie’s smile lightens up as she begins giggling to herself again, before appearing back beside Kintaru. She casually drapes her arm over Kintaru's shoulders before responding.
“Remember, don’t let him know you can see me.” With that, Sophie disappears into a plume of dust once more, leaving Parsons alone in the study. He let's out a a heavy sigh while rubbing the bridge of his nose.
“Nothing can ever just be simple with this fucking guy.” Parsons stretches out his hands a little bit before turning his attention to the ceiling. “Alright Mr. Plagiarist, if we’re doing it, let’s do this right. I think we can both agree this scene needs a bit of a rewind!”
Parsons then begins turning his hand, as if rotating a dial, causing time to slowly start flowing backwards, until Kintaru is once again seated in front of the fire. Parsons releases the invisible knob causing time to resume normally, as if nothing had happened.
“You see? You did that stupid no show thing you always do, and now you’re in tro-“ Kintaru waves a hand in Sophie’s direction, causing her to dissolve away into dust. This time however, she winks at Parsons as she does, gently bringing a finger to her lips in a “ssshhh” motion.
“Mr. Parsons. It’s been a long time. To what do I owe the pleasure?” The venom in Kintaru’s voice makes it clear he didn't want to see Parsons right now. His tone is betrayed by the charming smile on his face however.
“You know damn well why I’m here, so you need to cut the shit. And tell me what is going on with you. Neither of us wants this to drag, and I’ve wasted more time than I’ve wanted to already.” An innocent chuckle escapes from Kintaru before he responds. The charming smile has slowly begun morphing into more of a cheeky one.
“Why, Mr. Parsons, I have no earthly idea what you’re talking about. Care to elaborate?” A sly grin spreads across Kintaru’s face, while he raises his hands accusedly up in the air. Parsons let's out another heavy sigh, closing his eye in the process.
“Fine, if you REALLY want to do this your way... You threw a Pay Per View Match with one of the biggest faces RSW had at the time, and then proceeded to disappear, cancelling two matches single handedly by simply not showing up! Failing to provide advertised matches affects our ticket sales, and as a minority owner of RSW, that directly affects me. So I’m here to find out what the fuck you think you’re doing, before we kick you to the curb, forgotten and alone. So again, what the fuck is going on with you?” It’s clear this interaction was not Parson’s first choice in solving this. Kintaru’s smile disappears as he walks around the leather chair, towards Parsons.
“I’m not here to be your talent, Chris. If I don’t like the match I’m in, I’m not gonna go out there. No one will remember Kintaru vs. Adam Reck, and if it’s not remembered, it doesn’t matter.” The calmness now in Kintaru’s voice is almost chilling. It almost seems like the coldness emanating from Kintaru is weakening the flames in the fireplace. Parsons however doesn't miss a beat.
“And disappearing into obscurity will be? You’ve been talking about being remembered since you came back, yet you’ve done absolutely nothing memorable. You need to do something! Your history means nothing here, and you need to finally come to grips with that”. Kintaru chuckles lightly to himself, as he begins leaning on the back of his leather chair. He casually folds his arms across his chest, letting up on the coldness.
“Nothing? It means nothing? Then why am I here, Chris? Why am I allowed to walk out onto that stage and attack any big name I see fit at a whim? Hmm? Why am I allowed an open door into the home of the elite, at a moments notice? The answer, is because you all know what I COULD be. You all know that I can beat anybody on your roster if I really set my mind to it. If I focus, and cut the bullshit, there is NOBODY who can stop me. Not you, Not D, Not Lex, not even your RSW Champion, Shane Mitchell. Having someone like that is invaluable. The spontaneity, the shock value, the competition. I’m a feather in your cap you can’t afford to thr-“
“BUT YOU HAVEN’T FOCUSED ON ANYTHING IN HALF A FUCKING DECADE!” Parsons cuts Kintaru off abruptly, placing a look of surprise on Kintaru’s face. Kintaru suddenly loses the cocky demeanor, and brings himself up to a solid base, as Parsons continues. “You talk about this potential you have, this endless master plan, but you don’t DO anything. You’re handed title shots, and big ticket names. Opportunity after opportunity, because you’re right! We do know you can beat these people. We do know you could beat anyone on the roster on the right day. But it’s never the right day, and you’re running out of days.” The sly smirk on Kintaru’s face has completely faded away, as he locks eyes with Parsons. The intensity in the room has suddenly become palpable. Kintaru however tries to play it off, with a forced cocky smile, and a slight wave of his hand.
