Post by Sentinel on Nov 12, 2014 8:58:44 GMT -6
- SCENE -
LOCATION: Soco Trail Antiques and Pawn Shop - Cherokee, North Carolina
TIME: Thursday, November 6th, 2014, 6:29pm
PLAYERS: Sentinel, The Dead Men, Talon
LOCATION: Soco Trail Antiques and Pawn Shop - Cherokee, North Carolina
TIME: Thursday, November 6th, 2014, 6:29pm
PLAYERS: Sentinel, The Dead Men, Talon
- BACKGROUND -
Nearly six months had passed since anyone had seen the Silent Destroyer anywhere near a UWA ring, or anywhere close to a UWA event. Two weeks after a knock-down, drag-out street fight with one Broderick Montgomery III, a battle brought on by the aforementioned Brody’s willful injury of Talon, Sentinel was accosted backstage at the following Mayhem show by members of the Children of Nephilim. Directed by the Priestess, Maiko, ten of the so-named Children brutalized the Silent Destroyer before he could ‘get in their way’. And since that evening, neither hide nor hair of the Silence Behind the Violence has been present…that is, until this past Monday night.
Returning with a vengeance, Sentinel interfered in a massive brawl between the whole of the Children of Nephilim and the combined front of Brody, K.I.S.S. and the Dead Men. He proceeded to return the six-month-old favor, decimating the Children and laying out their Dark Messiah, Joshua McBride. As an object lesson a hapless drone was thrown to Sentinel who punctuated his return, while staring McBride in the eye, with a vicious Black Sunset. Into the bargain, his issues with Brody appear to have been smoothed over as well. But now, in the aftermath of this momentous event, many a question are being asked:
Why did Sentinel choose now to come back to the UWA?
What prompted him to put aside his differences with the man who injured his wife and manager?
Did he have anything to do with thwarting the Children’s plans over the last several weeks?
What are his intentions now with the eyes of the entire company on him?
Considering that the man is known as the Silent Destroyer for good reason, it seems unlikely that he’ll answer these questions through anything other than action, a fact which is certain to lead to excitement over the coming weeks and months.
On the third floor of the aged, nondescript shop, taking up the whole of the building’s top-most floor, is an apartment of sorts. In a high-rise it would be considered no less than a penthouse. In this small town lodged in the mountains of North Carolina, within spitting distance of the Tennessee border, it’s more of a flophouse than anything else. That isn’t to say that it isn’t comfortable or well-furnished, though we aren’t made privy to anything other than a single room with a familiar-looking symbol upon a black flag that hangs upon the north wall:
That of the Dead Men Motorcycle Club.
In front of this, a heavy oak table sits dead-center, most of the surface hollowed out and under a thick layer of glass. The same symbol what is emblazoned on the flag is carved into the aged wood here; a helmeted skeleton wielding an assault rifle with various insignias hanging from thin chains at the end of the barrel, including dog tags and a police shield. A dozen chairs surround the table, one at each end and five on each side, all placed before a locked slot. Seven of these slots are empty, one of them at the seat to the immediate right of the head chair.
Before a more proper inspection can be made, the sole door into and out of the room opens and in walk the Dead Men themselves. No conversation goes on between them as they take their seats; Shawn Crowe sits at the head of the table with Antonio Murond to his left. Darius Edwards and Frederick Vance both sit to Shawn’s right, avoiding the chair directly at his side, while Rory McCall sits next to Antonio on the left. Shawn, picking up the gavel on the table in front of him, stares at the implement for a few moments before addressing the club.
Shawn Crowe
“Gentlemen, I think we all know why we’re here tonight, so let’s skip the bullshit and get down to business: the situation with these so-called Children of Nephilim isn’t over despite what went down at Fearless. We beat the hell out of them and took an ass-whipping ourselves. But that doesn’t register with freaks like them. They’re lemmings blindly following a false god; no matter how much they have to endure, his word is their life and law. We’re in agreement on that, correct?”
