Fight The Machine

[Tommy Knox]

///Fight The Machine\\\
Chapter XXVII

"We live by our own rules, both inside and outside of the law."
- Wallace -

Wednesday 4:49 PM [May 1st, 2013]
Long Beach, California

Four motorcycles sit outside of the garage at the Nomad clubhouse. All are black, custom machines that have the Nomad logo air brushed on the side of the gas tank. Two unknown members are across the parking lot, sitting at a picnic table enjoying a cold beer on this fine evening. The rest of the parking lot is empty, even the garage is closed for business today. That accounts for two of the bikes outside, what about the other two?

Inside the first bay if the garage, Wallace and Jared stand with Knox. The three appear to be carrying on a conversation as they look down at a fully custom, black 1968 Harley Davidson Shovelhead with chrome accessories and black wheels. The gas tank doesn't have the Nomad logo painted on the sides but does have an evil skull on the top center engulfed in smoke with a few marijuana leaves fading into the black background. This bike stands out with it's sexy look and new shinny paint. You can bet it wasn't cheap, even if you're a member of the club that owns the garage responsible for the work. Luckily for the owner, he grows his own crop and has three clinics spread over the California state. We don't even have to mention what he does on the side, out of the eyes of the law.

Outlaws are what these men, the Nomads, call themselves and are referred to by law authorities. The word, outlaw, has a few different meanings, all of which pertain to different members of the MC. For Knox, it holds true to the meaning of a rebel; a nonconformist. He lives his life according to that, both in and out of the ring. Other club members take it to a whole other level with crimes ranging from murder, extortion, tax evasion, running of illegal firearms and transportation of schedule II narcotics. Knox steers clear from that, at least for now. With wrestling as his focus, he keeps his hands clean for the most part to not draw any attention to the underground distribution of his medicinal product that the club moves for him, internationally.

As the three continue to talk, it appears to be about the custom motorcycle resting right in front of them. Knox looks down at it with a smirk on his face and a look of lust in his eyes. Wallace continues to speak as Knox pulls out a fatty and sparks it up for the three to enjoy.

"It took about seven weeks to get all the pieces, but it's finally ready to hit the road." Wallace says as he grabs the joint from Knox and takes a deep toke.

Jared laughs to himself for a moment before voicing his opinion. "No shit, it's basically a new bike. It's definitely not the same piece of shit that you trailered in here a couple months back."

"I appreciate the hard work, guys. That bike means a lot to me, it was my old mans. I'm ready to hit the pavement with you guys now and represent the club to the fullest. One thing though, I notice that there's no logo on the side of the gas tank like everyone else's." Knox says as he looks Wallace in the eyes.

Without hesitation, Wallace answers. "It's simple, you'll get the logo on your bike when you get your patch."

"Yea, right now, you're just a prospect. Don't forget that." Jared interrupts as he walks over to the mini refrigerator and grabs three beers.

"How could I? You remind me of that every chance you get, bro." Knox says, directed solely at Jared.

Wallace steps in and cuts the two off before the friction builds anymore heat. "He's doing a fine job. I've been impressed by your dedication when you're not on the road with APW. Instead of staying stuck up Rodrigo's ass, you come put time in with the club when you're in town. That goes a long way."

Knox stands in silence for a brief moment before replying. "Rigo, he gets a day or two with me to train while I'm in town. If anything, he's become more of a drag. Ever since I turned on Gooch and told the fans to kiss my ass, he's put more distance between the two of us. I think I'm goin' to have to cut him loose."

"What all does he know, about the club?" Jared asks.

"Yea, have you shared anything with him?" Wallace asks as well.

Knox thinks before opening his mouth of the consequences that could render. "Nah, I don't discuss the clubs business with anyone, not even my old lady, Niobe. Rigo won't be a problem, you can trust me."

Wallace wastes no time before replying. "You better hope so, for his sake. If he poses a threat to the club, we will make him disappear."

"I understand that. I also understand the rules and would never discuss club affairs with an outsider. You can trust me, Rigo knows nothin'. There won't be any hard feelin's with the two of us goin' our separate ways. He knows that I'm not the same man he once knew. I know that I'm not the same man. I'm tired of tryin' to be who everyone wants me to be. Those days are behind me." Knox says with confidence as the spliff makes its way back around to him.

"Good, we're glad to have you, brother." Wallace says.

Jared takes a drink from his beer before speaking up. "Yea, glad." He says with sarcasm.

Wallace looks over at Jared with anger as he takes a drink from the beer brought to him. "Don't worry about him, Jared's just an asshole. He'll grow on you, eventually. I do have something I need to discuss with you and your travels with APW."

"What's that?" Knox asks.

Wallace thinks for a second in silence before answering. "The club can't always be there for you. We can't be at every show to watch over your back and make sure nothing happens to you and Niobe."

"Don't worry about Niobe. She's mine to look after. I can handle it." Knox says without hesitation.

