MD 140 - Vee ADZ versus Tony Mancini [Gold Rush: Round 1]

[Da Prophet]

RP deadline is Monday 22nd May 2017.

 

[Lee]

This match has a 24 hour extension.

 

[Prince Vee]

The door swung open with great force, which made the flower patterned white window curtains to totter. Standing opposite to the door is Vee, with a can of soda, just popped open, in his hands and starring right at the person opposite to him. No surprises, it was Vlad who was standing exactly opposite to him. The neatly design wide door frame and the tribal patterns carved in it resembled a mirror. For a moment Vee wondered whether he was looking at himself in the mirror. Coincidentally, Vlad was neither wearing his traditional trench coat nor adorning his perpetual grin. He was, uncharacteristically, wearing a green t-shirt and a pair of grey baggy pants and he was visibly frustrated over what he was looking. But Vee was a little amused at what he saw; Vlad wearing something similar to him. Vee himself was wearing a green t-shirt but black track pants. They both exchanged looks at each other. Neither of them had any change of expression in their faces. Vlad still had a grimace covered his face; Vee was rather blunt, as he used to.

It was Vee who broke the silence. He brought the soda can to his lips and suck in a little. The fluid flown down his throat; he wiped his lips off with the back of his hand and raised his head slightly and gave a smirk.

Vee: Where is your melodramatic entrance? It’s quite surprising to see you walk right through the front door.

He chuckled a little before placing the soda can on the table. He swung his look up again at Vlad but he was stale in his position. His reactions were unchanged; he still had a canny look in his eyes.

Vee: What? Have some humour, mate.

Vlad titled his head slightly to the side and gave a sharp look at Vee. His glare pierced through the skull of his doppelganger.

Vlad: Oh! Entertain me with more comedy. Bollocks!

Vee: But I am not much of a comedian. Anyhow, could you not tell me already why you are here?

Vee lifted the soda can again to his lips but stopped when Vlad gave a foul look at him.

Vlad: Stop sucking on that filthy can of your, it makes me chunder.

Vee tossed the soda can away in the dustbin and looked a little bemused. He was not as amused to see Vlad now as he was awhile back. His eyebrows had frowned a little, he wiped the sweat on his nose with his hands and looked up at Vlad.

Vee: Look, don’t be overdramatic. Just tell me why you are here?

Vlad chewed his lips, he was obviously distressed at Vee. He took a couple of steps closer to Vee before locking the door behind him.

Vlad: The last time we met, I gave you some words of advice. In case you don’t remember, let me enlighten you with it again. I told you to be more reckless and ruthless for the match with the Beard at the Apocalypse. I wanted you to be a little more aggressive. I asked for you to beat him bloody but what you did was, put him in your rubbish chinlocks, armbars and headlocks! Well, Congratulations! You just earned yourself a nice four points in Greco-Roman Wrestling match. Oh! I forgot, you lost to that bastard!

The small smile in the face of Vee had started to wan quite quickly. He gusted out his breath and sighed at the direction of Vlad.

Vee: I know and I understand. From the moment you left I only thought about the ways I can beat the Beard. Truth to be told, I honestly didn’t think I could beat the Beard if I didn’t get to be more aggressive. But all of that had faded off my mind when I walked down that ramp on that amazing night. I was focussed, Trust me! I wanted to be more aggressive. I wanted to give him the real pain to every inch of his body. But when I heard the noises that the people in the arena made for both me and Beard, I realised how much they have respect for both of us. And I looked up at Beard to only see nothing but respect. Honestly, I am not regretful that I lost to a former Champion.

Vee was taken aback when Vlad kicked a flower vase in the room. The shattered pieces were scattered all across the room.

Vlad: You should be ANGRY! Instead, you are not regretful!? Hell, what does that even supposed to mean? You lost to a shaggy old guy who hadn’t been in the wrestling ring for almost a year and he returned back one night just to beat you. And you are not regretful for that? Well then, FUCK YOU! You are not regretful to lose to a former champion? Look around you, my boy, everyone is a champion in WZCW. Except YOU. Everyone who debuted after you had won a championship and I can assure, you will not be regretful to lose to them either. You will never be a champion if you don’t step up your game. You need more than just some oil to pour in the flame that’s growing inside you.

