Suicidal Tendencies

[Kaji Fireson]

April 11th, 2011
Long Island Marriott Hotel and Conference Center
Long Island, New York

Our scene opens on something Isamu really hasn't known for a good long while.

Peace.

Isamu is actually taking a nap in his hotel room at the moment. It's a refreshing change from the constant action and travel that Isamu's experienced in the last two months. He's just dressed in a snug red t-shirt and denim jeans as he lies on top of the sheets and comforter, hands up underneath the pillow as he lays on his side, knees partway curled up against his chest.

At least, that's how he lies for about five more seconds before David, dressed in a windbreaker and jogging pants, walks in with a megaphone and points it right down at Isamu, yelling into it and shaking the room.

JUST BECAUSE YOU WON A MATCH DOESN'T MEAN YOU GET TO RELAX

Isamu screams as he leaps up out of bed, flailing spastically as he tries to contain his abject terror. He staggers forward, steadying himself against the large television mounted in the wall as he catches his breath, chest heaving as he breathes faster than he has in any match so far. David puts his megaphone away, but his attitude doesn't change.

Do you think you're ready for this show just because you were on the winning team last night? You have to face two of the people your team embarrassed last week, and if you manage to survive that match, you've got a 6'5, 270 pound powerhouse in Rico Casteel to deal with. We've got serious work to do, kid.

Isamu whimpers as he clutches an ear with one hand.

Nnngh...did you really have to shout at me through that thing, though? I think you might have burst an ear drum...

Are you going to ask that same question when your ears are ringing from a Knock Out Punch? You going to ask the same question when you're staring up at the lights and you realize that you don't remember how you got there?

Isamu pauses before inclining his head down toward the ground.

No...

Then we have work to do.

April 13th, 2011
Golden Phoenix Institution
Somewhere in Japan

Is there a reason we've flown all the way back to Japan, Fireson-sensei?

There is. You'll see.

Isamu and David are walking down well-lit, but sterile hallways in what looks like a training facility on steroids. It brings to mind a modern high school without the lockers lining the halls. Off-white walls span as far as the eye can see, interrupted only by heavy, faux wood doors with brass doorknobs and the vertical slit for the windows in them. Through these we can see various classrooms set-up like a typical American high school, with the desks, computers, whiteboards, projectors, etc., but no real indication that this is a training school for professional wrestling.

That is until David throws open a set of double doors and we emerge into the room that would be the cafeteria in a typical high school, but in this building, is a training arena, with a few bleachers set up around a worn down professional wrestling ring. The canvas is heavily stained with the sweat and blood of past training sessions. There is one particular stain positioned near one of the corners that David never fails to gaze at as he walks by, and today is no exception. Isamu looks at it as well, with a similar look of sorrow on his face, though it is nowhere near as intense as David's.

However, the teacher and student walk right by the ring, and instead take their positions in another, ring-sized clearing in the training hall. Normally this is where a training class can disassemble the ring where it stands and set it up in the new spot to practice how to set up the ring, but today David has a series of folding tables set up with just about every weapon in the book. Isamu furrows his brow, trying to figure out what the point is as David spreads them out to make them all easier to see. A steel folding chair is prominent, as well as a lead pipe, a kendo stick, a sledgehammer, a steel chain, and a trash can lid. Stood up behind the tables are a ladder, the trash can the lid came from, and an extra table, folded up and leaning against the ladder.

What you see here is a portion of what you should be prepared for come the 24th.

But Sensei, IWC is no more. Asylum is an APW show, which means the extreme rules matches have been done away with.

A good point, but don't forget. First, there are absolutely no disqualifications in a triple threat match, which means that Jason Kash and JD Pierce are more than welcome to use any and all of these weapons on you to try and advance to the Suicidal Title match. Second, no one really knows whether the Suicidal Title will be wrestled under extreme rules or not. It makes sense to me, seeing as the name of the belt is "Suicidal," but I'm not in charge. All the same, these can still come into play if the ref's not looking of down, which means you still have to be ready for them, in the coming weeks and in every match you ever wrestle.

