Post by Loki on Jun 2, 2014 21:29:41 GMT -5
“I still don’t understand why you’re doing this, Brandon.”
Brandon Noble sighed, “I told you, if I’m going to have any chance of beating Murdoc then I’m going to have to get better.”
The couple stood in the middle of an old warehouse space that looked as though it had been converted into a boxing school sometime in the last century. It was dark, dingy, and dirty. It was perfect.
Whisper rolled her eyes, “No, that part I understand. What I don’t understand is why you’re looking at buying some musty old gym. The company has a perfectly fine training center.”
Brandon knelt down and examined the base of the old ring. It was rotten, making it just one more thing in a long list of things that would have to be replaced if he went through with this plan. “Because everyone has access to PCW’s training center, Whisp. I need someplace that’s mine, someplace where I can work in peace and not worry about someone sucker punching me while I’m doing squats.”
“And maybe someplace to train a certain little girl on the side?” Whisper asked innocently.
Brandon knew better to rise to the bait. He did it anyway. “I haven’t agreed to train Melissa yet. But yes, if I do decide to train her I’ll need someplace to do it. Having my own private gym would work just as well for that as it does for my own training.”
“Oh we’re on a first name basis with her now?”
It was Brandon’s turn to roll his eyes, “Seeing as that’s the only name I have for her, yeah, we’re on a first name basis. I don’t understand why you’re so against this though, I thought you’d have been thrilled that I was keeping busy and teaching someone?”
“What would “thrill” me, Brandon, is if you put half as much thought into your upcoming match as you did into this dump. You have a chance to strike the first blow against Murdoc by beating him and Eira. Not to mention it’s a chance to show everyone that Ford beating you was a fluke.” Whisper countered.
“How is it a chance to show anyone anything regarding Ford?” Brandon asked, confused, “He’s my partner in this, not an opponent. If anything I need him to show that him beating me wasn’t a fluke. We’re going to need to be able to work together to take down the other two.”
“Then why are we wasting time in this rat trap,” Whisper asked, motioning towards the dilapidated equipment.
“Because I can’t beat Murdoc.” Brandon said quietly.
Silence swept through the old building like a storm. Brandon, somewhat diminished in his confession, slid to the floor.
“I can’t beat him, Whisper. Not like I am now,” Sadness rolled off the former world champion in waves.
Whisper knelt next to her husband, cradling his head against her chest, “You’ve beaten him before, Brandon. You beat him for the biggest prize in this business and you can do it again. I know I haven’t always shown it, but I believe in you.”
Brandon pulled away from his wife and pulled himself back up to his feet, “You don’t get it Whisper. Something broke in me when we lost Angie. And try as I might, I can’t put it right. I can’t move past it.”
Brandon couldn’t meet his wife’s gaze, afraid of being consumed by the smoldering anger burning in her eyes, “Move past it? You’re not supposed to move past the death of your daughter, Brandon. You’re supposed to remember her every day, forever.”
Gritting his teeth, Brandon shook his head, “That’s not what I meant and you know it, Whisper. Nothing could ever make me forget our daughter. But that doesn’t mean that I, that we both, don’t need to continue with our lives. Do you really thing that Angie would want to see us like this?”
“How would you even begin to know what your daughter would have wanted, Brandon, how could you? You spent most of what little childhood she had blitzed out of your mind on painkillers,” Whisper spat viciously, “What she would have wanted to know is why her daddy was a good for nothing junkie!” She screamed.
Brandon was too stunned to answer; he felt all the air leave his body like he’d been sucker punched. Luckily he didn’t have to answer.
“I’m sorry, Brandon.”
“What do you want me to say, Whisper?” he asked, “I know I fucked everything up, I’m reminded of that every day when I look at her picture. You want to drive home the point by reminding me that I missed out on her childhood, go ahead. But so help me God,“ Brandon’s eyes narrowed, “don’t you ever accuse me of not knowing my daughter.”
“I’m sorry, Brandon,” she said again, quieter this time.
“I’m sure you are, but I can’t accept that apology. Not yet.”
“What are you going to do?” Whisper asked.
“The same thing I was doing before. Trying to decide if this place is worth buying or not. You might not be crazy about the idea of me teaching someone else, especially a young woman. But I need this, Whisp. I’ll never get the chance to pass on what I know to Angie, so I need to make sure that someone learns it.” Brandon said pointedly.
“Are you sure that that’s the best idea right now, Brandon? “ Whisper asked, all the fight drained from her.