The rest of the group nods quietly, with Frederick’s expression being particularly grim.
Shawn Crowe
”That said, we have to be ready to throw down again if the need arises…”
There are murmurs of dissatisfaction and Shawn allows them to dwindle before he continues.
Shawn Crowe
”…but not in such a way that it compromises what pays the bills. Which is why we’re here tonight: we have a vote to make toward that end as well as our past and future.”
Antonio Murond
”It worries a man when you talk all cryptic like that, brother.”
Rory McCall
”Worries the whole damn world.”
There’s laughter at that and Shawn cracks a grin briefly before getting back to business.
Shawn Crowe
”When you see what I mean, you’ll get it.”
Shawn takes out his cell and takes but a few seconds sending a message at which point he sits back and waits. Footsteps soon sound on the staircase behind the apartment’s main door, followed by a louder version of the same cadence coming to the chapel door. Said passage is opened, bringing five sets of eyes upon it, four of them widening in surprise when Sentinel steps through. Flanked by a decidedly-stunning Talon, the Silent Destroyer walks to the head of the table as Shawn rises to meet him, the two men embracing like old friends for a moment before Sentinel steps back.
Shawn Crowe
”One of our former members has returned to the club, brothers…that is, if we’re all in agreement on that?”
To put it mildly, no one at this table has a problem with that. After a few moments of welcomes and brotherly embraces given Sentinel, the big man takes the chair next to Shawn. The president hands a key to Sentinel, who unlocks the slot in front of his chair and retrieves the cut within. Donning the vest, the room filled briefly with the scent of leather, Sentinel runs his hands down the front of it as a wave of contentment rests over him. Over the left breast is a patch that reads ‘Original’, while the right side possesses two: ‘Sgt. At Arms’ and ‘Warrior’.
Once the excitement dies down a little, Shawn speaks up again.
Shawn Crowe
”In a few days, our brother is going to make his return to the ring, and we’re going to be there with him. He has some unfinished business to take care of, both club and personal.”
Sentinel nods silently at this.
Shawn Crowe
”And just as we’re going to back him up when he needs us, he’s going to be riding with us again as we get back to work ourselves.”
Antonio Murond
”Hoping part of that means handing that Brody guy his ass after what he pulled months ago. I’m still wondering why you had us help that guy at all aside from sticking it to the Children.”
Murmurs of assent from the rest, save Sentinel and Shawn, sound before Talon, who is leaning comfortably against the wall by the door, speaks up. She immediately has the attention of the room.
Talon
”Water under the bridge. Brody was punished for what he did and we, Sentinel and I, consider the matter settled. Forgiven, but not forgotten. There’s no sense in holding on to past grudges when they don’t have any bearing on the future that my Destroyer and I desire.”
Sentinel again nods, and though her answer seems a little hard to accept by most of the men at the table, Shawn is there to put things in perspective.
Shawn Crowe
”Talon is right. Living in the past is like riding blind. We’ve all got shit we wish had gone differently, that we’d settled better when we had the chance, but those opportunities are gone. Are we supposed to let them weigh us down in the here and now? That’s not what we’re about and it isn’t what life’s about, either. Learn from what you did wrong and make sure it doesn’t happen again. That’s how it oughta be.”
Having things put in better perspective by the President’s words, the whole of the group calm their personal concerns, including the Vice President, who turns to Sentinel.
Antonio Murond
”Forgettin’ all that…it’s good to have you back, brother. I know you’ve been itchin’ to get back in the ring and scrap. Hell, that was the first time for all of us a few weeks ago and I can still feel the rush.”
More mirth comes as a result of that comment, which elicits a knowing smirk from Talon. Rory catches sight of this and locks on to the red-haired beauty, smirking as well.
Rory McCall
”I know that look, sister. What’s on that brain of yours?”
Talon
”That, Mr. McCall, would be telling. You’ll see when everyone else does.”
