Post by Donzig on Jun 18, 2023 21:57:39 GMT -5
The doors to the old Japanese steakhouse swung open, and the few patrons looked up surprised as the grim leather clad figure of the man called Donzig swept inside. He grumbled to himself, a hand sweeping across his bald head as he headed for a table in the corner. He gave an absent wave to the bouncers who started to rise. Then he paused, eyes narrowed as they drew back as an old man walked from the back He stared at Donzig in surprise, smiling before he said something.
Donzig nodded, and the old man waved the bouncers aside as he grabbed his arm to lead him to the table. He shoved a bottle into his hands, and then yelled at the bouncers angrily before he went back into the kitchen.
Donzig shrugged, ripping the lid off the bottle. At least this place was still normal, and he took a long drink before he blinked as he saw a lean muscled young man standing just beside him with a smile on his bearded face.
‘You’re him.’
‘No, kid. Melo doesn’t leave Florida those are the rules.’
The kid blinked, and Donzig sighed.
‘No, you’re Donzig!’
‘Sometimes, I suppose I am.’
The kid blinked, clearly confused.
‘I don’t understand.’
‘What do you want, kid?’
The kid grinned and dropped down across from him, and he leaned forward eagerly.
‘I want to be like you! I want you to train me! I could be your apprentice like Sinc–’
Donzig’s hand snapped forward, and he pressed a finger to the kid’s lips as his eyes narrowed dangerously. His head tilted, and he licked his lips before he drew back to take a swig from the bottle.
‘Don’t say her name. Don’t say any of their names. You don’t want to be her, kid. She’s dangerous, crazy.’
The kid seemed confused.
‘Isn’t dangerous good? People say you’re dangerous.’
Donzig snorted.
‘My man, I am dangerous. You never know which one of us is going to show up, but we are not what is called safe to human life.’
The kid nodded slowly, and he continued heedless of the stares of the bouncers or the Two Kingdoms Champ.
‘Listen, I am a Young Lion! I am in training! I want to be like you, I am a wrestler, and–’
‘Young Lion? Listen, Simba, I am not going to go do bridges with you. I am sure your neck is plenty strong, and I am well past that happy shit. Since you’re not going away what the fuck is your name anyhow?’
‘Haruki Saito. And anyhow I want–’
Donzig waved a hand, and the old man returned with a plate of food. He sat the steaming plate of meat before Donzig, and stared at the kid angrily before he started to wave him off. Donzig lifted a hand, shaking it which made the old man nod before he walked off again. The kid watched him go, and Donzig turned back to him as he lifted a fork.
‘You know the Scourge doesn’t really eat? He just sort of exists.’
The kid stared again, confused as Donzig chewed.
‘In Japan, you are revered for your fighting spirit! That is what you can tea–’
Donzig stared at him, slowly swallowing before he pointed with his fork.
‘What?’
‘Your fighting spirit! You are not afraid to fight anyone, you don’t give up! You–’
Donzig shoved the food aside, and he finished the bottle before he jabbed a finger at the kid. His face serious, and he growled.
‘Simba. My fighting spirit is insane. You get that, right? He is not afraid, you have that right. But kid, sometimes it is good to have a touch of fear. Only two kinds of people aren’t afraid–’ Donzig held up his fingers, frowning. ‘--Stupid people who don’t know better. And crazy people! Do I strike you as stupid, kid?’
‘But–’
‘My fighting spirit would rip your face for presuming to speak to him. You get that? It’s a monster. I am telling you, Simba. I am not the nicest guy in the world, but that thing? It’s a devil.’
The kid frowned, and he leaned forward angrily as he gestured.
‘No! You don’t understand! I am obsessed! I want to be the best! This is my life! I am obsessed–’
Donzig frowned, and the kid fell silent as he leaned closer with his teeth bared.
‘You’re obsessed? Do you even know what that means? Do you have any fucking clue?’ His voice rose, and a hand slammed down on the table. The kid flinched, and Donzig waved his hand angrily. ‘My obsession drove me to do terrible things. When the man who gave me my first real gig in the big times was dying of cancer? I went to the hospital and I pinned his ass! When Old Man David Slam got in my business? I broke his arm in front of his kids. That was before he died in the ring from the ass beating I gave him.’
Donzig scowled.
‘That was before I power-bombed his pregnant daughter in law so his son would know his place! And Simba? I was just a man then, that was before! My obsession destroyed my life! Everything that was good in my life? It was eaten away. I betrayed everyone who ever gave two fucks about me! I hurt anyone I ever cared about because I was obsessed! It literally turned me into a monster, kid. You talk about obsession, but do you even know what it costs? Being obsessed with what? Revenge? Justice?’
The Young Lion stared at him, swallowing before he stammered.
‘But the best–’
‘Wounds of Christ, kid. The best? This is fucking pro wrestling, there is no actual best. That’s a secret! You ask ten wrestling fans who the best is? You get ten different answers. The best is purely subjective’
The kid gaped, and Donzig sighed.
‘The best is Bruno by the way, I am surprisingly old school.’
‘But–’
‘But? My obsession wears a mask, and hunts down everyone he thinks might be better than him. Because he says he is the best, he actually believes it. He’s a monster, kid. He will tell you he is the best all day.
Best at being what? A miserable bloodthristy prick?’
Donzig snorted, shaking his head as he leaned back. The kid stared at him looking a little crestfallen, then he shrugged as Saito started to stand. Donzig pointed at the seat, grunting sourly.
‘I thought–’
‘Simba, I clearly can’t leave you to get yourself killed. I am going to have keep an eye on you until you learn some sense. Or maybe misery loves company.’
