AS65: Constantine (c) vs. S.H.I.T - Elite X Championship Match

[Viola Moonlight]

The mechanical greatness treads into Ascension 65 with a strict motive: to eliminate Hunter Kravinoff and relieve his ally, Barbosa, of his current depression. However, fate has cooked up something different for the robotic crusader. It is a champion who has something to prove. After seizing the Elite X Championship from Sam Smith, Constantine has taken two steps backwards. A failed tour in the lottery and a devastating loss to the Tag Team Champions last round have backed him into a corner. For the first time, Constantine will defend the championship under uncertain circumstances. Who will rise out of the ashes? Man or Machine?


Deadline is Tuesday, June 11th 2013, at 11:59 P.M. (Central Time Zone)​

 

[Kermit]

S.H.I.T. has been granted a 24hr extension.

 

[Miko]

Natural Selection;

There is a very long, detailed description of that particular phrase in S.H.I.T's databanks, it procured this information through research, communicating with and threatening computers until they parted with the necessary information. The name itself was interesting. When you consider how S.H.I.T's "mind" works it is absolutely no surprise that what it takes out of the name "Natural Selection" is "survival of the fittest." Essentially the removal of weakness so that what is strong may survive and prosper.

If that was the purpose of Kravinoff and Constantine calling their team by this name then they were very, very badly mistaken. At their first try.

S.H.I.T is the ultimate fighting machine.

S.H.I.T is where evolution stops, because it can not get any better.

'Selection' would imply that they had a choice. S.H.I.T had no choice, S.H.I.T exists only to destroy!

Perhaps that was the real fear of the Politician and the Hunter. They have seen the perfection they strive for and they can not replicate it.

Perhaps their end game really was that simple.

They had messed with Barbosa's head though, or at least the Hunter had. While at least their list of enemies were dwindling, in the case of Rush and Sam Smith and Action Saxton and Saboteur being pre-occupied with each other, Barbosa and S.H.I.T were by no means, to use a Human expression "out of the woods."

Out of the woods!

There were plenty of people to hear this outburst, although few paid it any attention, most busily getting on with whatever business they had in this Police Station that Barbosa had left the Machine outside. Another example of the state that the return of Kravinoff had left him in, trying to get the Police to aid in his search for a man that wasn't actually missing, before storming off, calling S.H.I.T a "stupid man in a box." If S.H.I.T were capable of being insulted it might be, but it had to show patience with Barbosa at this point.

Out of the woods!

The woods, the natural habitat of the Hunter, and that's where he was trying to place them. S.H.I.T's internal process continued.

Trying to make S.H.I.T his prey! The Machine's hands noticeably clench at this. To anyone that was watching at least.

Stalking them, isolating S.H.I.T by getting into the head of its only ally, preying on the Machine when it's guard was down or it was pre-occupied.

But what does a Hunter do when his prey keeps on coming? What does a Hunter do when his prey is not subject to mind games? What does a Hunter do, when no matter how many times he puts his prey down, it gets back to its feet and continues on for more? When his prey feels no fear? Has no remorse?

Barbosa had a problem, which in turn meant that S.H.I.T had a problem, that problem was Hunter Kravinoff. He had gotten into his allies head.

S.H.I.T however, S.H.I.T would deal with the Kravinoff as it deals with all its problems, it will simply keep attacking and attacking until Kravinoff was nothing but dust. Thereby removing the problem and allowing things to heal, in an ironic turn of phrase, naturally.

S.H.I.T looked around, uncertain of its next move, Barbosa nowhere to be seen.

Barbosa himself had accused S.H.I.T of being jealous before storming off. Not an accusation that could be levied at something with no emotions, S.H.I.T felt. S.H.I.T had merely tried to make Barbosa see sense, that to get too torn up in the affairs of Kravinoff could only lead to his downfall. And if Barbosa fell, and S.H.I.T's enemies decided at that point to circle in like the sharks they are, then S.H.I.T could well be horribly exposed.

Not to mention the other implications of Barbosa's distractions, S.H.I.T knew that he did indeed care about the "Shiny Belts!" and that a win over his opponent, Steven Holmes, would catapult him into contention for the biggest of the shiny belts.

However, S.H.I.T? Jealous?

Jealousy? Only a Human could entertain such a mad concept!