Vee: I have my peculiar set of skills! I don’t need your words of wisdom to become a champion. From what I have learned in all through my career, is the real skill can never be overshadowed. With the skills I got, I can match any opponent. I have beaten the best in the business with those skills and I don’t need your pep talk to be more aggressive that I am already.

Vlad lets out a maniac laugh. The sound of that laughter echoed the room. It brought a little chill to Vee’s spine but more it lit up a little rage in him.

Vlad: You’re aggressive? Nice one, mate! I heard you said you’re not much of a humorous person. Didn’t you look at the Mayhem match at the Apocalypse and you still believe you have what it takes to be champion in WZCW? What’ll you do when someone like Tyrone Blades or Constantine charges at you with a hacksaw? Put it an armbar or a bicep slicer? Irony, isn’t it?

The eyes that were staring at Vlad till them had started to turn red. The anger that he had concealed under his ironically oppressive moral codes had started to lurk out. But he still managed to bring a smile to his face. Perhaps, his strong moral code is what differs him from the sadistic Vlad.

He turned his face away from Vlad. There is nothing but a deep silence filled in the space between the two identical men. Vee walked to the refrigerator to grab another can of soda and popped it open. The gas makes the soda to ooze out of its lid. Vlad, obviously the more ingenious one among those two, started to comprehend the situation. He understood this might not be the right way to approach and conceive Vee. He walked towards Vee and placed his hand on his shoulder to turn him around. They both looked in their eyes.

Vlad: You need to understand. I don’t want you to break your moral codes but this is the biggest opportunity you ever will have. You have seen the superstars like Flex Mussel and Eve Taylor who had been beating every opponent on their way for the last couple of years to get a shot at the WZCW Heavyweight Title. But this is Gold Rush. Despite you’re among 16 other competitors, all you have to do is beat just four of them and you will be the next #1 contender. All that I am saying is, if you are smart enough to see your position and look at the ways you can beat whomsoever those four competitors maybe, you could be seeing yourself in the top of the ladder. If you ever had thought about breaking your natural-self to just become a little more aggressive, this is the right time to do it.

Without saying any word, Vee walked to the armchair and rested down. He firmly pushed his back to the chair and laid one of his arms on the chair. He arched his head up slightly to look at Vlad. He could see the small shrinks on the side of Vlad’s eyes and a little shade of grey hair which showed his age.

Vee: That is not how my fath… our father raised us.

Vlad swallowed, a little bewildered but more enthralled hearing about their father. He looked down at Vee and he continued.

Vee: You see we were raised in that way. I just want to be at least a little better than our father. I looked up to him throughout my life and I admired his tenacity to thrive under any situation without losing his temper or breaking his moral codes. He believes in me and I, for sure, know he has been watching my every match on television at home. I wouldn’t want to disappoint him when I do something that I am not proud of.

Vlad chucked, as if he heard a joke but he didn’t express what’s in his mind to Vee. Rather, he simply smiled and kneeled opposite to him.

Vlad: Your father has always been proud of you.

Vee: Our father.

Vlad: Yes…

Vee: What happened to you? I mean, I know you got strangled in between the timelines for what it seemed like 10 or 15 years but what changed you?

Vlad: You have no idea.

Vlad raised to his feet and walked towards the window. He turned to Vee again and gave a brisk look.

Vlad: You know what, talking about our father had remind me of something. It’s funny to even think about that.

Vee giggled slightly and gave a brisk look at Vlad.

Vee: I can see what you are thinking. The Battle of Dad’s at the Apocalypse.

They both shared a moment of gentle laughter before Vlad gave a smirk and approached Vee.

Vlad: It was funny to think how two hypocrites tried to outdo each other in a compelling of task of who hides their true identity better! Logan McAllistar and Tony Mancini are nowhere close to be the father of the year. At least, Logan admitted when he arrived at WZCW that he will do whatever it takes to provide his family. Then he jumped wagon onto some lady who pretentiously proclaimed to be his manager. Let me spare my thoughts on Logan for later but Mancini…!

