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Post by Publicist on Feb 20, 2019 10:08:10 GMT -5
CTN INSIDER MAGAZINE
May 2015 Issue
Features
Oni Kymiku: Page 34 With a championship reign that was marred by injury, backstage brawls, and management sanctions hanging in the balance, can the LAW Champion, Oni Kymiku find a way to salvage things when she faces the most dangerous threat to her title and her win streak? Having seen more action outside the ring than in it, her first title defense might be her last!
Fujiko Mine: Page 6 The woman known as “Lady Luck” has shown the world that she can beat anyone on any given night. She is a proven commodity in the sport, having climbed to the top in two separate organizations simultaneously…but can she get past the one woman that no one has been able to bully their way past in singles competition? Will Fujiko get lucky at Validation or will her luck simply run out?
Nyako Shinsuzuki: Page 12 The longest reigning champion in LAW is set to face the woman that put LAW on the map. Nyako has faced down every challenge that has been put before her, but Validation brings an old foe with an entirely new bag of tricks at her disposal. Can The Korean Natural Disaster avert what is probably certain disaster with her Marquee Title hanging in the balance?
Kate Steele: Page 41 Miss Ultra Violence was the very first LAW Champion and now she is ready for another first…to be the first LAW Triple Crown Champion! Standing in her way is a woman who has had a death grip on the only championship to elude her, Nyako. At Validation, Kate gets a chance to put a definitive stamp on her career…and just to better her odds…standing firmly in her corner will be the Pink Ladies.
Sidney Grey: Page 22 LAW’s elder stateswoman and most controversial figure will be making her long awaited return to the ring at Validation when she faces off against one of LAW’s most prolific fan favorites in a Turtle Shell on a pole match. Despite the silly name, this match may have dire implications for her opponent should she win. This one-time Pink Lady was exiled from the group she helped to get started with a bloody reign of terror…now this lone cougar is on the prowl and is looking to make an example out of someone!
Alex Yin: Page 39 Lovely and bubbly, super nice and extra cuddly! The Super Insano Mega Star has captured the hearts and minds of fans all over the globe with her sportsmanship and her ever-present smile, but that all may change at Validation. Alex faces off against one of the most brutal competitors to grace a LAW ring in a gimmick match designed to disgrace and humiliate her. Will the support of the fans be enough to carry her through, or will Alex be left changed forever?
Plus Much More!!
- CTN Insider Centerfold -
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Post by Publicist on Feb 20, 2019 10:10:10 GMT -5
Family Matters (Part 1)
With Validation just around the corner, I find myself facing my biggest challenge to date in one Fujiko Mine…also known as ‘Lady Luck’ or ‘The Boob Goddess.’ Since her arrival in LAW she has made it clear that she is here for one reason only…to prove that she is the best in this business. She may have stumbled once against my sister, but like all true fighters, she learned from that misstep and she came back stronger. She didn’t let anyone or anything stand in her way. She stood up to the Pink Ladies on her own and she backed them down…when she got a chance to face one of LAW’s most popular women for a chance at the LAW Title, she accepted the challenge and she faced down Gabby Camacho. In LAW, with the exception of my sister, there is no one that I respect more than Gabby. She was my first opponent in LAW and she fought me with heart and determination without equal. I know that she did the same with Mine, and at the end of the day, Mine got her title opportunity in spite of that.
I have all the reason in the world to respect Mine…but to tell you the truth…she’ll have to earn it against me inside the ring, because I have no intention of just giving it to her! Mine is good…she’s damn good, but there is a thin line between being good and being an arrogant bitch about it. As much as I have enjoyed watching her matches and seeing her do what she does best…I can’t get the words she first spoke when she arrived out of my head…
She knows she can beat me…
She’s the MVP of LAW…
Beating me would complete the set…
I know that I shouldn’t be sensitive about what she said, none of it was really that bad. It’s the same stuff that everyone spews when they come to a new place and they are looking to move up the ladder of success…but in the end, maybe that is what’s pissing me off!
Mine showed up here and she has backed up her desire to get to the top with actions. Why did she need to rattle off the same lame ass trash talk that every other rookie who stepped foot in LAW have to say? She’s a great performer…she is an amazing competitor…but she is as stupid as the day is long if she thinks for one moment that she can waltz in here and KNOW that she can beat me! First things first…while I have never lost to anyone in a singles match…while I have yet to be pinned or submitted inside the ring…I never KNOW that I am going to beat my opponent! I face off against the best that LAW has to offer, and every new challenge is any unknown that I do my best to overcome. I know that each match could be the one that sees me defeated…so I fight as hard as I can to make sure that it’s not. Confidence is a great ally…but over confidence…outright stupid arrogance? If I ever needed any incentive to dislike someone, that was enough.
Mine made a point of proclaiming herself the MVP of LAW. I don’t know a lot about a great many things…but I know that there are women that have been in this company a lot longer than Ms. Mine who have more than earned the right to argue that they are the MVP around here. My own sister has faced down the competition and earned the right to call herself the greatest champion in LAW history. She has sold out arenas and put more asses in seats than an usher at Madison Square Gardens! The last time I checked, my sister was the one that put the first black mark on her record! Maybe I would respect her more if she called herself the SMVP of LAW…the Second Most Valuable Player…but that would also be debatable. Mine has been in LAW just long enough for the fans to start holding up signs for her…but she hasn’t been here long enough for anyone watching to remember what those signs say! If she wants to call herself the MVP…I suggest that she stops trying to convince us with her mouth and sticks to doing it in the ring, one match at a damn time!
She equates beating me and my sisters as ‘completing the set?’ What set are we in? I mean…are we her peers or are we just a silly little collective that is here to lay down when we see her coming for us? I’ve got news for Ms. Mine…I’m a goddamn person…not a fucking Pokemon! I can appreciate the fact that she earned her chance against me…for that, I give her all the credit in the world. She has made her way up the ladder and now the top prize in LAW is just one match away. This is what we all strive for…to face the champion and earn what they have. Maybe Mine didn’t say I wasn’t a person or that I wasn’t a challenge…but that is what I heard come out of her mouth when she dared to equate me and my sisters to notches in her fucking belt! Alex Yin is my friend and she is one of the toughest women in this company…she is a hell of a lot more than some nameless, faceless collectable! Nyako is my sister…she is the LAW Marquee Champion…she is the benchmark for what it means to be a top dog in LAW…she’s not a babble to sit on a mantle! If she thinks for one moment that I am going to allow her to belittle me and my sisters and not take offense, she is sadly mistaken. The only thing collectable about me is The LAW Championship…but if you want to collect it…you are going to have to have to be ready to walk through Hell to get it!
