Apocalypse: Steven Kurtesy vs. Dr. Zeus-Inferno Match

[Richard Blonoff]

Deadline is Friday, December 20th, 11:59pm CST. Extensions available upon request​

 

[Viola Moonlight]

Tonight was a calm night as the whispering winds echoed through the forests and a bright blanket of stars covered the sky. The moon shone down upon the lands, illuminating nature's beauty that rested peacefully in the late hours of the days. It was a sight that Steven Kurtesy actively sought for to clear his thoughts and ponder about life, bringing him closer to Earth and reality when things got tough to understand. He would find a patch of untouched lush grass or climb atop a hill or rock pile that was accompanied with a view and observe in its natural habitat. No fancy gimmicks such as Yoga were required neither: just him & Mother Nature bonding together... but tonight was not a night to promote a relaxing experience.

Kurtesy had found himself a dead spot where only dirt & weed ravaged the area. It was only a small area but Kurtesy had searched deep into the forest to find this exact location, creating a small circle of stones to stack the kindling in the middle that he had collected earlier. Kurtesy placed himself on the dirt close to the edge as he pulled out a lighter; one that he had used many years ago when smoking was a common occurrence for the Professor. He flicked it on and the small flame locked eyes with Kurtesy for a moment as he waved his hand through the heat without flinching, all before throwing the lighter into a pile of dead leaves to get the contained fire going quickly. He waited as the fire grew to its highest and stared into the heart of the flames with an expressionless face and blank thought. It wasn't because Kurtesy had cleared his thoughts that ran through his head; it was simply because he had none.

A few more moments passed before Kurtesy reached over for the backpack that he had moved away from the fire to keep safe, opening it to reveal the sole item that he was carrying; an urn. He slowly removed it from the bag, grasping it carefully in his surprisingly steady hands as he read the engraving that was shown:

Jasmine​

His mothers' ashes were sealed within the urn alongside small bits of the wooden coffin she was buried in as Kurtesy was able to manage salvaging the last remnants at her grave site. To most people, a vile act that was committed by Dr. Zeus would have destroyed them, causing violent mood swings and emotions to run through their body. Kurtesy, however, rubbed the urn a few times before placing it to his side.

"The people that have encountered me in my life will have done so for one of two purposes: to seek my advice or to prove that I am a fraud who owns a corrupt practice. I have dealt with a variety of cases for both of these purposes and I have managed to overcome these people."

Kurtesy lets out a small chuckle as he begins reminiscing.

"I've had an aristocrat who used his resources to utilise me & hunt me down relentlessly just to attain power; a madman who promoted the dark arts & chaos to run rampant over the organisations so he could gain control; & a rising star whom I mentored who soaked up all my knowledge before turning the knife..."

He shakes his head.

"... but no matter the outcome or the motive, there comes a point in time when I never see these people again, discarding my very existence as they move onto the next appealing venture... even the people that I once called friends & who stood beside me. Nobody ever stopped or took the time out of their day to ask me how my life was going or extend that helping hand during my times of depression & doubt... except for two people."

Kurtesy looks over at the urn on the ground.

"My mother was one of them; a person who taught me to be the person I am today. She was a very inspirational person in my life and I will never forget what she has done for me apart from raising me as a mother does. I regret not visiting more often but she always had time to catch up."

He stopped for a moment, rummaging through his clothes to pick out a photo that was crumpled & wrecked but the picture was still clear enough to see: it was one of Sandy & Steven standing next to each other, smiling in summer attire. This picture reminded Kurtesy of happier times and normally would turn any frown upside down. This last resort at achieving a sensation of glee failed for the first time as Kurtesy continued to stare.

"The other is my sister, Sandra, who, for a very long time, wasn't privy to such information. Yet, for the entirety that we had known each other, we bonded together as if we knew we were family. We exchanged everything we knew; our knowledge & memories, just like brother & sister would. Whenever either of us were in trouble, the other would jump to the rescue and save us from whatever dilemma we had been facing."

Kurtesy picked up the urn & put it side-by-side, staring at them.

"These two people were the only ones that truly mattered in my life because they actually gave a damn about me. They were always there, through thick and thin. No-one else loved or cared for me other than my family..."

He trails off, pausing for a moment, cracking a slight smile.

"... my family..."