Walking to a spot behind the chair where Sentinel sits, Talon places her hands on his shoulders, squeezing so that her fingertips dig into the soft leather draped about his muscular frame. Shawn seems to have some inkling as to her intentions but decides to keep it to himself.
Shawn Crowe
”That being said, we got a long ride starting in the morning.”
Talon
”I’m heading down early myself. There’s a little business needs taking care of before the lot of you throw down on McBride’s goon squad. Speaking of which, I’d best get back to the hotel and pack up. Is it fair to assume that you’ll be staying the night here, lover?”
Sentinel, with a hand lifting to rest on one of Talon’s, nods quietly.
Talon
”Then I’ll see you in New Mexico. Stay out of trouble till then.”
He turns, meeting the redhead’s lips as she leans around him, then watches as she leaves the chapel and eventually the building. Shawn strikes the table with the gavel at which point the club rises and files out of the room. Revelry and the sound of bottles being opened soon replaces the quiet of the revered chamber, but only a glance into the main room of the apartment is allowed before the door closes and the screen fades to black.
- SCENE -
LOCATION: Interstate 15, less than 25 miles outside Las Vegas, Nevada
TIME: Wednesday, November 12th, 2014, 1:44pm
PLAYERS: Sentinel, Talon
LOCATION: Interstate 15, less than 25 miles outside Las Vegas, Nevada
TIME: Wednesday, November 12th, 2014, 1:44pm
PLAYERS: Sentinel, Talon
- BACKGROUND -
Two days removed from his return to the company, Sentinel has long since left Santa Barbara, the site of the previous Monday’s Mayhem, and is en route to fabulous Las Vegas for a little sin and debauchery with his gorgeous wife before heading south to Albuquerque for Mayhem. The pair stop off at a ramshackle gas station to top off the tank of the Silent Destroyer’s 2014 Harley-Davidson Road King as well as to take a moment to savor the chaos sewn by his return a few days prior.
As he finishes topping off the tank, Sentinel looks up to the sound of Talon’s voice. She’s exiting the shop, phone held to her ear, entering the scene mid-conversation.
Talon
”…after which we’ll see you over here?”
Unknown
”Barring the end of the world, yeah. Just have to make sure the homestead is in good hands.”
Talon
”You just give us a call if you need assistance with that. Anything we can do to expedite the process we’ll do without a second thought.”
Unknown
”I know. But we haven’t been working our asses off for nothing. Things will fall into place. Don’t sweat it. You two get back to your trip and I’ll talk to you in a few days.”
Talon
”Sure thing.”
Tapping the screen of her phone, Talon tucks it into her pocket as she arrives at Sentinel’s side, only at that point noticing him watching her like a hawk. One black eyebrow is raised questioningly but she merely smiles in response and leans up on her booted toes to kiss his cheek.
Talon
”Just checking in to see how Alex is coming along. He sounds excited.”
Sentinel’s look of curiosity turns to a half-grin and he nods in response, swinging one long leg over the bike and starting it up. The monster roars to life, apparently as eager as its owner to get back to tearing up the road toward the City of Sin. Talon, likewise but with a far more feminine grace, slides onto the seat behind her man and locks her arms around his waist.
Without another word the pair speeds off, leaving dust in their wake as they continue their trek to Vegas.
- SCENE -
LOCATION: Excalibur Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
TIME: Wednesday, November 12th, 2014, 8:05pm
PLAYERS: Sentinel, Talon
LOCATION: Excalibur Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
TIME: Wednesday, November 12th, 2014, 8:05pm
PLAYERS: Sentinel, Talon
- BACKGROUND -
Mere hours later, the dangerous duo are preparing for a night on the Las Vegas Strip, but are first taking some time to address the UWA as a whole and Silver Baron in particular. From their upper-floor hotel room at the Excalibur, the bright lights of the big city are prominent…the perfect backdrop for this first public address in several months.
