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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2019 0:44:21 GMT -6
The corner office of Aloysius Marcus Vance IV is as pristine as it was the first time we laid eyes upon it. Desk polished to a mirror-like shine, every book and framed picture and certificate neat and straight and the windows so perfectly cleaned that one could not be faulted for nearly walking through them. That is, if this office were not so many stories in the sky. And… if there was not something a little prettier to feast one’s eyes upon: that being the young lady perched on the edge of the aforementioned mahogany desk. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed Elise, executive assistant to Aloysius Marcus Vance IV, is truly a vision. Black pinstriped business suit, polished black high heels and Cuban-style stockings with a black line up the rear half the leg, ending with black tops that just barely peek out from below the tailored hem. Add a messy bun and spectacles and she’s easily the fantasy of about 87% of the male population.
Meanwhile, Vance himself can be heard to speak from his ergonomic office chair though currently it is turned to face the windows. Elise scribbles away as he speaks, one leg bobbing up and down, looking to Vance from time to time as he carries on.”...and that’s why it went so smashingly! Fear of the unknown! Silent, unanswerable strength! Did I or did I not tell you that he would wreck those poor souls?! It was so priceless! Figuratively speaking, of course; if you could only lay eyes on the check… or this damn cup!”The chair swivels around and the Mile High Cup is in the hands of Vance as he continues his Bluetooth conversation. Elise turns, giggling softly as she notes the mood her boss is in. Vance catches her eye and gives her a little wink as he sets the cup on the desk and rises, stretching his arms out over his head.”What? Oh, hell no! Do you think he gives a damn about that cup? That battle royale was just a chance to get back into the mix! If he’d been TRYING? They’d still be putting bodies back together!”Wandering around the desk to the side upon which Elise sits, Vance stops right by her, causing pink to rise into the young woman’s cheeks. Vance leans in and presses his lips lightly to one of those blushing spots, his left hand running up and down her raised leg. Elise shivers but manages to keep on writing even with steamed-up glasses and a lot of chewing going on where her bottom lip is concerned.”Mack? Oh, he was ecstatic. But what else would you expect from the money we all but shoved in his pocket and his company’s coffers?”Somehow tearing himself away from the beautiful blonde, Vance grins to himself.”Violence sells. Monstrous beasts sell. Shock and awe sells. In Reaper, we have all three and more. Bottom line? Now that they have a taste, they’ll want even more. And we’re eager to give them all of it and more!”Vance is about to continue when a sharp knock comes to his office doors. Irritation registers on his face as he turns to it, then to Elise.”I’ll call you back.”Ending the call, he keeps staring at his suddenly-sheepish assistant.”Elise, sweetness, did you forget to inform me of an appointment?”He pauses briefly.”Again?””No, sir! Your next appointment should not be for two hours yet!”Giving the young lady a rightful reason to look worried as the door is pounded on again. Narrowing his eyes, he moves from her with a shake of his head.”My assistant needs an assistant…””Shall I get the door, sir?”Gesturing in the affirmative, Vance closes up his jacket and straightens his tie, running his hands lightly over his hair as Elise opens the door. Standing outside is a man in a black suit and sunglasses, looking rather severe in both posture and expression. Streaks of grey reach through his black hair, giving him a rather distinguished look while his body language makes it clear that he is in a curt mood, if not a foul one.”Do you have an appointment, sir?”The man’s response is to flash a badge at Elise, clearly marking him as FBI. Vance, upon noting this, narrows his eyes and turns to Elise.”You can go back to your desk, Miss Morgan. I’ll call you in seven minutes.””Y-Yes, sir.”Elise leaves, shutting the doors behind her while Vance goes to his desk and takes the cup, putting it on the shelf against the left-hand wall. When the agent does not move, he gestures to a chair.”Have a seat, Agent Sandsmark. What can I do for you in the midst of this unexpected visit?”Taking off his sunglasses, the severe Sandsmark stares at Vance. Like, hard. For several moments. Lowering himself into his own chair, the fourth-generation lawyer remains smooth and calm. Finally, the agent speaks.I’m still waiting to speak to your client, Mr. Vance. And you keep putting that off for some reason. I do not have time to deal with games while there’s a killer on the loose.”Vance smiles thinly.”And I have told you over and over again that as soon as he makes contact with me I will make sure the two of you have time for a nice little heart-to-heart. You cannot expect