Be Very Afraid (Raiden BfH)
Jan 13, 2023 0:28:30 GMT -5
Mongo the Destroyer, Hyperion, and 2 more like this
Post by Raiden Ishimori on Jan 13, 2023 0:28:30 GMT -5
Daigo: “Bored out of my mind…”
Raiden: “And why’s that?”
Daigo: “I don’t know…lack of wrestling for us? We’re champions, man. We ought to be out there showcasing that we still are a force to be reckoned with. Excluding the loss to Top of the Class, we’ve been holding onto Sin City’s tag titles for over half a year now. Every team that’s stepped up to us has fallen short of the mark, and there aren’t many others to step up to the plate to challenge us.”
Raiden: “Well if you keep talking like that, who knows. Some unlikely alliances might team up to try and take us down.”
Daigo shakes his head, attention turning to the television in the living room as the commercials came to an end. He falls back into his chair, slouching a bit as he idly mixes the straw in his cocktail. In the background, a J-Drama plays with a bland conversation scene. Daigo takes to paying attention to the screen for now, continuing to lazily stir his drink. From off screen, Reina enters the frame, dressed in black leggings and an oversized sweatshirt, placing a drink on the table in front of Raiden before joining him on the couch, pulling her legs in. Raiden moves to take hold of the cocktail, taking a couple sips from it. Nonchalantly, he drapes an arm along the top of the couch, Reina scooting closer to him as the three somewhat tuned into the show.
Daigo: “You call the others back home or nah?”
Raiden (confused): “Define others.”
Daigo (gesturing with his hands): “You know. That old guy you’ve talked about before and his grandkids. And uh….oh hell what was the name of that place you mentioned before…”
Reina (raising a brow): “Are you referring to Club Fujin, Daigo?”
Daigo: “Yeaaaah, that place. That’s the one.”
Raiden shakes his head at his partner’s mannerisms as Chaos Tiger loudly sips his drink to emphasize himself.
Raiden: “As far as Reina and I are aware, everyone’s fine as it stands. Whatever protection plan Kingsley put into place to help cover our tracks has been a lot more effective over the past three years than I could’ve ever imagined.”
Reina: “Still….even I can’t help but worry about those back home in Osaka. We did just up and leave without much notice given. That was before you two left J-ROK and then made the move to Vegas to work with Solomon and Storms. I still find the two of them intimidating in their own respective ways.”
Daigo: “You weren’t afraid of us when we had to put up with masks for the duration we were there.”
Reina: “That’s because I already knew about the two of you prior to being acquainted with the others. I can differentiate the masked versions easily, and it isn’t hard to separate a voice from a face if you’ve seen them plenty of times without the mask.”
She reaches across Raiden, hand coming up to gently pat his cheek, garnering a bit of blush from the technical star talent. Daigo rolls his eyes, letting out a playful chuckle in turn with another few sips.
Reina: “However I can tell that the two have whatever good intentions for you two considering you’ve been allies for this long. Still hard to believe it’s been almost three years to the day since all four of you emerged as a united front, and now look at the accomplishments you’ve managed since making a move into Sin City.”
Daigo: “I reckon we could hit a year with the tag titles if small fry like the current talent pool keeps getting thrown at us. People thought the likes of The Immortals and The Nihilists would take us down, and then people thought Motor City Mafia had a shot but guess who proved them wrong. We did.”
Daigo points to himself with a thumb, sticking his tongue out in turn. Ever the jokester compared to the stoic man in the form of his tag partner who gives another shake of the head.
Raiden: “Talk like that is more than likely going to jinx our odds of retaining up until that point in time. If the scheduling is anything to go by, there’s still the likes of February and April to get through knowing how big events get planned out by Kingsley.”
Daigo: “Bah, leave that kind of stress to me, Raiden. As a whole, The Harbingers are standing at the top of the tag rankings in Sin City as per usual with the best record to boot and we’ve got who else to worry about that hasn’t stepped up? The Goons? The Sanctuary? Easy money. You just focus on making it to Supremacy and I’ll worry about the current situation back home in Sin City. You got bigger fish to fry.”
