Threaded Mode | Linear Mode

B.O.B. D · (02-18-2020)

It was 6:42 p.m. on the Tuesday night before Warfare, inside of a fancy restaurant simply called 'Tony's'. Big D nervously sat and waited at a table for his guest to arrive, wondering if he would even show up. He knew inviting Ned to dinner was a long shot, but considering he agreed to it, D tried to think positively. They had planned for 7 o'clock, so he knew worrying already would do no good.

After only a couple more minutes of waiting, Big D saw Ned Kaye enter the restaurant. He talked to the person at the door, who pointed him in D's direction. You could see the apprehension in Ned's face, but he too was trying to stay positive about the whole situation. As he approached the table, Big D stood up and offered Ned the seat across from him, smiling faintly.

"It's good to see you, Ned." Ned pulled out his chair and sat down, with Big D doing the same. "We haven't talked since the end of last Warfare, I was starting to think you hated me....."

Ned ran a hand through his hair, exhaling somewhat as he did. "Yeah, a lot of people have taken to thinking that lately," he replied, looking down on the menu in front of him. Despite the mild pleasantries, Ned's eyes hadn't met D's yet.

Big D follows suit, awkwardly glancing over the menu. "Been working your ass off, I presume?"

"Mhm."

Kaye seems to quickly find what he wants, placing the menu aside and continuing to look uncomfortable. "I imagine you've been doing the same."

Before Big D can answer, the waiter comes over and places a glass of water in front of each of them. "Good evening, gentlemen, may I start either of you off with a drink? Perhaps an appetizer?"

"I'll take a Blue Moon," Big D answers, before turning to Ned. "I'm saving room for the Main course, but if you want an appetizer, feel free."

"Water's fine." Ned replies, still refusing to make eye contact.

The waiter nods, feeling the tension between the two, before walking away. Big D scans over the menu for a moment, before finding his dinner selection and closing the menu. He looks at his buddy, a frown on his face.

"It's definitely been an interesting couple of weeks," he says, thinking about everything from Ned leaving him out to dry Saturday night to all the preparation he'd done in order to defeat his friend. "But I think I'm ready to go."

"Me too."

Ned pressed the tips of his fingers together, thinking about what D said when he challenged him for the briefcase, the words sinking into him almost.

"I could've thrown you off, too."

Big D is taken aback by Ned's words, as his eyes widen and eyebrows raise. "Y......... Ye....... Yes, you could've," he responds shakily. "But that's not who you are."

"And why is that?" Ned asks as he continues to avoid Daniel's gaze, his demeanor growing a bit more cold.

Big D opened his mouth to answer, but the waiter returned with his beer. "And there we are, one Blue Moon," he said, setting the frothy glass down in front of D before taking out his notepad and pen. "What can the chef get started for the two of you?"

"Chicken Parm" Ned orders blankly, sliding the menu over.

"Alright, one Chicken Parmesan," the waiter repeats as he jots down Ned's request, before turning to Big D. "And for you, sir?"

"I'll have the lasagna," D stated, handing the menu to the waiter.

"Sounds good, fellas," the waiter said before taking both menus and walking away.

Big D and Ned sat there in silence for a bit. Ned pulled out his phone and texted Dewey, letting him know things were going about as well as expected; while D did the same with his wife. Both men hit send simultaneously before looking up and accidentally making eye contact for the first time.

"Ned, you know I'll always have your back, right?" Big D asked, hoping his friend believed him.

"Then why does it feel like you're stabbing it?" Ned asked, finally looking at D, the hurt of that sentence showing after the words left his lips.

Big D frowned, reaching for his beer and taking a gigantic gulp. He sets the half empty glass back on the table before responding. "Probably because I am, to an extent. I know how much you want to be Universal Champion, Ned, because I want it just as bad." D reaches for his Blue Moon, again, and finishes it off with one swig before continuing. "In this business, there's only ONE top prize and everyone is vying for it. You, me, Barney Green, Robbie Bourbon, Fuzz; we're all here because we want to be on top of that coveted mountain. The problem is, only a handful of us ever get to see the summit of said mountain.

Ned lowered his head, staring at the light reflecting off of his water, feeling it grow colder under his gaze.

"Do you think I can do it?"

"Do what?"

"Win. Do you think I can beat Engy?"

"Of course I do," Big D answered with a nod. He leans back in his chair and looks up at the ceiling, hands folded behind his head. "I didn't think you could beat Robert Main, not back then at least. I may have SAID I did, but that was only because I wanted you to give me a Title shot IF you managed to pull it off.........." D chuckles awkwardly, putting his chair back in its proper place. "But we've both grown alot since then, and I truly believe you can beat anyone on the roster, even me, on any given night."

Somberly, Ned asks, "What are you going to do if you win? I, personally, was planning on giving you a shot. Like you said, we've grown alot since we first got here. I think you've earned it."

Big D looked ashamed. He had never once considered what might happen if Ned managed to become Universal Champion. "Really? You were?"

Without a word, Ned slowly nodded. He said they'd grown and he knew this to be true of himself, but wasn't quite sure about Daniel anymore. One moment he'd do something out of the kindness of his heart, but the next he'd do something completely selfish that Ned would NEVER consider.

Big D was now the one who avoided eye contact, looking down at his vacant cup. Inside he felt as empty at the glass, finally understanding Ned's perspective. It felt as though D had a knife in HIS back, only rather than betrayal, this was from the realization that his actions were truly wrong. Unfortunately for both him and Ned, the damage had been done.

"Jesus, Ned," Big D uttered quietly. "I don't know what to say........... Obviously I'd give YOU a shot, too. Do you really think I'd take your briefcase and not remember who I got it from?"

Ned blinked blankly, trying to be the better man and not hurt D in the way he had him.

"When I tell you that one day you WILL be Universal Champion, I mean every word," Big D spoke with confidence for the first time all night. "But I have such a short career left, Ned. You're gonna go on to either be an 8x Universal Champion or, if you're lucky, a one-time Champion with a reign as long as Bob Backlund's........... first one." Big D gives a cheeky grin before continuing.

"But all that's gonna have to wait for ME to get MY Title reign! I will do whatever it takes to walk out of Warfare tomorrow night with your briefcase. And when I do, I'm gonna cash in on that virus the MOMENT I get the opportunity, and then AND ONLY THEN can the rise of Ned Kaye begin..........."

Big D stands up, pushing his chair back abruptly, causing Ned Kaye to do the same. D reaches into his pocket, a grin as sadistic as The Joker's. He pulls out his wallet and grabs a $100 bill, tossing it onto the table in front of him. D turns and walks away just as the waiter begins heading towards them. Big D grabs his plate off the tray and does a spin, before making to the exit.

"Daniel."

D twists around, seeing Ned standing near the table, unphased by his theatrics. Kaye places his hands in his pockets and looks carefully into D's eyes, nearly staring through him.

"You said I didn't push you off the rafter because it's not who I am. Yet, I don't remember being pushed off of that rafter that night. What does that say about you?"

"And D. The rise of Ned Kaye has already begun. You've got another thing coming if you think I'm letting you stop it." Ned shoots D a smirk, receiving a salute from Big D in kind. Nobody knew it Notorious BIG would survive Wednesday night, but these two HOPED it would..........

Threaded Mode \| Linear Mode The Last Supper
Author	Message