Post by Sam Sawyer on Dec 18, 2021 20:23:17 GMT -5
To Jack's surprise, Sam spoke to him today. He only wanted a favor from them when he met them at the gym: their permission. He didn't even expect a nod. It had been bugging him for a while that if he wanted to know about Sam's family, all he had to do was ask Caffrey or Washington. If they didn't know, someone from AWF, where Sam started, surely would. He'd tried asking Sam themselves many times but got nothing. He was willing to put it aside for so long because he needed Sam to trust him. And if he went behind their back, they would know. So in the end he decided to be open about it and put it to the test. He simply told Sam what he intended to do. If they had a problem with it, he'd know. Without them even opening their mouth, he was sure there wouldn't be any misunderstanding. But Sam told him plainly about their family; the others in the gym paying no attention.
They told Jack the name of their mother and father, that they live in Houston and that they adopted them as a baby. All in the space of a few seconds, then when Jack asked them for more, silence. He quickly stopped trying. They weren't going to tell him anything he couldn't find out for himself from a computer file.
He'd like to think this was a sign that Sam is opening up, but he knows better. It only confirmed what he had already begun to fear. It's possibly even worse than he feared. The coldness with which they mentioned their parents was disturbing. Sam doesn't care about them. They won't even get a Christmas card.
The last time Jack witnessed anything resembling humanity from Sam was when they silently reassured him after their uncle threatened his safety. The guy either blamed Jack for what happened to Sam, or was jealous of him. He was crazy, and Jack would have been fearing for his life if not for Sam. But now, he's not counting on Sam protecting him. They don't look like the kind of person who cares about the sanctity of a promise. Promises can be inconvenient. He's going to have to be careful.
Now back home, he clears his throat and tells Nick behind the camera that he's ready.
Jack: You hit the nail on the head, Rebecca. The only person Sam cares about is themself. And if you thought Sam was selfish in November... you ain't seen nothing yet.
Since last time, not much has really changed. Everything I said is still true. Sam is still in the gym fifteen hours a day, every day, fighting. Getting stronger. Getting better. Getting sharper. Taking the knowledge gained from the match, the result meaning nothing, and resuming. The gameplan is the same. Sam hasn't added anything new. No secret weapons. No new inspiration. No extra motivation. Yeah, they hit harder, they move faster, they last longer, but that's it. Nothing new. The scary thing isn't what they've added... it's what they've lost.
Even though they rarely speak, Sam always used to be able to connect with me. Even if just a little. I could always get a little power from them, a little spark. They were always cold, and distant, but the kind of cold and distant you expect a human to be. Like it was a choice. Like there was a person underneath. Now, they're not "cold" at all. They're nothing. Day by day, I've watched that little glow inside of Sam shrink and shrink, and now I think there really is nothing left.
Rebecca, you wanted Sam to change. You said it was their fault that you both lost. If they were more like you, you would have won. If they'd have done what you wanted, you would have won. And now you want Sam to apologize? Good luck with that.
Rebecca Brookes wants Sam to change. Marcus Washington wants Sam to change. Everyone wants Sam to change. Sam, do what I tell you. Sam, this is how you win a match. Sam, show up to work. Sam, make the fans happy. Don't do that. Do it like this. Say something. Say something. Make me money.
Let me save you some time. It's not going to work. Not now, not ever. I gave up a long time ago. You can't talk to a force of nature. Nature doesn't bend to entitled humans like us. We think we can control it, tame it, shape it, make it work for us. Maybe if we push it too hard... it will strike back. And if it does, it won't discriminate. It will destroy everything that stands in its path. Not because it's angry. Because we asked it to.
. . .
At 6:35, Joey's alarm starts to ring. He wakes up and for a few seconds doesn't move. Then he turns the alarm off and gets out of bed. He quickly gets dressed and heads to the bathroom. Staring into the mirror as he brushes his teeth, he looks and feels wide awake. Once downstairs, as usual he finds his mom waiting for him in the living room.
Mom: Morning, Joey.
Joey: Morning.
He gives her a small, lifeless smile, not stopping as he passes through to the kitchen. He grabs a bag and fills it with cereal and protein bars, bananas, carrots and bottles of water. He keeps one of the cereal bars handy and passes back through the living room.
Mom: Are you sure you don't want to go to the party with me?
Joey: I'm sure.
Mom: It'll be fun.
Indifferent to his mom's worried smile, he keeps moving.
