Post by Justin Spirit on Aug 27, 2016 16:46:49 GMT -6
OOC: Was going to use this for my rp but its too long lol so here is some story and it does impact his matches.
~::~
~::~
The room was as cold and uninviting as a moss-covered wolf’s den. Featureless save for a simple table and chair. Justin sat in the chair, shifting here and there, knowing any second the only door in and out would open. There was just one way to escape, not unlike a cave. The wolves however, they would be the men in suits rather than sheep’s clothing. Nothing gentle about those figures.
He screwed up. Big time. No money or drugs to return to this casino. Justin knew if this meeting went south, he’d probably be buried in the silk shirt and slacks he wore. At least he’d be a somewhat fashionable corpse. The door creaked open. In walked three men. Each of them dressed much better than Justin was. Suits, one being the classic Armani, appeared before him at the head of the small square table.
One man was gruff, coughed with a hack of a heavy smoker and Justin could see by the lines on his face that he’d been at it since before 18. The next looked younger. Gelled hair and clean-shaven, impeccable jawline. A silk handkerchief jutted out from the breast pocket of the young man’s suit. The color oddly matched Justin’s silk shirt.
Mr. Armani seemed a cross between the men on each side of him. Almost a perfect blending. Not old and wrinkled, nor young and clean cut. The tussled hair on Mr. Armani’s head had a few respectable gray streaks. Justin felt some cautious relief as this man smiled toward him.
“Mr. Spirit. How are you today?”
“I’m fine, thanks.”
Justin answered. Mr. Armani had in his hand a pocketbook, which he opened casually. Thumbing through the pages, he came to a stop and regarded Justin with a smirk.
“Seems we lost quite a bit of money. Now don’t get worried. Happens all the time. It’s the nature of the business isn’t it?”
Justin didn’t know. He shrugged. His cool clue eyes strayed from Mr. Armani to the two men besides him, then back to the big man himself.
“We hired you as a driver right? One with a hell of a reputation from out east. And that’s where I get foggy. Why is it that we cannot find a police record on you? Surely those races had to draw some attention? Earn you at least an overnight at Hotel Alcatraz. But nothing. So there’s only two conclusions I can draw. First, you paid off them cops. Second, you’re really as good as your reputation says. Of course luck always runs out somewhere. Sucks for you that it happened in Vegas of all places. Do you care to explain to me why the fuck LVPD appeared out of Jesus’ asshole to lay waste to this purely simple exchange of goods and services?”
It was a fair question. Justin dropped his gaze. He had his own thoughts. He’s seen enough gangster movies to take a wild guess. However that could be dangerous here. Guessing was out of the question. The truth would be best and Justin hoped that ignorance could save him.
“Look, I did everything perfectly. I got to the parking garage, stopped where I was told to, and waited for the van. The van showed up, the guy I had a description of came out and I walked out to greet him. The bag was in my hand, a bag was in his hand. We were about to make the trade when two cops, in trench coats none the less, come out from behind a couple cars with their guns pointed at us shouting to freeze. Talk about your cliché’s right?”
Justin chuckled. Mr. Armani didn’t. So much for lightening the mood. Mr. Armani’s piercing green eyes didn’t blink. He was absorbing every word Justin said. It made Justin nervous. Reminded him of his older brother.
“Okay, right. They ran at us and some one in that van started shooting. I ducked immediately and the cops returned fire. The other guy ran at the van with the bag of money and got shot in the process. I dropped my bag out of panic and ran my ass off to the car. The cops were so busy with the guys actually shooting at them that they forgot about me. Or so I thought, next thing I know, I’m peeling out of the parking garage and a shot whizzes past me. I heard it hit the car. Then my arm started burning like a motherfucker and I look down to see I’m bleeding!”
Justin yanks down his silk shirt at the shoulder to reveal the scab of the bullet which grazed him. He pulls the shirt back up and shakes his head.
“I think this is the first time I’ve been shot.”
Justin says, drawing no sympathy from these men. One of them hands Mr. Armani a photo. He studies it a moment before facing it toward Justin.
“Do you recognize him?”
“Yes. That’s the cop who came running out of nowhere. The other was female.”
The three men shared glances. Justin didn’t know what to make of it. The picture returned to the jacket pocket of old smokey.
