"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

~ Stephen Hawking

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Crowne Plaza Port Moresby
16 March 2018
Port Moresby, Papa New Guinea

"Why golly gee, it looks like Wraith decided to respond. How quaint. And it's fan-fucking-tastic you're only confirming what I said when you're conducting a lack of research. If you've seen a Finn Kühn match, you've seen that using moves not on my movelist isn't a problem. Even if any leg targeting moves aren't among my most common moves in my arsenal, that doesn't mean I don't know it. And you should know this first-hand. I've seen you use moves you don't have on your movelist. You trying an armbar on that Dyke moron from BX3, for instance?"

"The point here is we adapt to our problems. We rise. We overcome them. We evolve, with every waking moment there will always be someone ready to rise to the top as a part of this... evolutionary chain. I am the next evolution in this chain. The Kaiser, Finn Kühn is the present and future of the XWF, and I've been proving it day in and day out, on this microphone, in the ring, I am the superior one here in this match!"

"But you? It's as if I've been saying earlier..."

"You're a relic of the past."

"You can't hold up."

"Even in your prime, you wouldn't be able to touch me."

"And this upcoming Warfare, I'm going to prove it..."

"Micheal Graves."

From off-camera, a loud facepalm can be heard.

"...Why the hell did you facepalm?"

"I think you're reaching here, Finn."

"Bullshit! They're at the same height and about the same weight-"

"It's pro fucking wrestling. 6'4 and 250 lbs. is decently normal for a wrestler."

"-their same leg is injured-"

"Coincidence."

"BULLSHIT that's a coincidence! They're both so equally injured doctors sidelined Graves for it and tried to do the same to Wraith before he just cemented himself as more than Peter Gilmour by trying to go through with the match!"

"Finn, Wraith actually shit-talked Graves. There's no way they're one and the same."

"He's trying to throw me off the scent!"

A loud sigh from Jon can be heard off-camera. "I hate it when you get like this..."

"Whatever. Nothing you say can sway me. I know I'm right here, Graves, and I'm going to expose you come Warfare."

"While I have your attention though, tell me, how does it feel to have to do in two matches what it took me to do in just one match with Chris Chaos? How does it feel knowing you couldn't just keep the score in an iron man match tied or with a difference of one fucking fall with the fucking UNIVERSAL TITLE on the line? How does it feel knowing that you will perpetually have a big red sticker on you saying 'LOST TO CHRIS CHAOS'? And how does it feel knowing that when you DID beat Chris Chaos, it was at a point when YOU YOURSELF SAID THAT the days of beating Chris Chaos to get to the main event are 'long gone.'"

"And, perhaps even more, how does it feel knowing that both of your identities AND your master are below me in the title rankings for the two titles that matter?"

March 20th Title Rankings Said:
UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP - CURRENT CHAMPION - MORON WHO'S LOSING HIS TITLE
4 - The Kaiser and Next Universal Champion, Finn Kühn
Not Even Listed - Some Dumb Bitch
Not Even Listed - Edgy Mongoloid
Not Even Listed - Stupid Fucking ]



[b]X-TREME CHAMPIONSHIP - CURRENT CHAMPION - WHO CARES HE ALREADY LOST HIS TITLE
[red]1 - The Savior of Pro Wrestling, Finn Kühn
3 - Stupid Fucking ]
[b]Not Even Listed - Edgy Mongoloid
Not Even Listed Again - Some Dumb Bitch

"Oops."

"Perhaps the best part of your promo though is when you fail to realize the effect of an analogy. See, I can't help it you dropped out of high school immediately, and it kind of makes sense since your entire gimmick, this one and Wraith, can be ultimately summed up as every middle school failure trying to act all edgy and cool. I can't help it if you're so fucking that you make Mike Pence actually look sane. Er, wait, was that caught on camera? Let's edit that out for the Great American Shov-"

Static, before coming back just a few moments later.

"So, I'm going to do you a solid. Let me explain to you the effects of an analogy. Hopefully this will help give you a modicum of intelligence that your cokehead parents couldn't give you, but I have my doubts. See, an analogy is when you compare two things to each other, in this case the relationship between you and I. I'm the dragon, you're the consumed cow. I'm the Kaiser, you're the insignificant peasant whose getting his head chopped off as a message. I'm the star, you're the insignificant speck before me."

