Bad Intentions (EoD RP #1)

[Raiden Ishimori]

Date: October 10, 2018
Location: Osaka, Japan

{Things for Raiden had been relatively quiet since Global Domination. There was no word of him looking to sign with any of the other companies that were part of the Network and there were also no rumors or other bits of news in regards to what his future plan was. The only info bit that had been confirmed in regards to him was that he was going to participate in the upcoming X*Crown match at the End of Days Finale. Aside from that, no one really knew what was happening with The Lone Wolf of Osaka. Today, however, was the start of the training regime that would carry on until Raiden had to leave for Ireland, something that was rather surprising for him and his group since he was used to flying out to Minneapolis at this point but then again it’s the XHF, so whacky shit is to be expected.}

{With today’s having been completed, the duo of Ebisawa and Raiden had already made their way over to Club Fujin for the night, celebrating the establishment’s ten-year anniversary since it first opened its doors for business. Evidently, the interior had been modified for tonight with some of the tables being pushed back from the center floor in order to make room for a wide enough dance floor for hosts and patrons alike. The place was practically packed with clientele with the music being the only thing louder than the people inside the building. Tucked away in one of the corners sat the usual trio of Raiden, Ebisawa, and Reina. All dressed formally to a degree with Raiden sporting a maroon short sleeve button up and light grey pants with matching shoes. Ebisawa sporting all black except for his white button up and Reina had picked out a shimmering gold dress for the evening.}

Raiden (yawning): “...I am so tired…”

Ebisawa: “You went all out today in training, so that’s on you.”

Raiden (murmuring): “Whatever…”

{Folding his arms on the table, Raiden rests his head on them with a forced sigh.}

Raiden: “Shit’s just been so boring as of late.”

Ebisawa: “Damn shame too. SBW was looking to be solid but you guys just kept getting dead silence, correct?”

Raiden: “Unfortunately.”

{From the side, Reina lightly ruffles Raiden’s hair, causing Mr. Bone Cold to slightly perk up in interest.}

Reina: “You haven’t thought about looking into some of the other places for possible work?”

Raiden (shrugging): “It’s been an absent thought but I don’t know if any really appeal to me currently, especially given the talent some places like AWF and AXW. I may have been one of the bigger names in SBW but to jump ship to either of those places would make me look like some kind of young pup trying to squeeze past bigger dogs.”

Ebisawa: “Which is something you have done before, although not fully successful to a degree. Look back on your efforts at Night of Champions: That entire month you were uncertain on making it far in that competition and ultimately you wound up outlasting Anomoly, the man who holds the longest reign as AXW Undisputed Champion.”

Raiden: “True and all but it was mainly because the idiot forgot about the rules in the cage and ended up getting himself disqualified from the match. I wasn’t exactly bright in that match either with the stunts I pulled. Moonsault off the cage, powerbomb off the cage, and then smacking some dude with a loaded koi fish. I’m lucky I wasn’t brain dead after that beating he gave me in retaliation for the fish slap.”

{Ebisawa faintly chuckles at the memory, Raiden glaring at him in response.}

Ebisawa: “Ease up there, Bone Cold. Not so much laughing at the pummeling at the hands of Steele but laughing more at the amount of hell you looked when you came back.”

Raiden: “You’re one to talk about injuries.”

{Raiden blatantly points out the eight-ball fracture, earning another chuckle from Ebisawa.}

Ebisawa: “Fair point but I’ve learned to brave it out. This eye might be a living scar but you’ve got worse battle scars to live with Raiden considering the past. You and Reina basically shoulder the burden together despite the relationships.”

Reina: “It’s a difficult task to live with but every now and then you sort of just repress the memories until they randomly pop up once more. As somber as it is, I hardly feel the pain these days since it’s almost been four years since everything came crashing down on our world.”

Ebisawa: “Has it really been that long already?”

Raiden: “You’d be surprised.”

{From the crowd, Toru waltzes his way over to the trio dressed in a classic black suit, a short-haired woman clad in a violet dress trailing just behind him as he reaches the edge of the table. With a bit of flair, the rich kid does a bit of a sloppy spin, planting his palms on the furniture.}

Toru: “Gentlemen, it is so good to see you again and of course, pleasure seeing you Reina.”

