Challenges

[edwarddubin0604]

(Niko is outside in the freezing cold weight training with what looks like invisible equipment but in reality is heavy compressed air which Commandrix continues to increase the pressure and Niko continues to sweat and strain ignoring the freezing temperatures.  Despite the weather his body heat, sweat and steam coming from his nose he ignores it as if it's nothing to him.)

Niko:  "More pressure......I.....want.....more......pressure!  Where's.....the challenge.....to.....my.....strength!"

Commandrix:  "Increasing pressure to full hundred percent."

(She presses some buttons on what looks like a stand and pushes a lever up increasing the pressure to the maximum and beyond.  Niko roars and grunts painfully but seems unfazed by the pressure and continues weight training for close to an hour until Commandrix signals him to stop.)

Commandrix:  "Very good Niko.  Now for your next challenge.)

(Niko flexes his arms and grunts as he cracks his neck and goes over to a large twenty foot stack old rusty freight train wheels.)

Commandrix: "Now lift and push these freight train wheels up and then you push them down and repeat the process."

Niko:  "There's no challenge in that.  Where's the real challenge like trying to push a ship for a mile while swimming in a monster infested sea."

Commandrix:  "Earthlings are not like that but we are Niko.  I'll see to it that more train wheels shall be acquired to make this part of your weight training more challenging."

Niko:  "I want real challenges in my training."

Commandrix:  "You shall be receiving a whole lot of challenges in the Cruiserweight Tournament."

Niko:  "Where is my fellow gladiator brother Kono in the tournament."

Commandrix:  "He is busy in preparations for his mixed tag team match with Isabel Rios and John Cavanaugh.  The rules state that you can not wrestle in two matches at once or you'll wear yourself out or get hurt."

Niko:  "We have superior conditioning and can fight for hours, days and weeks on end."

Commandrix:  "We know that but the earthlings aren't that conditioned physically so we have to act like earthlings to prevent them from getting too suspicious."

Niko: "So these government investigators don't suspect us."

Commandrix:  "Correct but I have a plan to deal with them in case they suspect us in anyway to move against us."

Niko:  "We shall be prepared to challenge them and physically deal with the threat."

Commandrix: "You shall not physically challenge them.  However, begin this exercise right now and them prepare for your tournament challenge."

Niko: "As you command."

(Niko grips the cold rusted steel of the old train wheels and lifts them up to their full stacked height and pushes them down.  He repeats the process several times grunting and roaring steam coming from his body and nose and sweat begins to stream down his body again and he still ignores it.)

Niko: "Did....you.......figure........out......whom......my......opponent.....is......Commandrix."

Commandrix:  "Negative."

Niko:  "Good!.....I......Like.....unknown......opponents!.....I.....prefer......a......challenge!.....It......keeps......me.....alert!"

Commandrix:  "There is great danger if you at too complacent."

Niko:  "No....Dark.....Star......or......Dark.....Nova.......has......ever....been.....complacent.....and.....we......shall.......never.....be......complacent."

Commandrix: "Still I have been scanning possible cruiserweight opponents all over the XHF and beyond and you shall study them all for preparations.  You shall then prepare appropriately without pause so you can meet the challenge."

Niko: "I.....shall......prepare.....as.....you.....command."

(Niko continues to lift the old rusty training wheels until he is Commandrix commands him to stop after close to another hour.)

Commandrix:  "Now roll those wheels around without stopping and then we can begin your preparations for this challenge."

Niko:  "Yes......Commandrix."

(Niko starts rolling the rusty train wheels roaring and bellowing as he pumps his legs his muscle cords popping out and pumping his legs as he pushes harder and harder for another hour until he returns them to where they originally stood and roars and flexes his muscles and cracks his neck again.)

Niko:  "When this tournament is over we shall honor Shaakar."

Commandrix:"Make sure you don't suffer from overconfidence because everyone is going to target you since you are one half of the tag team champions.  Remember some of these opponents are part of tag teams or groups known as factions and stables and they would love none other to defeat you."

Niko:  "Never have the Dark Stars or Dark Novas went into war and engaged in combat overconfident against any opponent."

Commandrix:  "Keep that discipline up and you shall prevail in this tournament.  Right now you shall start your training and studying your opponents and make the appropriate preparations and adaptations to meet all opponents known and unknown."

(Niko salutes and he heads into the complex as the scene slowly fades to black.)