Don’t get me wrong…I didn’t think for one moment that Mine was a bad person…but I knew for a fact that she had ZERO respect for me or my position in this company when she said those things. Fast forward to earlier this week when Mine had the chance to sit down with my most favorite person in all the world…Trisha VanReardon. To be honest, I had no desire to watch the show, VanReardon makes my fucking skin crawl. I figured that Mine would go there and spew the same garbage about me that she had been before…
She knows she can beat me…
She’s the MVP of LAW…
Beating me would complete the set…
In this…I was apparently completely wrong. It wasn’t that her confidence was diminished or that she was somehow shaken…but she was at peace with where she was and what she had to accomplish. Instead of looking outside herself…she looked within. Sure…it was about silencing the doubters…but it was bigger than that, it was about facing me at my best and achieving what she had set out to do. That I could understand…that I could certainly relate to. Since my arrival in LAW I have battled many opponents inside the ring and each and every one of them presented a new and varied challenge, but no matter who it was…I was always battling myself as well. Striving to do better…fighting to be better. In the end, when my hand was raised as the victor, it was only a single step in a very long walk. Perhaps it is here where Mine and I are very similar. Winning the LAW Title is her ultimate goal…then defending it against all comers. Knock her from her perch…if you can. For me, the goal is always just beyond my reach and that is what fuels me…that is what keeps me going…keeps me moving forward.
Winning the LAW Title was a feather in my cap…my very first Western championship. Not many people in the world can say that they have worn this. Not many people in the world will ever wear it…but those who come to claim it will be the best in the business. Fighting the best is what brings out the best inside you. The road I took to win this belt was one that was lined with the best that LAW had to offer…and in overcoming them…I overcame that thing inside me that threatened to hold me back. I became better with each match…with each varied opponent…with each victory…and with each looming defeat.
For me, Ms. Mine is that next looming defeat that I must find a way to overcome, and in so doing defeat that thing inside me that tells me to stop…tells me that I cannot win. Does Mine have the same struggle? I cannot say for certain…but what I can say is that I look forward to facing her more than I have looked forward to facing anyone else since my arrival. With very few exceptions, Camacho and Yin most notably, has anyone given me an ounce of respect. She may or may not respect me…but at least she respects what I have achieved.
Maybe I need to make her respect me as a person or maybe I never will. No matter what happens in our match, I am content with the fact that this is just another step for me…another challenge that I must overcome. Holding on to this title means that the competition never declines and that I must always find a way to prove myself again.
Validation is the perfect name for this PPV, because this is where one of us validates their right to call themselves the LAW Champion! This is where Mine gets her chance to be all that she can be and make her dreams reality. All she as to do is put me down…all she has to do is accomplish that one thing that date no one has managed to do…put out the fire that fuels me! It will be an honor to face her in the ring at Validation, but there will be an even bigger honor in the offering.
This is where I show the world, and especially myself, why I am LAW Champion…and why no one is ready to be where I’m at!
Oni Kymiku’s Apartment Soho, New York 16 May 14, 2015
This was shaping up as the worst couple of weeks of my entire life. Here I was on the verge of my very first title defense…finally with a chance to prove to everyone in LAW that I deserved to be the champion…prove that I wasn’t the latest in a line of do-nothing champions, but my attention was divided. If you would have asked me a few weeks ago what would be the biggest distraction I faced, I would have to say that it was the Pink Ladies, but that wasn’t it at all…it was something worse…it was the ghost of my twin brother…only he was alive and well and that knowledge was tearing what was left of my family apart.
I listened to the phone ring and ring, but my sister never answered it. I figured that she wouldn’t, especially after finding out that I had been lying to her for years about our brother. I had told her that Senji had died in Japan…to me that seemed to be the better course of action. Nyako didn’t know Senji the way that I knew him…he wasn’t the same weak and innocent little boy that our father had dragged to Okinawa, kicking and screaming. What I had done, I had done to protect her…not to hurt her.
I looked over as I felt a hand on my arm. SoLo gave me a questioning look. “So? She’s still not answering?”
I shook my head, as I hung up the phone. “She’s still upset with me, and to be honest, I don’t blame her. She has no idea why I did it…all she knows is that she can’t trust anything that I say.”
“Maybe you should sit her down and explain everything…make her understand what you are trying to tell her” SoLo said with great earnest.
I sighed as I looked at her, doing my best to convey what I had to say, without coming out and just saying it. “Song…I have told Ny everything that she needs to know. Yeah…I lied about our brother being dead, but I did it for a very good reason. She doesn’t know what our brother has become…she doesn’t know what he is capable of…” I paused as the memories of the last time I saw my brother washed over me. I shivered and shook my head again, looking at SoLo. “…she doesn’t know what he’s done…she can never know.” [/font]
SoLo stiffened, “You’re going to have to tell her if you expect her to be on board with this! I mean…you are talking about her brother!”
“A brother she hasn’t seen since he was a little boy” I countered.
“Exactly! Her last memories of him were of him as a child…but you are telling her now that he’s some kind of monster.” SoLo stared right into me as her words made perfect sense. “Senji might be a monster to you…but it will take more than words for her to realize that what you are telling her is true. All she knows is that you lied to her…all that she knows is that it is all you have ever done.”
Her words hit me as hard as a slap to the face. She was right…Ny didn’t know Senji as anything other than a young crying boy. When our father had taken us away, she knew that he was weak and she asked me to take care of him…she knew he could not take care of himself. Now, thanks to that bitch Trisha VanReardon, my lies had been brought to light and Ny no longer knew what to believe.
I took in a deep breath as I got up and paced around the apartment, running my fingers through my hair in exasperation. “I need to prove it to her…I need to show her the truth so she understands.”
SoLo stared at me, as she asked the million dollar question; “How?”
I didn’t have to think particularly long or hard about the answer. It had been thrown in my face only hours before I faced Mackenzie Roberts at the very last PPV. The proof I needed to show to my sister would come from a source that she couldn’t say I manufactured or manipulated in any way. I turned to SoLo with a dire look on my face. “Where I have to go…you aren’t going to want to follow.”
She gave me a cautious look as she turned her head slightly to the side. “Where are we going?”
A Few Hours Later Upstate New York
As soon as we pulled up to the police station, I could see that SoLo was visibly shaken. The last time she was here, she was led in wearing handcuffs as the prime suspect in a case involving assault resulting in serious bodily injury to my ex…whatever he was. SoLo was as guilty as the day was long, but we had rallied around her and in the end, someone else had taken the fall; Uzai, my longtime associate, who had dedicated himself to serving me. I hadn’t asked him to do it…and frankly he had every reason in the world to sit back and watch SoLo be prosecuted…but in the end, he had assumed the blame. For this, I was grateful to him…but we knew that like all things done in the dark, they eventually came to light. With Uzai’s recent escape…things were in a state of extreme flux and nerves were on edge.
SoLo put her hand on my arm. As she spoke, her voice was small and barely audible. “Do we have to see him? Detective Dillion?”
I nodded as I patted her hand, then brought it up to my lips and kissed it. “I’m sorry Song…I have to see him. When they brought me here, he had my file…” I paused as I thought back to the moment he had dropped it in front of me. “…it was highly detailed. If he had that, he certainly has access to the file on my brother.”
She stared at me, her eyes large, brown, and glassy. “Why would he give it to you? It’s a police record.”
I sighed, “He won’t give it to me…but if he thinks I am going to give him something…he might be inclined to do me a favor.”
She looked confused. “Sex?! Are you talking about sex Oni?!!”
I nearly laughed out loud at the accusation. “No Song! I am not talking about giving the Detective sex…” I paused as I considered it, “…but…he is cute, maybe I could…”
“ONI!” SoLo yelled.
