Post by Tommy Knox on Mar 9, 2014 14:15:29 GMT -4
///Again We Rise\\\
"So, if you're wastin' my time, get the fuck out of here..."
- Knox -
- Knox -
Thursday 4:12 PM [March 6th, 2014]
Toronto, Canada
Toronto, Canada
The cold air bites the skin with a sting as the hard wind forces it in any direction it desires. Spring is just around the corner but winter is holding on for dear life as it's effects linger in the city. On the outskirts of town, far from the depths of the city, we find ourselves. The streets are tough but out here, it's an entirely different world, all for the worse.
The clubhouse of the Nomads rest behind the locked gates separating it from the streets surrounding. Just like the charters beneath the border, this place has been shut down as RICO has wrapped its grasp around the clubs throats, choking the life out of it. Abandoned and left to rot, this place isn't what it once was. Along with the others in the south, it's a mere tomb of what used to be, a past way of life.
The small automotive repair shop has been closed as well, affiliated with the MC there was no other choice. Fueled by dirty money, they made it a point to shut any and everything associated with the club down to make an example for the next crew looking to set up shop. All good things must come to an end and the time has passed for the MC, for the Nomads.
The entrance is locked, two swinging gates held together by a metal chain. Police caution tape still hangs in various spots, hanging on as it dwindles in the cold wind that strikes down on everything walking the earth. This concrete jungle has seen better days, now it's just a distant memory and nothing more, or nothing less.
Who do we have here? That's a familiar face. Knox stands at the entrance to the parking lot of the clubhouse. He looks down at the chain locked, securing this establishment from the outside world, from anyone who would feel the urge to walk past the yellow tape for a closer look, perhaps to reminisce. Dressed the part, Knox stands there in his tattered jeans, black hoodie with the Nomad kutte for everyone to see, even the law with their prying eyes.
A cigarette hangs from his mouth as he looks beneath the gate to the clubhouse that no longer breathes life. The cherry on the tip glows bright reddish-orange as he takes a drag and slowly inhales. He then exhales through his nose as he shakes his head and mumbles under his breath. "Toronto too... I had to see it with my own two eyes."
The reality begins to settle in as Knox takes a step back and looks at the abandoned clubhouse. A few months back, RICO dismantled the Nomad MC on an international level. From extortion to tax evasion, from guns to drugs, there were a number of pending charges against the MC to build a case that would land all associated members behind bars until each were given a fair trial. Fair? This wasn't going to be a fair trial. The DEA and the ATF have reached to media outlets, painting a picture for the public so that no matter who gets their name pulled for jury duty, the MC will be known by all for the crimes they have supposedly committed.
APW saved Knox's ass from being thrown behind bars with the other members of the MC. With the majority of the charges taking place before his patch membership and his absence due to traveling with APW from show to show, Knox managed to squeak by as the only member left on the outside. Then again, the Feds didn't see any validity in his membership. To them, it was just an angle in this wrestling business, the type that come and go as the next fresh idea pops up. To Knox, it was more than that. He's embraced the outlaw life, these people were his family. In a way, he's been outcast by being left a free man. Some would look at that as a blessing while he views it as a punishment for all the bad shit he's done in his lifetime.
The show must go on, which is why we find Knox up here in Toronto. In a little over a week, APW will be hosting Rasslemania X and saying farewell once and for all as it officially closes its doors forever and rides off into the sunset. What does that have to do with Knox? Everything. After winning the Overdrive championship, he fell deeper in the outlaw lifestyle and it consumed him more than he had imagined. Wrestling was out of the picture. There was dirt to be done and he didn't mind getting his hands dirty. With the strap in his possession, he walked away from wrestling all together and passed the torch to his brother in arms, Chris Madison.
Apart from the Nomads, the BLACK HAND was his family in the wrestling business. Not only did he turn his back on wrestling, he turned his back on his family, his brother. Once the shit hit the fan with the MC and the law-dog did their number, Knox began to see the error of his ways. Turning his back on his brother didn't sit right with him. As each day passed, it ate away at his soul forcing him to become a bitter, wasted shell of a man. It was time to make things right.