me to hunt him down, wherever he’s hiding. That’s more your job, wouldn’t you say?””Do NOT get cute with me, Vance. I’m in no mood to be talked down to.””Now why in the world would you think that that is what this is? I’m being completely honest with you right now. I do not know where he is.””You’re lying. Don’t think that I’m unaware of your reputation back-””Really?”It is Sandsmark’s turn to smirk as Vance, suddenly very serious, sits forward with his hands folded on his desk.”Before you go pointing fingers at me for my past, shall we talk about yours a little bit? How long has it been? Almost twenty years with the agency? And how many times have you been passed over for promotion due to… ‘incidents’?””As many as you have won cases with BIG asterisks next to them amid talk of corruption, bribes and all else. What’s your point?””My point… is that if you are getting any stupid ideas of trying to be the vigilante hero here, I can assure you that you’ll go down even harder than me. So do yourself a favor and make an appointment next time. As a matter of fact, don’t call me; I’ll call you. Or my assistant will.”Rising with purpose from his chair, Sandsmark slams his palms down on the desk, almost upsetting a little trinket on one side that Vance calmly catches before it topples to the very expensive rug below.”Are you threatening me, Vance?!””Absolutely not. I’m just reminding you of how this works.”Knowingly looking past Sandsmark, Vance sees something or someone there. His attention turns back to Sandsmark, his mood clearly more relaxed.”My associate will get the door for you.””The hell?!”Whipping around, Sandsmark is facing the Reaper, the masked man towering over the veteran FBI agent. Despite himself, Sandsmark swallows heavily as an artistic drop of sweat runs down the side of his face. Without a word, or any other motion, the Reaper opens the door and holds it so. Sandsmark, for the moment shocked into compliance, turns and heads out of the office, pausing to turn back to Vance.”Watch your ass, Vance. Our conversation isn’t over.””Good day, Agent Sandsmark.”Shooting one last look at Reaper, who neither man seemed to hear walk into the office, Sandsmark leaves in an irritated huff. Shutting the doors behind him, the Reaper walks further into the office as Vance watches quietly. Coming to the shelf bearing the Mile High Cup, Reaper stops and gazes at it. A gloved hand reaches out, running over the nameplate with “REAPER” etched on it. Vance smiles at this and Reaper… well… keeps staring.”Soak it in, my friend. You earned it. Speaking of… you don’t have to leave it here. It IS yours. I’m not keeping it as part of your fees or anything!”Perhaps it is meant to be funny. Reaper, of course, does not react save to shake his head slightly. He turns, though, and stares at Vance for several moments until it dawns on the lawyer what is going on. Reaper gestures idly to the door, never taking his masked eyes off the fourth-generation attorney.”He wasn’t here for you. Don’t let it bother you. I mean, he IS investigating the situation, but-”Reaper pounds a gloved fist against the desk, almost making Vance jump to his feet. Holding up his hands palms out, Vance subtly backs up his chair a bit as he speaks, his tone as placating as possible.”I swear to you, things are under control! You KNOW me! Just… just trust me, okay? Look...”Rising from his chair, Vance slowly approaches Reaper, who stands fully facing him down, shoulders rising and lowering heavily.”Go have a visit, all right? Get your head right. We still have some recordings to do for ThrowDown and I need you focused even if I’m doing the talking, okay? Just… trust me here. I know it’s hard-”But Reaper is already on his way out the door, shoving them open and letting them swing shut behind him. Vance, sweating, checks his pulse, then his head, and presses the button on his desk.”Elise, reschedule my appointments for tomorrow. I’m going to see Racine and then Reaper and I have some recording to do. Anyone who calls, tell them an important case came up. Either they understand or they bitch, but I’m not talking to or seeing anyone else today.””Yes, sir. Oh, and what about tonight?”A faint smile returns.”You I’ll ALWAYS have time for.”Ending the call, Vance rubs his eyes a bit as the scene fades out on him staring at the knocked-over picture on his desk. It is close to being viewed through the camera but the fading finishes before it can be focused upon.*Cameras On* Cameras find the pair moments later, in our time, at Crescent Park along the shores of the Mississippi River. Suave in a silver suit sans tie is the Purveyor of Truth and Defender of Justice himself, Aloysius Marcus Vance IV. Cold and menacing in all black is, of course, Reaper. As though living up to the sight of himself, the massive masked man stays out of the sun, leaned up against a tall oak with his thick, leather-covered arms folded across his broad chest. Night and day, these two… one verbose and outgoing, the other cold and silent. But in their symbiotic relationship they have, thus far, found success.