I burst into a fit of laughter, leaning in and pulling her to me. “I’m sorry for teasing you!” I kissed her on her head, to show how sorry I was, but in truth…I would absolutely sleep with Detective Dillion. He was a handsome man…certainly not brutish like Kreese had been, but I could tell that he was firm…and I liked a firm man…in more ways than one.
I pulled back from her, mussing her hair. “Stay here…I’ll go in and talk to him. He is going to want information from me about Uzai…and I’ll tell him that I am willing to offer it…if he is willing to do something for me.”
“Show Ny the file on your brother…” SoLo answered absently. “Wow! That is actually pretty freaking smart Oni!” She paused as a bit of worry touched her features, “But what are you going to offer to tell him? You don’t know anything about Uzai’s escape…do you?”
As I watched her, I could tell that she was frightened about more than what she said. A part of her wondered if Uzai would tell the police about her true role in hurting Kreese if he was ever recaptured. Admittedly, I had to wonder the same thing, but that was a bridge I would cross once we got to it. “No…I don’t know anything about his escape. At least nothing other than what I suspect they already know…his sister helped him.”
“Your Therapist? Meiko?” SoLo confirmed aloud.
I nodded, still upset with the woman for spilling what she had learned in our private sessions to Trisha VanReardon. I could have sued her and got her license to practice taken away…but in the end, maybe I should have been thanking her. While I had no desire to tell my sister the truth about our brother, it was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. That being said, if I ever saw her again…I would beat her to death with my bare hands.
I turned my attention back to the matter at hand as I sighed and sat back in my seat. “The police will be interested in any information I can give them on Uzai…but Dillion will be interested in every word that I say. Maybe he is bucking for a promotion or trying out for the Feds for all I know, but this is the thing…he’s a local cop with his hands on an international file, so there is obviously something of interest to him involving my ties to the Yakuza. I can promise you that the clan has tentacles here…and he is probably itching to try to cut one of them off.”
SoLo frowned, “How can you be so sure about the Yakuza being here?”
I looked at her evenly, “Because my brother sent me here…”
I stepped out of the car before SoLo could pressure me on what I had just told her. The look of shock on her face was apparent. She hopped out of the car and ran alongside me, her mouth moving at a hundred miles per hour. “Wha…what do you mean? He sent you? Senji sent you to America…why?! What’s going on Oni?!!”
I stopped, turning to her as I leaned down and went nose to nose with her. “Song…don’t ask questions that you can’t handle the answers to! Some things are secret for a reason.”
She narrowed her eyes as she planted her hands on her narrow hips. “Secrets are what landed us here in the first place! Need I remind you of that? Besides, I thought Ms. Grey was the one that found you and brought you here to get Ny off her back?”
‘FUCK!’ I thought to myself. She had me on that. My lies had put me in the dog house with my sister, the person I was trying to protect. Had I learned nothing from my failure with her? I straightened, not wanting to say another word, but I realized that SoLo was right. I needed to come clean.
An exasperated sigh escaped me, but I pressed on despite my reluctance. “Okay! Look…Sidney Grey was the one who tracked me down and alerted me to Ny’s whereabouts…but my brother was the one that blessed my departure from the clan. He sent me here to…” I paused, swallowing as I remembered it, “…he sent me here to bring our sister into the clan…bring her back with me to Japan…by whatever method I deemed appropriate”
SoLo stared at me, her big eyes blinking. “Ny? Join the Yakuza?”
I shrugged, “It’s kinda like the family business.”
SoLo’s mouth hung open as she processed it. “So…did she say no?”
I took a deep breath. “I never asked her…I’d never ask her! Ny needs to stay away from the clan…and especially away from our brother!”
SoLo asked. “Oni…what did he do? I mean…he’s Ny’s brother…he can’t be that bad…not to his own family.”
“Bad?” I arched my brow, then leaned in close to her. “He’s not bad…I was bad…he’s fucking evil!” With that, I turned and headed towards the station, ignoring the bevy of questions that she kept throwing my way. I raised my hand as I kept walking, “Later Song! I need to focus right now…when I talk to Dillion, I need to have my mind clear.” I waived my hand dismissively, “Go wait in the car…I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
I heard her foot falls stop as she had no desire to revisit the place where she nearly lost her freedom. I couldn’t blame her in that…I didn’t want to come back either. Police and Police Stations didn’t scare me…I had been in more than my fair share back in Japan, but my connection to the clan was always more than enough to secure my freedom. No…this place brought back memories of Kreese and the fact that one day he was going to wake up…and when he did, Uzai’s lie would be undone and SoLo would again be implicated and placed behind bars. It was going to happen…sooner or later he would wake from his coma and Detective Dillion was banking on that.
Uzai’s escape had brought some more time on that front and as long as he remained at large, it was really for the best. If and when they caught him…he might start talking to save his own skin. At least, that was the conventional wisdom. For Uzai, I was his ‘Mistress’ and he would never do anything to displease me. He had taken the fall for SoLo because he saw that I didn’t want her to go to jail. I wasn’t proud about allowing him to do that…but I only had so much pride to go around these days.
As soon as I walked into the station I felt like all eyes were on me. I knew that it wasn’t the case…but I was on coming on stage for my very first performance and if I didn’t absolutely nail it, there would be no encores or curtain calls. As soon as I told the Desk Sergeant who I was and I why I was there, I was breezed right through what I deemed was the usual crowd of junkies, crooks, and prostitutes to my own private holding room. It didn’t take long for my reunion to begin with the man who wanted to put me and SoLo behind bars.
Detective Dillion walked in, dressed impeccably in his suit and tie, all while sporting a questioning but somewhat amused look on his face. “Wow! I can’t believe my luck! The lying piece of shit that kept you on the streets is out running loose…and you just stroll through the front door like you own the fucking place! Who would have thought?” He closed the door behind him and stood there, folding his arms across his chest. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence here Ms. Shinsuzuki?”
His sarcastic tone irritated me, but I didn’t allow it to show on my face. “I’m pretty sure they told you why I was here. I wanted to give you information on…”
He waived me off before I could finish. “Stop…please! My bullshit quota with you was reached during your last visit. If you are here for something in particular…I prefer that you cut right to the chase. You see…I have a stack of cases on my desk that damn near reach the ceiling…so time isn’t something I can afford to waste.” He walked over and sat right on the corner of the table, watching me. “If you wouldn’t mind getting to the point of this…I’d really appreciate it.”
I wrung my hands nervously, unsure of how to start. The abruptness of his greeting had thrown me off and now I was at a loss. As he looked down at me, I could tell that he was well aware of that particular fact. “Detective…I…”
He rolled his eyes as he got up and walked back to the door, opened it, and stepped outside. He was not gone for longer than a few moments when he stepped back in with a file in his hand that he tossed down in front of me. “Maybe you are here about this?”
I stared at the folder, then back up at him. He gestured for me to open it, and as soon as I did my mouth went dry and my stomach clenched. I jerked my head back up as I looked at Detective Dillion. “Is this…where…I…?” I shook my head as I tried to clear my thoughts. I looked back down at the file and flipped through the photographs of my brother in an airport, then leaving. The final picture solidified the fact that they were taken at JFK International Airport in New York. I sat back in my chair and stared at him, my eyes wide and glassy. “When were these taken…?”
