Post by Sadistic on Aug 6, 2015 21:53:23 GMT -5
Dreams were about the only thing that seemed to plague Billy Sadistic lately.
Not Eira. Not the lurking Murdoc. Not Nathan Saniti and his band of unstable buddies. Not Kelli Starr. Well, maybe Kelli Starr...but only slightly. Not Rhodes. Not LoKi. Not the Justin Michaels situation. Not Nacho Grande. Not even the Legend himself, Lantlas Anduril.
It was the same recurring dream. And her. These weren't the Shotgun Dreams, mind you. Not those ones which had magically evaporated after he'd laid a convincing beating on that nut, Alexa Black. No, no. These dreams were much, much worse. For these dreams trumpeted an unavoidable yet infuriating truth. And she was in them. But she didn't just haunt him while he slept. She'd invaded his brain and penetrated his psyche during his waking hours.
As the PCW World Champion tossed and turned in the night, the higher ups in the Black Hand wondered if one of their obsidian stalwarts was on the verge of unraveling.
March 3, 2015
Billy remembered it all too well.
Two months into his dominant reign as PCW's World Champion, Sadistic allowed his emotions and his ego to get the better of him. Running white hot at the top of the company and having yet to taste defeat since his grand return to the federation at Living a Legacy VI back in July of last year, the Phenom assumed his momentum would steamroll right over up-and-comer Gem. Oh, how wrong he was.
Having brutalized the youngster for most of the match in an attempt to prove that Gem had not earned her spot on the roster, Sadistic lackadaisically pulled her in for the finish while mocking her friend, Grant, in the process. A Sadistic DDT left Gem out of commission as the Phenom savored the moment. He milked every last bit of hatred, anger, and disgust from the PCW Faithful before putting an end to the massacre. Laughing to himself while wagging a finger towards Grant stationed at ringside, Sadistic carelessly made the cover.
One...two...thr...!!!
Sadistic, caught completely off guard, suddenly found himself tangled in Gem's patented submission hold. The Endless Night! The pressure around his neck was unbearable. How in the hell had she done that?! But Sadistic was no pushover. He'd managed to make it back to his feet with Gem clinging to his back, the choke still locked in. The sheer volume of the crowd caused his ears to ring as he struggling to break free. The ropes were within his grasp...and suddenly he found himself trapped in the center of the ring with Gem's legs wrapped around him, her arms tightening around his throat like a boa constrictor. His vision was starting to fade along with his fight. And there was his saving grace! His brother Phinehas and best friend Michael...the Black Hand reinforcements were on their way! And that, too, went to hell when that trollup, Eira, blindsided them and effectively wiped them out!
Sadistic had entered full-blown panic mode. He was suffocating. His strength had left him. The lights were about to go out. It was either surrender his consciousness, or...
William awoke with a desperate gasp, his hands instinctively reaching for his throat. The odor of the canvas still clung inside his nostrils. His eardrums reverberated from the overjoyed Pure Class Faithful. William's neck still felt like it was clamped in a vice. And once again, the elder Dillinger awoke soaked in sweat. Never in his 44 years of age and nearly 25 years in the business had an opponent gotten to him like this.
And to think, it was all his fault. He'd challenged her to the match. He'd allowed her to submit him for the first time in his professional career. He'd inadvertently catapulted her into the main event picture and she'd been on his heels ever since. Talk about sticking a thorn into your own side...
“We're back with Adam & Joe coming to you live on 94.3 FM, The Game! I'm Adam, he's Joe,” proclaims the announcer in his best broadcasting voice. “We're gonna talk some pro wrestling right now. Pure Class Wrestling's big pay-per-view event, Return to Glory VI, is right around the corner and there are some colossal match ups on the card.”
“Let's just jump right into the main event,” comes Joe with the drop-in. “The challenger, Gem, is a little ball of fire. She doesn't say a whole lot, but she doesn't need to. She let's her actions do the talking. She's trying to prove that she belongs by winning the PCW World Championship. And as much as she wants to stand on her own, it should also be noted that until she climbs to the top of the mountain, she'll forever stand in the shadow of her father. The legendary PCW Hall of Famer and three-time PCW World Champion Lantlas Anduril.”