S.H.I.T had merely only meant to imply that Barbosa could gain himself some serious opportunities if he focused on his problem at hand, Holmes and Celeste. S.H.I.T would deal with the problem that was Kravinoff! S.H.I.T was obviously more inclined to do so than Barbosa. Certainly more inclined to than the Manic variation of Barbosa. S.H.I.T reasoned that the Depressive or even the Smoker would see more reason, but they were never in control when S.H.I.T really required them, or if they were then something in the Manic was holding them back.

The Manic was certainly making things difficult. If S.H.I.T could not bury Kravinoff quickly, it might entertain the idea of keeping the Manic more in check, perhaps an accord could be reached with the other two.

A new thought struck S.H.I.T however. That would be a shame! It seemed to like the innocence of the Manic, it really would be a shame to have to cage it. Kravinoff is the problem, he must be destroyed! Subjugation of Manic is the last resort!

Kravinoff was the problem, but not the actual cause.

Constantine!

It was Constantine who had bought the Hunter back into the company, he is the man who is essentially responsible for messing with Barbosa's head. It was he who had recruited Alex Bowen and Justin Cooper to his cause originally, all those months ago, and the first thing those two had done was attack Barbosa and S.H.I.T.

What was Constantine's agenda?

Why did he have it in for Barbosa and S.H.I.T?

Truth is S.H.I.T didn't care. In the same way an automated alarm system doesn't care who has broken in. It just reacts.

Now it was time to react!

Crush Constantine! It finally had it's opening to do so.

There was more to this though, Barbosa obviously valued the Hunter Kravinoff, his earlier outbursts clear that he cares about the man. Barbosa valued Kravinoff and now it was down to S.H.I.T to remove Hunter Kravinoff completely. Essentially creating more of a rift between Barbosa and S.H.I.T.

This was Constantines fault.

How would a Human repay this debt?

What did Constantine value? The idea formed in S.H.I.T's head.

Shiny Belt!

The voice of Barbosa materialised in it's head. Joining the other thought processes floating around.

The Elite X Title, Constantine certainly valued that. Constantine had taken Kravinoff away from Barbosa, but perhaps Barbosa would appreciate it if S.H.I.T took something away from Constantine. if S.H.I.T took the shiny Elite X belt for its own.

The title didn't mean anything to S.H.I.T. It knew it was the Ultimate Fighting Machine, created purely to forge a path of destruction. If that path of destruction involved claiming the Elite X Title then so be it. This was a war.

The title was like a banner to Constantine.

Sometimes in war the most effective way to win is to take your enemies banner!

S.H.I.T would wait for it's opportunity to destroy the Kravinoff, that could come at anytime, that was necessary, and Barbosa would see that truth in time. However, Constantine had ripped Barbosa's heart out, had been targeting both for a long time, S.H.I.T knew exactly when it would return that particular favour; Ascension 65, when it destroyed John Constantine and took his most prized possession for it's own.

With its goal in mind S.H.I.T headed toward the only place it really understood without Barbosa around, it headed back to the WZCW arena, to bide its time for taking out its enemies.

In one fell swoop, superior Technology would eliminate the need for Natural Selection.

 

[Dave]

11th of June, 2013
Hunter Kravinoff's rented hotel room



Constantine: How is he?

Constantine meets Hunter Kravinoff's handler Mr Hines with a worried gaze. He had been here every day since the loss to Action Saxton and Saboteur but had never seen the man he had come to call his tag team partner as of yet. In truth, Constantine wasn't even sure of what he would say to the Ugandan Wild Man if he were allowed into the room. Fortunate he was then, that Mr Hines seen not to allow it.

Mr Hines: He's been better. The loss to the Tag Team Champions has set him back a few months for sure. His personality has regressed and his demons have, once again, become prevalent.

Constantine lets out a sigh, searching his brain for an answer to such a quandary.

Mr Hines: To be completely honest with you, Mr Constantine, I sometimes wonder if this is not too big of a challenge for even me. I have dealt with cases like this before but never to this extent. The psychological damage that has been inflicted on this man is far beyond anything I have ever seen. I wonder if it is not best to abandon such a project. It may save your Elite X Championship.

Constantine wished, at that moment, that he could walk away from Kravinoff. His performance at Ascension against the Tag Team Champions had been precisely what he had hoped to avoid. Kravinoff looked rusty and altogether amateurish. Kravinoff had been duped by smarter opposition but Constantine recognised that he was duped also, something that did not sit right with the former politician. But Constantine could not abandon him, he would not. Not until he had nothing left to gain from such an alliance.