Before Vlad could start talking about the first opponent for Vee at the Goldrush Tournament, Vee interrupted by pushing his soda can forward.

Vee: Tony Mancini is, in every single way, the person I hate the most! The New Yorkers can chant his name and cheer for him but that doesn’t regard the crimes he and his family had done in the past. He even followed a guy who owed his father some money, Luke Manson. Now he pretends to be a better father than his old man ever was? It is a travesty!

Vlad: He can attend every Sunday chore at the church and sing songs or read Bible every night or hell, even he can pretend to lool. his life in the way Bible Quotes. None of it matters of what he did in the past. It will follow him and his little one all through his life. You know, a saint can easily turn into a thug but it will take ages for a thug to become a saint and with the crap surrounding us, it is nearly impossible.

Vee: It will be a travesty if I lose to him in the Goldrush Tournament. Because, he is in every single way, the person I hate the most. I feel sorry for his little one. She shouldn’t be raised under the shadow of such a person. I can’t do anything about it but what I can do is, beat him and remind him where he belongs. A thug belongs in the streets, not in the profession I love. I will beat him for that.

Vlad sniffed his nose and wiped off the sweat. He took a glance at his watch and raised his head up at Vee.

Vlad: You better do what you have to. And remember, you just to have to four of the best competitors, that includes Tony Mancini, to become the #1 contender. Remember what you have to do… Remember what you have to do.

Vee bowed his head down and gave a smirk but the words “Remember what you have to do” kept echoing through his ears. He looked up to see the empty room and couldn’t find his doppelganger anywhere. He shook his head in slight disgust.

Vee: Am I surprised…?

**********​

The lights were lit up in the dark room where Vlad’s father was tied up. The lights were so bright, that his father’s pupils hadn’t seen in months. He shrunk is eyes; he saw the figure of his son Vlad approaching him, through those shrunk eyes.

“I had an interesting conversation with him earlier today, father. He said something about YOU. It surprised me a little, you know”, he said in an incredulous tone.

“What about me?”, his father chucked.

Vlad grabbed the tied up arms of his father, quite firmly.

“About how proud you are about me!”

He could feel the bones of his father started to freeze in fear when he said that in such a daunting voice.

“I… I always had been proud of you, son”, his father stumbled to speak out his words.

Vlad continued with his menacing voice, “You never are… I understood why it was so hard to break his will. He was raised in that way by a proud father, unlike you. And you, treated me like a lab rat. You used me for all the experiments. Look what you have turned me into! A scavenger, who is trying desperately to replace an innocent little boy in his small world”.

For the first time in the long time, his father struggled to get off the hold of the ropes. A slight wetness formed across his eyes.

“I did my best with you. I just wanted to look myself in you and it was too late when I realised it was wrong. I truly am sorry for that”, a tear almost rolled down his eyes when he finished saying that.

“Yes… that’s what you did. You wanted to look yourself in me. But you crossed the limits when I begged you that I wouldn’t jump into time. Yet! you pushed me into the timeline to throw me off your life”, he rammed his fist over the hand of his father. He whimpered, though silently, in pain.

“I always wanted you to love me. I wanted to show you how much love I had for you. The moment you were born, that was the greatest moment in my entire life. That’s why I made you jump the timeline but what I presumed was wrong. I wanted you to travel back to the day you were born. I didn’t try to throw you out of my life. I wanted you as much as you did. That’s why I sent you back to the one true moment when I expressed my real love for you. I could express me love and care for you in million different ways but it was a little too late. So I wanted you to see it in your own eyes and I thought I could bring you back. But it made you froze in the timeline for 15 years which was merely 15 minutes in real”, he muttered between the pain that he endured.

“Is that so, father?”

“What I am telling is true! I wanted it to be a surprise. Remember the day I sent you back in timeline? It was your birthday! I wanted to show you how much I love you”, tears started to flow down like a stream down his cheeks.

Vlad took a step back. He looked at his old man’s tear filled eyes.

“All I wanted was your love, father. I wanted you to care for me”, his voice breaks a little when he said that.