“Wait,” interjects Adam. “Gem is the daughter of Lantlas?!”
“What?!” Joe can only scoff. “Where have you been, Adam?”
“I'll admit that I don't follow wrestling as closely as you do, but I remember watching Lantlas kick ass when I was in high school. He was one bad dude.”
“That he was. And probably still is,” says Joe. “He made an appearance at the Icey's and completely scared the crap out of the World Champion, Billy Sadistic. It was awesome. And speaking of Sadistic and the Icey's, the champ and the Black Hand, the group that he runs with, really cleaned house. They took home a number of awards including Most Hated and Most Inspirational...go figure...with Billy winning the Best Singles Star award. Dude's been on fire since he returned over a year ago, not to mention he's put some of PCW's biggest and baddest on the shelf. In fact, he's only lost once since coming back, and that loss was to – you guessed it...”
A dry, cracked hand quickly shuts off the old transistor radio before Adam & Joe are able to rustle up any other bad memories. The Hangtown Hyena fidgets in the driver's seat of his '67 Chevelle. The black paint has long since faded to a dull charcoal and rust has accumulated around the wheel wells, but there's no mistaking that the custom L78 V8 engine – nearly 400 horse power under the hood - can still pack a punch. Dragula, she is not. William's aged beast is built for power and durability...just like him.
It's not common knowledge that the hyena has one of the most powerful bites in the animal kingdom. A hyena bite is even more powerful than that of a lion or a tiger. There is a completely unfounded misconception that the powerful, compact beasts with jagged teeth and gnarled fur are opportunistic scavengers, but they actually hunt and kill the majority of their prey. Typically, the little monsters hunt in packs and will frequently try to isolate the weakest prey from the group and move in for the kill.
With tangled black hair and matted beard resembling something of a wild beast himself, the Hangtown Hyena leans back against the headrest. Closing his eyes, he slowly begins to lick his lips.
Suddenly, William's eyes snapped open. The sound of the passenger's side door creaking open had roused him from his nap. The Phenom's eyes retched with dread as a man clad in a spotless black suit and matching overcoat leaned down into the vehicle. Tilting his head up from beneath the wide brim hat, a porcelain face was revealed with the man's eyes hidden behind a pair of impenetrable, lifeless sunglasses. The thin, bloodless lips spread into a wicked death rictus revealing teeth too perfect for any of God's creations.
“Perhaps you were expecting someone else?” leveled the low, monotonous voice.
Billy couldn't scramble out of the car fast enough. Scooting away on his backside across the dirt, he was suddenly reminded of his most recent encounter with the Elven Legend. The reminder was short lived as the Man in Black rounded the Chevelle and slowly approached Sadistic. Folding his hands behind his back, he leaned in close to speak to the Phenom. Billy was quick to regain his footing.
“We need to talk,” insisted the black-clad being with no particular urgency.
“It's...it's not time, yet,” stammered Sadistic. “I've still got time. We had a deal!”
The wind picked up, whipping Sadistic's untamed mane into a frenzy. His long beard blew sideways in the wind as dust stirred around them. Oddly, the visitor's black clothing remained untouched by the sudden gust.
“You are correct, friend,” the Man in Black assured him. “That is not what I'm...”
For once, it was the Man in Black at a loss for words as his eyeless gaze drifted over Sadistic's shoulder. The sun had seemingly set at an unnatural clip as the last vestiges of light clawed their way over the horizon. Sadistic methodically followed his unwelcome companion's gander and in the blink of an eye, his day slipped from bad to worse.
“Gem.” Dillinger regurgitated the name with such putrid disgust. Such venom. There, standing not more than ten yards away from him, was his arch nemesis. And flanking her on either side were her dear old father, Lantlas and her pal, Nacho Grande. Sadistic let out a warning hiss as he slowly crouched, ready to strike.
Gem, for her part, stood defiantly with her arms folded across her chest. Lantlas and Nacho mirrored her as all three pairs of eyes were locked onto Hangtown's hyena. This wasn't good. Three-on-one odds, especially against the present company, was not something Sadistic was prepared for. Where was Grimm? Showtime? Would Kelli Starr even help if she were here?