Raiden: “Team with would probably fit a majority of them…save for Copycat. I’m still wondering how the hell he got my number…”
Daigo: “Kingsley.”
Raiden: “Yeah, probably.”
Raiden sighs, taking another few sips from his glass. Reina, meanwhile, snuggles up to him a bit, hand gently patting the top of the Harbinger’s chest.
Reina: “Nervous about heading back into the limelight?”
Raiden: “Eh…yes and no. Yes because this is the first time in a good few years I’m opting on trying to chase after the damn X*Crown again but also no because well….used to these kinds of shenanigans in all honesty. Having to jump through the usual hoops that Mongo lays out for all of us and to make a mad dash for the brass ring at the end of the trial stage. Not the first time doing something like this, and probably won’t be the last either for all I know.”
Reina: “Even so, you should at least know that everyone else is proud as is with you even making the attempt. If you advance, great. If you don’t, you at least gave it your best in repping everyone in town.”
Daigo: “Much as the loss still pains me, Reina’s got a point. I helped make Sin City a known establishment when I carried the Junior Heavyweight title for the few months I held it in my hands before losing it to that one twat…”
Daigo shakes his head, murmuring something in the trio’s native tongue as he takes another few sips.
Daigo: “Just do me a favor and knock some heads together for my sake. Chaos isn’t making an appearance on the grand stage this time but someone has to get the job done.”
Raiden: “I’m sure I can manage something while I’m out there.”
Daigo: “Good.”
Daigo soon fishes into his pocket, producing a vibrating cell phone that he momentarily glances at. His posture swiftly changes, sitting up straight and setting his drink aside before pushing up to his feet.
Daigo: “Boss Man is calling. I’ll handle it.”
Daigo brings the device to his ear, walking out of frame and leaving the two lovers to themselves as his voice trails off. Reina looks up at Raiden with an inquisitive look, tilting her head slightly.
Reina: “I take it you might know what that call is about?”
Raiden: “Let’s just say Kingsley knows how to work a long con at times.”
The shot fades out and replacing it with a much faster fade in is Raiden looking over a makeshift cork board of sorts with various images of previous talents he has faced over the course of his journey: Kira Izumi, Chris Card, Drago, Death Trap…the portraits extending all the way up until the recent encounter with The Sanctuary on the most recent episode of Ignition. Each portrait has a red X slashed through all of them, highlighting the times that Bone Cold has overcome several big names far and wide ever since he first entered the industry. He moves his hands to his hips, continuing to admire his own work standing before him.
Raiden: “It’s crazy to think that this year will mark my fifth year as a pro wrestler already when it still feels like just last year I was truly known. Funny how time has a way of making things work out and how opportunities will spring up from nothing. Five years ago I was but another face joining the ranks of Suzuki Blitz Wrestling and its kooky antics but God be damned that I wasn’t one of the absolute best to keep making his mark everywhere I went afterward. From AWF, to MCCW, to J-ROK, and now to Sin City. When I first started freelancing, I hardly had anything of note to my name save for a couple awards won heading into 2019. That was the year when things began to gradually take off but it wouldn’t be until the following year in 2020 that things really started to spark up. The debut of The Harbingers, making the finals of the Sakura Tag League, shit was glorious.”
His gaze moves over to the portrait of Jason Long, spitting in the paper’s face.
Raiden: “Then everything fell silent for a time…and it wasn’t until Kingsley made the acquisition of MCCW that things began to shape up again. I’ll admit, I didn’t have the most graceful restart after being away from the ring for so long as opposed to Daigo but…I ultimately prevailed. The inaugural and still defending Double Down Champions, and even a High Roller reign albeit briefly. To top all that off, the boys and I even claimed Tag Team of the Year in Sin City as co-winners with MCM. Gotta give that credit where it’s due.”
Bone Cold leans forward a bit, palms planting themselves on the wooden desk sitting before the cork board.