“You bring up a goo-“
“Shut up! I’m not finished. If you don’t want to be here, you are free to leave. There are plenty of people we can give your opportunities to. But this half assed plan, and doing nothing bullshit is done, alright? Time’s up. You wanna be remembered? Then do something memorable. Because we’re tired of waiting.” The two men sit in silence as Kintaru scans over Parsons, reading the situation. He stands up from the back of the chair, before approaching Parsons, until they were face to face with eachother.
“Well, it’s a little earlier than expected... But if that’s the way you feel, then give me Mitchell.” An intensity suddenly flares up in Kintaru’s eyes. Chris seems almost taken aback by the response.
“Were you even listening? You’re going to respond with demands in this situation? Are you delusio-.” This time it’s Kintaru who interrupts Chris, almost snapping at him as he does so.
“Delusional? No, Mr. Parsons, I’m sure you’re well aware that I’m completely in tune with the situation. You said it yourself, you’ve been handing me opportunities. So what’s one more? One final showing, to show the world exactly what I’m capable of? If I fail, that just might be the sign that it's time for me to hang up the boots. I clearly can’t live up to my own hype when the chips are down, and I have no right to try and climb to the top of the mountain... But if I win, just imagine the implications! Heading in to Pandemonium, the unstoppable Shane Mitchell shows a chink in his armor. How do you think D would react to me of all people off handedly beating the man he just can’t seem to win against? Oh man, just thinking about it sends chills down my spine. Plus, I just hate preachers. They’ve always rubbed me the wrong way.” Kintaru gives a small shrug, clearly uninterested in the specifics, before Parsons replies.
“You’re aware that Shane hasn’t actually been a preacher for years, right? You’ve missed a whole character arc while you’ve been gone.” Once again Kintaru begins chuckling to himself. This time however it is not light hearted, but instead feels menacing.
“Oh please, the man’s a fucking cult leader. He simply started preaching the word of himself instead of the word of God. But you’re getting distracted. Are you going to give me this match, or not?...” Kintaru slowly extends a hand out to Parsons. Parsons looks down at the hand for a moment, before matching Kintaru’s gaze once more.
“You know I’ll never trust a handshake from you ever again, so you might as well put that away. But whatever, fine. Anarchy 49, Shane Mitchell vs. Kintaru. Non-Title obviously.” Parsons folds his arms across his chest, rejecting the handshake, elliciting another evil chuckle from Kintaru as he pulls his hand back.
“Oh, obviously. I wouldn’t expect THAT much preferential treatment. Don’t you worry one second longer. Anarchy 49 will be the start of something you’ll never forget. I guarantee it. Now is there anything else you needed from me?” Parsons responds with a long stretch as he shatters the mood in the room, losing all the intensity he was emitting moments prior.
“Nah, I believe that’s everything. I gotta get moving anyway, and talk to the boys in the office before they book Shane in a match that’ll ACTUALLY happen. Good luck to you Kinny. I hope your plan goes well.” With that, Parsons lets out a yawn as he makes his way out of the study. As he reaches the door however, he stops, turning his head to look at Kintaru with his one good eye. “Never gonna forget, huh?” The question hangs in the air for a single moment, before Kintaru assures him.
“Absolutely never. I guarantee it.” The two stand in silence once more, before Parsons finally turns away, raising a hand in farewell as he walks out the door. As if on cue, Sophie suddenly appears beside Kintaru, watching Parsons leave.
“A match with the RSW champion, coming off a losing streak. People are gonna start thinking you’re getting unfair privileges here.” Kintaru walks back to his chair, sitting down to watch the fire. He seems almost lost in his gaze of the flames.
“Well what can I say? I’ve got a hell of a history.” Kintaru begins sounds distant as he stares off into the fire. Sophie crouches down next to him, staring intently. The two sit in silence for a long while before Sophie finally says something.
“You know you can’t beat him right? Not anymore.” Kintaru never looks away from the dancing flames, as they flicker and light up different corners of his face.
“That’s the route we’re going with today? Self doubt? Shane’s simply on a hot streak, and every streak has to end eventually. Besides, his head isn’t exactly ‘clear’ right now. He’s bound to make a mistake.” A short smile spreads across Sophie’s face, as if she heard an amusing joke. Kintaru spares a brief look at Sophie, before returning his gaze to the fireplace.