"Do you see now? Do you now see how fucking FOOLISH IT IS to try and stand up to me? Your worst mistake was trying to stand up to me, Graves, with a close second being you actually attacking me as Wraith. Trust me, when I beat you into a pulp on Warfare, with beating red marks up and down your back from the cane shots, with your mask shattered and removed, your face bloody and battered... you'll know it was a mistake to face me."

"And actually... when I beat you, I think I'll actually change my little prize that was supposed to be a Uni title shot, given that I'm the only true, capable winner whose signed up for the Engineer's Shove-It so far, which means I'm getting a crack at the Uni anyway."

"Not if, WHEN I beat you at Warfare, for defeating one-half of the Tag Team Champions... I think I wanna redeem that prize from Turning Point on facing you AND the Engineer for the Tag Team Titles next Warfare."

"And as for a partner?" Finn cracks a smile and a small chuckle. "...I got it covered."

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14 April 2005
Outside P.S. 197
Brooklyn, New York

Finn cupped a hand over his eyes to try and block the sun, shining and beaming down upon the young Kaiser. A horde of students, eager to waste the rest of the day away flooded outside of P.S. 197, ready to walk home. Some, however, stood in stony-faced silence inside the school, waiting for their parents to come and pick them up, trying to get to their far away home. Or at least, too far for the grade schoolers to walk.

Jon tapped Finn on the shoulder as the duo were walking out. "I'm surprised we haven't heard anything from the friends that one guy we got suspended - Tyler, right?"

Finn looked exasperated as they walked down the stairs, trying not to get trampled upon by the older and much larger fifth-graders. "Don't jinx it, you dolt!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Jon held his hands up as they were able to walk on the sidewalk now, away from school and walking home in peace. Well, about as peaceful as it can with the walkways still littered with students.

"Still, it is kinda cu- cur... strange-"

"Curious?" Jon tried to correct, in which Finn nodded in response.

"Yeah. That. It is kinda curious that we haven't heard anything. I'm glad Principal Sadger believed me, but he should be back soon, and..." Finn shuddered. "I'm kinda worried."

"Yeah, I... kinda am too," Jon begrudgingly admits as he hung his head low. "If we fought, I'd get my butt kicked."

"Same." The two new friends sighed in unison as they quickly crossed a street, before continuing to walk home.

"I think I'm about to turn off here, so by- wait, who's that?" Jon squinted his eyes, blocked out the sunlight and noticed a faint figure running towards them, looking disheveled and panicked.

"I... I think we're in class together. But wasn't he supposed to be out today? I thought he was sick or something. What was his name again...?" As the figure came more into view, Finn snapped his fingers as he figured it out. "Jason! What's wrong?!" Finn called out to his acquaintance.

"Wait, THAT'S Jason?" Jon asked in disbelief. "I heard from some of the other kids that he's super tough! What happened to him?"

Jason was finally able to run up to the pair, stopping just short of them as he doubled over, clearly out of breath. "I... oof... oh man..."

"Jason, what happened?" Finn asked.

"We're here for you, man. What's up?"

Jason looked up into Finn and Jon's eyes. "He told me to tell you guys to meet him next Tuesday behind the school, or else he would kill me. I'm so sorry--" After managing to gasp that out, Jason went into a coughing fit, surely for running so fast for seemingly so long.

Finn felt his heart sink. He knew who, but part of him needed to know for sure. Kneeling down so that they were at eye level when Jason's coughing fit was over, Finn asked, "...Who?"

"...Tyler."

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Abandoned Kühn Family Home
19 February 2018
Frankfurt, Germany

The lights blared on, and Finn was forced to shield his eyes as his childhood home was lit up before him. However, it wasn't quite the same.

For starters, there was no furniture at all. The only sight that greeted Finn was the thin layer of shag carpeting, as well as the several branching paths into other rooms.

Finn chuckled lightly to himself. "Ich sehe, du hast mit meinem früheren Zuhause dekoriert."

The woman herself chuckled as well. "Ich musste mich irgendwie auf deine Ankunft vorbereiten, oder?"

Finn considered what she said for a few seconds, before shrugging. "Messe." Scanning the place quickly, he removed his shoes before stepping onto the carpeting. "Also, wie werden wir anfangen?"