Mom: Bye, Joey.
Joey: Bye.
Joey steps out into the cold, shuts the door behind him and walks briskly down the garden path. As the sun slowly starts to rise, he makes his way to the gym thinking of nothing at all.
He shivers slightly but barely notices the cold. For a while, every morning his mom would ask him to put on a winter coat. She only gave up a few days ago. He never gave a reason but she guessed he thought it would slow him down. Since moving back to his mom's a few weeks ago - when he couldn't afford the rent - she started getting up an hour earlier every day, taking the rare opportunity to see him.
She saw much more of him when he had his own place. Even after Sam took over the gym, even after Joey started the long hours, he would find the time to see her and catch up, or phone her during one of his breaks. At that time in September, Joey appeared on a promo that aired on the XHF Network. They interviewed him as part of Sam's End of Days audition. When he was asked why he continued to train in the gym after Sam came on the scene, he said, "I don't know... I guess I like it here. One day I'm going to beat Sam. Maybe be the first to beat them. They're undefeated."
Joey's dream to defeat Sam continued to grow after that. Whenever he felt like giving up, it's what kept him coming back. Sam is still undefeated in the gym to this day. But today, Joey couldn't care less. Today a victory over Sam would be nothing more than a tick in a box to him. His only concern is reaching the next goal. Progress for the sake of progress.
Throughout the fall, his friends tried to tear him away from the gym. Like his mom, they were worried about him. They're all gone now: distant memories. Sam is the only person he listens to. It was them that got him this far. Them that started him on his path, that allows him to continue on it, and that knows where its leading. He trusts Sam more than he trusts himself.
But he doesn't feel any gratitude, much less show it. None of them have ever thanked Sam, even though Sam uses all the money they make in FIRESIDE to make sure nobody has to work. Joey uses Sam, like Sam uses Joey. The money, the trust, are just tools to him.
When he steps through the doors of the gym, it's around thirty seconds to seven. A little later than usual but on time. Almost everyone else is already there, and the last couple are just behind him. Without anybody saying a word, they all get to work.
The fourteen of them use the single ring to take turns having matches with each other. When not fighting, they hone their moves in pairs on the surrounding mats. Joey's fifth match of the day is with Sam. They climb into the ring at the same time; Joey topless with black tights, Sam in all black, wearing a high-necked tank top, lace sleeves and tights. They don't need a referee. As soon as they set foot on the mat they start moving towards each other.
Joey hits Sam with a strong forearm. The power causes Sam's head to recoil but their face doesn't flinch. They immediately hit back with their own forearm. The bone smacks against Joey's skull with such force it stuns him for a moment. For a second he's half bent-over, wide open. He ignores the pain and straightens up, looking to strike back, but it's too late. Sam shoots an even stronger forearm into his skull knocking him down to the mat. His head is throbbing but he's used to it. He needs to escape from this losing position. He rolls away, barely avoiding Sam's clutches. He swiftly pulls himself upright with the aid of the ropes but is met with a roundhouse kick to the gut.
With the wind knocked out of him, he's left powerless. Sam delivers a few more roundhouse kicks, slowly but precisely. They pull him away from the ropes and lock in a headlock. Joey can feel Sam's strong arms against his ears, crushing his head. Sam outweighs him by ten pounds so with their feet planted firmly on the mat Joey is stuck. Joey allows Sam to wrench his head as his mind races with possible moves. Sam is the best in the gym at being unpredictable. Joey can't exhaust himself by trying to fight out of it, so he lets Sam attack his head until they decide to let go.
When they do, they slice the back of Joey's neck with a chop leaving him doubled over. Sam runs to the ropes and Joey can sense a knee lift coming. He tails Sam to the ropes and tries to spear their waist right through them. Before he can grab their waist, Sam low bridges him out of the ring. Joey crashes onto the concrete floor. He starts getting back up and looks to the ring, where Sam is bouncing off the opposite ropes and heading straight to him. They sail out of the ring with a suicide dive, hitting Joey in the chest. The move knocks him over and his back thuds hard on the floor. He screws his eyes shut tight. He manages to block out the pain but he can barely breathe. Sam seems to have injured their right knee but is otherwise ready to go. They grab Joey's arm and heave him over to the ring, being careful not to put too much pressure on the knee, then rolls him inside.
