Trials of Black Part 3 [Dylan Supremacy #5]
Jan 26, 2023 10:38:19 GMT -5
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Mongo the Destroyer, Venom 🕷, and 1 more like this
Post by Dylan on Jan 26, 2023 10:38:19 GMT -5
Dylan closes the door to the sphinx room behind him and turns to see two large iron doors, each with a gargoyle-esque knocker on the front of them. Dylan looks between the doors, then turns to the orb beside him.
Dylan: Which way do you think we should go?
The gargoyle knockers giggle in front of them.
Gargoyle 1: Careful which door you choose.
Gargoyle 2: For behind one of these doors is the path where you lose!
Gargoyle 1: Behind one door leads a path most in-depth.
Gargoyle 2: And the other leads to certain death!
Dylan: Jesus. Back at it with rhymes and riddles.
Dylan steps up to the first gargoyle knocker.
Dylan: Can you tell me which door leads to the in-depth path?
Gargoyle 1: No can do. That'd get us in trouble.
Gargoyle 2: And frankly I can do without the rubble.
Dylan: Can I open you both and look at each path before choosing?
Gargoyle 1: Silly mortal. That would be cheating!
Gargoyle 2: And you must make haste, for your time is fleeting!
Dylan looks at the orb beside him.
Dylan: Any advice?
Orb: Turn around and go back?
Dylan: Least helpful fairy ever.
Dylan picks the right door-knocker and pulls on it, howling from the knocker as they didn't think Dylan would yank on them! Dylan stares at a labyrinth the size of Texas and gulps. Feeling way over his head right now, Dylan begins to walk the straight path ahead of him for what seems like miles. He walks down the path, hand dragging along the wall until suddenly it dips into the wall. Dylan stops and slowly pushes into the wall, where it reveals an illusion covering another path! Dylan sighs and steps through the illusion. He continues to walk but this path is filled with many more splits, dead ends, twists, and turns.
Dylan: When in doubt, hug the left wall. Let that be the one thing I took away from Spike's D&D game.
Dylan follows along every path wrapping around to the left. Some sides lead to dead ends that bring him back to the main path. Others are loops that go in circles. Dylan makes a mark on the wall before walking a full loop, cursing under his breath as he's being made a fool. He takes a few turns back and follows along again. After a moment of fast walking down the hall, he comes across a large courtyard. Dylan is cautious to enter the yard but after seeing nothing, he steps into the yard. A few small goblins skitter around the bushes of the yard. Dylan takes note of them and gets into a fighting stance. One goblin has the head of Spike Kane, who glowers at the other goblins.
Goblin: Why so down, Spike?
"Spike": Ho hum. I just want to do an OVN musical, but every time I bring it up - folks call me a troll.
Dylan leans down.
Dylan: What's wrong with being a troll? Why you remind me of the babe-
Goblin: DANCE MAGIC!
Hook line and sinker. The goblins were casting a magic spell, putting Dylan in a trance to trap and kidnap him. Dylan starts to dance around like the goblins from the Labyrinth as the other goblins try to tie him up with ropes. But their goblin ropes suck and they're too short to get a good snare around his legs. He trances and trots right through their traps and out of the courtyard, prancing right into a brick wall. He slams face-first into the wall and the spell breaks, it breaks so much that we zoom out to show Dylan being viewed through a crystal ball. A voice breaks the silence of Dylan getting his bearings.
Voice: Tralvok ze Hideous, he approaches. I'm surprised he's made it zis far. Please prepare ze chambers for our guest.
Thud. Thud. Thud. The footsteps of Tralvok the Hideous trot away from our mysterious viewer.
We zoom back into Dylan as the orb floats around him.
Orb: Careful with the creatures here. Tricky little buggers, they are.
Dylan: I don't even remember the last few minutes. I remember kneeling down, seeing the grinning face of David Bowie, and then I smacked my head on the wall.
Orb: They may come across as dumb but they're as nasty as they come!
Dylan stands up and brushes the dust off of himself. He turns back to the courtyard but suddenly it's not there anymore! In its place is a small corridor leading to a sandy path. Almost like the beach Dylan and Spike first teleported to.
Dylan: That's new. That must be the right way!
Dylan starts to jog down the path, not concerned about checking the walls for hidden traps and doors. The path winds long and twists and turns but eventually, the sand turns to yellow bricks and the walls seem to be cleaner than before. The path turns into a straightaway before coming to a dead end with a large door in the wall. Dylan comes to a stop as the orb whispers in his ear.
Orb: We're here.
You know, when Copycat was penned as a competitor in this match a lot of people were quick to dismiss him as a viable competitor for the X*Crown. This is odd because he fought a time or two for the X*Crown back when AWF was still around. He may not have been successful but he showed heart and was a valiant fighter... for all of five minutes. That may not seem like a lot, but for five minutes Copycat had the chance to become one of the top dogs in the XHF. Did a lot more than plenty of other guys in the XHF. But it pains me to see people so eager to dismiss Copycat. Don't get me wrong, I did the same in the past. A younger me would simply cuss out Copycat and call him several mean names. A younger me would also look past Copycat because, oh he's malnourished. He's pregnant. He couldn't possibly be a threat to me. Does he deserve it? Perhaps. But everyone dismissing you? This is what makes Copycat the most dangerous person in the match.