“I know, son. That’s why I did what I had done but I screwed it up. I really am sorry. Why do you only remember the hard times you had with me? You only remember the times we locked horns? Don’t you even remember moment that we both cherished together?”

Vlad contemplated for a while; he walked across the room multiple times before walking behind the chair in which his father is tied to. He started to untie the knots one by one.

“I do remember father…”, he untied the first knot.

“I remember the time you took me to my first wrestling show in India”, he chuckled and untied another knot and continued, “I remember plenty of moments… the embrace you gave me at the 2010 New Year eve… your fingers running through my hair when I’m lying in bed sick. Do you know, I used to be awake but would close my eyes to see whether you would caress my hair or not?”

He untied the final knot and gently gets to his feet by holding his father’s shoulder. He taps on the shoulders softly. A small smile blooms in his father’s face. The smile widened with the tears that rolled down his cheeks. He pushed his palm to the arms of the chair and raised to his feet. He took one step forward; but he stumbled. He saw his left foot still tied to the chair.

“Son, you haven’t untied my feet yet”, he demanded in a gentle tone rubbing his tear filled eyes.

“I know”

Before he could realise he felt a shear pain creeping through the nerves from his feet to his spine. He fell hard on the floor on his face and withered in pain. His vision was blurred between those tear filled eyes; but his screams echoed the entire room. He looked down his feet to see a stream of blood flowing down the floor from his foot; his tribalias anterior tendom has been slashed by a sharp knife, which Vlad holds in his hand and admiring his work.

“I do remember the beautiful moments we cherished but I also remember the years I have lost and how I have completed disappeared from everyone’s memory, expect yours, when I escaped to reality. I never am sorry, father. I am not regretful for my actions”, his perpetual grin adorned his face and his teeth shined through the grin.

“Just kill me already”, his father pleaded in pain.

“Just not yet…”

 

[Hyorinmaru]

34 Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; 35 for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth.

A couple weeks after WZCW Apocalypse​

The camera turns on to show us a dark, musty, smoke filled bar on the back streets of Brooklyn. Sitting in the corner mumbling to himself in a drunken haze with a bottle of whiskey and a shot glass in his hand is Tony Mancini.

Tony: I can't believe I lost to Logan fucking McAllister in Madison Square Garden of all the goddamn places. After everything I did to try and become friends with him he pulls that shit with that new manager of his.

He pours himself another shot and stares out the window for a second when he jumps out of his seat and runs outside looking around wildly. He walks up and down the block just to make sure no one is watching him and when he doesn't find anyone he goes back in and downs the shot before mumbling to himself some more.

Tony: There's no way Gino would be all the way here in Brooklyn, he has way to much to do to just follow me around.

Saying that Tony does another shot when all of a sudden his phone starts ringing. He looks at the caller ID, and when he sees who it is sends it straight to voicemail. As he downs yet another shot his phone notifies him that the person left a message. He already knows what the person has to say but he listens to the message anyway if for no other reason than to get the notification to go away.

Anthony where are you? It's 2am, Amelia misses you and I'm worried about you. Ever since Apocalypse a couple weeks ago you've gone out every night and came home in the moring only to pass out all day. I have gotten a few calls from that CPS agent Mr. Burns. I've managed to keep him from to inquisitive but he's starting to talk about a formal investigation and saying you're not fit to be a father. Please get back to me so I can talk to you.

Tony snorts as he deletes the message and puts his phone back in his pocket.

Tony: Amelia, I'm starting to think everything that's happened to me recently is because of her in the first place. Before she came into my life I was part of a tag team set to become World Tag Team Champions and now I'm losing to Logan fucking McAllister in my own hometown. All because I don't have my head fully in the game.

Realizing that he just blamed his infant daughter for all his recent mistakes he shakes his head in disgust at himself as he takes a swig of whiskey straight from the bottle.

Tony: Good lord I am a piece of shit. Here I am sitting in a ...dive bar throwing back whiskey likes it's water and blaming an infant because I can't win matches. What the fuck is wrong with me?

Tony pauses long enough to take another shot but before he can start mumbling to himself again a college aged man from the other side of the bar comes over to him and roughly taps him on the shoulder in order to get his attention.