So, we find ourselves here in Toronto for one last shindig under the APW banner. Knox and Madison have rejoined recently in the business as a tag team but it wasn't under the colors of a promotion anywhere near that of what APW once was. With one show left in the books, the BLACK HAND has realigned for one last match in APW that will forever leave an imprint on the history, forever. Knox turned his back when things were in his favor, he left APW high and dry. It's now time to right that wrong while the opportunity is still there.
Knox takes another drag from his cigarette as he slowly walks up the sidewalk, following the fence that once separated conformity and rebellion. He slowly exhales as his lips move, "It's time to finish this. You're the last..."
The last? That could only mean one person, half of the team that Knox and Madison, the BLACK HAND, are booked to climb into the ring with at Rasslemania X. Just as RICO dismantled the Nomad MC, Knox dismantled The League. Buckson Gooch, Nathaniel Havok and Evan Envi all felt the wrath of the BLACK HAND through Knox as he sent them packing one by one. There was only one person left that managed to sneak by untouched in this war, Delikado was that man. It just so happens that he'll be standing across the ring from Knox in a little over a week as we say farewell to APW.
Taking one last drag, Knox drops the cigarette to the concrete and steps on it with his boot, smothering the life out of it. He then continues to walk along the fence with his arm extended, dragging his fingers across each link as he passes by. He came here for unfinished business, this was only a detour, the abandoned clubhouse that once sheltered his patch brothers. A war is upon us, one that must end before APW can rest in peace.
And who is this? A car slowly pulls up to the curb behind Knox and follows him from a slight distance. A squeal from the rotors as the car brakes catches his attention as he slowly turns around, fists by his side and ready for action. Knox stares at the two people in the car for a moment before the passenger rolls down their window and yells out.
"Yo, you good?" he asks.
A puzzled look comes over his face as Knox stands there and just looks at them, ready for one to make the wrong move.
The car then pulls up further and sits beside him now as Knox continues to watch in silence. The passenger clears his throat and pulls out a fist of cash before speaking up. "Are you good, man? We haven't seen any of you around lately."
"You haven't seen me around here any." Knox replies.
"We normally deal with either Jay or Buck but haven't seen them around in a few months. As a matter of fact, you're the first person with a vest on that we've seen around here since the cops shut you guys down."
Knox thinks to himself for a moment as a smirk comes across his face. You could say that a light bulb just came on in his head. "Yea man, things have been rough."
By the looks of the two driving, Knox could tell that they were just kids, still teenagers with daddy's money to throw around on whatever they feel like. "We're lookin' to set up shop once again. We've laid low for too long."
The passenger nods his head as he opens his big mouth. "We're glad to hear that. Since you guys disappeared, the stuff that's been out on the streets is shit, nothing like what you guys had."
"Is that so?" Knox asks as the two in the car nod in agreement. "What you lookin'?"
"We're going snowboarding with some friends for the next few days and need quite a bit for the after hours parties. Maybe just a few eight balls... three or four."
Knox continues to grin as he nods at them. "I have a half on me but it ain't cheap. It's goin' to run you six-fifty..."
A surprised look comes over the passengers face as he responds to Knox's offer. "Six hundred fifty dollars? Dude, that's way higher than what I used to get from you guys."
"And it's goin' to get you way higher. If you don't want it then start drivin'. You can buy this shit you talk about on the streets for all I care. The shit I got, is like nothin' you've ever seen before, pure. You can step on this shit five or six times and it will still kick. I sell quality, not shit. So, if you're wastin' my time, get the fuck out of here..."
"Is it that good?" the passenger asks.
Knox chuckles to himself before answering. "Have we ever done you wrong before?"
Silence fills the air for a moment before he answers. "No. You guys have always taken care of us."
"So, we doin' this?"
The passenger looks down at his money and starts going through the bills. He then looks up at Knox. "All I have is hundreds. Do you have a fifty for change?"
Knox laughs as he walks towards the car. "You act like I don't know what I'm doin'. Yes, I have change, bro."
The passenger gets seven hundred dollars together and puts the remaining cash in his pocket. Knox leans in the window and digs in his pocket, not breaking eye contact with the passenger. Out of nowhere, Knox reaches in the car quickly and snatches the fist full of cash and steps back.
"What the hell, man!"
Knox then laughs loudly and kicks the window of the back door, shattering it into hundreds of pieces. He pockets the cash as the two inside the car start yelling in fear.