Joey rushes Sam with an axe to their back as they climb under the bottom rope. Knowing he can't go for a kneebar yet, he tries to take Sam off guard with simple axe handles, followed by stomps. He waits for Sam to get up and backs off. Sam runs at him with a spinning back fist. Joey ducks just in time, then grabs Sam and hits a snap German. He jumps onto Sam's leg and tries for a kneebar. Sam kicks him away but he jumps back on it and locks it in tight. In between they'd managed to move closer to the ropes but they still have a small way to go. Despite the pain their face is expressionless. Seconds before they reach the ropes, Joey releases the hold and waits for Sam to get up. He thrust kicks their knee, buckling it and bringing them crashing down. He tries to reapply the kneebar but Sam manages to twist their body out of shape, pinning Joey's shoulders to the mat. Joey can't think fast enough and releases the hold to escape. They both get to their feet and Sam slaps him in the face hard.
Joey's almost paralyzed and he can feel the end coming, but he's determined to keep going. Within two seconds of being slapped he fires back with a superkick. Sam catches his boot, then pushes his leg away. Joey feels something burning in his thigh as he tumbles awkwardly to the mat. It's excruciating but he's right back up. He walks into an STO position, then elbows out of it. Sam gives Joey another stiff slap. Joey wants it now. He wants it like he used to want it. He slaps Sam back. It's not enough so he gives them another. Sam is barely affected and slaps Joey. It burns like hell and he screams in anger, breaking the gym's silence. He starts slapping Sam with both hands, left right, left right, left right. It sounds like firecrackers going off. He chops Sam's throat, hits a spinning back fist, and a jumping knee uppercut. Then he steps back, side steps, and superkicks their head off. He hooks their leg and nods his head in time with the imaginary count. One, two...
Sam gets the shoulder up. They start to sit up, eyes glazed. Joey superkicks them square in the face, maybe breaking their nose. One, two...
They get the shoulder up. Joey can't believe it. He watches Sam slowly make it to their feet, their eyes empty, and thinks about how far he's come. What he's given up to get here. He will not lose. Not today. He throws his forearm at Sam's head with everything he's got. Sam barely budges. They hit him with a big boot. While he grabs his nose in pain, Sam springs off the ropes and goes for the lariat. Joey ducks, but Sam expecting that suddenly grabs his waist and hits a Saito suplex. They hold on, lift him up and hit another. Then a third. And finally an STO. Sam swiftly ascends the top rope and hits the moonsault. One, two...
Kickout. No one's done that before. But neither Sam nor the others in the gym care. Sam waits on Joey getting up, hits a roundhouse to his right thigh, bounces off the ropes and hits the lariat. One, two...
Three.
They told Jack the name of their mother and father, that they live in Houston and that they adopted them as a baby. All in the space of a few seconds, then when Jack asked them for more, silence. He quickly stopped trying. They weren't going to tell him anything he couldn't find out for himself from a computer file.
He'd like to think this was a sign that Sam is opening up, but he knows better. It only confirmed what he had already begun to fear. It's possibly even worse than he feared. The coldness with which they mentioned their parents was disturbing. Sam doesn't care about them. They won't even get a Christmas card.
The last time Jack witnessed anything resembling humanity from Sam was when they silently reassured him after their uncle threatened his safety. The guy either blamed Jack for what happened to Sam, or was jealous of him. He was crazy, and Jack would have been fearing for his life if not for Sam. But now, he's not counting on Sam protecting him. They don't look like the kind of person who cares about the sanctity of a promise. Promises can be inconvenient. He's going to have to be careful.
Now back home, he clears his throat and tells Nick behind the camera that he's ready.
Jack: You hit the nail on the head, Rebecca. The only person Sam cares about is themself. And if you thought Sam was selfish in November... you ain't seen nothing yet.
Since last time, not much has really changed. Everything I said is still true. Sam is still in the gym fifteen hours a day, every day, fighting. Getting stronger. Getting better. Getting sharper. Taking the knowledge gained from the match, the result meaning nothing, and resuming. The gameplan is the same. Sam hasn't added anything new. No secret weapons. No new inspiration. No extra motivation. Yeah, they hit harder, they move faster, they last longer, but that's it. Nothing new. The scary thing isn't what they've added... it's what they've lost.
Even though they rarely speak, Sam always used to be able to connect with me. Even if just a little. I could always get a little power from them, a little spark. They were always cold, and distant, but the kind of cold and distant you expect a human to be. Like it was a choice. Like there was a person underneath. Now, they're not "cold" at all. They're nothing. Day by day, I've watched that little glow inside of Sam shrink and shrink, and now I think there really is nothing left.