“Cowards!” declared Sadistic in his deep, raspy drawl. “A trained assassin, an Elven Legend, and a...a Nacho! You're all foolish to come for me. Especially when all I want is that pretty little Gem.” Dillinger flashed his jagged yellow teeth while pointing a crooked, unsteady finger at his most hated enemy.
“She could kill you,” said the Man in Black. A simple statement of fact. “Accidentally. In the ring. A simple lapse of judgment and she could crush your esophagus. Snap your neck. Rupture your spleen. She's got an awful lot on her mind right now, too.”
Sadistic arched an eyebrow. Glancing from the motionless Man in Black to the stoic Gem, then back again, he wasn't sure what to think of the reaper's assessment of Gem's prowess. “I'm aware," was all the Phenom could mutter.
“I know,” said the intruder with a dry chuckle. “She's the reason why you've been unable to sleep at night. The reason why you can't stop dreaming about it. You know full well that not only is she able to beat you in the ring...she could kill you. Dismantle everything that you stand for. Everything that the Black Hand stands for...”
Sadistic's head whipped in the porcelain man's direction, a primitive growl emanating from somewhere deep inside. The Man in Black didn't notice. Or didn't care.
“Of course,” the stranger contemplated, raising a bony hand to stroke his chin. “There's no doubt in my mind that if she were to do such a thing...why, you'd probably claw through six feet of soil, rise from the grave, and kill her back.”
Now it was Gem's turn to glare at the Man in Black. His beaming grin didn't just hint, it flat out confirmed that he was uncaring of Gem's ire. Or anybody's, for that matter.
“I need more time,” insisted Sadistic. “A deal's a deal. I've upheld my end of the bargain, so you...”
“I already told you that I'm not here for you,” he repeated, his agitation somehow decipherable in his monotonous tone. “I need you to help me with something.” In a serpent-like motion, the reaper tucked a sealed parchment into Sadistic's hairy hand.
Clearly puzzled, Sadistic looked from Gem to the letter to the Man in Black. “Help? Help with what?”
Slowly and deliberately, the Man in Black pointed a long, icy finger directly at Gem. His blue lips spread into a rictus so wide it nearly split his face in half.
SLAM!
Billy awakens with a start! Regaining his wits upon realizing that it was all just a dream, he lets out a deep sigh of relief. That's when he notices somebody – a very colorful somebody – sitting beside him in the passenger's seat of the Chevelle. Kelli Starr.
“You're lucky I even came,” quips an irritated Miss Starr, her normally cheerful demeanor nowhere to be found.
“That's what she said,” says Billy dryly, turning the tables on Kelli for once. A sternly arched eyebrow does a fine job of letting him know that she's not impressed.
“Why did you call me here?” Although clearly angry with the Phenom, her confusion is readily evident in her voice. “What? Do you want to try to use me some more? Use me to get at Nathan? Or maybe you like to get in one last mind fuck...you know, for old time's sake? 'Cause that's the only thing you've ever shown an interest in fucking...”
Sadistic lowers his head in shame. Peering up through bushy brows at Kelli, he gazes at her with those warm green eyes. Just as sweet and every bit as deadly as anti-freeze, he locks eyes with Starr. She starts to apologize for the hurtful words, but quickly bites her tongue.
“Look,” Kelli begins, trying to find the words. “I still have feelings for Nathan. And after what you did to me... After what you did to Q! You were going to kill him!”
Sadistic slowly raises a hand to halt her. “Naw, naw, naw,” he says with a chuckle. “We weren't gonna do nothin' to Q. Hell, we didn't even know where Q was. But we also knew that you didn't, either. So we used it to our advantage. Kelli, everything I've done... Everything the Black Hand has done was done in your best interest. To guide you. After everything that Nathan put you through, we knew that you were confused. Simple suggestions and polite nudges wouldn't work. Naw, not with you. You required a special kind of motivation.”