Vance moves along the concrete walk, paying no mind to the pedestrians and others making their way through the greenery or stopping at benches for a little rest mid-walk. He keeps walking himself until he’s within range of Reaper, allowing the camera to view both of them simultaneously. Sliding off his sunglasses and tucking them into his jacket pocket, Vance spreads his arms wide and then proceeds to bow deeply to the camera for some odd reason.”All hail the War Queen, the mighty Leah! The conquerer of Rebecca Maguire-Pausing before finishing the thought, AMV turns to Reaper who slowly shakes his head once. Shrugging his shoulders, Vance clears his throat and tries again.”The newly-crowned Hardcore Champion and the woman who trounced Saoirse Maguire-”Another emphatic shake of the head from Reaper makes Vance roll his eyes in mock frustration.”Okay, so… what? Is she really just a Shieldmaiden wannabe with a presumptuous moniker and a creepy stalker?”This time, Reaper’s response is to simply shrug his shoulders, though he keeps his masked stare on the camera. Vance’s own attention follows that same path and frustration turns first to a grin, then to hearty laughter from the fourth-generation lawyer. Once he recovers, he attempts to get serious about the matter.”Forgive our dismissiveness, Leah, but Reaper is finding it just as difficult as I am not only to figure out the threat you pose to this monster but also how many lumps you took before deciding on that level of arrogance in your chosen nomenclature. Now, don’t go raising hackles now-”Vance holds up a hand as though that alone could still an angry retort from the so-named War Queen even at a distance.”-because I’m not implying that you aren’t tough, that you can’t hang in that ring. I mean, you’ve been tangling with some tough adversaries of late. Even we can see that. The Shieldmaidens, well, they have a reputation. And it is well-earned, inside the ring and out. But they aren’t monsters, Leah. They aren’t ring-wrecking, fool-breaking, fear-of-the-devil-inducing nightmare fuel like Reaper is. Look at the Bruiser, one of the biggest and baddest of their number. She came face-to-face with the masked monster at my back, trying to throw hands and knock him down and where, exactly, did that get her?”Reaper does not respond, predictably, but Vance is happy to do it for him.”A one-way ticket to Loserville, population nine. Are you ready to make it ten, Leah? Because the possibility is very real.”For a moment, Vance actually looks serious.”The piling of victims is set to continue until Reaper has found what he seeks. And even then the blood will not be finished spilling. Eventually, every soul who inhabits Mile High Wrestling will have to deal with Reaper, and win or lose he will make honest men and women out of them… or whatever is left. You see, Leah, there is a great deal of danger to be found in the wrestling business that has nothing to do with top-rope acrobatics, steel chairs or fans overstepping their bounds. The white hats aren’t always as pure as they let on and even the baddies in black have some redeeming qualities, no matter how much they try to squelch them. Honorable actions mask questionable motives and sacrifice on a grand scale is often perpetrated for the simplest of pleasures or acquirements.