“Why did you do this job for us?”
Mr. Armani asked. Justin got the feeling he already knew the answer before he spoke.
“I needed a little extra money.”
“What for?”
“None of your business.”
Justin immediately regretted saying that.
“Considering you lost me a good slice of profit, it is now my business. Just why does such a famed wrestler need extra cash for? Shouldn’t you be raking in the millions?”
“If that was the case, I would be gambling at your casino, not quietly asking for private meetings with the owner.”
Justin knew the risk. If his sister had more time, he would have opted for something more legal. Unfortunately, he knows how lucrative the drug business is. ‘He was also a client’. Wellness policies be damned.
“Well Mr. Spirit, you are in a unique position. Sure you were hired because of reputation, but also because we knew the risk was low. Even if you did lose our money, which you did, we could easily make it back. You have fans here. They watch you in ECWF and Honor. You are a more wanted man than you probably want to be, but that’s good for us. We are gamblers after all.”
Mr. Armani leered at him. Justin felt uneasy.
“You have a match at Showdown against Mark Storm right? For the Prestige title. We love tournaments. They are a betting man’s paradise. With that said, we also know you have to face ECWF’s new World champion and some chump in a triple threat main event on Madness. Two matches, twice the winnings, two chances to earn us our money back.”
Justin definitely didn’t like where this was going.
“Let’s start with Madness, since that’s your first fight. We know the odds of the triple threat are pretty slim. It goes without saying that we are all betting you will lose that match. So good news Mr. Spirit, lose the main event on Madness and consider us paid. Unfortunately, that wonderful losing streak you have in the federation will continue. Not that we care.”
He’s only won one match since returning to ECWF in the summer. It added to the disillusionment Justin had with his home federation. Conspiracy theories aside, it was good to see Bradley win the World title.
“If you win though? Well that’s just digging your hole closer to six feet yeah? Because then you’ll owe us double what you dropped in that parking garage. If that does happen, then you better pray to Jesus you beat Mark Storm on Showdown. Bets will be double or nothing that you win, continue on toward the Prestige title, and keep that winning streak in Honor going.”
Justin eyed Mr. Armani silently. So much for second chances.
“Now, heaven-forbid you lose that instead? Triple the debt and…well…”
Mr. Armani shrugged as if to say he didn’t know, but Justin better have an idea. He did and it wasn’t a pretty thought. The two suits with Mr. Armani turned and left the room then. The man himself stayed but a moment longer.
“Oh, before I go. It kinda goes without saying that if the boys in blue happen to question you, please tread carefully.”
Then Mr. Armani left the room. Justin was left to sit there in the emptiness while the weight of the situation bore down on him. He’d be escorted out several minutes later. The first place he was going to go was to see Trixie. She needed to know.
~::~
It amazed Justin to see his niece Celeste walking toward him. It hadn’t been that long had it? The beginning of the summer he agreed to teach her to drive. The fact she walked toward him with a big smile on her face and a license in her hand told him that he was a good teacher. But there was something else. She seems to have grown. Changed. Celeste was looking less like the little girl running after his brother’s heel and more like the woman she is destined to become.
Her physical transformation seemed nearly complete, especially in the chest area. Justin wished she dressed more like a nun instead of the halter top which advertised two big developments. Of course, he also knew how trained Celeste was. Woe to the guy who dares be inappropriate with her. Those eyes of hers, they were more striking, filled with a bit more wisdom after her brief foray into an ECWF ring. He knew that if she decided to pursue wrestling after graduation, she would carry the Spirit name with the same reverence as he and his brother.
“Guess what I got Uncle Justin!”
Celeste stood in front of him and wiggled the license in front of his eyes proudly. There was a bit of the little girl left after all.
“I couldn’t be prouder. When you called and told me last week I had to see it for myself.”
“Yeah, why are you hiding in Las Vegas and making me wait until the Sunday before Madness to see you?”
She jabbed his shoulder. The one with the bullet wound. Justin bit his lip and managed a smile.
“Well you know. New federation, new obligations.”
“So I heard. Up for a title already there.”
“You bet. The Prestige title. It’s second only to the Honor championship, but that in no way makes it less valuable to me. Being the first to hold it is something I never had a chance to do in ECWF. I’d get to set the stage for that championship. Carry it with pride and defend it with everything I got. Make sure that I’ll be a tough act to follow.”