“You know I wasn’t talking about Shane. Everyone knows he’s been off your radar since your return.” Kintaru takes his turn smiling at Sophie’s response, half turning his attention to the red head before responding.
“Off my radar? The man is the RSW champion. The most notable name in the company. The man has beaten everyone there is to beat, and only lost to the best. No, I’ve watched Mr. Mitchell very closely. He was always the next step. You know that.” Sophie suddenly appears sitting cross legged on the floor, directly in front of the fire place, staring at Kintaru. Her arms ar wrapped around her knees, with an unamused look on her face.
“You’re deflecting. You know this match isn’t about Shane. This is about sending HIM a message. But it doesn’t matter. You can’t beat him anymore.” For the first time in a while, Kintaru lets out a true laugh at Sophie’s implications. Sophie rolls her eyes at the reaction as Kintaru begins speaking.
“Wait, are you saying this is about D? The man is beating himself Soph. He’s going back into the darkness, because the light just wasn’t cutting it, and it’s driving him insane. He’s hardly even worth beating at this point.” Sophie’s hazel eyes flash a much sharper emerald green for a moment as a grin spreads across her face. She releases her knees as she casually leans back onto her hands.
“But he WOULD be worth it if he were the RSW Champion... Wouldn’t he?” The smile on Kintaru’s face slowly starts to fade away, as he continues listening to Sophie. She casually leans forward now, placing her head in her hands. “Wouldn’t it be amazing? D vs. Kintaru main eventing an RSW PPV for the top title in the company. Just like the glory years. Just like your prime.” Kintaru clenches hands around the arms of his chair tightly as he continues staring down at Sophie, her grin spreading even wider. After a couple seconds, Kintaru forces a response through clenched teeth.
“I suppose that WOULD be a relatively memorable moment.” Sophie laughs mockingly at Kintaru, uncrossing her legs while still sitting on the floor.
“You suppose?! You can’t lie to me! This was your plan from the start. Relive the glory days! One last shebang before you run off into the sunset! Your legacy was going to be that you were the heart of Genesis until the very end. Until your very last moment! It’s the perfect way to go. The POETIC way to go... But there’s one giant flaw with this plan. You can’t beat him. Not anymore.” Kintaru suddenly shoots up to his feet, sending the chair tumbling to the ground behind him as he does so. Sophie's joking demeanor immediately disappears as she sits up at attention.
“I’m the only one that CAN beat him! That can TRULY beat him! But now we have Shane Mitchell trying to steal MY prize! MY LEGACY TO CONQUER! He thinks he gets to be the one who can break The Enigma?! He thinks he gets to be the one to unleash the darkness THAT I PUT THERE?! THAT’S MY MOMENT! THAT’S MY UNFORGETTABLE FINALE!” Sophie calmly, but quickly rises to her feet as well. She gently places her finger on his lips before placing her hands on the side of his face to direct his attention solely towards her.
“You cannot beat Shane if you make this about D. He’s not someone for you to look past, he’s not another step in the plan, he’s the wall to your plan. Not ‘A’ wall, THE wall.” Kintaru clenches his jaw as Sophie pulls her hands away. Fury burns in his eyes as he stares through the ghost.
“You’re the one who brought up D...” Kintaru’s words are strained as he tries to reel in his emotions. Sophie places her hands on her hips, making sure to never break eye contact with Kintaru.
“Because if you didn’t admit you were focusing on him the whole time, you never would have taken Shane seriously. But you know this! You know Shane is currently the most dangerous man on the Roster! Hell, he might be the most dangerous person IN THE WORLD. HE is who you are fighting at Anarchy 49 now. YOU asked for this. YOU created this opportunity, and if you don’t focus YOU will lose EVERYTHING, OK?! There will be no plan, there will be no finale, and you WILL be forgotten.” The two stand in silence for a long time as Kintaru quietly processes the information. Eventually though, a warm smile spreads on Sophie’s face. She gently places her hands on Kintaru’s shoulders, as she looks into his eyes.
“The end is coming. You just gotta focus, and prove you’re as talented as you say you are.” Kintaru doesn’t say anything as he simply stares at Sophie. The malice, and hatred in his eyes betraying the calm stoic expression on his face.