Detective Dillion gave me an incredulous look. “Are you REALLY going to sit there and pretend that you didn’t know…”
“WHEN WERE THEY FUCKING TAKEN?!!” I screamed, as I shook uncontrollably.
The Detective seemed taken aback by my visceral response, answering my question…likely in spite of himself. “They were taken yesterday by surveillance cameras in JFK. They tried to deny him entry…but…”
“They have nothing on him…they never have anything on him…” I answered absently in a low and foreboding voice. I stood up and nearly fell over. The Detective grabbed and steadied me, but I flinched away without even thinking. He stood back, holding up his hands apologetically, but I apologized instead. “I’m sorry…but I have to go…I have to…”
“Ms. Shinsuzuki? Kymiku!!” He called to me as I hurried out, but I didn’t stop.
I was out of the building like a shot and running for the car. I jumped inside and fumbled for the keys as SoLo stared at me through wide, startled eyes. Before she could question me, I jammed my keys into the ignition, started the car, and peeled out of the parking lot at break-neck speed.
“Oni!!? What’s going on?” SoLo asked, with a terrified look on her face.
“We have to get to Ny before he does!!” I answered curtly.
SoLo looked around nervously, latching her seat belt as she did. “Who’s coming?!!”
I gripped the steering wheel in my hands so tightly that I thought it was snap. “My brother…he’s coming for her…he’s coming here for both of us!”
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Post by Publicist on Feb 20, 2019 10:12:16 GMT -5
All In the Family with Nyako
As Nyako packed to go to Seattle she heard a knock at her door. Expecting it to be Syn or Boris coming by to pick her up she went to the door to welcome them in.
“Hey, I’m not done packing yet. Just a few more minutes.” She said. She didn’t pay attention to the figure standing in the doorway as she went back to finish packing.
The man stepped inside Nyako’s small, but neatly appointed flat, looking around and taking it all he. He laced his fingers in front of him as he said, “Packing? Moving to a bigger place I hope.”
Nyako spun around in surprise, as the voice was not one that she expected. The figure that greeted her that of a handsome young Asian man in an expensive suit, that bore a strong resemblance to Oni. He smiled, dropping his head just slightly, “Hello...big sister.”
Nyako was caught speechless. She did not know how to react.
"Senji...is it really you?" She managed to get out in Korean, overcoming her sudden tongue typing. She was both shocked and excited to see the brother she hadn't seen in over 20 years.
He seemed overjoyed at her excitement, so much so that he seemed visibly overwhelmed. It took him a moment to respond, but he managed to nod. “I’ve been dreaming about this day since the night our father took me from you and our mother!” He stretched out his arms to her. “I thought I might never get to do this…”
Nyako was a bit hesitant to embrace her younger sibling as Kymiku's words rolled around her head. She wanted to believe in what she was told but found it hard to see what she had said in this person before her. In an instant he was the little boy she took care of when they were younger and she had protected, could he really now be a monster that Kymiku claimed he was.
Thinking she might have made him weary of her stalling, she wrapped her arms around him in a loving embrace.
"Oh how I missed you little one." She said, still speaking her native tongue. It was what she used to call him when they were younger, although he was anything but now.
Senji held her tight, enjoying the embrace that he had dreamed of having for countless years. His body shuttered as he strained to hold back tears. He stroked her hair, “I searched for you for the longest time...but I was always one step behind and you had always moved on. I had nearly given up...thinking that even Kymiku was lost to me.” He sighed as he held her back from him, “I am so relieved that I was wrong!”
He let her go as he walked to the couch, sat down and waved for her to join him. “Come!! Tell me about your life...tell me about everything I have missed!”
As much as she wanted to reminisce with her younger brother she still had to finish up her packing for her trip to Seattle. Still she thought to herself, what would a few minutes with her long lost brother hurt. Maybe she could even convince Syn to postpone the flight until the next day, she would have to understand right?
Nyako took a seat next to him as Kymiku’s warnings started to fade to the back of her mind, only to be replaced with her excitement of having her brother back. As close as she was to her sister now, she still had a stronger bond to Senji even after all these years that she couldn’t deny as much as her conscience tried to warn her against.
“I’ve been busy more or less, I’m currently in LAW, the Ladies All-star Wrestling promotion. I’m actually a current champion there and have a match coming up this weekend at a major event, Validation it’s called. Kym is also a champion there too and will be defending her title at the same event.” She started to rattle off, wanting to tell him everything.
At the mention of his twin’s name, his demeanor changed. The smile faltered and he seemed to retreat inside himself for a moment. He sighed, shaking his head. “Kym...the stories she must have told you about me.” He turned and looked at her, there was a sorrowful look in his eyes. “I...I really have no words…”
Nyako suddenly became uncomfortable about the conversation. She had noticed how his demeanor took a turn for the worse when she mentioned thier sister's name. She didn’t mean to get anything going with her offhand comment but it seemed to put Senji in a dower mood.
“Honestly, it wasn’t until recently…” She started but quickly silenced herself. She was about to throw Kymiku under the bus for not telling her Senji was alive but her words of warning came back to the forefront of her mind and Nyako knew there was a reason behind her deception.
“She just told me you have changed. You aren’t the same little boy I knew way back.” She said trying to cover herself with the truth albeit a portion of it and also slightly sanitized.
He looked at her, a slight smile returning to his face. “I know that you are trying to be kind...trust me...you needn’t be.” The smile faltered, “If she told you that I had changed...she didn’t lie. I have changed...I...I became our father…”
He stood up and walked to the wall and stood there, apparently too shy look at her as he bared his soul. “I did what I had to do in a life of crime for a family surrounded by enemies. Much of what I do was...regrettable…” He turned and looked at his sister, doing what he could to keep breaking. “...your sister...our sister...she was afraid that I would corrupt you, but that isn’t something that I want Ny...I love you, I love you both!”
She wanted to believe him; more than anything she wanted to believe the words coming from him. She knew what kind of man their father had been, and how he wanted so desperately to be part of the Yakuza for the power it would give him. She knew he wanted to force Senji on to the same path and had reluctantly brought Kymiku with them when he abandoned her and their mother to go to Japan.
The day it happened replayed in her mind as if it was fresh memory. She recalled how Senji did not want to go and pleaded with their father to leave him with Nyako, but their father would not suffer his son. He wanted to make him a man, or at least what he thought was a man to him. And now Senji was telling her he adopted the ways of their monster of a father? He claimed he loved her and Kymiku, but if he truly took after their father, then there was no way he was telling the truth.
Kymiku’s words of not trusting him rang louder in her head. She wrapped her arms around herself not sure what was the truth and what was a lie.
“You say you took after our father, that you changed into him, yet you also say you love me and Kymiku…” She didn’t want to say the words after just reuniting with a brother she thought was long lost but she needed answers. Everything he said had truth in it but she felt there was more or something being hidden underneath. It was the same feeling she had when Kymiku first found her.
“But he never loved us. If he had it his way he would have drowned both Oni and I bvif it wasn’t for mother. I remember the late night arguments between them when we were children. Too him, we were worthless, less than nothing. But now you say you’ve changed into him. so how can I believe you care for me like you claim if he never did.” The words stung as they came out but it was how she felt with his comment.