Constantine: Impossible. Hunter Kravinoff is still a key component to my plans. We simply must persist with this.

Mr Hines nods acceptingly, knowing that the ideology of Constantine, however foolish he found it, was the route he would be taking.

Mr Hines: Then I do think that it would make sense for you to speak to the man. Since Ascension he has talked endlessly about his shame. He feels as though he has let you down, Mr Constantine. You simply must understand that, for a man of his nature, disappointment is not going to come without a cost.

Constantine felt a pang of nervousness shoot up his spine as Mr Hines continued to brief him. The Power Trip had hoped to avoid such a meeting, not sure of how he would respond to Kravinoff. The alliance was so new that he did not know how to best approach the situation and this had worried him. But it was the only course of action. If Kravinoff were to saved, along with any hope of success that John Constantine had first imagined when he recovered the Ugandan Wild Man, then a difficult conversation was a must.

Constantine: Okay. Let me see him.

Mr Hines: Certainly.

Mr. Hones turns from Constantine slowly, opening the large wooden door behind him and sticking his head through the gap it creates. He peers inside for a moment, surveying the situation before turning back to Constantine.

Mr Hines: I warn you though, he is not himself.

Constantine nods his head in acceptance and then follows Mr. Hines inside the room. There, a haunted Hunter Kravinoff sits in the corner, his body resting on the floor behind a wooden table. His rugged appearance has become even more dishevelled than usual and his beard has become overly long. Kravinoff sits silently, not looking up as he hangs his head towards the floor, his eyes closed tightly.

Mr. Hines: Hunter, you have a guest.

Kravinoff remains motionless in the corner as Constantine surveys the apartment. The floor is a mess to walk on. Clothes and mess line the path as the Power Trip inches closer to his fallen tag team partner. There is a fowl smell in the air too but Constantine cannot put his finger on what is causing it.

Kravinoff: I've already told you, Hines. I don't want to see anyone.

Constantine: Not even your best friend?

With the sound of Constantine's voice ringing in his ears, Kravinoff raises his chin excitedly, his eyes lighting up like never before. Jumping to his feet, Kravinoff hurriedly makes his way over to his ally before throwing his arms around him.

Kravinoff: It is so good to see your face, brother. I thought... Well... What does it matter you've come now and that is all that counts.

Constantine pulls Kravinoff from around his neck and stares into his eyes. The smile on Kravinoff's face sends a hopeful tingle down the spine of Constantine. The Power Trip had never had someone so happy to see him before and the alien feeling caught him by surprise.

Constantine: It's good to see, Hunter. I trust that Mr. Hines has been taking care of you in my absence?

Kravinoff: Yes, yes, of course. The man is a true paradigm of care. But it is good to see you. Truth be told, I didn't think you would want to continue our association after what happened at Ascension.

Constantine gives the obviously worried Kravinoff a faint smile as he turns him around and seats him in a nearby chair.

Constantine: There was no chance of that happening, Hunter. Our mission is far from complete. And besides that's not what friends do. Friends are there for when they are needed. And in those times, friends show other friends what they have to gain; they pick them up from out of their mental slump and give them direction, give them focus.

Kravinoff: We're still friends?

Constantine: Of course we are. What I really come here for any other reason than to see how you were doing?

Kravinoff remains quiet as Constantine presses on.

Constantine: You don't see Dolores here, she has long since forgotten about you and the pain she inflicted. Even more horrid is that you don't see that barbarian Barbosa here either. Much too concerned with his new alliance with SHIT and his match against the World Heavyweight Champion.

Again, the sad eyes of Hunter Kravinoff light up with delight, a look of enthusiasm on his face.

Kravinoff: Barbosa has a World Heavyweight Championship match?

Constantine: No, no. He is in a match with the World Heavyweight Champion.

Sensing his opportunity to put more space between Hunter and Barbosa, Constantine seizes his opportunity.

Constantine: One would have thought that a friend would have told you about his upcoming match and the importance of such an event.

Kravinoff bows his head, the light in his eyes slowly dying out.

Constantine: I mean, a win here could really take him back up the ladder and back into the main event of WZCW. One would have thought that he would share such information with the people closest to him, the people that mean something to him. But here we are, not even a week until one of the biggest matches in his career and he hasn't said a word to you about it.

Constantine tears a wound from Kravinoff with every word. But he is not satisfied with the result, further and further he presses Kravinoff.