Kelli simply stares at him through long, curled lashes and lime green eye shadow. A confused tear rolls down her cheek. When she speaks, her voice is quiet yet genuine. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“Kelli, have we not been straight forward with you?” The whole purpose of this meeting was to convince Miss Starr to fight for the Black Hand, but Sadistic's used car salesman is nowhere to be found. When he speaks, his words are righteous and truthful. “Have I lied to you or mislead you in any way? Sure, our methods at times have been severe. Sometimes even quite harsh. But the Black Hand's expectations of you are high, no different than they are of me. Or Phinehas. Or Michael.”
“But...” she stammers. “But you're all so evil! In everything that you do!”
“Are we? Are we any more evil than the Order? Eira and Murdoc? We've just recently received word that Rhodes has joined their ranks. Or what of the (un)Stable? Nathan hasn't exactly been truthful with you, has he? No. In fact, he's been downright manipulative. And Alexa Black...well, need I say more? Evil is all a matter of perspective, Kelli. You've gotta see that. We do bad things, but we do bad things to bad people.”
Frustrated, Kelli digs her glittery French tips into her bright pink hair. “I can't do this,” she blurts. “Nathan loves me, and...”
Billy's hand gently finds Kelli's thigh and she slowly turns to meet his gaze, her mouth nearly hanging open in astonishment. “Kelli, the Black Hand needs you.”
Kelli's face starts to harden again. “The Black Hand?”
Leaning across the seat, Billy gently lifts her chin. “I need you.”
Kelli slowly closes her eyes as tears roll down her cheeks. Billy gazes at her pouty, trembling lips before taking a courageous breath and leaning forward. And just as they're about to share a special moment, Sadistic is interrupted by a crinkling noise. Startled, he looks down and finds the origin of the distraction.
Crinkled parchment.
Sealed with a black wax stamp.
Delivered by the frigid, bony hand of the Man in Black.
Inside the House of Grimm, the Black Hand are in the midst of talking strategy.
“Phin, there's really nothin' to talk about pertainin' to LoKi,” notes Sadistic with a smirk. “I mean, you've been wiping the floor with him as is...and now they're gonna give you a shovel?!”
Grimm just shrugs as he fiddles with his Hangtown Hardware Grimm Signature Edition Shovel. “I don't book the matches.”
“So what do we do about your match with Eira?” Sadistic looks to his best good buddy, Michael Wryght.
Showtime, the most handsome, bearded North American Champion in PCW history, puts his brain to work. “You know, I think you should just call it right down the middle. Don't give her any reason to retaliate in your title match. Although...”
“Although?” He's piqued Sadistic's interest.
“Yes,” confirms Showtime. “Although I think she's going to call your match right down the middle. Because she hates you.”
All three Dillinger siblings shoot him looks of confusion. Showtime, ever the showman, has drawn them in.
“She doesn't want Gem to win,” he states. “She's annoyed with Gem, sure. We all are. But she doesn't hate Gem the way she hates you. She doesn't want to beat Gem the way she wants to beat you. And when she beats you, she wants to do it on the grandest stage of all for the biggest prize in the game. After everything we've done to her over the past year, she wants to be personally responsible for destroying the Black Hand. So she wants you to walk out of Return to Glory with the belt.”
There is a period of silence. Showtime's theory makes sense. A lot of sense. Sadistic's face spreads into a giant grin of the shit-eating variety.
"Just be careful, Mike," warns Billy. "Eira is absolutely lethal in combat. Watch out for the spiked knee brace. Leave it to her to turn a weakness into a strength. But she can be beaten mentally. Mikey, you are the master of manipulating your opponent inside the ring. Get in her head. Irritate her. Agitate her. Then annihilate her. I'll call it fair and square and deal with Gem accordingly."
“You know Michael and I will have your back out there,” offers Grimm.
“No.” Sadistic cuts him of decisively. “I want her alone.”
“What about Nacho? And Lantlas?” counters Showtime.
“They won't interfere. Not unless provoked.” Sadistic knows that if he's going to exorcise this demon, he's going to have to do it alone. “I need to do this by myself.”
“Why?” Showtime asks in disbelief. It's not like Billy to turn down a helping hand. “Are you trying to prove a point? Who do you think you need to prove anything to?”
The World Champion feels for the piece of parchment in his back pocket, his eyes taking on a new kind of focus.