Pause, to let that sink in.
I said it. Copycat is the most dangerous in the match. His potential? Unexplored. His resolve? Unmatched. He is trying his hand, successfully this go-around, at claiming the X*Crown. Frankly, I think this is the best shot you're ever gonna have at the X*Crown Copycat. Steve and Zoran are going to want to kill each other. Steve and I are going to want to kill each other. Raiden and Zoran are going to want to kill each other. I ain't letting Raiden touch that Crown if he dedicates shit to Nausicaa. We're all going to be so hyper-focused on each other that you can just snatch a win from nowhere and we won't even notice. Hell, I'd say Copycat might honestly have the best odds to win because he's such a nobody.
Dylan squints.
I acknowledge that Copycat is a nobody and thus has the best chances. So just because they're all going to forget about you doesn't mean I won't have my head on a swivel, watching you as you slink and hide from us. Waiting for the right opportunity for someone to get knocked down so you can crawl over and steal the credit for their hard work. I can't let that happen. As meaningful as it may be for the boyhood dream to come true and for you to win the X*Crown for the first time ever... my own selfish needs cannot let that happen. Whatever the X*Crown means to you, it means thrice as much to me!
He pounds his right fist into his left palm. Perhaps a sign of what he'll do to Copycat?
You have sat in your cardboard box home, or now your real home, and you've dreamed about winning the X*Crown. I HAVE LIVED, BREATHED, SWEAT, AND BLED FOR THE X*CROWN! Guys like you say prayers and eat vitamins in hopes you can hold the X*Crown for just one day. Guys like me would die in that ring if it meant we'd still win the match. And if it comes to it, I would die before I let you take the X*Crown from me.
Dylan stalks closer to the camera.
And as far as I'm concerned, you're a dead man walking. You're just a corpse walking into the kaos of my crowning as the next X*Crown Champion. A casualty with consciousness. So do the right thing, Copycat. Give up while you're able to do it willingly. Or I will make you give up.
He puts his fist to the sky. He doesn't care what Kira brands him, or if Kira suspends him. This signal is his life.
Beware the Daemon of Mayhem. Beware Dylan Black!
Pause, to let that sink in.
I said it. Copycat is the most dangerous in the match. His potential? Unexplored. His resolve? Unmatched. He is trying his hand, successfully this go-around, at claiming the X*Crown. Frankly, I think this is the best shot you're ever gonna have at the X*Crown Copycat. Steve and Zoran are going to want to kill each other. Steve and I are going to want to kill each other. Raiden and Zoran are going to want to kill each other. I ain't letting Raiden touch that Crown if he dedicates shit to Nausicaa. We're all going to be so hyper-focused on each other that you can just snatch a win from nowhere and we won't even notice. Hell, I'd say Copycat might honestly have the best odds to win because he's such a nobody.
Dylan squints.
I acknowledge that Copycat is a nobody and thus has the best chances. So just because they're all going to forget about you doesn't mean I won't have my head on a swivel, watching you as you slink and hide from us. Waiting for the right opportunity for someone to get knocked down so you can crawl over and steal the credit for their hard work. I can't let that happen. As meaningful as it may be for the boyhood dream to come true and for you to win the X*Crown for the first time ever... my own selfish needs cannot let that happen. Whatever the X*Crown means to you, it means thrice as much to me!
He pounds his right fist into his left palm. Perhaps a sign of what he'll do to Copycat?
You have sat in your cardboard box home, or now your real home, and you've dreamed about winning the X*Crown. I HAVE LIVED, BREATHED, SWEAT, AND BLED FOR THE X*CROWN! Guys like you say prayers and eat vitamins in hopes you can hold the X*Crown for just one day. Guys like me would die in that ring if it meant we'd still win the match. And if it comes to it, I would die before I let you take the X*Crown from me.
Dylan stalks closer to the camera.
And as far as I'm concerned, you're a dead man walking. You're just a corpse walking into the kaos of my crowning as the next X*Crown Champion. A casualty with consciousness. So do the right thing, Copycat. Give up while you're able to do it willingly. Or I will make you give up.
He puts his fist to the sky. He doesn't care what Kira brands him, or if Kira suspends him. This signal is his life.
Beware the Daemon of Mayhem. Beware Dylan Black!
The final door. Made of solid gold, the two-ton specimen sits right in front of Dylan. This is the moment he's been waiting for. His hand reaches out for the handle when the floating orb cries out.
Orb: Stop! Are you sure this is the right decision to make?
Dylan: I've never been more sure about anything. Now please get out of my way.
With a heave and a ho, Dylan slowly creaks open the door to a large, lavish room. A voice calls out from within.
Voice: Dylan Black. What a lovely surprise. Please, shut ze door behind you and take a seat.