Isamu takes a moment to peruse all the possible weapons that could be used against him to try and prevent him from becoming Suicidal Champion. His eyes are drawn to a kendo stick. He picks it up and twirls it in his right hand. testing it.

It feels odd to consider this a base weapon, an object of violence...I've been trained all my life to consider shinai as substitutes for a katana, a most noble instrument of combat.

Such is the nature of our sport. The catch as catch can nature of wrestling means that whatever a man can get his hands on will become a weapon. I have no doubt that a katana would meet the same fate if someone were to leave it under a ring for a wrestler in need of assistance to find.

This seems to disturb the young Japanese man, but he presses on, despite the offensive nature of the gesture. Isamu replaces the Singapore cane on the table and looks around for something else that catches his eye.

Is it truly necessary for me to be comfortable with each and every weapon you've laid out here?

You don't have to like them all, but you need to be familiar with them all. This is by no means an exhaustive list of weapons that will be used in wrestling matches, but they are some of the more common ones.

Can you tell me which ones are most likely to be used on me in Boston?

Given who your opponent will be if you make it past the triple threat match?

Isamu nods, then turns to look at the pool of weapons. His eyes are drawn to the chain, but before he can start reaching for it, David unloads with a sucker punch that staggers Isamu, sending him staggering into the table with the folding chair. Isamu shakes his head and looks up at David with a look on his face of utter shock and horror on his face. David, who still had his fist extended, pulls it back in, holding it up in front of his face to draw attention to it.

While he can certainly benefit from weapons, all Rico Casteel truly needs is this. I can do everything in my power to raise your pain tolerance and prepare you for the fight of your life, but in all reality, this match could be over before you know what hit you.

Isamu nods a bit, his face telling the story. He knows he's in for the fight of his life, and he's not sure he can do it after wrestling another match before that. David sees it in his eyes and shakes his head.

It's too early to be getting pre-match jitters, kid. You've got almost two weeks to prepare. Some days we'll be working on pain threshold. Other days we'll work on sudden surprises. I can't prepare you for absolutely everything...but I'm going to get damn close.

April 23rd, 2011
Boston Garden
Boston, Massachusetts

The scene opens on Isamu as he stands on the stage of the Boston Garden, looking down the ramp at the APW ring crew putting the finishing touches on the ring. He takes a deep breath, drawing his jacket taut over his chest. Eventually he starts speaking, his eyes never leaving the ring as it is being set up.

Every week, it seems that I am placed in the biggest match of my career to date. It has gotten rather easy for me to say that, but every time I look at the next card for Asylum, it still holds true. Last show was a six-man tag team elimination match that proved to be the place where I demonstrated my capacity as a wrestler, proving that yes, I can win matches. The show before that was Rasslemania, where I held my own in a 20-person battle royal, making it to the final four of the match that was eventually won by the man I hope to defeat this week.

This week, I prove that I can win matches all on my own.

Isamu turns to look up at the large screen that is positioned above the stage. He gazes up at it as he continues.

This week, I prove that when you hear my theme music and you see my picture flash up there, and when you watch me on that screen while I compete, you're not in for an inevitable defeat. I will prove that I am just as capable of winning matches as every other member of the Asylum roster...if not more so.

I have very little to say about Jason Kash and JD Pierce. They were part of the team that won IWC War Games at Rasslemania, but beyond that, they seem pretty blase about APW happenings. I expect my match with these two to be a battle, perhaps even one that draws blood and forces me to dig deeper than ever before, but I do not expect to lose. Fireson-sensei has prepared me for years so that I can overcome men like Kash and Pierce. I am not overly concerned with these two men.

Rico Casteel, on the other hand...

Isamu turns away from the Tron and back to the camera, and the look on his face is concerned. Not scared, not terrified, not petrified, but certainly concerned, and definitely focused on the task at hand.

