1st Mariner Arena (Baltimore, Maryland)
May 28, 2008, 8:19 p.m.
Elyssa and Will were standing outside the storied arena,
home to many classic events over the years as they waited for the arrival of
Will's tag-team partner for the tournament.
She was pacing back and forth, and he wrote it off to being nervous...although
really he could not hold her to blame.
Truth be told, he was a bit nervous as well. After everything that had gone on over the
last couple of months, he felt he had reason enough to be.
His thoughts were interrupted by Elyssa's voice coming from
his right. "Uh, Will...I think that
might be him."
"What makes you say that?"
"Besides the fact that it's a friggin' ice-blue limo
and the tag says 'Iceman?'"
...OK, so she had a point.
He shrugged noncommittally as the limo pulled to a stop a few feet away
from them, still idling. Elyssa's
question about heading over there was answered simply enough as Will strode
towards the back of the limo, and gently opened the rear driver's side door. As he opened it, he came face to face with a
strange drunk man in a black pinstriped suit.
As this man stumbled out of the limo, he was soon followed by The Ice
Man. Will nodded his head once in
greeting, and then glanced over at the other guy. "...Do I dare to even ASK?"
Ice shook his head and responded, as simply as he could,
"My whole bottle of Scotch."
"Ah. That would
explain it. So...welcome to Baltimore. You two have accommodations yet?"
"No, we really don't have anything planned, but for now
I've got to get rid of Joey here for a while.
Where is the nearest strip club?"
That was a question Will wasn't expecting, but he knew the
answer easily enough. "You'd want
what's called 'The Block' here in Baltimore. It's a city block with nothing but what
you're looking for. Easiest way to get
there is to just go six blocks from here, make a right, and you can't miss
it."
The Ice Man leaned into the limo and asked, "Hey Jimmy,
you hear that?" Ice then grabbed
Joey by the shoulders and placed him gently into the limo, closing the door
behind him.
Will looked at Ice carefully. "He gonna be all right alone in your
limo?"
"Hey, I don't pay for any of it, his dad does."
This intrigued Will, but he knew better than to ask. Some things were best left unsaid until such
a time as they were urgent. Shrugging,
he walked around to the driver's side window and pulled out a card he had
written his address on ahead of time, in case it was needed. Handing it to him, Will said, "The time
doesn't matter, boss. Whenever he's done
doing...whatever...just bring him on by."
The limo drove away, and Ice let out a sigh of relief, his
shoulders visibly sagging for a brief moment.
"That should keep him busy for a few hours."
Will chuckled at this.
"Give him until three in the morning. By then he'll be passed out and you may not
hear from him again until after noon tomorrow.
"But in any event, I have a room already set up for
you, if you don't have any other accommodations arranged. Tomorrow morning we can get down to brass
tacks."
"Sounds good to me...hell, anything sounds good after
hours in the car with him."
At this, Elyssa spoke.
"You can have the front, unless you'd rather have the bed of the
truck. However, I wouldn't sit back
there unless you're dressed for the occasion here in Baltimore."
The Ice Man looked down at his suit, then over towards the
back of the waiting truck. "I'll be
fine in the back; I don't want to intrude more than I already am."
"It's no intrusion," Will said as Elyssa just shrugged
and climbed into the bed of the truck anyway.
"You'll have to forgive Elyssa; she's former LAPD Homicide and
hasn't gotten out of the habit yet of wearing her Kevlar armor everywhere...hence
her comment about dressing for the occasion."
"No offense taken, but she isn't the only one wearing
protection," Ice said as he patted his chest. "I've got some...well...we'll just say
'enemies' in New York."
Will nodded. There
was obviously more to his tag partner than met the eye. "And I can tell that asking is only
going to get me whacked, so I won't.
Come on. The sooner we can get to
my place, the sooner you can be done with sitting in cars for the rest of the
night."
"It's a long story anyways, but let's hit the
road."
Less than ten minutes later (and that includes being stuck
at every stoplight along the way), they pulled up in front of a modest
two-story house, sitting well off the street.