His eyes begin to wander towards the fire, seeing the memories that have haunted him the most; the circle of fire that surrounded his sister & the image of a burning coffin. The brief smile disappeared from Kurtesy's face and a look of anger started forcing its way through as he continued to stare into the flames.

"... and you Dr. Zeus... you had to break the only thing left I loved."

Kurtesy began to snicker to himself.

"Well congratulations Zeus! You've got the attention of a broken man who has virtually nothing left: how can I be of assistance to you on this fine evening?" He asked with a sarcastically gleeful tone of voice. "What's that Zeus? Oh... I-I see... you are having problems with coming to terms with the loss of your family...? So the only way you know how to grieve is to create this fake persona and destroy the lives of other families...? And how does that make you feel? Well, I tell how it makes you feel... it makes you PATHETIC & WEAK!"

Kurtesy jumps up as he yells towards the heavens, knocking over the urn & photo. The strain on his voice causes him to cough profusely for a few seconds before he clears his throat & gulps down some saliva to soothe the pain.

"What did you think would happen when you finished tampering with innocent lives and brought them down to your level? Atonement? Salvation? If it did, why do you continue your crusade to fight me? What are you trying to accomplish there, Zeus? Is it because that you are trying to re-create your image in another person and then take down the evil Dorian Geigel, the man you hold responsible for the loss of your family, you see standing before the almighty Dr. Zeus?"

The snickering comes back once again.

"Well guess what Zeus? You're correct! I am Dorian Geigel & I just smashed your child with a sledgehammer!" Kurtesy says with a huge smile on his face & a thumbs up. "You remember that, on Ascension, when I came out to your match and just brought the pram and BOOM! Bits and pieces scattered everywhere and the look on your face..."

The snickering of Kurtesy stops abruptly as he becomes very serious.

"And now you've got the chance to extinguish me in an Inferno match. The very thing you've dreamed of is finally coming closer & closer: the end of your heartache as you press my face towards the flames attempting to singe off my skin. You watch gleefully as you purge the darkness from your life and see the evil sent back to Hell... but let me ask you one question?"

Kurtesy steps extremely close to the fire and puts his hands almost atop the flames.

"How do you set fire to man already burned?"

He looks at his hands and sees that they are dangerously close to the fire but doesn't flinch. He moves them back away and studies his hand: nothing.

"No matter how broken one has made me, I've always fought back triumphantly and picked up the pieces afterwards. I'm an invincible soldier who cannot die, wandering these plains waiting for the next spark of evil to be vanquished. And now that you've accomplished the only thing every other enemy has yet to try, destroying the only thing I love, you won't be facing the wrath of a hardened soldier with noble cause. No, my friend, you'll merely be facing another man, trapped inside a fiery cage with you, looking to be the sole survivor."

Kurtesy picks up the photo, throwing it into the fire. He then picks up the urn, opening the lid and pouring the remaining ashes & small splinters of his mothers' coffin into the fire before tossing the urn away. Once more, he stares into the fire, watching it all burn.

"I've got nothing to lose, Zeus. You did that, just like you betrayed your own family. Remember that: all the blame here falls squarely upon your shoulders... and when I throw you into the fire & brimstone at Apocalypse, take solace in the fact that I am only doing what you would do: purging the evils inside of you."

He sits back down, crossing his legs as he watches the fire continue to burn despite everything the abuse it has taken.

"The devil is coming for you, my friend."

 

[Con T.]

The following events occur between Ascension 72, and Aftershock 30.​

"You've taken the only thing left of me,
Now come out to die, Steven Kurtesy..."

Dr. Zeus mumbles this as he shuffles his way past the entranceway, as backstage workers do their damnedest to not make eye contact. Bob, however, can't resist; he looks over to Dr. Zeus, half in horror, and half in morbid curiosity. He looks away, almost expecting Dr. Zeus to storm across the hallway, and throttle him. He can feel cold, clammy fingers, already clenching on his throat, gasping for airs, desperately feeling his lungs shrivel as the pressure becomes too much.

But none of this has happened. He opens his eyes, to find Zeus slowly shuffling. His eyes look almost catatonic; glazed over, in spite of the fact that Dr. Zeus was victorious against Drake Callahan. It looks like as though Zeus' mouth is moving... And yet, no sound can be heard. Bob listens closer, and can hear Zeus muttering, just a little louder.