Rebecca, you wanted Sam to change. You said it was their fault that you both lost. If they were more like you, you would have won. If they'd have done what you wanted, you would have won. And now you want Sam to apologize? Good luck with that.
Rebecca Brookes wants Sam to change. Marcus Washington wants Sam to change. Everyone wants Sam to change. Sam, do what I tell you. Sam, this is how you win a match. Sam, show up to work. Sam, make the fans happy. Don't do that. Do it like this. Say something. Say something. Make me money.
Let me save you some time. It's not going to work. Not now, not ever. I gave up a long time ago. You can't talk to a force of nature. Nature doesn't bend to entitled humans like us. We think we can control it, tame it, shape it, make it work for us. Maybe if we push it too hard... it will strike back. And if it does, it won't discriminate. It will destroy everything that stands in its path. Not because it's angry. Because we asked it to.
. . .
At 6:35, Joey's alarm starts to ring. He wakes up and for a few seconds doesn't move. Then he turns the alarm off and gets out of bed. He quickly gets dressed and heads to the bathroom. Staring into the mirror as he brushes his teeth, he looks and feels wide awake. Once downstairs, as usual he finds his mom waiting for him in the living room.
Mom: Morning, Joey.
Joey: Morning.
He gives her a small, lifeless smile, not stopping as he passes through to the kitchen. He grabs a bag and fills it with cereal and protein bars, bananas, carrots and bottles of water. He keeps one of the cereal bars handy and passes back through the living room.
Mom: Are you sure you don't want to go to the party with me?
Joey: I'm sure.
Mom: It'll be fun.
Indifferent to his mom's worried smile, he keeps moving.
Mom: Bye, Joey.
Joey: Bye.
Joey steps out into the cold, shuts the door behind him and walks briskly down the garden path. As the sun slowly starts to rise, he makes his way to the gym thinking of nothing at all.
He shivers slightly but barely notices the cold. For a while, every morning his mom would ask him to put on a winter coat. She only gave up a few days ago. He never gave a reason but she guessed he thought it would slow him down. Since moving back to his mom's a few weeks ago - when he couldn't afford the rent - she started getting up an hour earlier every day, taking the rare opportunity to see him.
She saw much more of him when he had his own place. Even after Sam took over the gym, even after Joey started the long hours, he would find the time to see her and catch up, or phone her during one of his breaks. At that time in September, Joey appeared on a promo that aired on the XHF Network. They interviewed him as part of Sam's End of Days audition. When he was asked why he continued to train in the gym after Sam came on the scene, he said, "I don't know... I guess I like it here. One day I'm going to beat Sam. Maybe be the first to beat them. They're undefeated."
Joey's dream to defeat Sam continued to grow after that. Whenever he felt like giving up, it's what kept him coming back. Sam is still undefeated in the gym to this day. But today, Joey couldn't care less. Today a victory over Sam would be nothing more than a tick in a box to him. His only concern is reaching the next goal. Progress for the sake of progress.
Throughout the fall, his friends tried to tear him away from the gym. Like his mom, they were worried about him. They're all gone now: distant memories. Sam is the only person he listens to. It was them that got him this far. Them that started him on his path, that allows him to continue on it, and that knows where its leading. He trusts Sam more than he trusts himself.
But he doesn't feel any gratitude, much less show it. None of them have ever thanked Sam, even though Sam uses all the money they make in FIRESIDE to make sure nobody has to work. Joey uses Sam, like Sam uses Joey. The money, the trust, are just tools to him.
When he steps through the doors of the gym, it's around thirty seconds to seven. A little later than usual but on time. Almost everyone else is already there, and the last couple are just behind him. Without anybody saying a word, they all get to work.
The fourteen of them use the single ring to take turns having matches with each other. When not fighting, they hone their moves in pairs on the surrounding mats. Joey's fifth match of the day is with Sam. They climb into the ring at the same time; Joey topless with black tights, Sam in all black, wearing a high-necked tank top, lace sleeves and tights. They don't need a referee. As soon as they set foot on the mat they start moving towards each other.