Constantine: But I did see him fraternise with the machine SHIT the other day. Oh how they laughed and told tales of their successes. How Barbosa would defeat Steven Holmes and put himself in the World Heavyweight Championship match at Kingdom Come as a result. And how SHIT would defeat me for the Elite X Championship and together would rule WZCW as allies... And friends.

Kravinoff jumps out of his seat, alerting Constantine who in turn does the same. There is an anger to Kravinoff now that burns red hot in the face of his so-called ally.

Kravinoff: Stop it!

Constantine fires back at Hunter, an anger in his voice now too.

Constantine: Face it, Hunter! Barbosa has moved on without you. He has chosen a new friend in SHIT and wants to see everything you have worked for, everything that WE have worked for crumble and turn to dust. He doesn't care about you, he never did. He just wants to prove that you were never important to him and as you sit in this room alone thinking about your failings in a WZCW ring, you prove him to be right.

Kravinoff: I said stop it, John!

Constantine: Barbosa wants to laugh at you. He laughed at you when you were fooled by Action Saxton and Saboteur and he will be laughing at you again if I am to lose my Elite X Championship to his new accomplice.

Kravinoff: I won't allow it!

Kravinoff turns from Constantine as Constantine tears on, a frenzy of vicious words hurtling towards his most recent friend.

Constantine: If SHIT takes my Elite X Championship, everything we have done turns to nothing!

Kravinoff turns back towards Constantine once more.

Kravinoff: I will not allow it to happen!

Kravinoff picks a glass up from beside him and tosses it across the room. As it makes contact with the far wall, it smashes into pieces, frightening the slight man behind Constantine; Mr Hines. Both Constantine and Kravinoff remain silent for what seems like an endless amount of time, staring at each other; waiting for the other man to make the first move until a booming laugh comes from The Power Trip. Kravinoff shifts uncomfortably, not knowing how to receive this gesture.

Constantine: There it is! There is the wild spirit of Hunter Kravinoff. The man who has ripped the very heart from Barbosa and fractured his relationship with his closest ally

Constantine sits back down in his chair as Kravinoff watches him, a look of uncertainty plastered on his face.

Constantine: You see Hunter, you have trusted men too easily in the past. You trusted Barbosa to watch for your return and guard your friendship with everything he has. You trusted Action Saxton and Saboteur to be sporting and to shake your hand with nothing to fear. And how has that worked out for you?

Kravinoff remains silent as the lesson Constantine has been teaching becomes abundantly clear to him.

Constantine: But you can trust me, Hunter. I am your friend. And friendship is a bond that is crafted not through luck or chance; but through trust in the other person. And now I am on the eve of a very important match against SHIT, a man who could realistically rip me limb from limb if he so fancied. And I need to be able to trust that you are in the right frame of mind to face that challenge alongside me. I simply cannot do this without you, Hunter. You are my partner in all of this. But are you my friend?

Kravinoff: You're right, John. You've always been right. About Dolores, about Barbosa... About everything. I was a shadow of my former self at Ascension and I know it. You put faith in my abilities and I blew it. You could have cut the tie then and there and sent me back to that hopeless backwater surrounding.

Kravinoff moves closer to Constantine who sits on the edge of his seat.

Kravinoff: But you didn't. You came here when I thought you had left forever. You came when I was sure that no one would dare to come and see a fool that was so easily tricked by the Tag Team Champions.

Kravinoff looks deep into the eyes of Constantine.

Kravinoff: You can trust me, John. Together we will show Dolores, Barbosa and anyone else who doubts us that we are strong as a unit and will let nothing stand in our way of success. I will cast off the shackles of Barbosa's friendship by helping you put SHIT down for good. The catharsis begins as we tear SHIT into a thousand pieces of cardboard as his ally looks on.

Kravinoff stands again and is soon joined by Constantine. Both men place grasp each other's hand in a firm handshake.

Constantine: Good. Then I shall see you at Ascension, Hunter. With a point to prove, SHIT and Barbosa will suffer at our hands.

Constantine turns away from Kravinoff and heads towards the exit. Turning only for a moment to direct parting words with Hunter Kravinoff.

Constantine: See to it that you do not fail me again.

With that, the powerful figure and presence of The Power Trip disappears, Mr Hines trailing behind him trying to catch his ear for a moment. As the door finally closes, Hunter Kravinoff stands alone in the messy, alone and silent; his mind racing from thought to thought.

Kravinoff: I will not allow it. Trust that.