"You've taken the only thing left of me,
Now come out to die, Steven Kurtesy..."

Again, Zeus' mouth continues to move... And yet, no sound is heard. As officials walk by, they're sure to give Zeus distance, but keep close enough that if he is to snap, they can break things up before any permanent damage is done. Yet, Zeus doesn't seem in any position to attack; he just keeps walking past the workers. Every step on the ground grows firmer, until Zeus is stomping with every step. And still, the same glazed over look in his eye. Once again, Dr. Zeus speaks up; this time, though, with more authority in his voice. What was a wispy mumble has turned into an audible statement.

"You've taken the only thing left of me,
Now come out to die, Steven Kurtesy..."

Finally, a flicker of emotion escapes Zeus' face... A look of sorrow. Dr. Zeus eyes almost seem to well, as he gulps. He looks down at his hands, which hold shards of shattered wood. He stops walking, to look at the remnants of his child's crib, destroyed by Steven Kurtesy, right before his very eyes. He clutches the pieces of wood, deep into his palm, and holds back the urge to cry. Bob notices, as tiny drops of blood escape from Zeus' hand. Soon, the blood is trickling a little more. Zeus looks down to his hands, and bellows once again, in a much louder voice.

"You've taken the only thing left of me,
Now come out to die, Steven Kurtesy!"

Dr. Zeus looks to his hand, and sees the blood ooze from his hand. It's a fairly deep cut; not bad enough to require stitches, but surely enough to leave a dark red residue in his puncture wounds. Zeus stalks over to a nearby wall, as workers back away from him, sure not to get in his way. He places his hand on the wall, and begins to rub the blood furiously into the wall. Backstage workers look on in horror, as Zeus begin to create an object. As the image takes shape, Zeus' eyes grow more frenzied, darting around the room suddenly. As he finishes, he backs away, with a manic gleam in his eye. Dr. Zeus seems to have created a picture of a man burning, composed of blood. The figures are crude and rudimentary, but the face of the human is clear; a man suffering, from the flames that consume his body. He looks to all of the horrified workers, and screams.

"You've taken the only thing left of me,
Now come out to die, Steven Kurtesy!"

Dr. Zeus stomps through the mob of workers, furiously walking down the hallways which leads to the stairs to his office. The darkened hallway flickers with light, and as Dr. Zeus walks down, he holds back tears. Storming down the hallway and down the stairs, he makes his way into the basement floor of the arena. He pushes the doors to his office open, fuming as he reaches for his blowtorch. He seems ready to finish Kurtesy here and now, before Apocalypse. He also grabs his salt canister, and heads for the door. But before he can leave, he notices a message, written above the doorway to his office.

Meet me in the boiler room... I am here. I can bring you Kurtesy.

Dr. Zeus looks up at the message in wonder. He squints to look deeper into the message; just like Zeus' drawing, it was written in blood. Blood slowly drips down the wall, as Zeus looks at the message, eyes wide open. He was not expecting any visitors on this night; there were no traces of Michael, nor of Alistair. Zeus could detect certain cues that brought upon both Michael and Alistair... None of which were palpable. No, this was the act of someone else. Dr. Zeus furrowed his brow, and walked out of his office. He clutched his blowtorch and canister deep into his hands, though; if this was Kurtesy's trap, he'd be ready to finish off the demon, once and for all.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zeus tepidly walked into the boiler room, more because of the lack of light, then out of fear. Zeus had spent countless hours spotting spirits in the dark, sensing the energy of other's. As the boilers churned, the gears causing clanking sounds, Zeus walked through the room, reciting latin.

"Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta-"

A creaking sound, almost like laughter, comes from the corner of the boiler room. Zeus turns on his blowtorch, and brandishes, almost welcoming the ambush. Dead silence punctures the air, as Zeus breathes in and out, extinguishing the flame of the blowtorch. He spins around, always sure to watch his back. The dim light in the boiler room becomes a little brighter, as Zeus keeps his guard up. The appaearence of light usually signals Michael... But he feels a dark presence in the room, which Zeus identifies with Alistair. Another creaking sound, and the lights flicker, once again!

"Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae."