Raiden: “Of course, I’m not one to really gloat about accomplishments unlike Daigo. No…I know when it comes to business and this kind of venture is no different than the journey I had of fighting for this damn X*Crown over the course of seven months not once, not twice, but thrice. Now it’s onto attempt number four. Heh…funny that the number in question is also the amount of heads that need to be axed off the block in this upcoming round of executions. Oh how I’ve been waiting to sharpen my blade and let the steel sing and cut through the air like a snake’s tongue. A beautiful symphony…just waiting for the strings to be pulled.”
He reaches up towards the portraits, grabbing a fistful of Jason Justice, Esmur, Gebin, and Travis Monroe that he tears away in hasty fashion before ripping apart more of the portraits to reveal four more faces beneath the sea of red Xs. Images of The Sheik, Armand van Krauss, Poena, and James Raymond now sit before him, taking up a majority of the space offered on the cork board.
Raiden: “This…is my latest quarry to be hunted in tandem with the likes of Copycat, Steve Awesome, and Dylan Black. Four chickens, heads ready to be severed and left to bleed in winter’s chilling bite.”
Raiden sighs, shaking his head with a visible look of disappointment.
Raiden: “They could’ve at least given us something better than mere scraps from the table, but sometimes you have to make the best of what’s offered to you and this is really no different.”
His fingers move to The Sheik’s image, giving it a blank stare.
Raiden: “...What a nuisance. Someone who’s fallen for the stereotype of us Japanese talents looking the same when this man is a no better example of a walking stereotype himself. How someone could even confuse Daigo and I is unbelievable yet The Sheik has certainly showcased his stupidity. Sure, sure, spare me the details about his whole bloodlust and I can easily show you the times I nearly put people in hospitals for a time in SCCW. Johnny Rotten, Rickey Tressler….they all knew…they knew what it was like to step into the ring with The Harbinger of Pain. To be constricted, choked, bent beyond their limits….a wondrous melody. Yet this is a man of the sands who can do no more than simply spill blood. There is no art to him. Nothing, absolutely nothing, to really take from him. He fell to Eron Hunter just like Daigo did, and yet Hardkore thinks him a worthy adversary?”
Raiden audibly scoffs at such a thought, tearing the portrait from the cork board. He practically shreds it in his hands before crumpling up the torn pieces and tossing it over his shoulder and out of the frame.
Raiden: “That’s what I think of the ‘hardcore’ Sheik. Next time try not to take so many blows to the head and the voices in your degraded mind won’t confuse one for the other again. I’m surprised you can even lace up your boots with that kind of sheer stupidity. Pathetic.”
Bone Cold’s gaze turns over to the image of Armand, arms folding over his chest as he takes a moment to study the portrait a bit longer.
Raiden: “This was the man who owned Riot Star Wrestling? Fucking hell…I almost pity the man from there who I once tossed off the cage in the main event of End of Days that one year. Good times, good times. Memory Lane aside, what exactly am I looking at, eh? A businessman turned wrestler….but done wrong. Kingsley made it look simple but this Armand guy…what is there to really say about him? You run a company, get locked up in jail, get out, join a phony ass group in another promotion, and now find yourself repping the company that stole a prize that once belonged to The Harbingers not too long ago. That transgression alone….I ought to peel your head back to the point you’d be able to see your own ass. Perhaps that’d be for the best because then I can shove that empty head of yours up right where it belongs and call it a day considering how much you view yourself as some kind of king.”
Raiden grabs the portrait by the face, fingers scrunching in to crinkle the face before harshly ripping it from the board, leaving the image not just faceless, but also headless.
Raiden: “Give me a goddamn break. Acting like you’re Nero when you’re really a Julius Caesar in disguise. You’ll feel something piercing you alright…I’ll make sure your ribs get real friendly with your intestines by the time our match is done and dealt with. Heh…I’ve always wanted to spill some kind of royal blood in a ring, and now I have my chance. Enjoy kissing the rebel’s boot.”