“Myself.”
Not Eira. Not the lurking Murdoc. Not Nathan Saniti and his band of unstable buddies. Not Kelli Starr. Well, maybe Kelli Starr...but only slightly. Not Rhodes. Not LoKi. Not the Justin Michaels situation. Not Nacho Grande. Not even the Legend himself, Lantlas Anduril.
It was the same recurring dream. And her. These weren't the Shotgun Dreams, mind you. Not those ones which had magically evaporated after he'd laid a convincing beating on that nut, Alexa Black. No, no. These dreams were much, much worse. For these dreams trumpeted an unavoidable yet infuriating truth. And she was in them. But she didn't just haunt him while he slept. She'd invaded his brain and penetrated his psyche during his waking hours.
As the PCW World Champion tossed and turned in the night, the higher ups in the Black Hand wondered if one of their obsidian stalwarts was on the verge of unraveling.
March 3, 2015
Billy remembered it all too well.
Two months into his dominant reign as PCW's World Champion, Sadistic allowed his emotions and his ego to get the better of him. Running white hot at the top of the company and having yet to taste defeat since his grand return to the federation at Living a Legacy VI back in July of last year, the Phenom assumed his momentum would steamroll right over up-and-comer Gem. Oh, how wrong he was.
Having brutalized the youngster for most of the match in an attempt to prove that Gem had not earned her spot on the roster, Sadistic lackadaisically pulled her in for the finish while mocking her friend, Grant, in the process. A Sadistic DDT left Gem out of commission as the Phenom savored the moment. He milked every last bit of hatred, anger, and disgust from the PCW Faithful before putting an end to the massacre. Laughing to himself while wagging a finger towards Grant stationed at ringside, Sadistic carelessly made the cover.
One...two...thr...!!!
Sadistic, caught completely off guard, suddenly found himself tangled in Gem's patented submission hold. The Endless Night! The pressure around his neck was unbearable. How in the hell had she done that?! But Sadistic was no pushover. He'd managed to make it back to his feet with Gem clinging to his back, the choke still locked in. The sheer volume of the crowd caused his ears to ring as he struggling to break free. The ropes were within his grasp...and suddenly he found himself trapped in the center of the ring with Gem's legs wrapped around him, her arms tightening around his throat like a boa constrictor. His vision was starting to fade along with his fight. And there was his saving grace! His brother Phinehas and best friend Michael...the Black Hand reinforcements were on their way! And that, too, went to hell when that trollup, Eira, blindsided them and effectively wiped them out!
Sadistic had entered full-blown panic mode. He was suffocating. His strength had left him. The lights were about to go out. It was either surrender his consciousness, or...
William awoke with a desperate gasp, his hands instinctively reaching for his throat. The odor of the canvas still clung inside his nostrils. His eardrums reverberated from the overjoyed Pure Class Faithful. William's neck still felt like it was clamped in a vice. And once again, the elder Dillinger awoke soaked in sweat. Never in his 44 years of age and nearly 25 years in the business had an opponent gotten to him like this.
And to think, it was all his fault. He'd challenged her to the match. He'd allowed her to submit him for the first time in his professional career. He'd inadvertently catapulted her into the main event picture and she'd been on his heels ever since. Talk about sticking a thorn into your own side...
* * *
“We're back with Adam & Joe coming to you live on 94.3 FM, The Game! I'm Adam, he's Joe,” proclaims the announcer in his best broadcasting voice. “We're gonna talk some pro wrestling right now. Pure Class Wrestling's big pay-per-view event, Return to Glory VI, is right around the corner and there are some colossal match ups on the card.”
“Let's just jump right into the main event,” comes Joe with the drop-in. “The challenger, Gem, is a little ball of fire. She doesn't say a whole lot, but she doesn't need to. She let's her actions do the talking. She's trying to prove that she belongs by winning the PCW World Championship. And as much as she wants to stand on her own, it should also be noted that until she climbs to the top of the mountain, she'll forever stand in the shadow of her father. The legendary PCW Hall of Famer and three-time PCW World Champion Lantlas Anduril.”