"Maybe, but you need someone looking over your back. I think I have a solution to that. At least for now, until the tour comes back to the states." Wallace says as he takes another drink from his beer.

"I'm listening?" Knox says.

"We're going to reach out to your friend, Kash, and see if he can offer some backup when the club can't be there for you." Wallace says as he takes a drink from his beer.

Knox thinks to himself for a few moments as silence fills the room. He then answers, "I don't think we need to go as far as that. Things are comin' together slowly between us and Foul Play. A lot of people have been claimin' that Niobe and myself will be joinin' Foul Play. They're dead wrong. If anything, we're just allies. Kash and I go way back, I just don't know about his partners, Knuckles (Reaver) and Lively."

Wallace shakes his head before replying. "If you get Kash on your side, the others will fall in line."

"I'm not so sure, bro. There isn't really a leader in Foul Play. It's a group decision on whatever it is they decide to do. I can trust Kash and if they have the same respect for him that I do, then they will back his decision up. I don't see him comin' in and helpin' watch over Niobe's back. He has no ties to her, just me. I'm responsible for keepin' her out of harms way. In that same respect though, I would help Reaver or Lively. Although I don't have any ties to them, they're associated with Kash and would have the mutual repsect that I have for him. I'm open to aligning myself and possibly the MC with Foul Play." Knox takes a breath and then takes a drink from his beer before the joint gets passed to him once more. He takes a slow drag and lets the smoke expand his lungs before exhaling.

"Aligning the MC?" Jared questions.

Knox hesitates, "Well..."

"When we accepted Knox into the club, we dipped our toes into the wrestling pool. Jared, we're not going to be able to get his back at every show, no matter what club territory he's in. We need to make friends on the other side of the fence, in APW." Wallace says as he pulls out a half burnt cigar and places it between his lips.

"If you say so..." Jared says as he walks towards the garage door, looking back, just before he turns his back to both and heads towards his motorcycle.

Wallace watches him as he walks away, with a close eye, not happy with his actions. He then looks back to Knox as he takes a puff from his cigar. "Don't worry about him, he's always this hard headed. He'll come around. Where were we, oh yea, aligning Foul Play with the MC and NightmareVille."

Knox quickly cuts in as that last word rolls off the tip of his tongue. "Hold up, stop right there. NightmareVille is nothin' more than what everyone wants Niobe and myself to be. Same as GoochVille, I squashed that. I've tried my entire career to make the fans happy and look where it's gotten me. The second I put my foot up Gooch's ass for not bringin' his "A game", they turn a cold shoulder to me. I'm done with tryin' to make the fans happy. Management and the fans donned those names on me. Fuck 'em all. I'm not goin' to sit here quietly and conform to the image they want me to be. I didn't come back to wrestling, to APW, just to be a puppet hangin' from the strings they control. Same as the MC, we make our own rules and live by our own lifestyle regardless of what anyone thinks of us."

Wallace laughs as he is impressed by Knox. He then takes another slow puff from the cigar and exhales straight into the air above his head. "Damn, bro, I hear you! You're finally starting to get it, what the MC is all about. We live by our own rules, both inside and outside of the law. We're not what society wants us to be, we're the total opposite. There may be hope for you after all, Knox." Wallace pauses for a moment and takes a drink from his beer. "So, what do you want to do about Kash and his crew?"

"It's simple, really. I'm goin' to reach out to him with a gesture of good faith. Lets get a pound of my finest, OG Funk, on the way to his doorstep. Lets fill the Houston brothers in on the details when they arrive tomorrow for their package. Lets have them take it to Kash personally and offer an alliance between Foul Play and the MC. I'll follow up with him after the drop is made." Knox takes one last toke from the burnt out joint and drops it to the floor and stomps with his boot.

"Sounds like a plan. Are you sure it will work?" Wallace asks.

Knox smiles just before answering. "Trust me, it will. I know him better than anyone else he associates himself with. While we're at it, lets get our brothers in Toronto and New York to keep an eye out for NBK. We can probably find them in Toronto, but I know Jake is from New York so it's good to have eyes there. I don't want to make a move on them, just let them know that we're around and put some fear in those punks."

Wallace laughs again as Knoxville plots against their enemies. "Haha, I like it. I'm sure the brothers will be glad to help, especially since it's your product that's bringing money to the table. So, you have any plans for later on?"

"No." Knox answers.

"Good, it's time to earn some credentials towards your full patch." Wallace says.

Confused, Knox questions. "Credentials?"

Wallace finishes his beer and tosses the empty bottle in the trash. He then walks towards the door leaving Knox behind with the motorcycle. "Yea, credentials. Grab your bike and follow me. We're paying a visit to someone who owes a brother money. Our brother's doing an eighteen month bid for us, the least we can do is collect what is owed to him and help his old lady through this rough patch. You're going to beat the living hell out of this chump."

Knox smiles as he climbs on his motorcycle. "I'm game."