Drunk Guy: Holy shit it is you, Tony Mancini WZCW Superstar. Proud son of New York City and recent loser to Logan McAllister in Madison Square Garden.

Tony: Go away

Drunk Guy's Friend: Come on Kevin leave him alone. He looks like he doesn't want to be messed with.

Kevin: Fuck that shit, this guy doesn't look like he's all that. People just don't want to mess with him because of who is father was. Well guess what shithead, Daddy isn't here to protect you anymore is he?

At the mention of his father Tony stands up and gets in the man's face and repeats his warning

Tony: I'm not going to tell you again, Get...The Fuck...Away...From Me.

Having said his piece Tony goes to sit back down but as he does Kevin grabs his arm, pulls him back up and gets in his face.

Kevin: I'll go away when I'm done talkin'. Do you have any idea how many people in New York were watching Apocalypse only to have to see you lose to some scumbag piece of shit from fucking Boston. Proud son of NYC my ass, you're nothing but a goddamn disgrace.

Then Kevin shoves Tony who, on instinct, grabs the man and punches him in the stomach before proceeding to grab his head as he doubles over and knees him in the face.

Kevin: Motherfucker! You broke my nose you sonofabitch. What are you standing there staring for, get him!

Kevin's friend starts to head for Tony but before anything else can happen the bartender vaults over the bar and gets in between them in order to prevents any further trouble.

Bartender: Kevin how many times do I have to tell you not to come in here, get drunk and then pick fights with people? Leave now and never come back if you do I'm calling the cops and having you arrested for trespassing.

After he makes sure Kevin and his friends are gone he turns around to talk to Tony who looks at him as he sits back down and proceeds to down a few more shots of whiskey.

Bartender: He'll be back soon with more friends so I think it's best if you leave as soon as possible. Do you need me to call you a cab?

????: That won't be necessary, I'll take him home in a few minutes, I just want to talk to him first.

Both Tony and the bartender look towards the door to see Father Meloni walking up to them.

Father Meloni: I'm surprised to see you in a place like this Anthony. I figured you would be at home with your daughter.

Tony: I don't deserve to have a daughter. Ever since my loss to Logan I've been blaming her for not only that but everything that's gone wrong.

Thinking about that upsets Tony even more than he already is but as he reaches for the bottle of whiskey Father Meloni grabs it and puts it out of his reach.

Father Meloni: People love and care about you Anthony, why do you think I drove all the way from Yonkers to Brooklyn at 2am to come get you?

Tony: Because Mel wouldn't leave you alone and you wanted to get some sleep?

Father Meloni: It wasn't Melanie that called me. She's busy taking care of YOUR daughter and is probably asleep right now. It was your friend Gino that called me. He said he's seen you in here every night for the past 2 weeks and didn't know what to do. He also said he didn't want to come in and talk after you told him to get out of your life.

Tony leans back in disbelief and rubs his eyes as me mumbles to himself.

Tony: Holy shit, then that was Gino I saw earlier.

Changing the subject Father Meloni asks Tony about his upcoming match on Meltdown.

Father Meloni: Meltdown is coming up soon right? Do you have a match or do you have to wait until Ascension?

Tony: I got put in the Gold Rush Tournament again this year. My first round match is on Meltdown again Vee A.D.Z. and I'm a bit worried. I've been in the ring with him twice before in multi-man matches and I've never been able to pin him. Someone either won the match or I pinned someone else to win. If I'm being completely honest I don't know if I'll be able to beat him. Last year I got booted from the tournament in the first round as well. I just, I just don't know about much of anything right now.

Father Meloni: Stay strong Anthony, things will start to look up. Like the Lord tole Jeremiah he knows the plans he has for you and those plans are for your good. I know it doesn't seem like it at the moment but have faith Anthony, God will always be there for you.

Then Father Meloni stands up and puts the bottle of whiskey and the shot glass on the bar and then helps Tony up so he doesn't stumble to bad and walks him to the door.

Father Meloni: Let's get you home and put on pot of coffee, you're going to feel horrible enough as it is.

They both walk out into the street and as the door closes the camera fades to black.