“Wait,” interjects Adam. “Gem is the daughter of Lantlas?!”
“What?!” Joe can only scoff. “Where have you been, Adam?”
“I'll admit that I don't follow wrestling as closely as you do, but I remember watching Lantlas kick ass when I was in high school. He was one bad dude.”
“That he was. And probably still is,” says Joe. “He made an appearance at the Icey's and completely scared the crap out of the World Champion, Billy Sadistic. It was awesome. And speaking of Sadistic and the Icey's, the champ and the Black Hand, the group that he runs with, really cleaned house. They took home a number of awards including Most Hated and Most Inspirational...go figure...with Billy winning the Best Singles Star award. Dude's been on fire since he returned over a year ago, not to mention he's put some of PCW's biggest and baddest on the shelf. In fact, he's only lost once since coming back, and that loss was to – you guessed it...”
A dry, cracked hand quickly shuts off the old transistor radio before Adam & Joe are able to rustle up any other bad memories. The Hangtown Hyena fidgets in the driver's seat of his '67 Chevelle. The black paint has long since faded to a dull charcoal and rust has accumulated around the wheel wells, but there's no mistaking that the custom L78 V8 engine – nearly 400 horse power under the hood - can still pack a punch. Dragula, she is not. William's aged beast is built for power and durability...just like him.
It's not common knowledge that the hyena has one of the most powerful bites in the animal kingdom. A hyena bite is even more powerful than that of a lion or a tiger. There is a completely unfounded misconception that the powerful, compact beasts with jagged teeth and gnarled fur are opportunistic scavengers, but they actually hunt and kill the majority of their prey. Typically, the little monsters hunt in packs and will frequently try to isolate the weakest prey from the group and move in for the kill.
With tangled black hair and matted beard resembling something of a wild beast himself, the Hangtown Hyena leans back against the headrest. Closing his eyes, he slowly begins to lick his lips.
Suddenly, William's eyes snapped open. The sound of the passenger's side door creaking open had roused him from his nap. The Phenom's eyes retched with dread as a man clad in a spotless black suit and matching overcoat leaned down into the vehicle. Tilting his head up from beneath the wide brim hat, a porcelain face was revealed with the man's eyes hidden behind a pair of impenetrable, lifeless sunglasses. The thin, bloodless lips spread into a wicked death rictus revealing teeth too perfect for any of God's creations.
“Perhaps you were expecting someone else?” leveled the low, monotonous voice.
Billy couldn't scramble out of the car fast enough. Scooting away on his backside across the dirt, he was suddenly reminded of his most recent encounter with the Elven Legend. The reminder was short lived as the Man in Black rounded the Chevelle and slowly approached Sadistic. Folding his hands behind his back, he leaned in close to speak to the Phenom. Billy was quick to regain his footing.
“We need to talk,” insisted the black-clad being with no particular urgency.
“It's...it's not time, yet,” stammered Sadistic. “I've still got time. We had a deal!”
The wind picked up, whipping Sadistic's untamed mane into a frenzy. His long beard blew sideways in the wind as dust stirred around them. Oddly, the visitor's black clothing remained untouched by the sudden gust.
“You are correct, friend,” the Man in Black assured him. “That is not what I'm...”
For once, it was the Man in Black at a loss for words as his eyeless gaze drifted over Sadistic's shoulder. The sun had seemingly set at an unnatural clip as the last vestiges of light clawed their way over the horizon. Sadistic methodically followed his unwelcome companion's gander and in the blink of an eye, his day slipped from bad to worse.
“Gem.” Dillinger regurgitated the name with such putrid disgust. Such venom. There, standing not more than ten yards away from him, was his arch nemesis. And flanking her on either side were her dear old father, Lantlas and her pal, Nacho Grande. Sadistic let out a warning hiss as he slowly crouched, ready to strike.
Gem, for her part, stood defiantly with her arms folded across her chest. Lantlas and Nacho mirrored her as all three pairs of eyes were locked onto Hangtown's hyena. This wasn't good. Three-on-one odds, especially against the present company, was not something Sadistic was prepared for. Where was Grimm? Showtime? Would Kelli Starr even help if she were here?