With her new acquisition shown-off, Celeste slipped it into the back pocket of her jean shorts. The moonlight reflected off her dark hair and Justin was reminded how much she took after his brother. The fierceness and conviction seemed instilled in her even though she was not Jason’s biological daughter.
“I bet you will dominate over there Uncle. The roster probably has nowhere near the talent of ECWF.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Dismiss competition because they come from somewhere else. It’s stupid and will only land you on your ass. Too many in ECWF think that way. I never have and never will. It’s ignorant and disrespectful to the sport.”
Justin shook his head. He had enough of the turncoat talk. Never once did he dismiss Lacey’s accomplishments or anyone else’s. Yet he could see the looks and hear the voices of judgement. The world had changed, whether they liked it or not. Pissing and moaning about how inferior some other place may or may not be just highlights your own insecurity.
“I didn’t mean to.”
“Half of this game is talking shit, but too many people forget the other half is what really matters. How you carry yourself in that ring is what will be remembered. People will forget what you said. It’s what you DO that makes it into the history books. Hell, look at your father. Minus maybe one or two good speeches, he’s hardly said a damn word. Yet his name still sends chills up a spine. That’s the kind of competitor we should aspire to.”
“If I decide to continue, you know I will try to measure up to you and him.”
Justin had no doubt of that. He wrapped his arms around his niece and hugged her tightly.
“One step at a time Celeste. Finish school. Where will you be again?”
Celeste stepped back and looked up at her Uncle proudly.
“Boston. Saint Augustine’s Private School. I’ll be done right before Christmas. I’m going to miss Miami though.”
“Yeah Miami grows on you doesn’t it? Tell you what, even though I don’t own a car shop anymore, I’ll see about getting you a car. Consider it an early graduation present.”
Justin wished he stilled owned the chop shop, but he had to sell it after his own accident sidelined him for months. Plus the cops were cracking down on the street racing. Too little, too late in his opinion. Seeing Celeste’s eyes light up made him smile.
“You really mean it?!”
“You bet, Celeste.”
She hugged him tightly in gratitude. Of course he had no idea how he’d make this happen should his matches go bad this week, but as he preaches…one step at a time. He got back into his own car after the hug broke. His niece waved him goodbye. It’ll be a long time before he sees her again.
~::~
He screwed up. Big time. No money or drugs to return to this casino. Justin knew if this meeting went south, he’d probably be buried in the silk shirt and slacks he wore. At least he’d be a somewhat fashionable corpse. The door creaked open. In walked three men. Each of them dressed much better than Justin was. Suits, one being the classic Armani, appeared before him at the head of the small square table.
One man was gruff, coughed with a hack of a heavy smoker and Justin could see by the lines on his face that he’d been at it since before 18. The next looked younger. Gelled hair and clean-shaven, impeccable jawline. A silk handkerchief jutted out from the breast pocket of the young man’s suit. The color oddly matched Justin’s silk shirt.
Mr. Armani seemed a cross between the men on each side of him. Almost a perfect blending. Not old and wrinkled, nor young and clean cut. The tussled hair on Mr. Armani’s head had a few respectable gray streaks. Justin felt some cautious relief as this man smiled toward him.
“Mr. Spirit. How are you today?”
“I’m fine, thanks.”
Justin answered. Mr. Armani had in his hand a pocketbook, which he opened casually. Thumbing through the pages, he came to a stop and regarded Justin with a smirk.
“Seems we lost quite a bit of money. Now don’t get worried. Happens all the time. It’s the nature of the business isn’t it?”
Justin didn’t know. He shrugged. His cool clue eyes strayed from Mr. Armani to the two men besides him, then back to the big man himself.
“We hired you as a driver right? One with a hell of a reputation from out east. And that’s where I get foggy. Why is it that we cannot find a police record on you? Surely those races had to draw some attention? Earn you at least an overnight at Hotel Alcatraz. But nothing. So there’s only two conclusions I can draw. First, you paid off them cops. Second, you’re really as good as your reputation says. Of course luck always runs out somewhere. Sucks for you that it happened in Vegas of all places. Do you care to explain to me why the fuck LVPD appeared out of Jesus’ asshole to lay waste to this purely simple exchange of goods and services?”
