Moral Combat [NoC X*Crown RP #4]

[Jack Diamond]

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July 15th 2018

Canton Baptist Temple - Canton, Ohio

9:51AM

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Diamond: If I get struck down... this is on you.

The scene opens on a beautiful Sunday morning in Canton, Ohio. Jack Diamond has just opened the Range Rover door for Dakota as she steps out in an amazing navy blue designer dress, her hair up and makeup done without flaw. Jack dressed in a sleek pinstripe suit makes a face, as if he just smelt sour milk, as he looks up at the steeple to Canton Baptist Temple. He straightens his jacket lapels as Dakota elbows him softly in the ribs

Dakota: Hush. Look, if we are going to be in Ohio long term then it is really important to me that I find a church that fits my needs. This is something I'd really like to share with you.

Diamond: Oh, you're too kind...

This sarcasm awards Jack another elbow, this time with a little more oomph, enough so to catch his wind a bit. He laughs it off though as he takes Dakota's hand and leads her up the sidewalk towards the church.

Diamond: Look, I respect your beliefs, I just haven't been in one of these places in a very long time and after the whole Knox stuff, I would be lying if I said I wasn't put off by the whole matter. I mean, the whole lets dress up in our Sunday's finest and go sit in a building for an hour or so, just so everyone around me knows I'm not going to hell? Or better yet I'm supposed to sit here while a guy who is no better than me tells me how to live my life and then he goes home to abuse his wife, snort who knows what up his nose all while laughing his way to the bank?

Dakota: SHH!

The door to the church swings open just in time for Dakota to shush Jack as older gentlemen holds the door for the couple and hands them a program as they cross the holy threshold. The gentlemen greets Jack and Dakota and Jack puts on an over the top facade as he nods, smiles and shakes the man's hand thanking him for the warm welcome. Dakota just smiles and thanks him quickly, trying not to show the blush in her face from the embarrassment of Jack's goofiness. The make it to the sanctuary where Jack is fast to head down the back pew. As he and Dakota take a seat he flips through the program for today's service.

Diamond: The sure do have a lot of song breaks in here, why can't they just do their spiel and call it a day?

Dakota: You need to stop Jack. First of all, it's not all about the "spiel." It's about the community, the fellowship and feeling the spirit. That may be through prayer, through song, through communion, and through the sermon but it takes a village ya know? For the record, this may ACTUALLY do you some good with all that you've got going on lately. The stuff with Storm, your anger with Felix, your upcoming gauntlet of violence or whatever that circus match entails... just saying, it couldn't hurt.

Diamond: Communion? Like bread and wine? I am a little hungry.

Dakota rolls her eyes. Maybe it was a mistake bringing Jack along with her but she isn't wrong is she? I mean, this couldn't hurt? As Dakota watches the members file into the building Jack pulls out his cellphone and checks up on the latest news and happening. Right around a quarter past ten, the piano that had been playing a soft song goes quiet as man with a receding hairline and shinier than humanly possible forehead walks up to the podium, his beady eyes scanning the crowd from behind the bottlecap lenses.

Pastor Frazier: Welcome to the Lord's House, I see a lot of familiar faces today as well as some unfamiliar ones, and that's great. If you are visiting today I'd encourage you to fill out one of our guest cards and drop it in the collection plate today. I'm going to ask Sister Shae to come up here for our first hymn, but before she does I'd like to let you all know that today's message is about Morality. We are all in a bit of Moral Combat from time to time, how do we know what is right from wrong? I ask you all to open your minds and hearts today and let this message fill your hearts. Let us pray...

Somewhere between the monotone voice, the warm temperature and the lack of desire to be there, Jack felt himself slowly drift off as the pastor mentioned his sermon topic today. While the congregation were bowing their heads for prayer, Jack was bowing his for another reason. As all the sounds around him began to fade, just two words rang on... moral combat...

MORAL COMBAT!!!!

Two enemies stand at a distance from each other, poised to fight. One sports an Asian conical hat, his eyes glowing with white electricity. The other, a tortured soul no doubt. Female, but devoid of any human emotion that would be expected of her. Her stare breaks your heart, as you can almost count the countless tears she's cried.

READY, FIGHT!!!!

The two go at it, the man taking an early dominant stance but as soon as she feels she is trapped the woman lets out a rage not often seen. The two of them continue fighting, combo after combo. Up and down, up and down, left to right, left to right... before you know it the man is teetering in daze...

FINISH HIM!!!!

As the female closes in with viciousness in her eyes, clearly ready to rip the Electric Asian's heart out...the scene changes. There is a stage with a podium. Lights shine brightly down from above. There is a pipe organ playing somewhere off screen, and though it takes a second to recognize it, the unmistakable sound of "The Ace of Spades" by Motorhead plays out as a dapper looking man walks out to stand behind the podium. As he looks up and out across the faceless congregation we see it is Jack Diamond.