“Cowards!” declared Sadistic in his deep, raspy drawl. “A trained assassin, an Elven Legend, and a...a Nacho! You're all foolish to come for me. Especially when all I want is that pretty little Gem.” Dillinger flashed his jagged yellow teeth while pointing a crooked, unsteady finger at his most hated enemy.
“She could kill you,” said the Man in Black. A simple statement of fact. “Accidentally. In the ring. A simple lapse of judgment and she could crush your esophagus. Snap your neck. Rupture your spleen. She's got an awful lot on her mind right now, too.”
Sadistic arched an eyebrow. Glancing from the motionless Man in Black to the stoic Gem, then back again, he wasn't sure what to think of the reaper's assessment of Gem's prowess. “I'm aware," was all the Phenom could mutter.
“I know,” said the intruder with a dry chuckle. “She's the reason why you've been unable to sleep at night. The reason why you can't stop dreaming about it. You know full well that not only is she able to beat you in the ring...she could kill you. Dismantle everything that you stand for. Everything that the Black Hand stands for...”
Sadistic's head whipped in the porcelain man's direction, a primitive growl emanating from somewhere deep inside. The Man in Black didn't notice. Or didn't care.
“Of course,” the stranger contemplated, raising a bony hand to stroke his chin. “There's no doubt in my mind that if she were to do such a thing...why, you'd probably claw through six feet of soil, rise from the grave, and kill her back.”
Now it was Gem's turn to glare at the Man in Black. His beaming grin didn't just hint, it flat out confirmed that he was uncaring of Gem's ire. Or anybody's, for that matter.
“I need more time,” insisted Sadistic. “A deal's a deal. I've upheld my end of the bargain, so you...”
“I already told you that I'm not here for you,” he repeated, his agitation somehow decipherable in his monotonous tone. “I need you to help me with something.” In a serpent-like motion, the reaper tucked a sealed parchment into Sadistic's hairy hand.
Clearly puzzled, Sadistic looked from Gem to the letter to the Man in Black. “Help? Help with what?”
Slowly and deliberately, the Man in Black pointed a long, icy finger directly at Gem. His blue lips spread into a rictus so wide it nearly split his face in half.
SLAM!
Billy awakens with a start! Regaining his wits upon realizing that it was all just a dream, he lets out a deep sigh of relief. That's when he notices somebody – a very colorful somebody – sitting beside him in the passenger's seat of the Chevelle. Kelli Starr.
“You're lucky I even came,” quips an irritated Miss Starr, her normally cheerful demeanor nowhere to be found.
“That's what she said,” says Billy dryly, turning the tables on Kelli for once. A sternly arched eyebrow does a fine job of letting him know that she's not impressed.
“Why did you call me here?” Although clearly angry with the Phenom, her confusion is readily evident in her voice. “What? Do you want to try to use me some more? Use me to get at Nathan? Or maybe you like to get in one last mind fuck...you know, for old time's sake? 'Cause that's the only thing you've ever shown an interest in fucking...”
Sadistic lowers his head in shame. Peering up through bushy brows at Kelli, he gazes at her with those warm green eyes. Just as sweet and every bit as deadly as anti-freeze, he locks eyes with Starr. She starts to apologize for the hurtful words, but quickly bites her tongue.
“Look,” Kelli begins, trying to find the words. “I still have feelings for Nathan. And after what you did to me... After what you did to Q! You were going to kill him!”
Sadistic slowly raises a hand to halt her. “Naw, naw, naw,” he says with a chuckle. “We weren't gonna do nothin' to Q. Hell, we didn't even know where Q was. But we also knew that you didn't, either. So we used it to our advantage. Kelli, everything I've done... Everything the Black Hand has done was done in your best interest. To guide you. After everything that Nathan put you through, we knew that you were confused. Simple suggestions and polite nudges wouldn't work. Naw, not with you. You required a special kind of motivation.”