Joey hits Sam with a strong forearm. The power causes Sam's head to recoil but their face doesn't flinch. They immediately hit back with their own forearm. The bone smacks against Joey's skull with such force it stuns him for a moment. For a second he's half bent-over, wide open. He ignores the pain and straightens up, looking to strike back, but it's too late. Sam shoots an even stronger forearm into his skull knocking him down to the mat. His head is throbbing but he's used to it. He needs to escape from this losing position. He rolls away, barely avoiding Sam's clutches. He swiftly pulls himself upright with the aid of the ropes but is met with a roundhouse kick to the gut.
With the wind knocked out of him, he's left powerless. Sam delivers a few more roundhouse kicks, slowly but precisely. They pull him away from the ropes and lock in a headlock. Joey can feel Sam's strong arms against his ears, crushing his head. Sam outweighs him by ten pounds so with their feet planted firmly on the mat Joey is stuck. Joey allows Sam to wrench his head as his mind races with possible moves. Sam is the best in the gym at being unpredictable. Joey can't exhaust himself by trying to fight out of it, so he lets Sam attack his head until they decide to let go.
When they do, they slice the back of Joey's neck with a chop leaving him doubled over. Sam runs to the ropes and Joey can sense a knee lift coming. He tails Sam to the ropes and tries to spear their waist right through them. Before he can grab their waist, Sam low bridges him out of the ring. Joey crashes onto the concrete floor. He starts getting back up and looks to the ring, where Sam is bouncing off the opposite ropes and heading straight to him. They sail out of the ring with a suicide dive, hitting Joey in the chest. The move knocks him over and his back thuds hard on the floor. He screws his eyes shut tight. He manages to block out the pain but he can barely breathe. Sam seems to have injured their right knee but is otherwise ready to go. They grab Joey's arm and heave him over to the ring, being careful not to put too much pressure on the knee, then rolls him inside.
Joey rushes Sam with an axe to their back as they climb under the bottom rope. Knowing he can't go for a kneebar yet, he tries to take Sam off guard with simple axe handles, followed by stomps. He waits for Sam to get up and backs off. Sam runs at him with a spinning back fist. Joey ducks just in time, then grabs Sam and hits a snap German. He jumps onto Sam's leg and tries for a kneebar. Sam kicks him away but he jumps back on it and locks it in tight. In between they'd managed to move closer to the ropes but they still have a small way to go. Despite the pain their face is expressionless. Seconds before they reach the ropes, Joey releases the hold and waits for Sam to get up. He thrust kicks their knee, buckling it and bringing them crashing down. He tries to reapply the kneebar but Sam manages to twist their body out of shape, pinning Joey's shoulders to the mat. Joey can't think fast enough and releases the hold to escape. They both get to their feet and Sam slaps him in the face hard.
Joey's almost paralyzed and he can feel the end coming, but he's determined to keep going. Within two seconds of being slapped he fires back with a superkick. Sam catches his boot, then pushes his leg away. Joey feels something burning in his thigh as he tumbles awkwardly to the mat. It's excruciating but he's right back up. He walks into an STO position, then elbows out of it. Sam gives Joey another stiff slap. Joey wants it now. He wants it like he used to want it. He slaps Sam back. It's not enough so he gives them another. Sam is barely affected and slaps Joey. It burns like hell and he screams in anger, breaking the gym's silence. He starts slapping Sam with both hands, left right, left right, left right. It sounds like firecrackers going off. He chops Sam's throat, hits a spinning back fist, and a jumping knee uppercut. Then he steps back, side steps, and superkicks their head off. He hooks their leg and nods his head in time with the imaginary count. One, two...
Sam gets the shoulder up. They start to sit up, eyes glazed. Joey superkicks them square in the face, maybe breaking their nose. One, two...
They get the shoulder up. Joey can't believe it. He watches Sam slowly make it to their feet, their eyes empty, and thinks about how far he's come. What he's given up to get here. He will not lose. Not today. He throws his forearm at Sam's head with everything he's got. Sam barely budges. They hit him with a big boot. While he grabs his nose in pain, Sam springs off the ropes and goes for the lariat. Joey ducks, but Sam expecting that suddenly grabs his waist and hits a Saito suplex. They hold on, lift him up and hit another. Then a third. And finally an STO. Sam swiftly ascends the top rope and hits the moonsault. One, two...
Kickout. No one's done that before. But neither Sam nor the others in the gym care. Sam waits on Joey getting up, hits a roundhouse to his right thigh, bounces off the ropes and hits the lariat. One, two...
Three.