The point? Truth… is an endangered species in this business. And if there is one thing I hate personally, it is a liar. Reaper is not a liar. He is a monster with a purpose, one that we shall illuminate all of you upon very soon. You, Leah, are a liar. You are neither royalty nor one of the Horsemen. You are just a woman. Talented, yes, and powerful as well. But… just a woman. Just a human. Soft, warm… fallible. Breakable. Reaper is none of these things. When you step into that ring at ThrowDown and come face-to-chest with him, you will learn the truth of that.”Waving a finger reprovingly at the camera, Vance then gestures toward the masked monster. Reaper pushes away from the tree, walking to where AMV stands.”You cannot trust anything or anyone in this business as far as you can throw them. Except for Reaper. And for me, of course.”He winks at the camera all charming-like.”What makes that so in the case of this masked monster behind me? Conviction. He is utterly devoted to his cause and you can count on him to fight for that to the bitter end… which is usually what his opponents will end up facing. Anyone can talk a big game. Some of them can even back it up a little. But silence? Silence says more than some boring, trite monologue ever could. Which begs the question of why Reaper keeps me around to do all this jabbering, a tune I can name in four notes: it’s in the contract. Reaper gets to do what he does best and I get to provide the accents to his actions.
Conviction. And justification. Every action taken by this masked man is brought on by the actions of another. Rebecca Maguire chose to make a beeline for Reaper in the Mile High Cup Battle Royale and tasted defeat for her efforts. A few unfortunate, cowardly souls set him on the path that he currently walks and when he lays hands upon them their last moments will be the most painful any man has experienced in recorded history. You choose to name yourself falsely as royalty, as a harbinger of battle. Now… perhaps that sells some t-shirts or some-such at the merch stands and, hey, maybe it gets you on a few commercials, too. We saw a few signs in the mass of humanity at Mile High Spectacular 2 with your name on them, so… kudos for that. But… it is still a lie. That they buy into it is the fans lying to themselves. A classic case of two wrongs not making a right. Is that why Reaper is going to beat the hell out of you at ThrowDown?
Not really. You’re his opponent. You’d get beaten all to hell anyway. But the lies don’t help, do they?”Folding his arms and at the same time stroking his chin, looking thoughtful, Vance finally gives up on whatever he’s thinking and takes out his sunglasses again.”But tell us, Leah: what is your plan now? You make a lot out of having a strategy for your opponents, or at the very least you did for Saoirse. There’s not much of a plan for Reaper, though, is there? Will you throw yourself recklessly at him, hoping for a few lucky shots to land and bring him low enough for you to polish him off somehow? Will you perhaps throw victory out the window and just attack with anything that isn’t nailed down? I hate to bring up the obvious but, physically, you do not stand a chance against him. Is victory possible for you? Most certainly. But an intelligent gambler wouldn’t dare bet on that. And as much as I hate to pile it on, transitive property says that Reaper defeated Rebecca, which means he can most certainly defeat you.
Though that implies that Rebecca is Reaper’s equal, and that you are Rebecca’s equal… which I’m certain anyone with eyes can see is simply not true.”Finally spreading his arms wide again, as though to indicate that he has nothing else for them, Vance lowers his hands again and chuckles, mostly to himself. Putting his shades back on, he gives the camera a final look.”Honestly, what else is there to say? I’m starting to see why some people abhor getting up in front of the camera and talking like this. You either have to be REALLY in love with the sound of your own voice or otherwise have one hell of a story to tell. We have neither. Well, at least in terms of self-love. A story? Oh, there’s plenty to tell in that regard, Leah. And lucky you that you get to be a part of it at ThrowDown. So at the very least if you get scraped off Reaper’s boot, you’ll be remembered for something… eh, War Queen?”Vance shoots a single-barreled finger gun at the camera with a click of his tongue and a grin.”Ciao, sugar. See you in Mile High’s new nightmare.”As AMV steps out of sight, Reaper steps forward. He grabs the camera by the lens and points it at his masked face for several moments, then drags a gloved thumb across his throat before shoving the camera aside and moving out of sight.*Cameras Off*
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leah
MHW Superstar
MHW Ultimate Champion
Posts: 32
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Post by leah on Sept 20, 2019 15:11:33 GMT -6
Dream Sequence
Even though she is at home in her bed next to her husband, The War Queen is unable to control the thoughts running through her head. She tosses back and forth as her mind rolls back to past memories.