Senji nodded as he took in everything she had to say. “Look...I know what you think and I know why you think it. Our father was a cold and brutal man, I have no illusions about who is was, but I know this...our father loved us in his own way. If he didn’t he would have never taken me with him.” He chuckled under his breath, “He wanted to break my neck for being a crying sissy...but he understood the importance of continuing the family line. He took Kym with us when he left because she was more like the son he felt he deserved.”
Senji shrugged his shoulders. “I have had to be cold and ruthless at times to give my family what I felt they deserved. My father was a horrible person...he was a monster, but he did what he did for a reason. His reasons were not always understood or even right, but he did everything with conviction.” Senji walked over to Ny, then knelt down in front of her. “I am a man of conviction...I am hard and I have sometimes been brutal, but always for a reason. I love my family...regardless of the things that I have done. Our father was not perfect...but he was the only one that I ever knew. I learned to understand him...and then I learned to love and honor him and his wish to repair the damage he had done to his family.” He took her hand into his, “Ny...what I told you was true. If your sister told you that I was a monster...she didn’t lie either...but I…”
Before he could finish, the door burst open and Oni and SoLo came running in, out of breath, “NYAKO, WE HAVE…” Oni’s voice shrank to nothingness as she saw Senji kneeling in front of their sister. Her knees seemed to go weak for a moment and SoLo steadied her. She glared at him, her eyes narrowed in hatred. “Senji…”
He stood up slowly and greeted his sister. “It looks like our family is all together, at last.”
Nyako could feel things escalating faster than she had hoped. She saw Song frightened, hiding behind Kymiku while she steadied her. This was not what she wanted.
“Please Senji, Kymiku...can we please be civil. I do not want war to break out between the two of you.”
Nyako turns a pleading look at her sister. “For Songs sake Kym, please don’t let this get out of hand.” She said hoping her sister would remember that their adopted sister was by her side.
Oni stared at her sister with a dumbfounded look on her face. “Do you have any idea what you are saying?! Did you not hear anything that I said to you?!”
Senji walked towards Oni, “Kym...I have told her everythi…”
“DO NOT FUCKING TOUCH ME!!!” Oni screamed as she suddenly found the strength that had temporarily left her. Instead, she charged her brother, but stopped short of bowling him over, instead going nose to nose with him. “You need to leave...NOW!!!”
SoLo grabbed Oni, holding her. “Please...stop this Oni…”
Senji glanced down at SoLo. “You must be Song Xu…”
Before he could finish, Oni punched him squarely in the face as she went into near hysterics. “DON’T YOU TOUCH HER!! STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ALL OF US!!”
Oni was pulled away from her brother by the man known as Boris as he wrapped her arms around her to stop her from further aggression. Everyone was stunned to silence and looked toward the doorway in which stood Syn, Nyako’s manager.
“I hope I’m not intruding.” She said with a coy smile as she scanned the room and everyone inside. “Boris and I heard the commotion and well since I heard the dulcet tones of our Oni in the hallway, I thought it would be prudent to have Boris try to stave off what might had been transpiring. The last thing we need if for the Shinsuzuki sisters to be detained by law enforcement the week of their big matches.”
She entered the flat and made her way over to Senji who was being tended to by Nyako. “I’m sorry, I don’t think we have had the pleasure to be introduced. I feel it would be my duty to find out the name of the person Boris seemed to have rescued from further assault.” She said as she held out her hand for him to take hold of.
Senji seemed distracted by Boris as he held on tight to his struggling sister. For a moment it seemed as if he might make a beeline for the massive man, but instead he forcefully shifted his attention to Syn and her outstretched hand. He turned to Nyako instead as he asked her in Korean, “Who are these people Ny?” He looked at Syn cautiously, not wanting to be rude if this person was actually someone of actual note.
“This is Syn, my business manager, and the one holding Kym is Boris, he’s her driver/bodyguard.” She said trying to smooth things with her brother as she could tell he wasn’t too keen on the way Boris was handling Oni.
She looked in his direction and pleaded with him with her eyes to let Oni go, sensing things may not be civil for long or as civil as they had been.
Boris relaxed his hold on Oni as Syn read the room realizing she might have stepped into something that maybe she shouldn’t have.
“I am sorry, I may have overstep my bounds and Boris might have been too brash with your sister.” Syn said in Korean to Senji as she took a stab at who the man before her was. “Please excuse our intrusion it what seems to be a family reunion.”
She looked at Nyako to see if everything was ok, only to see the worry on Nyako’s face. “Maybe Boris and I should wait in the car for you my dear.”
Nyako showed a small bit of relief as Syn seemed to be giving her an out before things fell apart more than they seemed to be going. “Yes Syn that might be for the best. If you can also make sure Song goes with you.”
She knew Song would not like that at all but Nyako was looking out for her adopted sister and didn’t need her in the middle of any family drama or hurt in the crossfire of what might happen. If what Oni had said about Senji was true, the last things she needed was to give him another target to set his sights on.
“Come Ms. Xu we shall let these three continue their discussion in private.” Syn said to Song who wanted to protest and looked a bit hurt by Nyako’s request to have her leave, but she left with Boris and Syn and they closed the door behind them.
Nyako would have to make it up to her sister later and tell her why she did what she did but for now, the only thing she wanted to deal with was what was going on between Senji, herself and Oni before anything any of them might regret happened.
Oni glared after Boris and Syn as they left with SoLo. Her expression was strange and predatory, but it vanished as soon as she turned back and locked eyes with her brother who was sporting the same vicious look. Oni frowned as she realized what had just passed between them. They were twins and that was one of the many things that they shared between one another. This realization seemed to shake her to her core.
She straightened as she glared at her brother, pointing a warning finger at him. She turned her attention to her sister. “Finish packing!” She looked around, seeing that it was obvious that she had been getting ready to leave before Senji arrived. “I’m taking you to the airport…” she glared at Senji, “...and you are getting out of here!”
Nyako started to protest, but Senji spoke up first, rubbing the spot where his twin had hit him. “Its okay...I’ll go Kym.” He turned to Ny, “I will see you again soon Nyako…” he smiled, “...my dear sister.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze and then headed for the door, taking care to skirt carefully past his sister, that was coiled like a cobra.
He raised his hands as he stepped to the door. “All I want is to get my family back together...that’s all.”
“WE DON’T WANT YOU!” Oni rushed over and slammed the door in his face, then quickly locked and bolted the door. She turned to her sister, “Get what you need and I am going to see you to the airport myself!”
The way her sister said it put Nyako on edge. “I can handle myself Kymiku. I have a ride already if you remember. They made sure you didn’t do something to Senji that you would probably forget or have you forgotten that already!” Nyako said. Her tone a bit of bite to it as she didn’t take too kindly to her sister trying to boss her around, acting like she knew what was best for her.
“Need I remind you sister, I had taken care of myself long before you or our dear brother showed back up in the picture and I can continue to take care of myself.” Nyako felt now she was reaching a boiling point but tried desperately to hold the torrent back before she said something she may regret.
