Triumph and Regret

[Kaji Fireson]

May 22nd, 2011
Locker Room Area
Darwin Entertainment Centre
Darwin, Northern Territories, Australia

What is this feeling, Fireson-Sensei?

That, my friend, is the sweet sensation of success.

Isamu Suzuki is sitting in his locker room much like Jacob Whitehead was only about thirty minutes ago. The difference?

For one, Isamu is looking up, his head held high. For another, he is looking up at David Fireson, who is significantly less attractive than Elizabeth Page but makes up for it in not railing mercilessly on his charge.

Most importantly, however, is the fact that he has the APW Suicidal Championship on his lap.

I told you. As long as you kept your head in the game and didn't do anything stupid, you'd walk out of Mayhem a champion. You didn't manage it quite as quickly as Siegfried, but you also overcame much greater adversity on your way to championship gold, so you should be proud of what you've accomplished.

David begins applauding his student, as he's brought honor to his name and to the name of the Golden Phoenix Institution, but soon David's grimacing, clutching his ribs that are still raw from the beatdown he suffered two days ago. Isamu gets up to assist his mentor.

Are you alright, Sensei?

David grunts, gritting his teeth, but he waives Isamu off, prompting him to sit back down, title back in his lap.

I'll be fine. You don't need to be worrying about me. You need to be celebrating your triumph.

But I can't help but worry; the reason you are hurt is because you're with me.

David shakes his head vigorously, despite the fact that this aggravates his ribs again.

Don't concern yourself with that. If you let every crazy, close-minded bigot get you down, you'll drive yourself nuts.

I know, you told me. I just wish I knew what we did to make other nations--

Extremists in the minority of these nations.

--dislike us so much.

David rolls his eyes for a moment, then chuckles, his eyes lighting up as he gets an idea.

I don't know myself, but I know someone who would, and it's someone we need to go visit anyway...

Isamu looks confused for a moment, but David just waits, and eventually Isamu catches on, eyes widening as he realizes who he means.

But I also lost...

Doesn't matter. Your persistence has paid off, and because of that, you can now say, beyond the shadow of a doubt...

May 24th, 2011
Suzuki Residence
Utashinai, Hokkaido, Japan

You are a champion.

Isamu, his mother, and David are all kneeling around the worn, faded kotatsu of the Suzuki residence. It's been a few months since we last saw this home, but nothing has really changed. There are flowers in the vase on the side table against the wall which help to lend color to the room, but the vase and table are both still faded. It's clear that someone has tried to fix up the mats lining the floor, but a few of them are still fraying, and all of them are worn from age. The kotatsu everyone is kneeling around has been cleaned and the battle against stains has been won, but that doesn't help the fact that the kotatsu is as worn and faded as the rest of the room.

Isamu's mother matches this faded decor. Her skin is wrinkled, though not grotesquely so, and her hair is gray with a little bit of her original black remaining. She sits in a faded, ornate, formal kimono several layers thick, so there's no real telling what her silhouette is underneath, but she moves gracefully enough for an elderly woman and is not visibly encumbered by the heavy mound of cloth as she reaches forward for a cup, lifting it from the short table and placing it to her lips. Isamu and David have similar bowls, and since there is no tea set out on the table, it's safe to assume they are drinking sake.

The main reason it's safe to assume this is the bright, warm smile on the mother's face, a far cry from the stern look she wore two months ago, accusing Isamu of abandoning his familial responsibilities for a pipe dream that she now realizes was hardly a pipe dream at all.

Well, I'm not the top champion in APW, so I still have a lot to learn...

That doesn't matter. You've proven to the world, and perhaps more importantly, to me, that your aspirations are well within your reach. I'm sorry for doubting you.

Isamu is blushing heavily, astounded by how humble his mother is being, so David has to pick up the slack in the conversation.

Well I'm just thankful you gave him the chance to prove to you, and to himself, that he is capable of such great things.

She nods, first to David, then her son.

As long as he continues to strive for improvement and drives forward, he has my blessing to compete.

Isamu beams at his mother, though his cheeks are still flushed from the previous praise. Surprisingly, his mother even cracks a smile through her usually distant facade. However, things are about to take a turn for the worse if Isamu's face, shifting from elated smile to anxious frown is any indication.

I'm very thankful for your blessing, Mother, but my recent success in APW is not the only thing I wanted to talk to you about.

Said mother raises an eyebrow.

Oh?

Yes. Over the last couple of months, Sensei and I have run into several people who seem to dislike me just because I'm Japanese, and Sensei because he's associating with me.