Reina: “Likewise Toru.”

Ebisawa (muttering): “I wish I could say the same.”

{Raiden simply gives a curt nod in response to the greeting. Leaning to his lift, he peeks at the young woman behind Toru, giving a wave in salutation.}

Raiden: “Is that your sister with you?”

Toru: “Hm? Ah, yes. Ebisawa, Reina, this is my little sister, Sora. Raiden, I know you’ve met her a few times when you first moved to Osaka.”

{Sora gives a small wave to the other two who simply bow their heads in acknowledgment.}

Raiden: “Good seeing you again, Sora. I take it everything’s well at work?”

Sora (nodding): “Yeah. My colleagues are super nice to each other and my supervisor is pretty laid back despite the pressure that’s always on us.”

Raiden: “That’s good to hear. You look good in that dress by the way.”

Sora (slightly blushing): “Hehe, thanks.”

Toru: “Oh, Raiden, someone wanted me to give you this. Think it might’ve been Kenzan or someone named Ken-something.”

{Reaching into his shirt pocket, Toru produced a folded up piece of paper, sliding it over to Raiden. Picking it up, The Lone Wolf unfolds it, his eyes skimming over the writing whilst his brow furrows at the sight of it. Shrugging, he tucks the note into his pocket before shuffling his way out from behind the table.}

Ebisawa: “Business meeting?”

Raiden: “I don’t what it is but apparently Ken wants to talk about something so I’m off to quickly check it out. Hopefully, I’ll be back shortly.”

{Passing by, he skirts the edge of the dance floor, trying to avoid any if all contact with other people on the dance floor whilst making his way for the front door. Exiting the establishment, he looks around for Kenzan but no sign of him pops up anywhere within his peripherals. POsting himself at the door, Raiden leans against the wall, arms folded over his chest as he begins to wait, his brow still furrowed from what the note contained.}

---

{The alleyway was dark, moisture dripping down from above thanks to nearby pipes and the place had a few rats crawling through the small space. In the near distance, the sounds of solid kicks can be heard accompanied by pained grunts of a man, wheezing after every few shots or so. Panning around, the shot falls onto two men kicking down a man curled up into a ball, trying to shield his face from the neverending assault. Some snide laughter emits from one of the men partaking in the beat down while the other is almost displaying no emotion as he berates the man.}

Serious Man: “Start talking or we’re gonna turn your insides into a mudhole.”

Cynical Man: “Just tell us where he’s at and we’ll stop turning your guts into soup. I would attack your face but we already turned that into a crimson fountain.”

{The two resume their beat down on the older gentlemen, mainly aiming for the chest and stomach with their kicks and stomps. Further down the alleyway, footsteps start to enter, garnering the attention of the Serious Man while the Cynical Man continues to stomp away at the gentlemen. A slight grin pops up on the Serious Man’s face as he stops his assault, the camera panning over to what has entered, revealing Raiden, a blank expression on his face.}

Serious Man: “Finally...there’s the man himself. Hey, Jin, you can stop the shenanigans with Ken. The main event just showed up.”

Jin (turning): “Well would ya look at that…”

{Raiden clenches his fists as the two men make eye contact with him. Taking a hard swallow, he steps forward slightly, gauging the men's behavior.}

Raiden: “...Who the hell are you two?”

Jin (stepping forward): “I got this one. Us? Why just some friendly neighborhood Yakuza of yours here in Osaka. I’m Jin, and this dull looking friend of mine is my partner in crime, Takuma. You know what family we belong to, boy?”

{Lightly, Jin taps his forefinger against the badge sitting on his breast pocket. From where the camera and Raiden are, neither is able to make out what the kanji on the badge reads. In response to it, Raiden simply shakes his head no.}

Jin: “Figures you don’t, not that it matters right now but allow us to explain ourselves as to why we were having a little chat here with your buddy, Kenzan.”