"I know this isn't the Hilton, but you can't beat the price. Please, enter and be welcome."
"I appreciate it.
So what is on the docket for tomorrow?"
"I thought we'd start with some physical training at a
local wrestling gym, talk strategy during the process. The rest we'll figure out as we go, unless you
have a plan in mind."
"It's your town, so it's your show," was Ice's
response, which earned him a pair of raised eyebrows from Will.
"That's not necessarily true. We're a team, and you have as much say in this
as I do."
"Well...how is your Flashfire doing?"
"I'm still working on the 450 version. I'm almost to the point where I think my
ankle can handle the torque of having to leap off a little higher. The regular splash works well enough, as was
demonstrated last Uprising."
"Good. We need
to keep people guessing, keep them surprised."
"I was planning on working on that tomorrow anyway, so
it's good that we're already on the same page.
Now, I've seen you throw a missile dropkick from time to time...what
else do you have in your aerial arsenal?"
"Well, I've got a couple tricks up my sleeve. Namely the Hail Storm and Avalanche, but I'm
always looking for new moves to add to my arsenal."
Will nodded at this.
"We may need everything we can get and then some, especially if one
considers that I faced our opponents last show.
They'll be ready for me...at least, they think they will be."
Ice nodded at this, leaning back slightly in the chair he
was sitting in. "Well, I know what
one of them can do, but you'll have to fill me in on Heat. After the first round match, we'll have to
wing it."
"I agree...but we'll save that for tomorrow, when our
minds are both refreshed and we're ready to talk shop. I figure that with dealing with your
companion all day, you’re likely exhausted."
"Yeah, I could use some sleep."
Will stood and gestured to the hall behind Ice. "Down the hall, door to your left. Bathroom is just off the main suite, so you
should have everything you need there.
Feel free to sleep in until whenever; more than likely I'll already be
awake."
The Ice Man nodded, and walked into the room indicated,
shutting the door behind him. He was
thankful for the reprieve, and was asleep within moments. Meanwhile, in the living room, Will looked
out his window at the Baltimore
skyline, and not for the first time began to wonder if there was just something
he was missing in the overall picture.
Residence of William Prydor (Baltimore, Maryland)
May 29, 2008, 6:35 a.m.
The sun had barely started its' ascent to the heavens, and
Will was already awake. It was a sort of
tradition for him when he was home, to be awake as the sun rose. Today, Will could be found in the backyard of
his home, a pair of kendo sticks in hand as he moved with a grace far beyond
that of any normal 360-pound man. The weapons
moved in a pair of blurs as he swung them to a tune that only he could hear.
Inside the house Elyssa was sitting at the kitchen table, a
cup of coffee in hand as she watched Will do his morning exercises. She still found it hard to swallow that Will
could move that quickly. A motion out
the front window of the house distracted her, as she saw Ice's limo pull into
the driveway. A slight groan escaped her
lips as she stood up; the heavens only knew what kind of a shape Ice's young
companion would be in after a night of partying on "The Block."
Barely five minutes later, Will was distracted as The Ice
Man stepped outside into the crisp morning air.
Ice looked a bit disheveled, as if he had just woken up. Will stopped what he was doing and turned towards
his partner. "So, sleep well?"
"For the most part, but an interesting alarm,
though. He came in and shoved a beer
into my hand. Then he screamed,
'Breakfast of champions!' before collapsing on the floor."
Will shook his head, bemused. "Well...that is unusual. That alarm didn't come standard with the
house. But in any event, whenever you
are ready to head out, just say the word."
"If you don't mind, I could use a shower and then we
can be going."
"No rush. I have
the gym booked for the entire day."
"All right. I'll
be quick; the sooner we can get going the sooner we can get to work." With that, Ice turned and walked back into
the house. Will stood silently for a
moment, as he watched the limo drive off into the city. He shook his head and mentally reminded
himself to get Elyssa a special "thank-you" gift for dealing with all
of the hassle these last few weeks before striding towards the door.