It was a fair question. Justin dropped his gaze. He had his own thoughts. He’s seen enough gangster movies to take a wild guess. However that could be dangerous here. Guessing was out of the question. The truth would be best and Justin hoped that ignorance could save him.
“Look, I did everything perfectly. I got to the parking garage, stopped where I was told to, and waited for the van. The van showed up, the guy I had a description of came out and I walked out to greet him. The bag was in my hand, a bag was in his hand. We were about to make the trade when two cops, in trench coats none the less, come out from behind a couple cars with their guns pointed at us shouting to freeze. Talk about your cliché’s right?”
Justin chuckled. Mr. Armani didn’t. So much for lightening the mood. Mr. Armani’s piercing green eyes didn’t blink. He was absorbing every word Justin said. It made Justin nervous. Reminded him of his older brother.
“Okay, right. They ran at us and some one in that van started shooting. I ducked immediately and the cops returned fire. The other guy ran at the van with the bag of money and got shot in the process. I dropped my bag out of panic and ran my ass off to the car. The cops were so busy with the guys actually shooting at them that they forgot about me. Or so I thought, next thing I know, I’m peeling out of the parking garage and a shot whizzes past me. I heard it hit the car. Then my arm started burning like a motherfucker and I look down to see I’m bleeding!”
Justin yanks down his silk shirt at the shoulder to reveal the scab of the bullet which grazed him. He pulls the shirt back up and shakes his head.
“I think this is the first time I’ve been shot.”
Justin says, drawing no sympathy from these men. One of them hands Mr. Armani a photo. He studies it a moment before facing it toward Justin.
“Do you recognize him?”
“Yes. That’s the cop who came running out of nowhere. The other was female.”
The three men shared glances. Justin didn’t know what to make of it. The picture returned to the jacket pocket of old smokey.
“Why did you do this job for us?”
Mr. Armani asked. Justin got the feeling he already knew the answer before he spoke.
“I needed a little extra money.”
“What for?”
“None of your business.”
Justin immediately regretted saying that.
“Considering you lost me a good slice of profit, it is now my business. Just why does such a famed wrestler need extra cash for? Shouldn’t you be raking in the millions?”
“If that was the case, I would be gambling at your casino, not quietly asking for private meetings with the owner.”
Justin knew the risk. If his sister had more time, he would have opted for something more legal. Unfortunately, he knows how lucrative the drug business is. ‘He was also a client’. Wellness policies be damned.
“Well Mr. Spirit, you are in a unique position. Sure you were hired because of reputation, but also because we knew the risk was low. Even if you did lose our money, which you did, we could easily make it back. You have fans here. They watch you in ECWF and Honor. You are a more wanted man than you probably want to be, but that’s good for us. We are gamblers after all.”
Mr. Armani leered at him. Justin felt uneasy.
“You have a match at Showdown against Mark Storm right? For the Prestige title. We love tournaments. They are a betting man’s paradise. With that said, we also know you have to face ECWF’s new World champion and some chump in a triple threat main event on Madness. Two matches, twice the winnings, two chances to earn us our money back.”
Justin definitely didn’t like where this was going.
“Let’s start with Madness, since that’s your first fight. We know the odds of the triple threat are pretty slim. It goes without saying that we are all betting you will lose that match. So good news Mr. Spirit, lose the main event on Madness and consider us paid. Unfortunately, that wonderful losing streak you have in the federation will continue. Not that we care.”
He’s only won one match since returning to ECWF in the summer. It added to the disillusionment Justin had with his home federation. Conspiracy theories aside, it was good to see Bradley win the World title.
“If you win though? Well that’s just digging your hole closer to six feet yeah? Because then you’ll owe us double what you dropped in that parking garage. If that does happen, then you better pray to Jesus you beat Mark Storm on Showdown. Bets will be double or nothing that you win, continue on toward the Prestige title, and keep that winning streak in Honor going.”
Justin eyed Mr. Armani silently. So much for second chances.
“Now, heaven-forbid you lose that instead? Triple the debt and…well…”
Mr. Armani shrugged as if to say he didn’t know, but Justin better have an idea. He did and it wasn’t a pretty thought. The two suits with Mr. Armani turned and left the room then. The man himself stayed but a moment longer.