She closed her eyes to calm herself and thought to probably the only thing that could ease her tension now, and that in itself wasn’t the most healthy option either as Maleek crossed her mind. She slowly opened her eyes again and looked at her sister who still seemed agitated. She tried to be more civil with her tone this time as she walked over to Oni and put a hand on her arm, squeezing it to try to get her to relax some.
“I know you mean well Kym but I assure you Boris and Syn are more than enough to have my back. Now if you would like to come to Seattle with us I’m sure things can be arranged to wait for you to get things in order.” She looked in her sister's eyes. “You don’t want me anywhere around Senji but maybe it would be for the best if you took your own advice and stayed away from him so we have time to figure things out.”
Oni jerked her arm away from her sister, nearly overwhelmed by everything that had happened. First she showed up to find her brother hovering near her sister like a vulture, then Syn’s goon was man handling her from behind, and now her sister was turning on her. “You prefer the company of your new family...I suppose anything is better than the one you have!”
Oni turned and quickly unlocked and unbolted the door, stepping out and slamming it behind her. She didn’t wait for her sister, her mind was on a single track. She kept a keen eye out for her brother as she headed downstairs. Nyako might have been buying his shit or bothering to listen to it, but she wasn’t stupid. She would watch out for her sister...even if she was too damn dumb to do it herself.
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Post by Publicist on Feb 20, 2019 10:14:51 GMT -5
Family Matters (Part II)Click here to view the events that take place just prior to this in "All In The Family"
My heart raced inside my chest until I watched my sister’s plane finally go wheels up as Nyako and SoLo left the city and the immediate reach of my twin brother. I had not seen either of them off directly, especially after the massive blow-up at Nyako’s apartment earlier in the day. I had been too pissed off…and too afraid to be near them afterwards. I was so mad that I could hardly see straight…but I was also scared shitless at the fact that my brother had just so freely walked into America and come right to Nyako’s apartment as if the events of the last few years had not happened. In a single day, all of my lies and thoughts of protection had been completely undone.
Senji had presented himself to Nyako as the concerned little brother who only wanted to find the big sister he had lost so many years ago. He had played off the fact that I had told my sister how bad he was…agreeing that it was in fact the case, but he had only done what was needed to survive in the world of the Yakuza. Though he had assumed our father’s mantle, he was not what our father had become…at least not completely. I didn’t know how much of this Nyako had believed, but the fact that she had listened to him at all made me think that she was willing to consider even a sliver of his madness.
I had known slick liars and tricksters in my time. Since being in LAW, I had witnessed them myself. Violet was one of the worst…well…one of the best, depending on how you looked at it. The woman had managed to turn Sidney Grey’s own daughter against her without much effort at all…and with zero conscious. There was a time when I was just as bad…maybe even worse. I had manipulated people into committing the most heinous of crimes and I had just as quickly forgotten about them once I had used them for my own selfish agendas. As bad as I had been, Senji was on a whole different level. They called me Oni…a demon…who else can manipulate a demon, but the Devil himself. Senji was the Devil…of that I had little doubt.
My twin brother had always been the weak one. He was so frail when we were first born, it was as if I had been overly nourished in our mother’s womb and he was left with little or nothing of the leftovers. I was born first, strong and healthy…hardly crying at all, glad to be brought into the world. My brother came last…all but dribbling out and wailing like a broken fire engine siren that couldn’t be silenced. I was told that he cried for a week straight and everyone wanted to take him outside and drown him in the river, but my mother refused to let him out of her sight. Lucky for him…unlucky for the rest of us.
Nyako protected Senji whenever our mother wasn’t around, which wasn’t very often, but happened upon occasion. Perhaps that is why he took to her more than me. Our bond was genetic…their bond was one of the spirit. I was jealous of their relationship…but I had no desire to have a suckling runt attached to my hip as if I were his mother. In that, Nyako excelled and I appreciated her for it.
By the time our father spirited Senji and I away from Nyako and our mother, he should have been old enough to deal with the change…but he was more of a sniveling coward than before. In Japan, I made sport of teasing him without mercy, hounding him to tears on a daily basis. Our father was beside himself with anger and disappointment, but he never gave up on the outside chance that Senji would grow into a man one day. Eventually…he did and of course it was all because of a woman.
Senji, in typical fashion could not have made a worse choice if he had tried. She was a Doujin…a dirt person…what our father called blacks. Her name was Jinee Nixon, otherwise called Jinx. Even now, I have no memory of how she came into our house or what person she was to serve. I suppose it isn’t important, but what was, was that my brother was instantly smitten with her. Perhaps it was because she was so different from the other girls in looks and manner. Despite my father’s protests, he sought out every opportunity to be around her and in time, their friendship became something more.
Our father was in a rage over this…but for whatever the reason, he never lifted a hand or commanded that anyone do away with her…in a permanent sense. Maybe he knew it was devastate Senji or perhaps there was something more to it. This is also a mystery I am likely never to solve. All I know is that my father made his intentions clear to me…not with words, but with a look. Jinx was to be parted from my brother…and I was to be his agent in so doing.
Fiend of a child that I was, I delighted in tormenting Jinx in any way that I could. My attempts to drive a wedge between them consumed my every spare moment. Failure never angered me…it merely drove me to new and more vile schemes. In the end, I finally succeeded in this by only the most heinous of acts. In fact, it is a stain upon my soul that can never be erased and it is likely the karma that now tints all that has happened since.
To elude my father’s watchful eye, Senji and Jinx had planned out several secret meeting places for their romps together. It took me several months to find them all and learn their schedule, but time was my ally and patience was my most secret of weapons. I keenly diverted Senji from one of their scheduled trysts, delaying his arrival to a time of my choosing. I had a delivery made to Jinx from my brother of her favorite chocolates that I knew she would eat without him since he was delayed. It didn’t take long for the extra ingredients I had added to take effect, rendering her babbling and confused mess. What I did next…it shames me to remember it.
I had struck a bargain with a young admirer of mine from a rival clan…a favor, for a favor. He showed up and made sport out of taking Jinx in ways that my brother had never even thought of. He savaged her and I watched it all from hiding, seeing as my plan played out to perfection. Senji arrived right when I planned…and the sight that greeted him pushed him over the edge. I expected tears…lots and lots of tears. He was a crybaby after all and a wimp, so what else could there possibly be? More than I expected…
Senji flew into a violent rage and he savagely beat my admirer…to the point where I was released from the terms of our brokered agreement. I had never seen a beating like that dispensed so violently. Jinx suffered similarly…to a point. I think that his love for her was such that he could not completely violate her beauty, such as it was. Still…he beat her without mercy and their bond was broken.
She didn’t leave the picture immediately…he took too much pleasure in seeing her pain. He used her for his needs and he teased her with the idea that he would stop beating her…but he never did. Eventually, he grew tired of it and she disappeared. I didn’t know if he had killed her or if she had run away…it didn’t matter either way, the ends had been achieved and my father had got his wish…and in turn, I was justly rewarded with having all of my nightmares made real.