Dr. Zeus looks to the still open door of the boiler room, to make sure this doesn't become a group ambush. He looks down to the ground, and allows a soft, "Amen" to pass his lips. At that very moment, the lights go out. Steps are heard; soft at first, then reverberating around, becoming noisier and noisier. The ominous steps signal a dark, dark presence; what felt like a faint spirit has now made itself extremely palpable. Zeus exhales, and lights his blowtorch one more time, to look around him. When he lights it, he sees a dark, robed figure in front of him, with black hair covering what could be seen of his face.

"I'm glad you got my message."

The blowtorch flickers out, and in darkness, all Dr. Zeus can see is the symbol of Chaos, brightly lit on the wall of the boiler room. The lights come on, and the robed figure slams the door shut, leaving the two men locked together in a boiler room. Dr. Zeus looks to the mysterious man, with a mixture of confusion and anger.

The robed individual unveils the hood from his head, to reveal Ty Burna. Ty Burna offers a smirk and a laugh, as Dr. Zeus grips his blowtorch, gritting his teeth in anger. He angrily speaks, through gritted teeth.

You insolent fool, what-"

"Silence," Ty Burna commands, with an air of finality. Dr. Zeus sizes up this new character... Someone he had never met before, but had heard so many tales of. His guard is up, as Ty walks up to Dr. Zeus. What's wrong," Ty condescendingly asks, "Not who you were expecting?"

"You said you would bring him; where's Kurtesy?
You two are together; it's as obvious as can be."

Ty Burna's smug grin turned quickly into an aggrieved grimace, as his eyes lit up at the very thought of Kurtesy. Ty's mood changed, so too did the atmosphere of the room. "How dare you?" He audaciously began, his eyes now locked on Dr. Zeus. "Understand this, wretched soul... Kurtesy and I would never be aligned! There is no love lost, and there is too much bloodspill, for us to ever be an alliance!" Ty Burna calmed down, after much time, but kept his eyes upon Zeus. "No... No, see, I've brought you here for business. Important business." With a gesture, Ty pointed towards a table, set up with two chairs, facing one another, in a corner of the boiler room. "Shall we have a seat?" The arrogant grinned returned, and though Dr. Zeus face did not change, he turned his body towards the table. He walked over to it, never releasing his stare from Ty Burna. Ty walked with him, going to the other side of the table; he, too, never broke his stare from Dr. Zeus.

Dr. Zeus sat down, but Ty Burna stood, facing Zeus. He began to pace his side of the table, finally breaking his stare. "You'll understand, I couldn't be amongst those... Fools, watching your match with Drake Callahan. Now, don't get me wrong, I watched... But for obvious reasons, I couldn't make my presence known. You'll understand, won't you?" Ty turned back to look at Dr. Zeus, who's expression had not changed, since being seated. This looked to anger Ty, though he did his best to hide it. "Drake still thinks he can track me down... It's laughable-"

This has nothing to do with Drake, at all.
If you wanted to waste my time, I'd rather you called."

Ty leaned onto the table, getting right into Dr. Zeus. Zeus still looked angered, but within a second, returned the smug grin Ty had shot him before. Ty's anger could be seen on his face, but he once again tried to collect himself. "No, you're right... But this has everything to do with me. And it has everything to do with you and Kurtesy. I saw your performance against Drake... It was passable... Nothing more. I would have obliterated him, when I the chance-

"Perhaps you can help me, I just can't see
How any of this has to do with Kurtesy!"

Ty's anger finally was unleashed, as he grabbed Dr. Zeus by the collar of his shirt. "You fool! Don't you get it! When I choose to destroy my opponent, you let him up! I've bested Kurtesy... I've left him a shell of himself more times than I care to count! And what have you done? I watched Redemption; you let him slip away from your hands, and-"

Dr. Zeus freed himself from Ty's grasp, and grabbed hold of his blowtorch.

"Sandy cheated me from taking his soul!
From sending him back down the fiery hole!"

Ty backed away... A little gingerly, still supporting his knee. Both men seemed at a standstill; Ty sized up Dr. Zeus, and began to smile. Zeus held his blowtorch, but sat down. "You had him. Had. I've seen what you've done... You had your foot right on his neck. You had him choking for air... Begging for his life." Ty walked over to Zeus' side of the table, and got close into Zeus ear, and whispered, "it was beautiful." Ty backed away, as Dr. Zeus clenched a fist with his other hand. "But see, Kurtesy is going to require more. If you want to send him down into the flames... You had to step on his neck. You gave him the chance to get up... Never give him the chance to get up."