He tears off the remainder of the portrait before turning his attention to Poena’s image. A wicked grin crosses his lips at the sight of the Tap Out talent.
Raiden: “Ah…Kingsley’s told me about you, Poena. The delusional cultist who thinks he’s all this and that. Far, far out of his depth and I would know. Trust me, I would know. Contending with Jack Diamond is no easy matter and that’s a score I intend to settle one of these days with that rich bastard. For now though, I have to make do with you as yet another scrap to play around with before putting you down for the betterment of this match. A living parasite is what you are. No better than the time this Network was tainted with the Dark Carnival and the stain they brought upon the industry. A righteous blight and it’s almost like deja vu with the kind of LARPing you put on in your free time since mommy obviously wasn’t a fan of it.”
A sinister chuckle emits from Raiden as he rests a hand on the portrait, slowly scrunching it up by the portrait’s face.
Raiden: “Yet the way your tale goes, one would think you’re nothing more than some Outlast knock off with your tale of starting this cult. No wonder no one can take your crap seriously when you’re making the fantasy a reality in an attempt to make yourself known. I will admit though, you’re a man after my own heart in wanting to cause as much pain as possible whenever you step into that ring. Well you can’t beat a Harbinger in that department and I’ll tell you why. Who knows…maybe this revelation will make your head spin so damn hard that it’ll get that other eye of yours working again so you can see just how pathetic you really are as a whole. Harbingers are the people that arrive before the rest of the storm comes with them in a violent torrent of carnage and destruction. We are the ones who preceded cataclysms and misfortune and we are the very best at doing all that. I’m The Harbinger of Pain for a reason, Poena. People fear me when they have to contend with me because I can easily take an arm or leg and turn someone into the manifestation of a human pretzel in front of a crowd. It’s what I’m capable of, and it’s what I’m paid to do to keep showing why I’m the damn best at what I do. Don’t you ever forget that.”
Raiden rips away the portrait, leaving the remaining one of James Raymond on display.
Raiden: “Ah yes…The Broken Crown himself. The guy who just about had it all in AXW before watching all that hard work evaporate in just a mere sixteen days. How the mighty fall will always continue to impress me and look at this man on display: the pure manifestation of having his cake but not eating it. Sure, argue that you and Long beat Daigo and I for the Tag League back in 2020 but who’s really still enjoying success to this day? Who’s still holding their company’s tag titles ever since they won them? An absolute sorry excuse of a wrestling prospect you’ve turned out to be, James. So much promise, and now you’re just this in today’s day and age.”
Bone Cold leans in closer to the portrait, eyeing it up and down with malice in his eyes.
Raiden: “I’ve been waiting for a day that I could get my hands on you or Long again after what happened three years ago in the Sakura Tag League Finals and now I have a chance to correct part of that wrongdoing. Where you denied us a chance to be atop the tag division in J-ROK, I’ll now be denying you an opportunity to become the top dog in the Network. Little bitches ought to know better than trying to run with the alphas in this pack of wolves yet you always were one to try and step up but could never emulate your partner’s success. Always one to stay in someone else’s shadow. Caught in Jason Long’s, overshadowed by Nate Pierce as Undisputed Champion, and now you’re just salvaging for whatever scraps you can snag in J-ROK.”
Another sinister chuckle emits from Raiden.
Raiden: “I’m going to enjoy tormenting you the most, James. To hear that blood curdling symphony once again of limbs twisting, bones snapping, joins popping….ah, the bliss is already filling my mind. If I were you, or any of those stragglers you call partners in this endeavor, I would be very, very afraid of the maelstrom that is coming for you in a few days’ time. None of you are leaving with your heads held high, and I’ll make sure that one of you won’t be able to look up at all by the night’s end. Don’t worry…I’ll contact the hospital ahead of time to prep your beds….you’ll need them.”
