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008

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continued from PRICELESS: Burning the Turning Tables


Ah, sweet silence and serenity of the void, how I've yearned for you so.

Doc takes a deep breath and shoots upright. He gasps and fights for air like it was the first breath he's taken in days. He sits, completely nude, in the center of a spotlight surrounded by nothingness. The most dense, black darkness. The void.

He catches his breath and manages to pick himself up from the ground. Knowing exactly where he is, he picks a random direction and starts walking. Laughing under his breath, he casually walks along as the spotlight follows him from above.

It doesn't even seem like he's getting anywhere. He walks for several minutes in the same direction with no change at all to the environment.

"Just like in my couple of sessions during the Lethal Lottery tournament, I feel disconnected with my patients. Alone again."

The void.

"Not only on different pages, but different planets, my friends. You see, Thaddeus Duke is what I suppose we could consider 'New Blood' in the XWF. He certainly has some old blood flowing through him, but he apparently insists on denying any claim in that. His own person. His very own being."

"We all understand you wish to build your own legacy without the foundation of XWF Legend, Sebastion Duke, my dear boy. We recognize your drive to evolve into something far greater than anything 'he' has ever become, whether you wish to admit THAT one or not. Your motivation isn't soley driven by your stupid arrogance."

"Determination? Sure."

"Pride? Of course!"

"Let's not forget hate, though. Hate, that's the big one."

More void.

"Ever since you've walked through the doors, Little Dukey, you've been nothing but just that, a little dookie. You've had more encounters with management than I've had in my entire career here. What's up with that? Maybe it's because nine times out of ten I get my way, where, nine times out of ten you don't. So you whine and cry like a little teenaged twat would do. To make things better than that, you've recruited this FINE federation's OTHER teenaged mutant little twat, Dolly Waters in on your little rebellion. You two are most definitely two peas on a pod, Thaddeus, and I've said it before, damn cute standing next to one another. Maybe you could go from 'friend' to 'friend(s)' and have a date for the Illuminatus Prom this year? .... Hm? There's a crown appropriate for you, sweetheart."

"I think your outbursts are a bit excessive and ridiculous, don't you? The only point that you got across last Saturday was that you can't take 'No' for an answer. You're about attacking management now based off conspiracy theories, too? ... And you say that DOC is the psychopath... Geez... No, I take that back, I KNOW what you are, and it's definitely not a psychopath. You claim management is holding the two of you back, yet, you talk about all of these 'learning experiences' that have helped you evolve over the last couple of months. Yeah, you've only been here a couple of months. Better be policital on this one, FIVE. Five months. And it doesn't sound like anyone's holding you back, Dukey, it sounds to me that you just haven't been impressive enough to amount to anything. Then again, here you are, not even a dozen matches in, and you have a shot at the second most prestigious title in the XWF. Here, have a fucking lolli-pop."

"Don't argue the fact that you didn't get the job done last time, Thaddeus. Sure, you pinned Oswald, won the title, but hey, the job wasn't done yet. You're NOT X-Treme Champion now and here we are. As ridiculous as I said it was, I did enjoy your efforts to make this match between the two of us. It was cute. You REALLY have something to prove now, don't you? To be honest, my friend, I couldn't care any less about that strap, either, but... It is what it is. If the powers that be want it to be, let it be! Mister Loverboy should have just pulled you and threw you in that pre-show with Scully, or something. The spotlight would be ALL on you and you'll have a chance to redeem your couple of mishaps. IF you could beat him anyway. I have my doubts about you anymore, my friend. When you first arrived here, everyone thought the same thing. Duke blood, fucker's gotta be good. Well, it wasn't just your words, but your actions and the results of those actions that proved well enough that you are NOT Sebastion Duke. No where close, but keep evolving, little buddy. Keep getting schooled. Keep learning those lessons and maybe, just maybe, someday you'll be worth a dime. Maybe in a few years when you're old enough I could take you out for a drink and teach you a few things about life that ol' Sebastion didn't have time to. Get you away from the military structured lifestyle and get you a piece of ass, maybe. Live a little bit. Tell me what you think."

In the far distance, Doc notices a little red light. It's too far and too faint to see from here, but he throws up an even wider smile and picks up his steps. As he gets closer, the light becomes clearly an EXIT sign. I single, dim spotlight shines down in front, revealing a steel door amidst the darkness. No walls, no rooms are around it. Just a door and a sign.

"Now I just want to clarify something back there. I KNOW that you KNOW that you are NOT your father. We've been through this, I know. You never said you were. Blah-dy, blah-dy, blah. What I mean is, Sebastion Duke was a pretty renknowned competitor around here. Known to win a few titles, a few matches, and be pretty tough in some encounters. If it wasn't for you carrying around that surname of yours, I would have no idea."

"Mission half-accomplished, by the way. You almost deterred me from bringing some of this crap up again, but I just can't help myself. Like our session in December... You know, if you'd quit pretending you know everything and listen once in a while like a good boy you'd realize that I'm half agreeing with you on some of this shit. You don't think I believe the opportunity to pin you to the mat is ruined now? Well, sure I do, due to your negligence. One of those 'lessons' that you're learning, am I right? I beat you at Wildcard and, of course, you hate hearing about it. You act like there's something tainted in the water with the whole thing though. Some thing you can take away from my victory. Tell me, did you lose your balance? Or did I throw your ass from it? I threw your ass down into that firey inferno. If you need a three count to truly believe that I'm better than you? Well, unless Broken Oswald calls in sick, I think we know who the weak link in this situation will be. See that? I just gave you some credit. Your worth at least that much to me, but from what I've seen your still 'learning' and haven't passed the test just yet. Keep studying because the final exam is still over a week away. Not everyone around here gets the kind of second chances that you've somehow been granted, rather than take advantage, you bitch some more. Some would consider this a pretty lucky opportunity, but not a prince. I'll remind you of your place around here, my little friend. I'll do what needs to be done."