"Get the fuck out of here!" Knox yells as the driver throws the car into drive and speeds off in fright. He then releases loud laughter as he watches the two kids drive away in fear for their lives.
"Seven hundred bucks should be enough to cover the next few nights here, something to help with takin' Niobe off of my mind."
Back when things got hot and the law began cracking down on the MC, Niobe was already on the edge from walking away herself. This wasn't the type of lifestyle that she had wanted for herself. She stuck around as long as she did because of the love her and Knox had, but love can only do so much.
One morning the Feds decided to kick Knox's door in before they determined that he wasn't a suspect or member. It just so happened that Niobe stayed with him that night before and was witness to it all first hand. After being thrown to the ground and held at gunpoint by the law, she decided then and there that she wanted out. She asked Knox to come with her but he couldn't turn his back to the club.
For the most part, he's over her but from time to time the memories will flood his mind. He tries his best to hide it and does a damn good job, but every now and then, the emotion surfaces.
As the laughter dies down, Knox walks across the street to a parked car that had been sitting there. He opens the door and climbs inside. Unable to wipe the grin from his face, he bursts into laughter once more before putting the key in the ignition and firing up the engine. He reaches down at the radio and turns the volume up. He then rolls the window down and throws the car into drive and speeds off, burning rubber as he makes his way down the street.
"I'm fuckin' back!" He yells out of the window as he speeds down the road and turns onto the adjacent street, disappearing from the scene.
AMERICAN HIGHLIFE
MONOLOGUE
March 9th, 2014 [•REC]
"It's been a long time comin' but the opportunity has finally landed at my front door, at the BLACK HAND's back door. Last year when Evan Envi and I started our battle for his championship, the Overdrive championship, I made a goal for myself to rip The League apart limb by limb. One by one, I dismantled The League and ripped the charade of brotherhood apart, piece by piece. Buckson Gooch was put out of commission by me. Nathaniel Havok was trampled over by a car with me at the wheel. Even Envi, lost his precious Lady Overdrive as I sent him packin' and on his way out of APW."
"Delikado, you're the only member of The League who managed to sneak by, untouched, unharmed by these hands. I've beaten the cocky one, I've beaten the humble one and I've beaten the confused one. The only one I haven't climbed in the ring with is you, the comical one. I never thought this opportunity would come, especially once APW closed it's doors after my departure. Once this last event, Rasslemania X, was announced, I knew that I just had to right that wrong. What do you know? It turned out to be my lucky day. I just so happen to get booked in a match with you, the last of The League that I never had the pleasure of beatin' into a bloody mess."
"When I was on my warpath, tearin' The League apart, it was just me by myself. Through me, they all felt the wrath of the BLACK HAND. Now, I have my brother in arms in my corner, fightin' by my side, Chris Madison as my partner, the other foundin' father of the BLACK HAND. You thought one of us would be hard to handle? Hell, you haven't seen anything yet. After we get finished with you, if APW decides to hold another special event, we'll prove that we deserve a shot at the tag team championships. Until that day comes, we're just goin' to focus on you and I'm goin' to take out the last remainin' member of the dead and forgotten, League."
"I know, The League is long gone but that isn't the point. I never leave business unfinished and all you are to me is a loose end that needs to be tied. We're not too different, you and I. We have both held the Overdrive championship in our tenure with APW. As a matter of fact, all four men in this match have held that championship at one time or another. You, Kurt Noble, Chris Madison and myself have all had our names etched in the history books forever. It doesn't matter if you have a hall of fame inductee in your corner or not, the BLACK HAND will rise once again in APW and leave it's mark forever, until the end of days."
"And we can't forget about your partner, can we? I just hope the hall of fame induction hasn't went to his head because we all know there are other people in APW who deserved that spot over him, like Jason Kash for one who has done more. Then again, after that whack endin' between Kurt and Hart, we all know he's a lil' soft in the middle. Who knows where that mouth has been to secure his spot in the history of APW forever?"