Compared to the other three portraits, Raiden slowly tears Raymond’s portrait down the middle, crumpling up the rest into a ball and dropping it onto the floor before punting it out of sight with a short chuckle. Dusting his hands against one another, Bone Cold makes his way out of the frame, satisfaction plastered on his face.
Raiden: “And why’s that?”
Daigo: “I don’t know…lack of wrestling for us? We’re champions, man. We ought to be out there showcasing that we still are a force to be reckoned with. Excluding the loss to Top of the Class, we’ve been holding onto Sin City’s tag titles for over half a year now. Every team that’s stepped up to us has fallen short of the mark, and there aren’t many others to step up to the plate to challenge us.”
Raiden: “Well if you keep talking like that, who knows. Some unlikely alliances might team up to try and take us down.”
Daigo shakes his head, attention turning to the television in the living room as the commercials came to an end. He falls back into his chair, slouching a bit as he idly mixes the straw in his cocktail. In the background, a J-Drama plays with a bland conversation scene. Daigo takes to paying attention to the screen for now, continuing to lazily stir his drink. From off screen, Reina enters the frame, dressed in black leggings and an oversized sweatshirt, placing a drink on the table in front of Raiden before joining him on the couch, pulling her legs in. Raiden moves to take hold of the cocktail, taking a couple sips from it. Nonchalantly, he drapes an arm along the top of the couch, Reina scooting closer to him as the three somewhat tuned into the show.
Daigo: “You call the others back home or nah?”
Raiden (confused): “Define others.”
Daigo (gesturing with his hands): “You know. That old guy you’ve talked about before and his grandkids. And uh….oh hell what was the name of that place you mentioned before…”
Reina (raising a brow): “Are you referring to Club Fujin, Daigo?”
Daigo: “Yeaaaah, that place. That’s the one.”
Raiden shakes his head at his partner’s mannerisms as Chaos Tiger loudly sips his drink to emphasize himself.
Raiden: “As far as Reina and I are aware, everyone’s fine as it stands. Whatever protection plan Kingsley put into place to help cover our tracks has been a lot more effective over the past three years than I could’ve ever imagined.”
Reina: “Still….even I can’t help but worry about those back home in Osaka. We did just up and leave without much notice given. That was before you two left J-ROK and then made the move to Vegas to work with Solomon and Storms. I still find the two of them intimidating in their own respective ways.”
Daigo: “You weren’t afraid of us when we had to put up with masks for the duration we were there.”
Reina: “That’s because I already knew about the two of you prior to being acquainted with the others. I can differentiate the masked versions easily, and it isn’t hard to separate a voice from a face if you’ve seen them plenty of times without the mask.”
She reaches across Raiden, hand coming up to gently pat his cheek, garnering a bit of blush from the technical star talent. Daigo rolls his eyes, letting out a playful chuckle in turn with another few sips.
Reina: “However I can tell that the two have whatever good intentions for you two considering you’ve been allies for this long. Still hard to believe it’s been almost three years to the day since all four of you emerged as a united front, and now look at the accomplishments you’ve managed since making a move into Sin City.”
Daigo: “I reckon we could hit a year with the tag titles if small fry like the current talent pool keeps getting thrown at us. People thought the likes of The Immortals and The Nihilists would take us down, and then people thought Motor City Mafia had a shot but guess who proved them wrong. We did.”
Daigo points to himself with a thumb, sticking his tongue out in turn. Ever the jokester compared to the stoic man in the form of his tag partner who gives another shake of the head.
Raiden: “Talk like that is more than likely going to jinx our odds of retaining up until that point in time. If the scheduling is anything to go by, there’s still the likes of February and April to get through knowing how big events get planned out by Kingsley.”
Daigo: “Bah, leave that kind of stress to me, Raiden. As a whole, The Harbingers are standing at the top of the tag rankings in Sin City as per usual with the best record to boot and we’ve got who else to worry about that hasn’t stepped up? The Goons? The Sanctuary? Easy money. You just focus on making it to Supremacy and I’ll worry about the current situation back home in Sin City. You got bigger fish to fry.”