The Senji we all knew was no more and in his place was a tyrant…a vicious brute that even my father grew to respect…and later fear. Without Jinx to indulge his vicious nature, he found his pleasure in abusing the other girls of the house. At first, I joined in with him, taking pleasure in the notion that he and I were now growing closer than he and Nyako ever had. There in lay the joke of it all, his attachment ran far deeper than I knew. In time, I saw his savage nature up close and personal. He told me that he knew what I had done to him and Jinx…and he thanked for it, the best way he knew how…
I was in the hospital for almost three months…and he visited me each and every day to torment me and remind me of how badly he missed me. He couldn’t wait for me to come home…and all I wanted to do was die. I didn’t die…but when I finally went home, I was very sorry that I hadn’t died.
I lived with my brother’s barbarism for years. I ran away…he found me and made me sorry. I tried to kill myself…he stopped me and killed my friends to show me what a sad thing it was to be dead and gone. Eventually, I learned my place and I learned to live with his cruelty. I became like him and together we were a fearsome duo and in time the entire clan was bent to our will and whim. Our father’s control began to slip and that was like blood in the water for Senji.
Needless to say…Senji took his place before our father was ready to leave it. Many were surprised, but none were stupid enough to speak of it. Senji’s mind turned to expansion of the clan and consolidation of power. It was also during this time that he developed a keen interest on Nyako and returning her to the fold.
Senji spared little expense to find her, but fortunately he was always a step or two behind. I had thought that he would never find her, but at last he did. She had become a professional wrestler in the United States in an all-woman’s federation. He knew that family stood a better chance of returning her, so my training began and I was sent to the states to bring her back.
My mission was clear…get next to her, win her trust, then bring her back to the family. I was perfect for the job and everything would have gone like clockwork, but surprise of surprises, who do I run into, but a ghost from the past…Jinx. At the sight of me, the girl went into a panic…thinking that my brother was after her. It was all that I could do to secure her and guarantee her silence, as not to scare away my sister.
I found myself becoming my brother as I subjugated Jinx, just the way that he had done. His cruelty became my own and before long old habits began anew. Cruelty became a game to me, with Jinx and my long lost sister. I was like a missile with a broken guidance system, I no longer knew what my target was…and I no longer cared.
My strangeness drove Nyako away and she fled from me. Even Jinx escaped my grasps and soon I was nothing more than a rudderless ship, drifting aimlessly in a far away land. It was then that I realized that the path I had been set upon was wrong and I needed to change. I kept my brother at bay with false updates about my progress in finding our sister. I was content to continue to mislead him for the rest of our lives as I ignored his pleas for me to return to Japan. Instead, I insisted that I was close to having our sister and that always brought me more time…until Sidney Grey.
Grey learned of my family connection to Nyako and she thought that if she could track me down and get us together…it would get the heat off of her. All she did was alert my brother to Nyako’s presence in LAW and before I knew it I was thrust back into the mix. This time, I did what I could to change and be her protector here…though I wasn’t ready to tell her everything about what had become of her family.
In my stupidity…I became comfortable with the new reality of having REAL family around. Nyako, SoLo, and even Alex Yin…along with that, there were the other additions of Serizawa and Miyoko Oshiro. I forgot my life back in Japan and I cut my ties with my brother completely. I was content in the knowledge that he would never see us again…we were beyond his reach.
The first inkling that that was not true was the revelation that Serizawa was really an agent for my brother. Taking a page right out of my brother’s playbook, Serizawa orchestrated an attack on SoLo and was ‘conveniently’ there for the save. She earned trust, allies, and was as close to us as any sister. I should have seen her coming a mile away…but I was as blind as a bat in my happiness. Uzai found out about Serizawa’s duplicity, but the damage had been done and she was gone before I could do anything about it. Senji knew as much about my sisters and I than if he had been living right hear among us the entire time.
By all rights, I should have told my sister what was going on. I should have warned her about Senji…but I stupidly hoped that his influence would be reserved to watching through underlings. Today that illusion was shattered like a mirror dropped from the top of the Empire State Building. Senji was more than a pair of eyes and ears attached to a stranger sent into our midst…he was flesh and blood, and he had been standing in my sister’s living room.
I needed to clear my mind and develop a course of action. With Nyako and SoLo out of town, I could derive some comfort out of the fact that I was now his only target until they returned. If I could deal with him while they were at Validation…once they returned, they would be safe from him. That meant that for me…there would be no defense of my title. Just like Evie Taylor…I was going to be leaving my belt in the center of the ring, and depriving Fujiko Mine of her opportunity to try to take it from me.
The very thought of that put a knot in my stomach that made me want to vomit, but what other choice did I have? I didn’t know Mine from a hole in the ground, so family had to come first, still…I respected the woman for what she was set on accomplishing. I was set on stopping her from achieving her goals, but not in the same malicious way I had set out to defeat Mackenzie Roberts. This was about legacy…and I needed to secure mine. I would apologize to her…if I lived long enough to apologize to anyone at all.
I was constantly watching over my shoulder for the entire drive back to my place. Senji was out on the prowl and I knew that he was not alone. Our clan was large and my brother sat prominently at the top of it. His henchmen would be everywhere and by proxy, so was he. When the opportunity presented itself, I had to be ready…of that, there was no doubt.
My senses were on edge as I took the stairs to my apartment, shunning the elevator as I crept around as cautiously as a cat. By the time I reached my floor, my nerves were vibrating like the strings on a guitar. I was so wired that I was no longer alert…I was closed off to the world, like a half-blind man.
I walked into my apartment, and as soon as I stepped inside it was too late for me to do anything. Rough hands grabbed me, crushing me against the wall and pinning me there…threatening to push me right through it. It was only the sound of my brother’s rough rebuke that spared me that additional pain. The men that were holding me let me go and I turned on them to find that they weren’t men at all, but a single brutish woman. She was Asian, and her face was plain in appearance…a bit shorter than me, but wide and muscular.
We sized one another up, but I had no illusions about what the woman could do. If she was in my brother’s employ, her muscles were not for show. My brother’s voice finally drew my attention away from the woman.
“Sorry about that Kym…but New York is such a dangerous city, filled with all manner of thugs and criminals.” I watched as Senji strode through my kitchen, apparently fresh from my shower. His hair was damp and one of my towels hung over his shoulder. Aside from that, he was completely naked.
I averted my eyes, “Senji…I am going to tell you this once out of respect…you need to leave and go back to Japan now, otherwise…”
“Spare me the threats” he said. He took a bottle of juice from my refrigerator and walked into my living room and plopped down on the couch. He held up the juice and the muscle-bound woman took it from him without question and opened it, then handed it back. She moved behind him and began to knead his shoulders as he kicked his feet up on the coffee table.
I narrowed my eyes, keeping them focused on his. “What are you playing at?”
He took a long sip of the juice, then sighed. “You know…I think our sister really likes me.” He smiled a bit. “I was worried for a moment that she wouldn’t…but I think she does.” He chuckled, drinking down the rest of the juice. “It’s going to be fun…getting to know her…”
My skin crawled as I watched him, my fist slowly curling into a ball. “You stay away from her!”
He eyed me, “And that sweet little one…Song?” He shook his head, “She looks like a little sweetheart! I bet she tastes just like candy.”