The woman lightly "Hmph"'d before marching onto the carpeting herself, her feet already bare. "Du magst schon außergewöhnlich sein, wenn es um Kämpfe geht, aber dein gesamter Mangel an Strategie ist miserabel, gelinde gesagt. Du wirfst dich deinen Gegnern zu, hoffst und erwartest, etwas Neues zu erschaffen, wenn es letztlich nicht funktioniert. Als du versucht hast, Caedus vom obersten Seil zu überfallen? Als du Robbie Bourbon erlaubst, deinen Griff umzukehren und dich mit einer Robbiebomb zu bepflanzen? Muss ich weitermachen?" Finn grunted, looking down onto the ground. She did have a point... "Es wird mehrere Trainingseinheiten zwischen uns geben, aber im Moment müssen wir uns auf diesen fehlenden Kampfgeist konzentrieren. Ich werde dafür sorgen, dass du ein Krieger im Ring wirst. Egal, ob Danny Imperial bei Turning Point oder Chris Chaos oder jemand anderes, Sie müssen sicherstellen, dass Sie immer den Vorteil der Strategie haben, und von dort wird der Sieg natürlich sein."

"Und wie schlägst du vor, dass ich plötzlich ein Meister der Strategie werde?"

In response, the woman motioned to one of the aside rooms. As her and Finn peered inside, Finn was greeted with the sight of his old room. Granted, it was mostly stripped bare. He didn't have his race car bed anymore, nor did he have any of the few books or writing pieces he held prior to this moment. But, there was still something left there.

In the very middle of the table, sitting with two chairs and a table right below it, was a certain game board.

"Wie vertraut bist du mit Schach?" the woman asked.

Finn looked a little nervous as he responded. "In Wahrheit, ich... es nie wirklich gespielt."

The woman furrowed her brow, looking slightly disappointed. "Und Sie beanspruchen den Namen eines Lineals. Widerlich. Niemals hätte ich geglaubt, dass ein Nachkomme von Kaiser Wilhelm selbst nicht Schach spielen könnte."[/b][/shadow]

Finn looked flabbergasted as he responded. "Weißt du, du kannst mir immer nur beibringen, oder?"

"Hmph." Moving over to the chair, both the woman and Finn sat down, with the woman taking the black pieces, and Finn taking the white pieces. "Schachfigur - die Figuren in deiner ersten Reihe - können nur ein Feld bewegen, außer wenn sie sich zum ersten Mal bewegen. Sie können dann zwei Felder verschieben. Sie können Teile auch nur diagonal erfassen."

Finn nodded in response as he sized up the measly pieces in his front row. "Als nächstes, beginnend von der Ecke, ist der Turm. Sie können beliebig viele Räume vertikal oder horizontal bewegen, außer dass sie nicht über irgendwelche Teile springen können. Sie können sich auch nicht diagonal bewegen."

"Als nächstes kommen die Ritter. Sie sind das einzige Stück, das über andere Stücke springen kann. Sie können entweder zwei Räume vertikal und einen horizontal bewegen, oder umgekehrt."

"Dann haben wir die Bischöfe. Sie können sich nur diagonal bewegen und sind nicht in der Lage, sich horizontal oder vertikal zu bewegen."

"Als nächstes ist die Königin. Sie kann die Bewegung eines jeden Stücks widerspiegeln - Turm, Bischof und so weiter. Das einzige Stück, das die Königin in Bezug auf Bewegungen nicht spiegeln kann, sind die Ritter."

"Schließlich haben wir das letzte Stück - den König. Den König deines Gegners gefangen zu nehmen, ist dein allgemeines Ziel, und du solltest danach streben, es zu erfüllen. Der König kann jedoch nur ein Feld in jede Richtung bewegen, also sollten Sie ihn in Sicherheit bringen. Wenn die Position des Königs durch ein Stück, das als in Schach gehalten wird, kompromittiert wird, MÜSSEN Sie den König bewegen ODER die Bedrohung beseitigen. Wenn der König in Schach ist und du keine Möglichkeit hast, ihn zu bewegen oder die Bedrohung zu eliminieren, verlierst du das Spiel."

"Das ist eine allgemeine Übersicht darüber, wie man spielt. Bist du jetzt bereit?"

Finn was wide-eyed for a moment, as is natural when one is having a lot of information spat at them. After sitting slack-jawed like an idiot for a minute however, he shook his head out of his funk, and looked ready. "Ja."

The woman allowed a small smile to creep onto her face, before motioning to the board before the two. "Auf jeden Fall geht der erste Zug an den Spieler, der die weißen Steine kontrolliert. Sie sind dran, Kaiser."

Finn could feel his palms starting to grow slick with sweat as he sized up the board, the intimidating death-glare of the woman boring holes straight through him.

Well, all great minds had to start somewhere...

~FIN~