"Kurt, by all means, please leave the theatrics and homo scenes for the bedroom, where Hart is waitin' for you. Honestly, that endin', your last thing to be remembered for in APW, reminds me of something that would air on Lifetime: television for women. How do I know the type of stuff that airs on Lifetime? That's easy, it wasn't Hart fuckin' your wife, he couldn't sack up, it was every other person collectin' a check here in APW. Hart was too busy hidin' from and whinin' to management about Jason Kash bringin' more to the table than he ever could. The trash that you and Hart brought to APW, is nothin' more than homo filth that no one with a life gives two shits about witnessin'. It's goin' to be my pleasure kickin' your teeth in without the bullshit theatrics you bring that put everyone to sleep."
"The people who tuned in week after week, the ones who spent their hard earned money on tickets to see APW live, didn't do so to see the shit that you and Hart vomited in the ring. The people want to see action, not a fuckin' soap opera! This is a wake up call. The BLACK HAND since day one has been all about deliverin' a message to the people. We're here to liberate them from the potential suicidal urgin' smut that you find entertainin'. We all know that gay porn pays more but you and your fuck buddy, Hart, can do your thing behind closed doors."
"Enough is enough, there's no more singlin' you two out anymore, Kurt and Delikado. You two have been thrown together to face off against the new force in tag team professional wrestlin', the BLACK HAND. While you two have been kickin' back, relaxin' with a cold drink in your hand by poolside, Madison and I have been climbin' in the ring week in and week out, makin' a statement and provin' that we're the best thing in tag team wrestlin' today. Seasoned, hardened and comfortable with the other watchin' our back. You two, what continuity do you two bring to the ring, besides comic relief? We all know that Delikado has the sense of humor but you, Kurt, you just make us laugh because you pose no threat to us inside of that ring."
"We've all had our chance to hold the Overdrive championship at one time or another. All four of us, are former champions. Although that doesn't have anything to do with this particular match, it shows that we all have one thing in common when it comes to our past in APW. In a way, you two could be the test that the BLACK HAND needs to prove to the world that if APW does in fact have one more event down the road, we deserve to compete for the tag straps. I'm not sayin' that it's goin' to happen, all hypothetical talk now. What I will guarantee is this. The BLACK HAND isn't walkin' out of Rasslemania X with our heads held low. We're walkin' out with our arms raised in the air, in victory as we see APW off into the sunset."
"It's been a long time since APW has seen the BLACK HAND together, in action, inside of an APW ring. We're here to prove once and for all that we were and still are the elite threat in APW in terms of tag teams and factions. You don't have to like it. You can turn your nose up at the thought of it if you wish. It is what it is and come next week, we'll prove to you and everyone else that the BLACK HAND still lives despite the fact that APW has closed its doors once and for all. We're not sayin' that we're the best thing to hit wrestlin' but we are sayin' that we're better than you and you don't intimidate us one bit. I could care less about your worthless hall of fame inductions, what have you. When it's show time and the lights are dimmed and the spotlight is on us, the BLACK HAND will rise once again. Like it or hate it, just deal with it. You better not let that mouth write checks that your ass can't cash because I will be there to collect."
MONOLOGUE
March 9th, 2014 [•REC]
"It's been a long time comin' but the opportunity has finally landed at my front door, at the BLACK HAND's back door. Last year when Evan Envi and I started our battle for his championship, the Overdrive championship, I made a goal for myself to rip The League apart limb by limb. One by one, I dismantled The League and ripped the charade of brotherhood apart, piece by piece. Buckson Gooch was put out of commission by me. Nathaniel Havok was trampled over by a car with me at the wheel. Even Envi, lost his precious Lady Overdrive as I sent him packin' and on his way out of APW."
"Delikado, you're the only member of The League who managed to sneak by, untouched, unharmed by these hands. I've beaten the cocky one, I've beaten the humble one and I've beaten the confused one. The only one I haven't climbed in the ring with is you, the comical one. I never thought this opportunity would come, especially once APW closed it's doors after my departure. Once this last event, Rasslemania X, was announced, I knew that I just had to right that wrong. What do you know? It turned out to be my lucky day. I just so happen to get booked in a match with you, the last of The League that I never had the pleasure of beatin' into a bloody mess."
"When I was on my warpath, tearin' The League apart, it was just me by myself. Through me, they all felt the wrath of the BLACK HAND. Now, I have my brother in arms in my corner, fightin' by my side, Chris Madison as my partner, the other foundin' father of the BLACK HAND. You thought one of us would be hard to handle? Hell, you haven't seen anything yet. After we get finished with you, if APW decides to hold another special event, we'll prove that we deserve a shot at the tag team championships. Until that day comes, we're just goin' to focus on you and I'm goin' to take out the last remainin' member of the dead and forgotten, League."