Dr. Zeus sat back in his chair... And began to laugh. Ty looked at him, with a perplexed look, as Zeus maniacally laughed harder and harder. Ty fumed, as Dr. Zeus continued to laugh.

"Funny; did you expect me to ignore
What he did to you at Kingdom Come IV?"

Ty Burna banged on the table, as Dr. Zeus looked on, somewhat amused, and somewhat ready to fight. "You think I've forgotten? It eats me alive, every day! And that's why I need you to stop Kurtesy; because no one else wants to destroy him!" Ty looked to the door of the boiler room, with a sullen gaze. "Those other... Wrestlers. They're happy with beating Steven Kurtesy. Pinning him, in a show of sport. Ty peered deep into the eyes of Dr. Zeus, almost staring into his soul. He calmly, finished, "You, on the other hand. Oh, you play by different rules... You won't be happy until you've sent him to Hell. You need to destroy him, send his carcass into the fire, and watch his limp body smolder in the fire. And I need it, too." Ty chuckled, and looked down. "You know, people say you're the next me..."

This angered Dr. Zeus, and he looked to Ty Burna, with an indignant look. He rose out of his chair, and tensely began.

"I'm nothing like you... You're simply a fraud.
Your mission's Chaos; My mission's from God."

"How you forget, Boy... I am a God." As Ty said this, he looked into the eyes of Zeus, and his red eyes began to flash once more. The room lights dimmed, once more, seemingly at the whim of Ty Burna. Zeus looked on, though, at the man in front of him. He smirked, once again;

"Oh yes, quite an Almighty God, I see.
Tell me, Almighty One; how is your knee?"

Ty Burna looked down at his knee, still delicate from the surgeries required to repair the tendons. Zeus continued on, with a rueful voice.

"We're not the same at all; God, can't you tell?
You live in delusions, when I've been through Hell.
You have a daughter that you get to see.
Kurtesy took it all away from me.
While you've been playing with some Ouija Board,
I've been serving the way of The Lord.
So, while you sit back here and seethe."

This time, it's Dr. Zeus walking over, to whisper in Ty Burna's ear.

"I'll be the one to make sure Kurtesy ceases to breathe."

Ty pushes Dr. Zeus, who prepares Euthanisia! But Ty Burna is jumping into the air, preparing his Consecrated Banishment kick! Zeus ducks at the last second, as Ty barely misses. Zeus looks over his shoulder, but finds Ty Burna is smiling.

"Don't just say it... Finish it. Finish him off!" And on that, Ty Burna rolls his eyes in the back of his head, and the lights go out, once more. When the lights come back on, Dr. Zeus is left alone in the boiler room... With just the Chaos symbol, burned into the wall.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Zeus paced his office, frantically awaiting another visitor. He checked his clock, with a worried look on his face. His lights dimmed a little, and he heard footsteps, approaching his door. Dr. Zeus hurriedly went to the front door, and opened it.

There, with arms folded and a disapproving look, stood Chastity. She waited a second, almost expecting Zeus to say something. When he didn't, she broke the silence.

"So, big thing, huh? Had to call me back to here. You know, you have some nerve-"

"Hush, my child, I promise all will be fine.
For I've stumbled upon a thought so divine.
I lost track of the mission we had set,
But we can accomplish our goal, yet."

Chastity begrudgingly looked at the Doctor; something she had avoided doing. Dr. Zeus, with a glimmer in his eye, put his hand underneath her chin, to help her look up. She sighed, thought a little, and looked up to him again.

"What did you have in mind?"

"We take one last thing away from Kurtesy.
How about....", he got in close to whisper into Chastity's ear.

"How about we set fire to his family tree?"

Chastity looked up, with a glimmer in his eye. He laid out the plan to her; Chastity would lure Steven into believing she wanted Zeus stopped. He would hop on a flight, in less than two hours, to the city in which Jasmine Kurtesy has been buried. He would salt and burn the body... And finally put the wretched demon out of her misery. It would also weaken the power of Steven Kurtesy... The man searching for inner peace, would finally snap. Chastity stayed in the Doctor's office, as Zeus left to board a plane.

If we're going to Hell, this I must say.
You will suffer every step of the way."