Leah vividly remembers being doubted from the very beginning; being told she wasn't good enough because she was a girl. It may not have seemed like much at the time but it was a precursor to what made her The War Queen later on in life. Picked on, bullied, it was a common occurrence growing up and Leah never stood up for herself. Leah wanted nothing more than to wake up from this nightmare.
On that day the War Queen was born. She undid the shackles that restrained her all her life and promised to always get back up… until September 15th, 2019 when she couldn’t get back up. She was knocked down and could do nothing about it. One last flicker went through her mind as Saorise hit her with Gealtatcha.
Leah snapped up in her bed, awakening from the dream. Her heart raced, her breathing was off the chain. Sweat dripped down from her forehead as her dream crept through her head. It had been years since she even thought about her childhood; what made her what she is today. They were a tough and painful point in her life and up until now that person was dead to her. She was reborn a new woman in an instant but it also served as a reminder as to no matter how big her opponent, no matter how tough, she would always continue to get up.
Leah looked next to her in the bed to see Jay was still asleep. After a few moments of calming herself, Leah rolled over and gave her husband a kiss on the head and cuddled up with him.
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Date: September 28th, 2019
Time: 7:23PM
Location: Las Vegas, NevadaThe War Queen Leah stood inside her Pyramid Room located inside the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tomorrow night, Leah will compete in yet another match in Mile High Wrestling that will not only test her utmost limits but is bound to leave her feeling bruised and broken no matter the outcome. Donning her usual TNP Inc tank top, camo pants pulled up to mid calf and rocking some Timberland boots, the War Queen stares out of hotel window overlooking the sun falling behind the mountains. Leah has not been very vocal since her loss to Saoirse “Psycho” Maguire back at Mile High Spectacular 2. Many have wondered just what sort of mindset she would be in. Outside of a few random tweets here and there, she has been radio silent. Drawing in a deep breath, Leah turns from the window and looks directly into the camera.
War Queen Leah: A long time ago, I made a decision in my life. I made a decision that no matter how many times life got me down, no matter how many times I was beat down by life, there was only one response I could come back with. You HAVE to pick yourself back up. You HAVE to dust yourself off and you HAVE to live to fight another day. That same mentality has been very true to my short career here in Mile High Wrestling. Get the ever loving piss beat out of me by a Shieldmaiden, get back up. Get stretched to the point of disfiguration by a Shieldmaiden, get back up. Go through a literal hell with a psycho of a Shieldmaiden… you get back up.
Leah begins to pace around the room as she continues to speak.
War Queen Leah: It’s that same fire, that same determination that has garnered me quite the following amongst the Mile High community. They have come to expect a certain standard when you see my name on the card. Hard hitting, intense, balls to the wall, train wreck, whatever descriptor you want to add to it my matches have led me to have a reputation. It’s no wonder tomorrow night at the return of ThrowDown we have yours truly going up against the behemoth known solely as Reaper. Do you not like me, Rob?
Leah pauses, looking into the camera as she allows that question to sink in.
War Queen Leah: Is it where you are trying to break me down to my very core in efforts of trying to get me to walk away or is it because you know no matter what threat you put me against, no matter what the result, I’ll keep coming back for more. And because of that viewers continue to tune in on the SE Network thus padding your pockets even more. Don’t get me wrong. I welcome a challenge more than anyone. I’ve said from the very beginning that I can’t reach my full potential unless I’m taking on competitors or all walks of life. I can’t become the best unless I take on the best. That’s why I came to Mile High Wrestling. That War Queen W can’t be flown high in the air unless it’s earned. Still… Reaper? Shit, man.
The War Queen shakes her head.
War Queen Leah: I accept your challenge, Rob. I’ll face the monster. I’ll take on the Reaper without batting an eye. Giving up, cowering, that’s not in my blood. So when Aloysius Marcus Vance IV comes in here calling me out, calling me a liar, a fake, just a woman… I will answer the challenge. I’m not going to sit here and say there’s a lack of intimidation when I look at your guy Reaper. I’m not going to pretend that he didn’t just barrel through nine other competitors on his way to winning the Mile High Cup in his DEBUT match. I’m not sitting here guaranteeing a win against your “monster.” What I am going to call you out on is you are the liar, Vance. You are the fake. You call Reaper a monster? He may be a monster of a man but he’s still a man.