“No Sophie...” Kintaru breaks the silence in the room with a snap of his fingers, causing the illusion to fall apart into dust once more. “The end is already here”.
~~~
**Minutes Prior**
Parsons makes his way out of the building, taking in a deep breath of fresh air as he does so. He let's out a satisfied sigh as he exhales, while looking up at the sky.
“My god, that mans needs to open a window. What a musty old place, it's no wonder the guy's going insane.” While he looks up at the sky, movement in front of him catches his eyes. As he inspects the movement, he sees the hooded person from earlier, scoping out the outside of the building. A bemused grin spreads across Parson's face as he begins approaching the person. “Back again huh? Well you know I gotta figure out what THIS person's deal is.”
The person doesn't seem to notice that Parsons has started following them, and simply continues looking at all the different windows, presumably trying to see inside. As he gets closer, he hears the person muttering to themselves. The voice sounds agitated, and female.
“This fucking guy, a decade and he still lives in this shit hole. There's no way this can be healthy.” Parsons casually approaches the woman, until he's within arms distance of her. He pantomimes behind her for a while, silently staying out of her line of sight, before finally tapping her on the shoulder. She let's out a dramatic scream, before whipping around and pressing her back against the outer wall of the building. In the process, her hood falls down revealing Jessica Price.
“Ms. Price. well isn't this a surprise. What are you doing here?” Jessica places a hand on her chest as she slowly starts to gain control of her breathing. After a few seconds, she seems to realize it's Chris Parsons talking to her.
“Wait, Chris? What are you doing here? Are you here to fire him?” Parsons has an amused grin on his face as he folds his arms across his chest.
“I believe I asked you what you were doing first, but whatever. No, I did not come here to fire him. Not yet anyway. I simply came to see if he intended to come to work some time, or if I HAD to fire him. Now I'm gonna ask again, what are YOU doing here?” Jessica's shoulders rise up as she pushes herself sheepishly against the wall.
“I was starting to get worried about him when he started no showing. I... Just wanted to make sure he was okay.” Parsons lets out a little chuckle as he places a hand on Jessica's shoulder.
“Well, you don't have to worry. He's... Doing as well as he ever is. Whether that's 'good' or not is up for debate. You know how it goes.” Jessica let's out a nervous laugh in agreement, before daintily removing Parsons' hand from her shoulder.
“Yeah... He's seemed to be particularly bad lately. Ever since I told him Sophie told me check on his RSW return, he seems to be a little more... 'broken'... Than usual.” Parsons' charming smile suddenly fades, as he powerfully slams his hand against the wall next to Jessica's head.
“Wait, what? Sophie is the one who told you to bother me for weeks?” Jessica suddenly shrinks into herself trying to get as far from Parsons as possible.
“Well, uh, no... I... I just told him that to get him to stop choking me. I... I really thought he was gonna kill me.” Parsons lowers his hand from the wall, as he turns his attention away from Jessica, immediately lost in thought.
“Did he straight up create that thing because of this bimbo? What a fucking puzzle... I'm gonna need to keep an eye on that one and make sure it doesn't get out of hand...” Parsons begins walking away, clearly uninterested in Jessica now.
“Umm, what? What are you talking abo-” Parsons holds his palm up towards Jessica, silencing her as he comes to a stop.
“Jess, please, the adults are thinking. I'm gonna need some time to think this over. You... Have fun doing whatever it is you're doing.” Parsons then continues walking away from Jessica, leaving her alone in the front yard. She stands there alone trying to figure out what happened for a few moments, before turning her attention towards the house.
“Well... I've come this far. I might as well check this out while I'm here.” Jessica raises her hood, and makes her way inside the house. Upon entering, her eyes are immediately drawn to the wide open door to the study, as the largest source of light in the house. As she approaches, she can hear a voice echoing down the stairs.
“...Back into the darkness, because the light just wasn’t cutting it, and it’s driving him insane...” Kintaru's voice echoes throughout the house as Jessica approaches the door, hiding just outside of it.
“Is he... Talking to himself?” Jessica peaks her head in through the door, to find Kintaru sitting alone in the study, staring at the fireplace, indeed talking to himself. “This is it! This is gonna get me that promotion from a website reporter for sure!” Jessica excitedly reaches into the front pocket of her hoodie, and pulls out a pad and paper. Then she began writing.