Sentinel, dressed in a tailored gray Armani suit, is a wall of humanity. He stands in his standard silence, staring out the window at the bright lights and promises of wealth twinkling in the desert night. Talon, the Lady of Sin herself, is utterly stunning in a black, off-the-shoulder gown that reaches all the way to the floor even on her six-foot-and-change frame. As the Silent Destroyer takes in the view, her eyes and attention are on the camera. When she speaks, she does so with an ease and calm that wasn’t often present the last time her and the Silence Behind the Violence were regulars on the UWA airwaves.
Talon
”As far as we are concerned, it has been far too long. In the time since I, and in turn my Destroyer, left the UWA…the place has quite simply gone to hell. Too many groups of ill-intentioned, foul-minded malcontents have been trying to assert dominance with violence while attempting to sew fear all about the roster without a care. We wouldn’t think to begrudge anyone their drive to succeed nor the path they choose to attempt to reach the same glorious heights we covet, but…”
All it takes is the folding of her arms and the shifting of her hips to one side to show that Talon hasn’t been merely relaxing during their hiatus. The woman has been training every bit as hard as her husband from the looks of things and it shows in her muscle tone and the way her figure is composed even when she is simply standing.
Talon
”…while my Destroyer and I have done the same, either on our own or with like-minded individuals, we always kept our eyes on the prize as well as maintaining our personal moral code. Some people may scoff upon hearing that. They wonder where people, who used to travel and compete alongside the likes of Zachariah Blood and others, get off on stating that they have honor in any form. Those same people would sputter incredulously were they told that even our estranged partner himself has his own brand of honor.
But disbelief doesn’t make it less true. Back then, and even as recently as the days before our forced departure, we were honorable even at our most violent extremes. We, my Destroyer and I as well as any who have allied with us during our careers, pride ourselves on our honesty and codes of conduct. No one, and I challenge any detractors to step forward and claim otherwise, can claim that we are neither unfair nor unscrupulous. Because with us, what you see in the ring and outside of it, is exactly what you get.”
From a nearby table Talon retrieves a pair of elbow-length black silk gloves and, one at a time, she applies them to her toned arms. Sentinel turns to face the camera as well at this point, his impossibly-black hair woven into a tight braid at the base of his neck and his gray eyes locked on those watching. Talon feels him shift behind her and a shadow of a smile alights on her smooth features, yet she keeps right on addressing the camera.
Talon
”If we say we’re going to hurt someone, that person is going to suffer. If we indicate that we’ll go to any lengths necessary to get our point across, those in our crosshairs can expect no boundaries in our pursuit of them. Honesty, ladies and gentlemen, is our stock in trade. Now more so than ever as we make our return to the UWA.
And with that said, allow my Destroyer to make something perfectly clear to those watching this:”
She turns her attention to Sentinel who makes a simple motion with his hands in front of his waist, the universal symbol to denote one’s desire to fill that space with championship gold. Talon nods once before turning her own intense green stare forward anew.
Talon
”Sentinel desires the UWA World Heavyweight Championship. We personally applaud Jeszika Gautier for becoming the champion, especially since we know full well just how effective Aerynn Donnelly is in that ring. Whether we like her or not, and we don’t for the record, the former champion was and still is a force. What we do not care for is the suspension of the champion until Cataclysm, and we have no compunction about questioning Olivier Georgio’s thinking in doing so. For a man who has had a front row seat to the unnecessary violence perpetrated in this company since our departure, his suspending of the company’s champion for something far slighter reeks of reactive action rather than careful thought.
The announcement of the tournament to determine the next contender, however, is something we can appreciate. Over the last few months we have not been idle. One look at us will tell you that much, but we also speak of the attention we’ve paid to the goings-on here, and not just the events involving our associates in the Dead Men. Many names that were prominent when we arrived here are long gone now. Numerous are the possible opponents we’ve yet to face though there are some familiar names…a few of them far less so than others. But I ramble…”
Sentinel rests his heavy hands on the shoulders of Talon, prompting her to set her silk-sheathed fingertips on their backs.