Bone Breakers Pro-Wrestling
Training Gym (Arbutus, Maryland)
May 29, 2008, 8:01 a.m.
"Seriously, Ice, how in the hell can you eat RAW FISH
for breakfast?" an incredulous Will asked as he stepped out of the limo.
"Trust me; I've eaten things that would make you look
at this in a whole different light.
Besides, if you think about it as raw fish then there really isn’t a
problem."
"All the same, I'd rather not look at it. The smell alone is enough for me!"
Ice chuckled.
"That's probably the eel."
It was all Will could do to keep from gagging at that
particular comment. "And now that I
have lost all appetite for the next five hours...here we are. We have the run of the facility all day. From here, I leave it in your hands. You know your training regiment better than I
do. What do you normally do first?"
"Normally, I start with the basics for about twenty
minutes to warm up. Then I move on
anything in specific that I've been working on lately. Afterwards, I usually have someone around for
a light match."
An idea popped into Will's mind as he glanced out of the
corner of his eye at Ice. "Well, I
dunno about a light match, but if memory serves...you and I had a good match
once before. Granted, there aren't 19,000
screaming fans this time, but if you're interested in a rematch--with no spiral
chokeslams over the top rope, mind you--I'm game."
"As long as we don't end up injured, I think that's a
pretty good idea."
"Well, then let's get to it."
The first hour was spent working on conditioning, and
stretching. Afterwards, Ice worked on
some of his technical game, as Will practiced getting the push off the ropes he
needed to land the 450 Flashfire he once used.
At one point he managed three in a row, and knew that he would be ready
to use it if needed. On the outside of
the ring, Ice had finished his technical workout and was laying in hooks and
uppercuts to a punching bag. Given the
expression on his face, Will figured Ice to be thinking about his family and
what they had done to him in the last few weeks, not that Will could blame him
if he was.
Then there was a makeshift squats competition. Will had no chance whatsoever against Ice in
the number of squats he could do; Ice was in far superior physical shape and he
knew it. He tried valiantly to keep up
with the pace but ended up stopping at about fifty, as Ice kept going. Some ten minutes later, as Ice completed his
two hundredth squat, he looked at Will and gestured to the ring. Will nodded and climbed in. He had done this once before; it was time to
make it two for two against the reigning Anarchy X champion.
\___(^)___/
About forty-five minutes later, Will slowly got himself back
to a sitting position, trying to force the room to stop spinning after being
absolutely drilled with the Ice Pick.
"OK, Ice...I think we're even now.
You got me good with that move; it came from out of nowhere...."
Ice hopped out of the ring, grabbing a water bottle and an
ice pack before sliding back into the square circle. Taking a drink of the water, he handed the
ice pack to Will, who held it to his head as he finally regained his footing
and slumped against the turnbuckles.
"Well...now that we know you can kick my ass all around Baltimore, I think you should be ready for Kevin
Heat. He moves a bit faster than I do,
but he's much lighter and easier to throw about. You should have no problems with him."
"Well that's good to know. You going to be alright?"
"I've had worse.
I deserve it for making a stupid mistake like trying for the 450 without
wearing you down enough."
Ice nodded, adding, "You'll have to watch for that
against the Black Phoenix, it's tough to keep her down for long."
"I saw that last show.
It took my partner and a blackjack to keep her down. Before that it was a flaming table. There are times I swear she is not human." Will shook his head at the thought.
"Well I have an idea that may just make it a lot easier
than that."
This piqued Will's curiosity. "Oh, do tell."
"It may be bending the rules a bit, but if I can get
one of them down and into a crossface then all you need to do is throw on the
Blaze of Glory and they will be tapping in seconds."
Will chuckled, a slight grin crossing his face. "Double submission...I haven't seen that
in ages. You have a valid point
there."
"It's how Matt and I used to handle our opponents, only
back then I'd thrown on a Boston crab and he
would follow up with a crossface."
Will nodded, thinking back briefly into his own past. "Before my sabbatical, I was one half of
a championship team. We used a
spinebuster/clothesline combination as our finisher. But the appeal of a double submission is too
great to ignore."