This topic immediately causes Isamu's mother to revert back to her previous demeanor, appearing cold and aloof. This alarms Isamu, but now that he's breached the topic, he knows he can't go back.

What have Japanese people done in the past to make so many foreigners so upset with us?

There is an awkward, oppressive silence following Isamu's question, and it is immediately obvious that all three of them are much more tense than they were even thirty seconds ago. David's knuckles are white as he lifts his sake bowl to his lips, and even beneath all those layers of formal kimono, Isamu's mother is visibly trembling.

What is it, Mother?

You're asking me to tell you what I've spent your entire life trying to forget.

Is it...just one thing...?

Isamu's mother takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

Many, many things from our past. Most prefectures don't even print them in textbooks. I would be doing a great disservice to both you and Japan if I were to tell you. Just know that Japan is a noble country with a noble culture and noble intentions, despite the mistakes we have made in the past.

Isamu's mother sheds a tear while she speaks, which puts Isamu in the same state. It promises to be a rapid downspiral of sorrow and despair until David steps in.

Okay, I hate to cut this visit short, but I'm sure Mrs. Suzuki has things she needs to do, and we need to get back to our training regimen.

Both teary-eyed Suzukis look at David wondrously, but quickly follow his lead, Isamu following David in pushing himself out of seiza and up to his feet. Both son and visitor then bow to the woman of the house for her hospitality.

We'll keep in touch.

Isamu nods, then mutters a quick Domo under his breath and bows again quickly before David ushers him out of the house before him. Even once they are out of sight, Mrs. Suzuki remains rooted to the spot, concerned with what sort of evil Isamu is bound to discover next.

June 4th, 2011
Verizon Wireless Arena
Manchester, New Hampshire

Alright, take a breather kid.

David steps off of Isamu's feet and lets him get up. He obviously just finished doing sit-ups, but given the sweat pouring off of Isamu's skin, it's obvious that they didn't start with the crunches. Isamu gets up and catches the water David tosses him, taking a deep drink before dumping it over himself to cool off. He shakes his head and gets sweat and water everywhere as David leans against a nearby storage tote.

Alright, while we've got a few minutes to burn, why don't you talk to me about Shane Borderland.

Isamu takes a moment to catch more of his breath before starting.

Well, I don't really know that much about him except that he runs with Jason Kash. Kash is obviously a threat, given he just won the Tap Out Title, so if he's picking up tips from him, then he'll be a force to be reckoned with. I'm not going to underestimate him just because he's new, but he seemed impatient to hear from me.

Shane, I don't know how this business works where you've been around, but words do not win matches in APW; wrestlers do. You can wait for me to speak and want to respond so that you can try to get the mental advantage, but really, what does all this speaking accomplish in the end?

He must not do homework, or else he'd know that you always address your opponents eventually. It's usually pretty late in the week, because you spend your week training to keep yourself in shape to do the important side of this business.

All the same, he seemed eager for me to speak, going so far as to say I should...oh, how did he put it?

He said you should "still put punks in their place."

Isamu furrows his brow.

But that's something you do in the ring, not with words, is it not?

David shrugs, shaking his head in confusion.

You're asking me to understand a pothead and his friend.

Isamu frowns a bit at the camera.

Well, I'll just get right into it then. I haven't been on camera before now because I've been training, and before that, I flew from Darwin to Utashinai which took the better part of a day, spent a couple of days with my family, then flew back to the States, which took pretty much a full day, so I wasn't able to get back to training for about five days, and I had a lot of ground to make up. So while you were doing whatever it was you were doing--

Shooting shit and doing pot, by the looks of things.

I was training hard with Fireson-sensei to keep in shape for my upcoming match. If you're right about anything, Shane, it's that I am a champion now, which means I have to start playing this game a little differently. There's a target on my back, and everyone that wants to prove that they have what it takes to be a champion on Asylum will be aiming right for it. I have to keep myself in top form all the time to be able to repel all these threats to my newly won championship if I want to have half the Suicidal Championship reign that Rico Casteel did, especially since I am a younger wrestler. I will probably be perceived as being more vulnerable, being a younger champion.

Shane, please do not mistake me for a weak champion just because I am young, or new to this business. I work just as hard as the James Chamberses and Rico Casteels, and tomorrow night, right here in the Verizon Wireless Arena, I will prove that words by themselves are not enough to "put punks in their place," and that I have what it takes to create my own Suicidal Championship dynasty.

Isamu nods to the camera, then David looks at his watch.

Alright, time to get back to work. You've got three more sets left, so get back down there.

The scene fades to black as Isamu lies back down on the ground, getting in position for more sit-ups.