Chapter 8: The Eulogy
A casket sat neatly by the speaker's podium. It was black and white, colors separating at the top and bottom lids. Red roses surrounded a picture frame, and in the casing was a familiar blonde winking at the photographer. She held up a peace sign and a teddy bear. The room was half-packed by reporters and media consultants. They casually talked until they saw the manager at the door.
Ramparte entered the room in a black suit and white tie. He held notes in one hand and his cane Alice in the other. He tucked the stick underneath his arm. The Recluse took a moment to shake hands with nearby personnel before going to the podium.
He sat the sheets of paper down and reached into his jacket pocket for eyeglasses. He put them on and addressed the crowd.
"Good evening. Tonight, we honor the memory of Beatrice "Batti" Otaku.”
Camera shutters went off all around him. He continued.
“For some, she was hope personified; a rookie who captured the imagination of children everywhere. A bubbly spirit who won several major matches including the Elite Openweight Championship. Yes, for some the cheers she received may go unrivaled. Tonight, we reflect on her career before it was cut short by the red wave of reality named King Mussél.”
Several in the back row stiffened, but listened.
“A few of you may recall her feuds with the likes of Xander LeBelle and the protests she led. Others look at her fight with Callie Clark that made Clark a household name. Or, like me, you became interested in her bout with Kagura, who I shared quite a history with. But the match we will never forget is the one I wish to talk about now, and that's her I Quit Match at Kingdom Come.
Many expect me to wax poetic about my relationship with Flex aka King Mussél, or my relationship with her, but that's not what tonight is about. We are here to remember a promising star that faced impossible odds. This is where actuality comes in..."
Ramparte paused for a moment, flipping the page over.
"Batti weighed 115 pounds, maybe 120 if there was time for concessions. That’s not even the weight King Mussél carried underneath his clothes when I was his partner. Poor Beatrice is just one example out of many that we need to address – this sport is not meant for dreamers. How she got so far must have been by some divine intervention, because she had no business being here. This is not the age of featherweights as the uneducated masses believe. Here there be dragons.”
Ramparte cleared his throat and looked up from his notes. What was left on paper was committed to memory.
“I find it odd how such a person could beat Jabari The Nigerian Giant back on episode 128 of Ascension. It wasn’t by athleticism, surely. Oh, wait…it’s coming to me…Jabari was not defeated by her raw determination or some magic chanting from the crowd. It was by a fan with a cellphone. I repeat – a fan with a cellphone. Beatrice made it to Kingdom Come by sheer dumb luck, while myself and my client were neglected, waiting on the sidelines, and waiting, and waiting to the point we had been forgotten.”
He watched them all through bitter eyes.
“Here lies Batti Otaku, a footnote in the pages of WZCW. Gone and most definitely forgotten, herself. But the difference between my client and Beatrice is simple – Grindhouse will never give up. He is an unrelenting horror this world has not seen since cavemen drew strange beasts on cave walls! Rest assured, you will remember the name Grindhouse.
Monsters do not quit. I heard through the grapevine that the people who handle Jabari were thinking to leave. Again, I repeat – Monsters Do Not Quit! You’ve all seen the specimen I have in my custody. Does he look like the kind of beast that understands what it means to surrender? To listen to reason? Batti is a quitter. Jabari’s people are quitters. Grindhouse will quit breathing before he quits his crimson crusade. Question on everyone’s minds should be ‘Will Jabari quit?’”
Ramparte smiled.
"Ascension 126 was five months ago. My client hasn’t been seen in almost half a year. Those that wonder if he will be ready, it’s a valid point. Ring rust is real in this industry. But I am here to remind you all that Grindhouse has not been pinned. He has not submitted, has not lost to some count out or been disqualified. What is defeat to a man that hasn’t seen his adversary’s arm raised? He’s entering this match fresh, and this time there are no rules. He understands this sport more than we give him credit for, and now with the stipulation Maxwell Hunter asked for, my client will feel right at home. Jabari has one foot here, and one on a plane back to Africa. This is Grindhouse’s time, and HE will not be denied giant’s blood. You talk of Mayhem and you sit on your couches fondling cell phones asking yourselves when will it be hardcore again... HE is the answer, and HE will make his case at R-Awakening against a savage that, like Batti, had no business being here.
My monster’s eyes are open. This is not a showcase of goliaths; it is a future gravesite! Now, please pay your respects to the death of one career while we check the vital signs of the other. Thank you for your time. Be sure to sign the guestbook by the door.”
Ramparte collected the sheets of paper, nods at the people sitting down, and gives a respectful nod to the casket.
“Goodbye, Miss Otaku. Omae wa mou shindeiru.”