{Forcefully, Takuma pulls the beaten man up to his feet, his face bloodied from the earlier assault with his nose bent at an awkward angle. Shoving him, Ken stumbles forward before tumbling to the ground at the feet of Raiden, his face trying to mask his is inner anger and rage.}

Jin: “You see Raiden, if that’s even your actual name, probably isn’t but I don’t give a left tit to care really. Only tits I care about are those on hostesses but you know what I mean. Now I want you to listen closely alright…”

{The two Yakuza start to move forward with Jin trying intimidate Bone Cold but he only stands his ground, his demeanor growing more serious as the two approach in powerful strides. Snickering as the duo approaches, Jin wraps his arm around Raiden’s shoulders with a smug look but Raiden keeps staring ahead, his attention more focused on the bigger of the two, Takuma.}

Jin: “...What we just did to Kenzan is something that you could very well find yourself in if you don’t tread lightly because currently, you’re on thin ice with us. We aren’t happy about it and God knows the boss isn’t happy about it either and no one, and I mean NO ONE, likes seeing the boss get angry because all hell breaks loose following it.”

Takuma: “Get to the point, Jin.”

Jin: “Right, my apologies on that one. Tell me this, you’re a wrestler, right?”

Raiden (slowly nodding): “That I am…”

Jin: “Heh, so you really are the real deal then, Raiden…”

{He turns to Takuma, giving a slight nod before the bigger man lunges forward, grabbing Raiden by the throat with both hands, hoisting him up into the air with a neck-hanging tree. Bone Cold struggles in the hold, trying to pry himself free from the claws he’s been ensnared by while Jin simply laughs off to the side.}

Jin: “Our boss isn’t too happy that you’ve been sitting on your ass lately in the industry. We’ve heard the news going around the city that you’ve been granted another shot at the X*Crown after the performances you’ve put in but the time between then and now? One measly match against some flippy punk ass bitch. You’ve essentially done nothing and you’re only proving that you are nothing and that you probably don’t deserve much longer on this earth if you continue to fail.”

Raiden (struggling): “Who...Who….Who….”

Jin: “I’ll get there in a moment, cowboy but just know this real quick. Really take it in, absorb it, understand what kind of shit situation you’ve gotten yourself into. We know who you have connections to, Raiden. It’s no secret after that press conference you did a while back thanks to the help from a fellow Yakuza...Kohei Ushioda.”

{Raiden’s eyes widen at the reveal but Takuma only increases the pressure on the man’s throat, his face slowly starting to turn purple from the lack of oxygen.}

Jin: “If you want more information, go ask him since you apparently have established connections with the Yakuza now. Oh, and before you make any assumptions, we aren’t associated with him. Let’s just say we’re old friends of his. Alright big guy, you can put him down now. He won’t do us any good if you strangle him to death.”

{Without so much as breaking a sweat, Takuma throws Raiden down to the asphalt, leaving the man coughing and sputtering as he catches his breath. With one last snide remark, Jin starts to exit the alleyway while Takuma stares down his newly established enemy.}

Takuma: “Do as you’re told and we’ll make sure your girl doesn’t get punished for your inability to capture championship gold.”

{Pivoting, Takuma starts to follow after Jin, the duo disappearing from sight as they round the corner, leaving Raiden and Kenzan to themselves. Sitting up, Raiden continues to gasp for air while Kenzan barely remains conscious while clutching his ribs. Raiden crawls over to his fallen friend, trying to keep him awake for the time being.}

Raiden (shaking Kenzan): “Ken...Ken...Ken! Speak if you can.”

Kenzan: “Rai...Raiden...you need...you need….to get...Reina out of the city. The risk of everyone you know being collateral damage is too high at this current moment…”

{He coughs, spilling more blood onto the asphalt. Tears start to form in the eyes of Bone Cold as he tries to keep Kenzan from falling unconscious.}

Raiden: “I’ll deal with it when I can. Right now, I need to get you to a hospital.”

{Pulling out his mobile, Raiden starts phoning for emergency services. Kenzan continues to fight against passing out from the damage he’s received and after awhile, Raiden finishes the conversation on the phone. With one last nod, he hangs up, tucking the device back into his pants pocket. Standing up, he starts to make his way out from the alley. His clothes now stained with blood and dirt, his demeanor slowly becoming serious once more.}

Raiden: “I’m not letting this happen…”

{Tightly, he balls his hands back up into fists once more with the camera slowly zooming on them, knuckles turning white as the camera slowly fades to black.}