A deep chuckle answered Will. "I figured you might feel that
way."
A moment later, Will finally moved out of the corner, the
ice pack held at his side. "OK...I
think the room has finally stopped spinning.
I'm ready to keep going."
"Well, what's next on the agenda here?"
Will shrugged with one shoulder. "Depends. You done in the gym for today?"
"Yeah, I think we have gotten quite a bit done
here. I just don't know what to do next...back
in the day we would go to bar and get drunk, then start a fight before
tournaments like this. You know, prepare
for the unexpected. But I've grown up a
bit since then."
"I wouldn't know about getting drunk. How about a bit of cardio...say,
cross-country running?"
Ice nodded.
"That could work."
A few minutes later, as they emerged from the gym, Will
gestured towards the limo and asked, "How are the shocks and the
suspension on this thing?"
"Better than you would think."
"Good. You're
going to need them, where I have in mind."
A sick grin crossed Will's face as they climbed back into the limo for
the next stop of their journey.
The End of Nowhere
May 29, 2008, 3:26 p.m.
Well, this should be
interesting were the only words that crossed Ice's mind as he examined the
desolation that was the End of Nowhere.
Will walked up beside Ice, looking out over the land he
owned outright. "I know what you're
thinking--it's the same for everyone on their first trip here. There isn’t a lot to see here, I know."
"Well, where do we begin? I'm kind of at a loss here."
"I know you're faster than me, so I can't say 'try to
keep up.' Just follow me. I know this place like the back of my hand...literally."
"Alright. Let's
get going, then."
Without warning, Will took off at a decent clip, seeming to
be inspired by being on his home turf.
Ice easily kept pace as they made a loop of the edge of the
property. The wind tunnel-like gorge was
one of the first places Will took them through, the resistance of the wind only
adding to the effort needed to get through the gorge. Will was used to this, and made it through
with little hassle. The Ice Man only had
a slight bit of trouble in making it out of the gorge as the pair continued
their run.
About fifteen minutes later, they passed the rock pile Will
used to work on his strength and endurance when needed. Ice noted the pile of rocks, and the two
circles cut into the earth to denote where the rocks should go, but made no
comment as they passed the rock pile and continued their run. A few minutes later, they had reached the
edge of the land, and Will steered them to the left, running parallel to the
edge of the cliff as Ice got a good view of the scenery. He slowed for a moment to better look, then
turned to face forward to catch up to Will once again.
As they crested a small hill, Ice could see a cabin nearby,
with a large rock and a withered tree near it.
Will began to sprint, adrenaline pushing his body to run faster. Behind him, Ice also picked up the pace,
catching up to Will as they neared the cabin.
It was almost a dead heat as they passed the rock and slowed to a stop
in front of the beat-up cabin, both slightly winded from the run.
Will was the first to speak, turning to Ice. "As I said, it's not much but it does
what I need it to do. This is where I
toughen up and prepare mentally before a match."
Ice nodded, slowly regaining his composure. "Jenny had told me a little about the
place from that time she came, but she didn't tell me how big it was."
"Well, she probably only wanted to find me," Will
replied with a nod. "The cabin was
an obvious bet; she didn't go exploring the rest of the place."
"That's a good thing,"
Will exhaled deeply and turned to face the rock, moving to
sit on it as he addressed his partner once again. "So, that concludes one day. We have a week to go before needing to head
just down the road to Washington. The gym is likely the best bet for us, but I
think I'll pass on tangling with you in the ring again...."
Ice shrugged.
"Well, that's up to you. I'm
always up for a little practice. Maybe
we can find a couple people to go up against instead of beating the crap out of
each other."
"That would work, plus it would let us work on our tag
work, too. I think the gym has a few
trainers who might want to take the renowned Ice Man down a few pegs."
This earned Will a chuckle, as he thought it might. "They can sure as hell try."
"And that's all that Black Phoenix and Kevin Heat can
hope to do to us anyway, is try...."
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