Diamond: Brothers and sisters! Welcome, to the House of Diamond! Now, my brethren, I'd like to talk to you today about the great war. The battle of all battles, the Moral Combat! That is moral combat, not mortal kombat. Speaking of which, there is evil amongst you brothers and sisters.

Diamond starts to pace the stage as he pulls a handkerchief out of his pockets and wipes his brow.

Diamond: Evil I tell ya! They walk with us as we go through our day to day and I'm here to expose them all, so that you may be saved from their wrath. Evil like Zolothach. A young innocent heart one, ripped from within by the sins of her father. And now nothing will stop her until she destroys each and every soul in her way. Pane glass windows? No problem! She will endure all until she can sacrifice every being before her false god....

Diamond stops and looks out across the "congregation" although we never see them. He grabs the edges of the podium and leans in, intensity burning through his pores.

Diamond: False gods! That is not the way to achieve happiness, to achieve the glory, to achieve your crown! No no no, the way to eternal victory is through me! You see, when I was a little boy I befell to the false idols. I engulfed myself in the flames of video games. Blood, violence, fatality, brutality, animality, babality... uh sorry, I'm getting carried away, the fact is I lost myself in these games. The one thorn in my side was alway Raiden, and here we are in 2018 and Raiden again is trying to finish me.

The rambling, while it doesn't make sense, is clearly the inner thoughts weighing heavily on Jack's mind. The pieces of his mind so jagged right now that he becomes a wildcard in his upcoming match.

Diamond: But Morality, that is the glue that holds us together. We know right from wrong therefore we are a species that can grow, that can mature, that can survive. What is wrong? Well, I will tell you... wrong is thinking you can step into a ring, not to mention four rings, with someone like Jack Diamond. Wrong is thinking that you ever even had a chance in this match. Wrong is showing up on July 29th at Night of Champions. That is clear, we all know that. What is right though? Well, right is The Ace of Spades becoming the next two time X*Crown champion. Right is me walking into Night of Champions and destroying all the evil that comes my way. Right is me saving the XHF from mediocrity. There are abominations that I must face that night, anomalies I must figure out, steel that I must bend, legends that I must destroy.... and my brothers that is what I intend to do!

Diamond turns behind him where one would normally expect to see a certain Savior on a wooden cross behind him, but normalcy is out of the question here. In its place is a turnbuckle post with the image of Jack Diamond leaning against it, holding up his hands in the shape of a diamond.

Diamond: I have walked with you all, my children. I have lifted you on my back. I have provided you the truth and now I must complete this last act of sacrifice. I must push the evil away from you all. I must bring a moral high standing to the ring with me at Night of Champions and banish the wannabes and naysayers back to the depth of darkness that they belong in! Can I get a DIA-MOND!

Jack waits for the regurgitation of his diatribe but it doesn't come. Instead he feels as if he's free falling. The sudden jolt wakes him and gone is the faceless congregation. Instead its the warm sanctuary from Canton Baptist Temple. Jack jumps a bit and opens his eyes and peaks to his right where Dakota sits, staring daggers at him, mouthing the words "WAKE UP" to him. Diamond raises back up and wipes a little drool from the corner of his mouth and takes a deep breath.

Pastor Frazier: So remember, morality isn't separate from our teachings, rather they go hand and hand. You can find examples all throughout The Word. Maybe, just maybe the most prudent thing to do is listen just as we are told in Proverbs Four, one through twenty seven. Today I ask you to remove your foot from evil. Let us pray...

The pastor one again brings his congregation to pray, this time closing the service. Jack realizes this and the fact that he slept through the whole sermon. He opens his eyes and looks over to Dakota who has her head bowed, eyes closed. She is going to be pissed and Diamond knows that.

Pastor Frazier: A-men!

The huge crowd of churchgoers respond with an A-men that reverberates throughout all of the wooden pews. Diamond stands as they are dismissed and walks out of the church as Dakota stays behind to speak with the pastor. Minutes pass and Dakota makes her way to the Range Rover as Diamond leans up against the grill. As Dakota approaches he goes to open the door for her and as she goes to climb in she smacks him in the back of the head, not hard enough to hurt but so that it stings a bit.

Diamond: Ouch, what the hell?

Dakota: Yeah, that may be exactly where we are heading... sleeping in church.

Diamond: Sorry, I guess I've been burning that candle at both ends lately. Besides, that guys voice would raise Lazareth only to put him right back to sleep.

Dakota: You are unbelievable... come on let's go

Jack chuckles to himself as he closes Dakota's door and walks around the vehicle. I mean, she knew what she was getting into by bringing Jack here, much the same way the other seven competitors at Night of Champions know what they are doing by getting in the ring with the legend killer, the ace of spades, the next xcrown champion! They are booking their one way ticket to a hell they never knew existed. Diamond looks up at the steeple one last time before climbing in as the scene fades to black.