Raiden: “Team with would probably fit a majority of them…save for Copycat. I’m still wondering how the hell he got my number…”
Daigo: “Kingsley.”
Raiden: “Yeah, probably.”
Raiden sighs, taking another few sips from his glass. Reina, meanwhile, snuggles up to him a bit, hand gently patting the top of the Harbinger’s chest.
Reina: “Nervous about heading back into the limelight?”
Raiden: “Eh…yes and no. Yes because this is the first time in a good few years I’m opting on trying to chase after the damn X*Crown again but also no because well….used to these kinds of shenanigans in all honesty. Having to jump through the usual hoops that Mongo lays out for all of us and to make a mad dash for the brass ring at the end of the trial stage. Not the first time doing something like this, and probably won’t be the last either for all I know.”
Reina: “Even so, you should at least know that everyone else is proud as is with you even making the attempt. If you advance, great. If you don’t, you at least gave it your best in repping everyone in town.”
Daigo: “Much as the loss still pains me, Reina’s got a point. I helped make Sin City a known establishment when I carried the Junior Heavyweight title for the few months I held it in my hands before losing it to that one twat…”
Daigo shakes his head, murmuring something in the trio’s native tongue as he takes another few sips.
Daigo: “Just do me a favor and knock some heads together for my sake. Chaos isn’t making an appearance on the grand stage this time but someone has to get the job done.”
Raiden: “I’m sure I can manage something while I’m out there.”
Daigo: “Good.”
Daigo soon fishes into his pocket, producing a vibrating cell phone that he momentarily glances at. His posture swiftly changes, sitting up straight and setting his drink aside before pushing up to his feet.
Daigo: “Boss Man is calling. I’ll handle it.”
Daigo brings the device to his ear, walking out of frame and leaving the two lovers to themselves as his voice trails off. Reina looks up at Raiden with an inquisitive look, tilting her head slightly.
Reina: “I take it you might know what that call is about?”
Raiden: “Let’s just say Kingsley knows how to work a long con at times.”
The shot fades out and replacing it with a much faster fade in is Raiden looking over a makeshift cork board of sorts with various images of previous talents he has faced over the course of his journey: Kira Izumi, Chris Card, Drago, Death Trap…the portraits extending all the way up until the recent encounter with The Sanctuary on the most recent episode of Ignition. Each portrait has a red X slashed through all of them, highlighting the times that Bone Cold has overcome several big names far and wide ever since he first entered the industry. He moves his hands to his hips, continuing to admire his own work standing before him.
Raiden: “It’s crazy to think that this year will mark my fifth year as a pro wrestler already when it still feels like just last year I was truly known. Funny how time has a way of making things work out and how opportunities will spring up from nothing. Five years ago I was but another face joining the ranks of Suzuki Blitz Wrestling and its kooky antics but God be damned that I wasn’t one of the absolute best to keep making his mark everywhere I went afterward. From AWF, to MCCW, to J-ROK, and now to Sin City. When I first started freelancing, I hardly had anything of note to my name save for a couple awards won heading into 2019. That was the year when things began to gradually take off but it wouldn’t be until the following year in 2020 that things really started to spark up. The debut of The Harbingers, making the finals of the Sakura Tag League, shit was glorious.”
His gaze moves over to the portrait of Jason Long, spitting in the paper’s face.
Raiden: “Then everything fell silent for a time…and it wasn’t until Kingsley made the acquisition of MCCW that things began to shape up again. I’ll admit, I didn’t have the most graceful restart after being away from the ring for so long as opposed to Daigo but…I ultimately prevailed. The inaugural and still defending Double Down Champions, and even a High Roller reign albeit briefly. To top all that off, the boys and I even claimed Tag Team of the Year in Sin City as co-winners with MCM. Gotta give that credit where it’s due.”
Bone Cold leans forward a bit, palms planting themselves on the wooden desk sitting before the cork board.