Rico Casteel, before I go any further, you need to know that I consider you plenty threatening. You do not hold a title like the Suicidal Championship for as long as you have without knowing your way around the ring, without doing everything in your power to defeat anyone that crosses your path, and I am far from arrogant enough to believe that you've never wrestled anyone like me before. You've never wrestled me specifically, one-on-one, but surely you've faced other wrestlers that will rely on their speed and quickness against you, and seeing as you're too large for me to effectively lift and slam, that's where I'm headed as well. It'll be a classic contest of speed versus strength, with a twist, since I've got a bit of power when I want it, and you're pretty quick at times. In the end, it all depends on who wants the Suicidal Title more.

Isamu actually grins a bit as he looks deep into the camera, staring through it into Rico's gaze.

I expect nothing but for you to be every bit as dangerous and relentless as you've ever been. If you went easy on me and I won, what would that prove? I'm not in APW to prove I can take someone by surprise, I want to prove that I can defeat someone when they're ready for me. That's why I didn't make any secret about my gameplan; I want you to be ready. I also respect that you want me to know what I'm in for as well. Trust me, I know exactly what I'm in for tomorrow night. I'm in for the battle of my career. You will force me to go places no one else has made me go. Not Madok, not Bishop, not even Chris Cyrus. But I will gladly go there, if that's what it takes to emerge from the Boston Garden with the Suicidal Title. I want you to show me what the Suicidal Title is all about, because I want to learn, and then show that I have learned, that I can adapt to the situation.

Rico Casteel, it will be an honor and a privilege to wrestle you for the Suicidal Championship. I've found it uncommon for someone to look past my skin tone and my heritage and just take me for what I am, a wrestler and a competitor. After Asylum, win or lose, I will respect you, and you will be the first person in APW that I've wrestled that I can honestly say that about. And if it turns out that I am destined to defeat you, it will be an honor to hold the Suicidal Championship and defend it, maintaining the level of prestige you have brought to it. But that's enough talking. Now I need to rest, and prepare for tomorrow.

Isamu smiles a bit before turning away from the camera and walking back through the curtain.

April 23rd, 2011
Backstage at the Boston Garden
Boston, Massachusetts

Isamu is walking backstage to his locker room after his promo when he's stopped by David and one of the APW stagehands. Isamu seems pumped up for the match tomorrow night and smiles to both.

How did I do this week, Sensei?

Best promo to date. Don't know if it was quite as good as Rico's, but he's been doing it a while and you're right there with him, so feel good about it. That's not what this is about, though. Right here is someone that wants to say something to you.

Isamu raises an eyebrow as he turns to the stagehand, who grins sheepishly.

David told me about the incident you had with those thugs a few weeks ago, and I just wanted to let you know that not all Americans are that heartless and shallow. Your people are a proud, noble, resilient people, and I would kill to be a member of your race instead of mine. Don't listen to kooks like them; white people have commited far more crimes against humanity than yours.

The stagehand nods a bit for emphasis, then runs off to help with something else. Isamu is left mostly stunned. David smiles at him.

See? I told you not all of us are fucktards.

Isamu furrows his brow, thinking. Something isn't sitting quite right with what the stagehand said, and it's reminding him of that incident with the thugs for some reason.

More crimes than my people...those thugs also mentioned crimes. They said God was punishing us for our crimes. What crimes has Japan committed that he could be referring to?

David's eyes get a bit flighty as he tries to dodge the question.

I'm pretty sure he wasn't referring to anything in particular, kid.

Isamu is not convinced, but he shrugs, choosing not to press the issue.

I'll just have to look into it after Asylum this week. I have a title to win.

David beams, elated that Isamu has found focus, and also that he's choosing not to pursue that line of thought just now.

That's the spirit, kid. That's what I like to hear.

David grins, slapping Isamu lightly on the shoulder as he starts walking off, heading to the locker room area with Isamu for some last minute preparation and planning, the scene fading to black as they start to cross the threshold into said room.