Saito stared, blinking before he gave a nervous smile. Donzig stared at him, shaking his head before he jerked his thumb at the kitchen.
‘I wouldn’t be too happy, you’re picking up the tab. Now go pay the man, we have a fucking date at the titty bar.’
Donzig nodded, and the old man waved the bouncers aside as he grabbed his arm to lead him to the table. He shoved a bottle into his hands, and then yelled at the bouncers angrily before he went back into the kitchen.
Donzig shrugged, ripping the lid off the bottle. At least this place was still normal, and he took a long drink before he blinked as he saw a lean muscled young man standing just beside him with a smile on his bearded face.
‘You’re him.’
‘No, kid. Melo doesn’t leave Florida those are the rules.’
The kid blinked, and Donzig sighed.
‘No, you’re Donzig!’
‘Sometimes, I suppose I am.’
The kid blinked, clearly confused.
‘I don’t understand.’
‘What do you want, kid?’
The kid grinned and dropped down across from him, and he leaned forward eagerly.
‘I want to be like you! I want you to train me! I could be your apprentice like Sinc–’
Donzig’s hand snapped forward, and he pressed a finger to the kid’s lips as his eyes narrowed dangerously. His head tilted, and he licked his lips before he drew back to take a swig from the bottle.
‘Don’t say her name. Don’t say any of their names. You don’t want to be her, kid. She’s dangerous, crazy.’
The kid seemed confused.
‘Isn’t dangerous good? People say you’re dangerous.’
Donzig snorted.
‘My man, I am dangerous. You never know which one of us is going to show up, but we are not what is called safe to human life.’
The kid nodded slowly, and he continued heedless of the stares of the bouncers or the Two Kingdoms Champ.
‘Listen, I am a Young Lion! I am in training! I want to be like you, I am a wrestler, and–’
‘Young Lion? Listen, Simba, I am not going to go do bridges with you. I am sure your neck is plenty strong, and I am well past that happy shit. Since you’re not going away what the fuck is your name anyhow?’
‘Haruki Saito. And anyhow I want–’
Donzig waved a hand, and the old man returned with a plate of food. He sat the steaming plate of meat before Donzig, and stared at the kid angrily before he started to wave him off. Donzig lifted a hand, shaking it which made the old man nod before he walked off again. The kid watched him go, and Donzig turned back to him as he lifted a fork.
‘You know the Scourge doesn’t really eat? He just sort of exists.’
The kid stared again, confused as Donzig chewed.
‘In Japan, you are revered for your fighting spirit! That is what you can tea–’
Donzig stared at him, slowly swallowing before he pointed with his fork.
‘What?’
‘Your fighting spirit! You are not afraid to fight anyone, you don’t give up! You–’
Donzig shoved the food aside, and he finished the bottle before he jabbed a finger at the kid. His face serious, and he growled.
‘Simba. My fighting spirit is insane. You get that, right? He is not afraid, you have that right. But kid, sometimes it is good to have a touch of fear. Only two kinds of people aren’t afraid–’ Donzig held up his fingers, frowning. ‘--Stupid people who don’t know better. And crazy people! Do I strike you as stupid, kid?’
‘But–’
‘My fighting spirit would rip your face for presuming to speak to him. You get that? It’s a monster. I am telling you, Simba. I am not the nicest guy in the world, but that thing? It’s a devil.’
The kid frowned, and he leaned forward angrily as he gestured.
‘No! You don’t understand! I am obsessed! I want to be the best! This is my life! I am obsessed–’
Donzig frowned, and the kid fell silent as he leaned closer with his teeth bared.
‘You’re obsessed? Do you even know what that means? Do you have any fucking clue?’ His voice rose, and a hand slammed down on the table. The kid flinched, and Donzig waved his hand angrily. ‘My obsession drove me to do terrible things. When the man who gave me my first real gig in the big times was dying of cancer? I went to the hospital and I pinned his ass! When Old Man David Slam got in my business? I broke his arm in front of his kids. That was before he died in the ring from the ass beating I gave him.’
Donzig scowled.
‘That was before I power-bombed his pregnant daughter in law so his son would know his place! And Simba? I was just a man then, that was before! My obsession destroyed my life! Everything that was good in my life? It was eaten away. I betrayed everyone who ever gave two fucks about me! I hurt anyone I ever cared about because I was obsessed! It literally turned me into a monster, kid. You talk about obsession, but do you even know what it costs? Being obsessed with what? Revenge? Justice?’
The Young Lion stared at him, swallowing before he stammered.
‘But the best–’
‘Wounds of Christ, kid. The best? This is fucking pro wrestling, there is no actual best. That’s a secret! You ask ten wrestling fans who the best is? You get ten different answers. The best is purely subjective’
The kid gaped, and Donzig sighed.
‘The best is Bruno by the way, I am surprisingly old school.’
‘But–’
‘But? My obsession wears a mask, and hunts down everyone he thinks might be better than him. Because he says he is the best, he actually believes it. He’s a monster, kid. He will tell you he is the best all day.
Best at being what? A miserable bloodthristy prick?’
Donzig snorted, shaking his head as he leaned back. The kid stared at him looking a little crestfallen, then he shrugged as Saito started to stand. Donzig pointed at the seat, grunting sourly.
‘I thought–’
‘Simba, I clearly can’t leave you to get yourself killed. I am going to have keep an eye on you until you learn some sense. Or maybe misery loves company.’
Saito stared, blinking before he gave a nervous smile. Donzig stared at him, shaking his head before he jerked his thumb at the kitchen.
‘I wouldn’t be too happy, you’re picking up the tab. Now go pay the man, we have a fucking date at the titty bar.’