Raiden: “Of course, I’m not one to really gloat about accomplishments unlike Daigo. No…I know when it comes to business and this kind of venture is no different than the journey I had of fighting for this damn X*Crown over the course of seven months not once, not twice, but thrice. Now it’s onto attempt number four. Heh…funny that the number in question is also the amount of heads that need to be axed off the block in this upcoming round of executions. Oh how I’ve been waiting to sharpen my blade and let the steel sing and cut through the air like a snake’s tongue. A beautiful symphony…just waiting for the strings to be pulled.”
He reaches up towards the portraits, grabbing a fistful of Jason Justice, Esmur, Gebin, and Travis Monroe that he tears away in hasty fashion before ripping apart more of the portraits to reveal four more faces beneath the sea of red Xs. Images of The Sheik, Armand van Krauss, Poena, and James Raymond now sit before him, taking up a majority of the space offered on the cork board.
Raiden: “This…is my latest quarry to be hunted in tandem with the likes of Copycat, Steve Awesome, and Dylan Black. Four chickens, heads ready to be severed and left to bleed in winter’s chilling bite.”
Raiden sighs, shaking his head with a visible look of disappointment.
Raiden: “They could’ve at least given us something better than mere scraps from the table, but sometimes you have to make the best of what’s offered to you and this is really no different.”
His fingers move to The Sheik’s image, giving it a blank stare.
Raiden: “...What a nuisance. Someone who’s fallen for the stereotype of us Japanese talents looking the same when this man is a no better example of a walking stereotype himself. How someone could even confuse Daigo and I is unbelievable yet The Sheik has certainly showcased his stupidity. Sure, sure, spare me the details about his whole bloodlust and I can easily show you the times I nearly put people in hospitals for a time in SCCW. Johnny Rotten, Rickey Tressler….they all knew…they knew what it was like to step into the ring with The Harbinger of Pain. To be constricted, choked, bent beyond their limits….a wondrous melody. Yet this is a man of the sands who can do no more than simply spill blood. There is no art to him. Nothing, absolutely nothing, to really take from him. He fell to Eron Hunter just like Daigo did, and yet Hardkore thinks him a worthy adversary?”
Raiden audibly scoffs at such a thought, tearing the portrait from the cork board. He practically shreds it in his hands before crumpling up the torn pieces and tossing it over his shoulder and out of the frame.
Raiden: “That’s what I think of the ‘hardcore’ Sheik. Next time try not to take so many blows to the head and the voices in your degraded mind won’t confuse one for the other again. I’m surprised you can even lace up your boots with that kind of sheer stupidity. Pathetic.”
Bone Cold’s gaze turns over to the image of Armand, arms folding over his chest as he takes a moment to study the portrait a bit longer.
Raiden: “This was the man who owned Riot Star Wrestling? Fucking hell…I almost pity the man from there who I once tossed off the cage in the main event of End of Days that one year. Good times, good times. Memory Lane aside, what exactly am I looking at, eh? A businessman turned wrestler….but done wrong. Kingsley made it look simple but this Armand guy…what is there to really say about him? You run a company, get locked up in jail, get out, join a phony ass group in another promotion, and now find yourself repping the company that stole a prize that once belonged to The Harbingers not too long ago. That transgression alone….I ought to peel your head back to the point you’d be able to see your own ass. Perhaps that’d be for the best because then I can shove that empty head of yours up right where it belongs and call it a day considering how much you view yourself as some kind of king.”
Raiden grabs the portrait by the face, fingers scrunching in to crinkle the face before harshly ripping it from the board, leaving the image not just faceless, but also headless.
Raiden: “Give me a goddamn break. Acting like you’re Nero when you’re really a Julius Caesar in disguise. You’ll feel something piercing you alright…I’ll make sure your ribs get real friendly with your intestines by the time our match is done and dealt with. Heh…I’ve always wanted to spill some kind of royal blood in a ring, and now I have my chance. Enjoy kissing the rebel’s boot.”
He tears off the remainder of the portrait before turning his attention to Poena’s image. A wicked grin crosses his lips at the sight of the Tap Out talent.