Talon
”Silver Baron falls in the latter category; someone whom we know of but have never had the pleasure of facing. Someone whose favored stomping grounds were standing in the midst of right now.”
A reference to Las Vegas, of course, which Talon voices with a devious smile.
Talon
”Allow me to formally introduce us to you and yours, Baron: I am Talon, the Lady of Sin herself, and this mountain of chiseled, destructive perfection standing behind me is Sentinel. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Your conquests here have not escaped our attention and for them we genuinely applaud you.”
Talon does just that, clapping her gloved hands in a classy way so as to avoid accidentally coming off as sarcastic in her praise.
Talon
”I doubt that you know much about my Destroyer, though. You were making your rise, the ink on your contract barely dried, when we made our exit. If you are aware of our exploits, it is in words only or perhaps the perusal of video archives. And seeing as how we’re not ones to brag about past glory unlike some on this company’s roster, you’ll have to do your learning first-hand between the ropes.
As he stated in his own special way previously, my Destroyer seeks gold of the most glorious sort. And he isn’t above beating the tar out of anyone in his way be they friend or foe. Malice has no place in Sentinel’s path and you, as well as the rest of the roster, need to understand that. There are doubtlessly those that think we seek some kind of revenge against one Joshua McBride and his collection of outcasts and blind devotees but that’s far from the case.
What they decline to make clear when they speak of their assault upon him is that Sentinel was on his way out the door long before they got in his way. We don’t care what your name is or how much of a badass you may fancy yourself; anyone facing ten-to-one odds is going to lose. The Children are good at picking their spots, no more and no less. The devastation bestowed upon Joshua’s drones this past Monday night and the beating he received personally, as far as we’re concerned, squared things. They left my Destroyer lying. He returned the favor…an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”
A hint of a smirk curls Sentinel’s lips but, unsurprisingly, he remains silent.
Talon
”We know their kind, though. They will believe themselves deserving of vengeance. They will believe this while forgetting that, inevitably, their paths will cross with that of my Destroyer in due course as he pursues the World Heavyweight Championship. With you, Silver Baron, it is a clean slate. There are no past grievances or scores to settle. What we have before us is a battle between two prominent warriors who seek the greatest of glory and are taking their own distinct paths to reach it.
And there is no purer battleground in our eyes than that which is untainted and unspoiled, awaiting awe-inspiring combat by two brave souls seeking the pinnacle of their professional careers. Is that not what this is? This isn’t a scuffle between a biker and a pimp or a returning hero battling a prominent upstart. It is not so simple, yet it is far from complicated…”
Visibly, the Destroyer’s grip clenches just so upon the warm flesh of Talon’s shoulders. She pauses in her address, her eyes closing as his fingertips trace down her arms. With that simple caress, the Silent Destroyer gets his point across to her.
Talon
”You’re right, of course…”
Sentinel
”…”
Talon nods in response to the silence, her focus quickly shifted back to the camera.
Talon
”Yes, we shall leave it at that for now. We are eager to hear from you, Baron, if only for confirmation that you won’t make my Destroyer’s return match anything other than a battle to remember. We come before you with skeletons buried and grudges left to become dust by the wayside. This is a fresh start, a new beginning for the both of us.
And for yourself it is a chance to prove your skills and talent once again. Everyone wins. Well…”
She finds herself unable to resist being darkly amused by whatever thoughts are rampant in her mind.
Talon
”…almost everyone. There can only be one of you that has their arm raised in the end. And my Destroyer can’t allow it to be you, Silver Baron. It’s nothing personal, simply business…something you know all too well, we are sure.”
Upon offering another single, solitary nod to the camera, Sentinel moves to Talon’s side, taking her arm in his as they walk out of the shot. A door opens and closes off camera and we fade to black.
- END -