“Oh, before I go. It kinda goes without saying that if the boys in blue happen to question you, please tread carefully.”
Then Mr. Armani left the room. Justin was left to sit there in the emptiness while the weight of the situation bore down on him. He’d be escorted out several minutes later. The first place he was going to go was to see Trixie. She needed to know.
~::~
It amazed Justin to see his niece Celeste walking toward him. It hadn’t been that long had it? The beginning of the summer he agreed to teach her to drive. The fact she walked toward him with a big smile on her face and a license in her hand told him that he was a good teacher. But there was something else. She seems to have grown. Changed. Celeste was looking less like the little girl running after his brother’s heel and more like the woman she is destined to become.
Her physical transformation seemed nearly complete, especially in the chest area. Justin wished she dressed more like a nun instead of the halter top which advertised two big developments. Of course, he also knew how trained Celeste was. Woe to the guy who dares be inappropriate with her. Those eyes of hers, they were more striking, filled with a bit more wisdom after her brief foray into an ECWF ring. He knew that if she decided to pursue wrestling after graduation, she would carry the Spirit name with the same reverence as he and his brother.
“Guess what I got Uncle Justin!”
Celeste stood in front of him and wiggled the license in front of his eyes proudly. There was a bit of the little girl left after all.
“I couldn’t be prouder. When you called and told me last week I had to see it for myself.”
“Yeah, why are you hiding in Las Vegas and making me wait until the Sunday before Madness to see you?”
She jabbed his shoulder. The one with the bullet wound. Justin bit his lip and managed a smile.
“Well you know. New federation, new obligations.”
“So I heard. Up for a title already there.”
“You bet. The Prestige title. It’s second only to the Honor championship, but that in no way makes it less valuable to me. Being the first to hold it is something I never had a chance to do in ECWF. I’d get to set the stage for that championship. Carry it with pride and defend it with everything I got. Make sure that I’ll be a tough act to follow.”
With her new acquisition shown-off, Celeste slipped it into the back pocket of her jean shorts. The moonlight reflected off her dark hair and Justin was reminded how much she took after his brother. The fierceness and conviction seemed instilled in her even though she was not Jason’s biological daughter.
“I bet you will dominate over there Uncle. The roster probably has nowhere near the talent of ECWF.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Dismiss competition because they come from somewhere else. It’s stupid and will only land you on your ass. Too many in ECWF think that way. I never have and never will. It’s ignorant and disrespectful to the sport.”
Justin shook his head. He had enough of the turncoat talk. Never once did he dismiss Lacey’s accomplishments or anyone else’s. Yet he could see the looks and hear the voices of judgement. The world had changed, whether they liked it or not. Pissing and moaning about how inferior some other place may or may not be just highlights your own insecurity.
“I didn’t mean to.”
“Half of this game is talking shit, but too many people forget the other half is what really matters. How you carry yourself in that ring is what will be remembered. People will forget what you said. It’s what you DO that makes it into the history books. Hell, look at your father. Minus maybe one or two good speeches, he’s hardly said a damn word. Yet his name still sends chills up a spine. That’s the kind of competitor we should aspire to.”
“If I decide to continue, you know I will try to measure up to you and him.”
Justin had no doubt of that. He wrapped his arms around his niece and hugged her tightly.
“One step at a time Celeste. Finish school. Where will you be again?”
Celeste stepped back and looked up at her Uncle proudly.
“Boston. Saint Augustine’s Private School. I’ll be done right before Christmas. I’m going to miss Miami though.”
“Yeah Miami grows on you doesn’t it? Tell you what, even though I don’t own a car shop anymore, I’ll see about getting you a car. Consider it an early graduation present.”
Justin wished he stilled owned the chop shop, but he had to sell it after his own accident sidelined him for months. Plus the cops were cracking down on the street racing. Too little, too late in his opinion. Seeing Celeste’s eyes light up made him smile.
“You really mean it?!”
“You bet, Celeste.”
She hugged him tightly in gratitude. Of course he had no idea how he’d make this happen should his matches go bad this week, but as he preaches…one step at a time. He got back into his own car after the hug broke. His niece waved him goodbye. It’ll be a long time before he sees her again.
~::~