Raiden: “Ah…Kingsley’s told me about you, Poena. The delusional cultist who thinks he’s all this and that. Far, far out of his depth and I would know. Trust me, I would know. Contending with Jack Diamond is no easy matter and that’s a score I intend to settle one of these days with that rich bastard. For now though, I have to make do with you as yet another scrap to play around with before putting you down for the betterment of this match. A living parasite is what you are. No better than the time this Network was tainted with the Dark Carnival and the stain they brought upon the industry. A righteous blight and it’s almost like deja vu with the kind of LARPing you put on in your free time since mommy obviously wasn’t a fan of it.”
A sinister chuckle emits from Raiden as he rests a hand on the portrait, slowly scrunching it up by the portrait’s face.
Raiden: “Yet the way your tale goes, one would think you’re nothing more than some Outlast knock off with your tale of starting this cult. No wonder no one can take your crap seriously when you’re making the fantasy a reality in an attempt to make yourself known. I will admit though, you’re a man after my own heart in wanting to cause as much pain as possible whenever you step into that ring. Well you can’t beat a Harbinger in that department and I’ll tell you why. Who knows…maybe this revelation will make your head spin so damn hard that it’ll get that other eye of yours working again so you can see just how pathetic you really are as a whole. Harbingers are the people that arrive before the rest of the storm comes with them in a violent torrent of carnage and destruction. We are the ones who preceded cataclysms and misfortune and we are the very best at doing all that. I’m The Harbinger of Pain for a reason, Poena. People fear me when they have to contend with me because I can easily take an arm or leg and turn someone into the manifestation of a human pretzel in front of a crowd. It’s what I’m capable of, and it’s what I’m paid to do to keep showing why I’m the damn best at what I do. Don’t you ever forget that.”
Raiden rips away the portrait, leaving the remaining one of James Raymond on display.
Raiden: “Ah yes…The Broken Crown himself. The guy who just about had it all in AXW before watching all that hard work evaporate in just a mere sixteen days. How the mighty fall will always continue to impress me and look at this man on display: the pure manifestation of having his cake but not eating it. Sure, argue that you and Long beat Daigo and I for the Tag League back in 2020 but who’s really still enjoying success to this day? Who’s still holding their company’s tag titles ever since they won them? An absolute sorry excuse of a wrestling prospect you’ve turned out to be, James. So much promise, and now you’re just this in today’s day and age.”
Bone Cold leans in closer to the portrait, eyeing it up and down with malice in his eyes.
Raiden: “I’ve been waiting for a day that I could get my hands on you or Long again after what happened three years ago in the Sakura Tag League Finals and now I have a chance to correct part of that wrongdoing. Where you denied us a chance to be atop the tag division in J-ROK, I’ll now be denying you an opportunity to become the top dog in the Network. Little bitches ought to know better than trying to run with the alphas in this pack of wolves yet you always were one to try and step up but could never emulate your partner’s success. Always one to stay in someone else’s shadow. Caught in Jason Long’s, overshadowed by Nate Pierce as Undisputed Champion, and now you’re just salvaging for whatever scraps you can snag in J-ROK.”
Another sinister chuckle emits from Raiden.
Raiden: “I’m going to enjoy tormenting you the most, James. To hear that blood curdling symphony once again of limbs twisting, bones snapping, joins popping….ah, the bliss is already filling my mind. If I were you, or any of those stragglers you call partners in this endeavor, I would be very, very afraid of the maelstrom that is coming for you in a few days’ time. None of you are leaving with your heads held high, and I’ll make sure that one of you won’t be able to look up at all by the night’s end. Don’t worry…I’ll contact the hospital ahead of time to prep your beds….you’ll need them.”
Compared to the other three portraits, Raiden slowly tears Raymond’s portrait down the middle, crumpling up the rest into a ball and dropping it onto the floor before punting it out of sight with a short chuckle. Dusting his hands against one another, Bone Cold makes his way out of the frame, satisfaction plastered on his face.