"Unlike Broken Oswald."

Doc stops several feet away from the door and sighs for a moment.

"This is where the respect, the previous feats, all of the pride goes down the drain. Even after your epic comeback in winning the Championship of X-Treme RIGHT back after losing it, I see know confidence. I see no champion. You pulled through enough to celebrate yet you ran and hid in the shadows. You through the sheets over your head to hide from the REAL monsters. You've never come across as threatening to me, Oswald, and you never will. A running joke is the only thing that I recognize about you anymore, because our friend Duke was absolutely right. For myself to throw you two in the same basket is absurd. You change your hairdo and your agenda, but you're still the same big, dumb, oaf that thinks he's a gift from the GODS. I've seen you pull off some insane shit, sure, but prove to me you have what it takes to be the monster you claim to be. You made a Duke look pretty stupid last week, what's so discouraging about throwing little ol' me into the mix? According to half the roster, I'm burnt out and old and not worth a shit anymore. So, have at it. Come out from under the bedsheets, Oswald. Face us like a man and lose that X-Treme Title like a true champion. Not the running joke that labels you."

Doc approaches the big steel door like he knows where it leads and basically kicks it open. He scares the shit out of the gentleman inside, who sits behind a desk diligently attacking his computer's keyboard with his fingertips. He was dressed in just plain blue jeans and a tee shirt, a pitch black cloak hung beside him on a hook.

"AHH! WHAT THE FUCK!"

Doc enters the office and heads over to another leather chair across the room and has a seat.

"Dude, I mean, sir.... gross. Where are your clothes? Better yet, what the fuck are you doing here?!"

Doc smiles and holds out his hand.

"Cigarette."

The man stumbles around for a minute then pulls open a drawer in his desk and pulls out a pack of smokes. He throws the pack and a lighter to Doc who sinks into the chair even more with each drag. The man stares, but tries not to at the wrinkly, old, frail-looking, naked body of his higher-up.

"Sir?"

"You tell me."

"I-I..."

"I know, nevermind... Something went wrong."

"How so? Did you not return as you wished?"

"I did, but just as I stand before you now. Naked of my influence."

"Damn."

Doc looks up to the black cloak hanging on the hook across the room. The man's attention directs that way as well and soon realizes he could solve one problem right away. He jumps up from the seat, grabs the cloak, and hands it to the good doctor.

"Most kind, my friend."

Doc throws the black cloak over his shoulders and the hood up from behind over his bald head.

"Eh, I've got a couple of them. You look like Sith Lord. Pretty bad ass."

"A what?"

"Nothing, nevermind."

Doc pulls another drag from the cigarette and let's the smoke pour out his nose.

"So, I'm going to need a ride, I think."

"To... where?"

"Back upstairs, of course. I'm getting nothing done piddling around here."

The phone on his desk starts to ring. Doc's eyes light up and he nods in it's direction.

"Expecting a phone call?"

He looks over to the phone and back to the doc.

"Not at all..."

He reaches over and answers it.

"Hello?"

He listens and looks up to Doc after a few moments.

"Yessir."

He nods and looks away.

"Yessir.... Very good, sir."

He hangs up and sighs as he looks up to the doctor who smiles and awaits an explaination.

"Um, somebody wants to see you."

"Is that a fact?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I guess we'd best be going then, hm?"

"Actually, they're coming here."

"Ooooh. Well, I think we could save them the trip."

Our friend here doesn't know what to think. With a bit of conflict with his interests, a million possibilities crossed his mind... It was what was in his BEST interests right now that he was going to go with. So, he grabbed one of his spare pitch black cloaks, saddled up, and out the door they went. Back into the void.

They stepped out and a motorcycle was parked there now. Doc stops as the guy hands him a helmet.

"Everything alright?"

Doc stares at the bike for a moment, reminiscing of sorts, and snaps out of it.

"Yeah, just thinking of someone."

He takes the helmet and hops on the back of the bike as he fellow revs it up. They zoom off into the darkness.

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The man in black sits in his pitch white room behind his desk, rotating around in his chair. The door opens on the far side of the room and a couple of gentlemen dressed in uniform like suits step inside.

"Where is he?"

The man in black asks.

"We don't know, sir, they were both gone before we arrived."

"Mmhm."

"Do you think he would just want to reenter the universe? His death was obviously unexpected, even to him."

"His situation was different this time, though. I don't think he'd want to rush right back into that again."

They all ponder for a moment.

"If he does, he will remain powerless. The reanimation spell he thinks brought him back DIDN'T work at all. There were some OTHER fingers in the mix here. I just don't know who."

"What are you saying, sir?"

"I'm saying we need to stretch our intelligence further out than ever now. The thorn in my side will be pulled and these foolish little games will end once and for all. Post checkpoints at ever entrance to all floors. If he's foolish enough to just go back, so be it, but if he's going anywhere else, I want him brought here."

"Yes sir."

The men leave the office immediately leaving the man in black alone again in his pitch white room. He still felt a presence in his office, he looked all around him until he heard the sweetest, soothing, most beautifully sound voice in existence.

"He CAN be a handful sometimes, can't he?"

He turns to see a face he hasn't seen in a long time.

"Abigail."

"Hi."

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Pleasure? Don't be silly."

She's dressed head to toe in her usual leather jumpsuit and slowly walks towards the man in black and his desk. Every step echoed throughout the universe, piercing the brain, until she reaches the desk and has a seat.

"I'm here strictly on business."

The man in black sits back and admires the audacity of the girl for a moment.

"And what business is that?"

"The business of my father."

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