"I know, The League is long gone but that isn't the point. I never leave business unfinished and all you are to me is a loose end that needs to be tied. We're not too different, you and I. We have both held the Overdrive championship in our tenure with APW. As a matter of fact, all four men in this match have held that championship at one time or another. You, Kurt Noble, Chris Madison and myself have all had our names etched in the history books forever. It doesn't matter if you have a hall of fame inductee in your corner or not, the BLACK HAND will rise once again in APW and leave it's mark forever, until the end of days."
"And we can't forget about your partner, can we? I just hope the hall of fame induction hasn't went to his head because we all know there are other people in APW who deserved that spot over him, like Jason Kash for one who has done more. Then again, after that whack endin' between Kurt and Hart, we all know he's a lil' soft in the middle. Who knows where that mouth has been to secure his spot in the history of APW forever?"
"Kurt, by all means, please leave the theatrics and homo scenes for the bedroom, where Hart is waitin' for you. Honestly, that endin', your last thing to be remembered for in APW, reminds me of something that would air on Lifetime: television for women. How do I know the type of stuff that airs on Lifetime? That's easy, it wasn't Hart fuckin' your wife, he couldn't sack up, it was every other person collectin' a check here in APW. Hart was too busy hidin' from and whinin' to management about Jason Kash bringin' more to the table than he ever could. The trash that you and Hart brought to APW, is nothin' more than homo filth that no one with a life gives two shits about witnessin'. It's goin' to be my pleasure kickin' your teeth in without the bullshit theatrics you bring that put everyone to sleep."
"The people who tuned in week after week, the ones who spent their hard earned money on tickets to see APW live, didn't do so to see the shit that you and Hart vomited in the ring. The people want to see action, not a fuckin' soap opera! This is a wake up call. The BLACK HAND since day one has been all about deliverin' a message to the people. We're here to liberate them from the potential suicidal urgin' smut that you find entertainin'. We all know that gay porn pays more but you and your fuck buddy, Hart, can do your thing behind closed doors."
"Enough is enough, there's no more singlin' you two out anymore, Kurt and Delikado. You two have been thrown together to face off against the new force in tag team professional wrestlin', the BLACK HAND. While you two have been kickin' back, relaxin' with a cold drink in your hand by poolside, Madison and I have been climbin' in the ring week in and week out, makin' a statement and provin' that we're the best thing in tag team wrestlin' today. Seasoned, hardened and comfortable with the other watchin' our back. You two, what continuity do you two bring to the ring, besides comic relief? We all know that Delikado has the sense of humor but you, Kurt, you just make us laugh because you pose no threat to us inside of that ring."
"We've all had our chance to hold the Overdrive championship at one time or another. All four of us, are former champions. Although that doesn't have anything to do with this particular match, it shows that we all have one thing in common when it comes to our past in APW. In a way, you two could be the test that the BLACK HAND needs to prove to the world that if APW does in fact have one more event down the road, we deserve to compete for the tag straps. I'm not sayin' that it's goin' to happen, all hypothetical talk now. What I will guarantee is this. The BLACK HAND isn't walkin' out of Rasslemania X with our heads held low. We're walkin' out with our arms raised in the air, in victory as we see APW off into the sunset."
"It's been a long time since APW has seen the BLACK HAND together, in action, inside of an APW ring. We're here to prove once and for all that we were and still are the elite threat in APW in terms of tag teams and factions. You don't have to like it. You can turn your nose up at the thought of it if you wish. It is what it is and come next week, we'll prove to you and everyone else that the BLACK HAND still lives despite the fact that APW has closed its doors once and for all. We're not sayin' that we're the best thing to hit wrestlin' but we are sayin' that we're better than you and you don't intimidate us one bit. I could care less about your worthless hall of fame inductions, what have you. When it's show time and the lights are dimmed and the spotlight is on us, the BLACK HAND will rise once again. Like it or hate it, just deal with it. You better not let that mouth write checks that your ass can't cash because I will be there to collect."