A smirk comes across Leah’s face.
War Queen Leah: A few years ago I ready myself a book. It’s a book by Kerstine Schoene. It’s called Monsters Aren’t Real. What? An adult can’t read a children’s book? Anyways. In this book it describes your man Reaper. He’s as big as a monster. He’s as strong as a monster. But there’s no such thing as monsters. He’s just a man. Remove that mask and show the world exactly what Reaper is, human; a hulking massive human. You see, you come at me. You talk about how I’m soft, fallible, breakable, human. I’m not foolish enough to come up in here saying I’m going to beat your boy down with ease and do what nine other competitors couldn’t do. I ain’t stupid. What I am going to do is expose Reaper for what he really is: not a monster but human.
Leah begins to pace back and forth a bit again.
War Queen Leah: You can view me as Shieldmaiden-lite; some wannabe that is just some cheap imitation. You’d be viewing me wrong. You can call me arrogant for calling me arrogant for calling myself the War Queen but you would still be wrong. You know, I’ve been put down by men for most of my life. I’ve been told I have my place. I’ve been told to know my role and to sit down. Don’t move. You’re not good enough. I’ve listened to that bullshit all my life. I decided long ago to say no more. You call me just a woman. Damn right I’m a woman and I’m a straight up Queen. You and your boy are going to find out at ThrowDown exactly why they call me The War Queen and I’m not so sure you’re going to be walking away feeling the same way as you are going in. No, I can’t match your man physically. No, I don’t think it’s merely a matter of systematically tearing Reaper down to my size. I don’t think I’m going to catch him off guard with some sort of top rope maneuver. Again, I ain’t stupid. But I’ve got something your boy ain’t got.
The War Queen pounds a fist against her chest.
War Queen Leah: I’ve got heart. I’ve got more heart and determination than either of you can ever imagine. Go ahead and scoff or roll your eyes at that comment. Reaper can take his shots at me. They’ll hurt. They’ll leave their mark. He’ll dwarf me in size but ya better believe at the end of the day Da War Queen will rise no matter how many times she gets knocked down. F***! That’s essentially the story of my Mile High career. Samantha Hamilton, knocked down. Becca Maguire, knocked down. Saoirse Maguire, knocked down. Pointing out how many times I’ve got my ass handed to me ain’t gonna get you nowhere. But you take a look at what happened after each and every time I get knocked down you’ll be stuck with a Smash Mouth song in your head because you’re never gonna keep me down.
Leah couldn’t help but let out a laugh to that.
War Queen Leah: You can cut me down all you like. You can dismiss me and not expect much from me. Do you think I care what you did to Bruiser at Mile High Spectacular. You can look on past me all you want. What you don’t do, however, is call my good friend Major Helmet a stalker. He is a polite sweet individual that worships the ground I walk on. Calling him a stalker is too far. If anyone is going to treat him like crap it’s going to be me. Do you understand me?
Again Leah can’t help but laugh.
War Queen Leah: All jokes aside, tomorrow night Reaper can expect to learn first hand why I’m known as the War Queen. The Mile High fans have already come to learn that as well. You can expect a war. You can expect to be exposed as human and you can expect despite a win or a loss that the War Queen W is gonna be flown high in the air for all to see. See you soon.
The War Queen throws up the War Queen W for the camera to signal the end of the promo. The camera stays recording though as her phone goes off over on the hotel room desk. We can’t hear who’s on the other end but can determine that it is her husband “The New Perfection” Jay Aguero.
War Queen Leah: Hey, what’s up?
Leah takes a seat in a chair kicking one foot up on the desk.
War Queen Leah: Yeah, I get it. Mile High Spectacular 2 didn’t quite follow our plan. Don’t worry though. Things are still on track. Believe me. I’ll get another shot. It just takes time. Listen, I got to…
Leah realizes the camera is still recording.
War Queen Leah: Listen, I got to go. I’ll give you a call back later tonight… Love you too.
The War Queen ends the call and gets up to turn the camera off drawing the scene to a close.
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