"I know you are, like you even had a choice. This will go a long way with you and the MC. Plus, consider it a training session for your street fight with Savage." Wallace walks towards his bike with his cigar hanging from his mouth.

Knox starts the motorcycle up as the loud rumble growls throughout the neighborhood. A huge grin comes across his face from ear to ear as he straps his helmet on and pulls out a cigarette from the pack in his vest pocket. He places it between his lips and drives forward, beside Wallace who's getting situated on his motorcycle. He then pulls out his lighter and strikes with his thumb, lighting the tip and taking a slow drag. Wallace then pulls forward and takes lead as the two leave the clubhouse property and rumble down the street.

AMERICAN HIGHLIFE
May 5th, 2013 [•REC]

"A few weeks ago a newcomer to the Meltdown scene issued an open challenge to anyone with the balls to accept. It goes without further question that I have the biggest balls of the entire Meltdown roster. While others stood in silence, afraid of what this new kid on the block had to bring to the table, I stood up like a man and accepted. Last week, I made the gesture of makin' this match a street fight. It's good to know that the powers that be are listenin' to you every once in a while as we now have a street fight on our hands. I was born for this, made for the adrenaline rush and crafted for the fight. These hands have beaten respect into the hearts of many men, beaten them into a bloody mess. Now it's time to put the money makers to work once again and show APW that Tommy Knox runs the fuckin' show."

"Jace Savage, you have no idea what kind of trouble that big mouth of yours has gotten you in. You've already had matches with Sampson and Carter but I'm here, on behalf of the people that have been here for a good minute, to welcome you to Meltdown. This is my home, where I eat. If you think you're goin' to come and shit where I eat, think again! This isn't goin' to be a warm welcomin', not by far. I'm comin' to knock your fuckin' teeth down your throat and send you home cryin' to daddy. If there's one thing I will teach you, it's this. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. Everything I have, I earned for myself. You my friend, you can't say the same thing about yourself. I'm goin' to teach you that "Daddy" can't buy you wins and he damn sure can't do anything in his power to keep me from tearin' you apart, limb by limb."

"I think it's pretty safe to say that I'm not a very well liked man around these parts. I don't give a fuck. I win at all costs and fight for what I believe in. If you make a deal with me and don't hold up your end, I'll put a knife in your back and finish you for the kill. If you run your mouth about my old lady, well, that's a different story. There won't be any back stabbin' or attackin' you from behind. I'm goin' to look you dead in the eye, like a man, and knock you the fuck out! Not that I need to fight her battles for her. She would destroy you. She would own you. She would make you her bitch. But it's not her who's in the street fight with you, is it? No, it's me and nobody disrespects my old lady without gettin' their ass kicked over and over and over again. I'm comin' to Meltdown to prove a point. Not just to you, but to the entire Meltdown roster and the world watchin'. I want you all to hate me, it only fuels my fire. What better way to get the world against you than to beat another innocent, baby-face punk tryin' to make a name for himself on my show!"

"Tommy Knoxville died weeks ago when the crowd turned its back on him. He died when he stood up for himself and kicked the dead weight to the curb that was holdin' him back from gettin' what he truly deserved. Those days are behind me now. From the ashes, a new man has risen. A new man, with a new purpose in life. That man is now Tommy Knox. He stands before you, right now, with a clear conscience and hatred for everything that corporate America has built for this nation. Corporate APW thought that they could control who I am and what I stand for. Little did they know, they were wrong. I am my own man and will never pretend to be someone that I'm not. GoochVille was created by corporate APW as a cash crop. I killed it. NightmareVille was spawned by corporate APW as an attempt to cash in on the premature death of the previous "Ville". All of those were nothin' but mere knockoffs of KashVille. That ship has sailed long ago and I will not stand for cheap imitations. Niobe and I are our own, not what everyone aches for us to be. We are outlaws and in time, you and everyone else will know exactly who we are. "

"Sorry, but I'm not who you think I am. I hope that explained everything and just what I stand for. The man you thought you were gettin' in the ring with no longer exists. I'm a new man, with a new attitude. I have studied you over these past two weeks and friend, this is goin' to be fun. I grew up my entire life fightin'. Whether it be with these fists or with this mind, I have fought them all. No man, law, army or corporation can restrain who I am and what I stand for. These shoulders have carried the weight of the world and will continue to carry the burden of bein' hated by many and liked by few. I'm not here to win any popularity contests. I'm not here to win the love or respect of my family, my blood. You on the other hand, you need to prove yourself in that ring not to whoever stands across from you but to your little daddy, watchin' every move you make, judgin' every action to take. I hate to burst your bubble, kid, but daddy is goin' to be disappointed after he watches his baby boy get beaten into a pool of his own blood. It is what it is, it's inevitable. You never should have laid an open challenge without thinkin' of what the consequences would be. Don't let your mouth write checks that your ass can't cash. It doesn't matter who your daddy is and how much money he has, he can't buy your way out of this beat down."