Kelli simply stares at him through long, curled lashes and lime green eye shadow. A confused tear rolls down her cheek. When she speaks, her voice is quiet yet genuine. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“Kelli, have we not been straight forward with you?” The whole purpose of this meeting was to convince Miss Starr to fight for the Black Hand, but Sadistic's used car salesman is nowhere to be found. When he speaks, his words are righteous and truthful. “Have I lied to you or mislead you in any way? Sure, our methods at times have been severe. Sometimes even quite harsh. But the Black Hand's expectations of you are high, no different than they are of me. Or Phinehas. Or Michael.”
“But...” she stammers. “But you're all so evil! In everything that you do!”
“Are we? Are we any more evil than the Order? Eira and Murdoc? We've just recently received word that Rhodes has joined their ranks. Or what of the (un)Stable? Nathan hasn't exactly been truthful with you, has he? No. In fact, he's been downright manipulative. And Alexa Black...well, need I say more? Evil is all a matter of perspective, Kelli. You've gotta see that. We do bad things, but we do bad things to bad people.”
Frustrated, Kelli digs her glittery French tips into her bright pink hair. “I can't do this,” she blurts. “Nathan loves me, and...”
Billy's hand gently finds Kelli's thigh and she slowly turns to meet his gaze, her mouth nearly hanging open in astonishment. “Kelli, the Black Hand needs you.”
Kelli's face starts to harden again. “The Black Hand?”
Leaning across the seat, Billy gently lifts her chin. “I need you.”
Kelli slowly closes her eyes as tears roll down her cheeks. Billy gazes at her pouty, trembling lips before taking a courageous breath and leaning forward. And just as they're about to share a special moment, Sadistic is interrupted by a crinkling noise. Startled, he looks down and finds the origin of the distraction.
Crinkled parchment.
Sealed with a black wax stamp.
Delivered by the frigid, bony hand of the Man in Black.
* * *
Inside the House of Grimm, the Black Hand are in the midst of talking strategy.
“Phin, there's really nothin' to talk about pertainin' to LoKi,” notes Sadistic with a smirk. “I mean, you've been wiping the floor with him as is...and now they're gonna give you a shovel?!”
Grimm just shrugs as he fiddles with his Hangtown Hardware Grimm Signature Edition Shovel. “I don't book the matches.”
“So what do we do about your match with Eira?” Sadistic looks to his best good buddy, Michael Wryght.
Showtime, the most handsome, bearded North American Champion in PCW history, puts his brain to work. “You know, I think you should just call it right down the middle. Don't give her any reason to retaliate in your title match. Although...”
“Although?” He's piqued Sadistic's interest.
“Yes,” confirms Showtime. “Although I think she's going to call your match right down the middle. Because she hates you.”
All three Dillinger siblings shoot him looks of confusion. Showtime, ever the showman, has drawn them in.
“She doesn't want Gem to win,” he states. “She's annoyed with Gem, sure. We all are. But she doesn't hate Gem the way she hates you. She doesn't want to beat Gem the way she wants to beat you. And when she beats you, she wants to do it on the grandest stage of all for the biggest prize in the game. After everything we've done to her over the past year, she wants to be personally responsible for destroying the Black Hand. So she wants you to walk out of Return to Glory with the belt.”
There is a period of silence. Showtime's theory makes sense. A lot of sense. Sadistic's face spreads into a giant grin of the shit-eating variety.
"Just be careful, Mike," warns Billy. "Eira is absolutely lethal in combat. Watch out for the spiked knee brace. Leave it to her to turn a weakness into a strength. But she can be beaten mentally. Mikey, you are the master of manipulating your opponent inside the ring. Get in her head. Irritate her. Agitate her. Then annihilate her. I'll call it fair and square and deal with Gem accordingly."
“You know Michael and I will have your back out there,” offers Grimm.
“No.” Sadistic cuts him of decisively. “I want her alone.”
“What about Nacho? And Lantlas?” counters Showtime.
“They won't interfere. Not unless provoked.” Sadistic knows that if he's going to exorcise this demon, he's going to have to do it alone. “I need to do this by myself.”
“Why?” Showtime asks in disbelief. It's not like Billy to turn down a helping hand. “Are you trying to prove a point? Who do you think you need to prove anything to?”
The World Champion feels for the piece of parchment in his back pocket, his eyes taking on a new kind of focus.
“Myself.”
NEX ADDO