“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t,” Brandon admitted, “But it’s the only one I’ve got.”
Brandon Noble sighed, “I told you, if I’m going to have any chance of beating Murdoc then I’m going to have to get better.”
The couple stood in the middle of an old warehouse space that looked as though it had been converted into a boxing school sometime in the last century. It was dark, dingy, and dirty. It was perfect.
Whisper rolled her eyes, “No, that part I understand. What I don’t understand is why you’re looking at buying some musty old gym. The company has a perfectly fine training center.”
Brandon knelt down and examined the base of the old ring. It was rotten, making it just one more thing in a long list of things that would have to be replaced if he went through with this plan. “Because everyone has access to PCW’s training center, Whisp. I need someplace that’s mine, someplace where I can work in peace and not worry about someone sucker punching me while I’m doing squats.”
“And maybe someplace to train a certain little girl on the side?” Whisper asked innocently.
Brandon knew better to rise to the bait. He did it anyway. “I haven’t agreed to train Melissa yet. But yes, if I do decide to train her I’ll need someplace to do it. Having my own private gym would work just as well for that as it does for my own training.”
“Oh we’re on a first name basis with her now?”
It was Brandon’s turn to roll his eyes, “Seeing as that’s the only name I have for her, yeah, we’re on a first name basis. I don’t understand why you’re so against this though, I thought you’d have been thrilled that I was keeping busy and teaching someone?”
“What would “thrill” me, Brandon, is if you put half as much thought into your upcoming match as you did into this dump. You have a chance to strike the first blow against Murdoc by beating him and Eira. Not to mention it’s a chance to show everyone that Ford beating you was a fluke.” Whisper countered.
“How is it a chance to show anyone anything regarding Ford?” Brandon asked, confused, “He’s my partner in this, not an opponent. If anything I need him to show that him beating me wasn’t a fluke. We’re going to need to be able to work together to take down the other two.”
“Then why are we wasting time in this rat trap,” Whisper asked, motioning towards the dilapidated equipment.
“Because I can’t beat Murdoc.” Brandon said quietly.
Silence swept through the old building like a storm. Brandon, somewhat diminished in his confession, slid to the floor.
“I can’t beat him, Whisper. Not like I am now,” Sadness rolled off the former world champion in waves.
Whisper knelt next to her husband, cradling his head against her chest, “You’ve beaten him before, Brandon. You beat him for the biggest prize in this business and you can do it again. I know I haven’t always shown it, but I believe in you.”
Brandon pulled away from his wife and pulled himself back up to his feet, “You don’t get it Whisper. Something broke in me when we lost Angie. And try as I might, I can’t put it right. I can’t move past it.”
Brandon couldn’t meet his wife’s gaze, afraid of being consumed by the smoldering anger burning in her eyes, “Move past it? You’re not supposed to move past the death of your daughter, Brandon. You’re supposed to remember her every day, forever.”
Gritting his teeth, Brandon shook his head, “That’s not what I meant and you know it, Whisper. Nothing could ever make me forget our daughter. But that doesn’t mean that I, that we both, don’t need to continue with our lives. Do you really thing that Angie would want to see us like this?”
“How would you even begin to know what your daughter would have wanted, Brandon, how could you? You spent most of what little childhood she had blitzed out of your mind on painkillers,” Whisper spat viciously, “What she would have wanted to know is why her daddy was a good for nothing junkie!” She screamed.
Brandon was too stunned to answer; he felt all the air leave his body like he’d been sucker punched. Luckily he didn’t have to answer.
“I’m sorry, Brandon.”
“What do you want me to say, Whisper?” he asked, “I know I fucked everything up, I’m reminded of that every day when I look at her picture. You want to drive home the point by reminding me that I missed out on her childhood, go ahead. But so help me God,“ Brandon’s eyes narrowed, “don’t you ever accuse me of not knowing my daughter.”
“I’m sorry, Brandon,” she said again, quieter this time.
“I’m sure you are, but I can’t accept that apology. Not yet.”
“What are you going to do?” Whisper asked.
“The same thing I was doing before. Trying to decide if this place is worth buying or not. You might not be crazy about the idea of me teaching someone else, especially a young woman. But I need this, Whisp. I’ll never get the chance to pass on what I know to Angie, so I need to make sure that someone learns it.” Brandon said pointedly.
“Are you sure that that’s the best idea right now, Brandon? “ Whisper asked, all the fight drained from her.
“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t,” Brandon admitted, “But it’s the only one I’ve got.”