I grabbed the letter opener I kept by the door and I screamed as I drew back, aiming ti for his chest as I came at him. I had to end this…before it got too far out of hand. It was going to be the end of him…or the end of me. Either way, I wouldn’t have to see my sisters subjugated by this mad man.
BONK!!!
There was a loud thud…then there was blackness.
A bit later, my eyes fluttered open and there was smell of blood in the air. I could feel something hot and sticky on the side of my head. I reached up and touched it, then pulled my hand away and saw that it was red with blood.
“Sorry about that.” I looked up and had to shake my head to clear the double image of my brother leering at me. “Bottles here in America are so breakable!”
He had nailed me in the head with the bottle and knocked me cold. I didn’t know how long I had been out, but it had at least been long enough for him to get dressed. He paced back and forth with his fingers laced behind him. I tried to stand, eager for another chance at him, but I felt the same strong hands grab me as when I first came in the door. I was shoved back into my seat. “Bitch!” I looked up at the stoic face of the woman who was now holding me in place with her brutish hands. I stared at Senji, “Why don’t you get your fucking monkey off my back?”
He smiled and pointed. “You got your sense of humor back!” He laughed, “That is good to see...very good to see!” He walked over and knelt down in front of me, much like he had when I first saw him with Nyako. “Kym…we have a bit of a problem here and I don’t know how to solve it.”
I spoke through clenched teeth, “I know how to solve it…tell your goon to hand me that letter opener and I’ll show you.”
He continued to grin, putting his hand on my thigh. If my skin could have crawled away, it would have. “The only reason that you aren’t flying through that window right now is because I love my sisters…and it would devastate Ny to have to bury you when she is just getting to know her long lost brother.” He sighed, “I guess I am just a big softy after all!”
I balled up my fist, “You aren’t going to touch her…YOU HEAR ME?!! YOU ARE…”
I nearly puked as he punched me hard in the stomach. He stood up and put his finger to his lips. “Shhhhhhh!” he said mockingly. “You don’t want to be disturbing the neighbors. I met Mrs. Kravitz…the old lady down the hall. She is a nosey little thing…but as cute as a button, isn’t she?” He chuckled, then his face went stone cold. “It would be a shame if you made me do something to her mouth because your mouth was too big…understand me?”
I swallowed and then I nodded slowly. I opened my mouth to speak, but the pain in my stomach was enough to get me to close it again.
Senji sighed, “Kym, all I want is for my family to be back together again. That is all I want. I don’t want to hurt anyone…I want us all to be happy!” He sat down beside me, snaking an arm over my shoulder as he pulled me close to him. “You think that I am here to cause trouble…but I’m not…Scout’s honor!”
I coughed and finally managed to spit out, hoarsely, “You were never a Scout…and you never had any honor.”
Senji held his chest in a mock show of hurt. “You wound me sister!” He paused, “But I can’t say that you are liar.” He continued to grin as he gave me a squeeze and stood up. “Okay! Down to brass tacks dear sister. I have told you repeatedly why I am here and that I only want what our mother always wanted for us…to all be together again. You told me that you shared that dream when I allowed you to come here!”
“Allowed me to come?” I said, nearly spitting out the words. “I’m your sister…not your slave! You should have to ‘allow me’ nothing!”
He paused, considering what I said for a moment, then nodded. “Okay…poor choice of words on my part…though…I did in fact…ALLOW you to come.” He paused, cringing at the sound of his own words as he watched my reaction. His devilish smile reappeared. “And when I say you…I mean Oni…not you!”
His words confused me, I didn’t know if he really meant to say what he said or if I simply misheard him. “What in the hell are you talking about?!”
He raked his fingers through his hair and it irritated me to see it. It was the exact thing that I did when I was frustrated. “Don’t you remember all the good times that we had together? Huh? You remember…don’t you? Remember when Father wanted us to get that old shop owner to pay up? He told us that they had no money…and then you dragged his daughter down the stairs and we showed him just how valuable she could be?”
I shook my head, closing my eyes not wanting to hear this…not wanting to remember how horrible I had once been. “Senji…I am not that pers…”
“DON’T YOU TELL ME THAT!!! DON’T YOU SAY THAT TO ME!!!” Senji flew into a rage, grabbing me roughly by the face an glaring into my eyes. He stuck his other finger right in my face. “You did that ONI! I didn’t ask you to do it…you were the person that found a way to turn that loss into a victory. My sister…my twin…my right hand.” He patted the side of my face, then leaned in and kissed me on my forehead. “I need you to help put my family back together.”
“I’m not going to help you do anyth…” I was cut off abruptly as I felt something drop into my lap. I looked down and saw the LAW Title there, dropped by Senji’s henchwoman. I looked at the woman, but her eyes were fixed on my brother. I followed her eyes to his. “What is this? What are you asking me to do?”
Senji chuckled, “I’m asking you to do what it is that you do…and in so doing, help me bring my family back together.” He stood and walked to the door. "Pack your things and follow our sister to…Validation.”
“I WILL NOT!!” I yelled, starting to get to my feet, but a strong hand shoved me back down. I turned to the woman, balling up my fist. Look here bitch…you got one more time to put your hands on me! I am sick and damn tired of being grabbed today!”
The woman looked to Senji, but he merely gestured for her to stand aside, to which she complied without complaint. He walked over and knelt down in front of me. “You are going to do this sister…because I want and need you to do this for me…”
I lurched towards him, my teeth clenched. “NO!”
He grabbed my hair, knotting it in his hand as he jerked me towards him. “You’ll do it for me…or you’ll do it for someone else…someone close to you.” He shrugged his shoulders as he broke a small smile. “Maybe I get to know one of your new little sisters better? Maybe I’ll introduce Song and Alex to the clan…show them a good time? What do you think of that? Just like the shopkeeper’s daughter…remember how much she enjoyed our company?”
I wanted to fight him…I wanted to get my hands on the letter opener and stick it right in his neck and finish this, but I knew that if I tried that again, it would end badly…and not only for me. If I wasn’t around, I couldn’t protect my sisters. My shoulders fell as I sat back…defeated.
Senji cocked his head to the side as he looked at me, a hint of a smile on his lips. “There she is! My little Oni…seeing the light, yes?” He laughed out loud and finally let my hair go. “You and I want the same things…you’ve just forgotten the goal my dear. When I sent you here to America…it was for the sake of the family! Somewhere along the way…you forgot the importance of that…you got it into your head that it would just be you and Ny, but it was always going to be the three of us…” He paused, thinking for a moment, “Four if you count Song…”
I tensed at the mention of my adoptive sister. “You’ll stay away from her!”
He shrugged his shoulders, “That’s up to you I guess…isn’t it? You know me sister…you know that I am a man of drive and determination. When I see something that I want, I go out and I get it…nothing stands in my way. You have that same drive, because you and I are of the same flesh.” He pointed to the LAW Title that still lay in my lap. “Just like the drive that led you to that golden title…just like the one your sister wears. The Shinsuzuki’s are a driven family! We always have been…but up until now…that drive has been wasted on the trivial and the mundane. Everyone going in separate directions! No unity…no focus…no sense of purpose!” He grinned, “Now that comes to an end. Our family…our clan…everything is about to be as it should be…as it always should have been.”
He was insane…not for his dream of family. If he truly knew what that was and what it meant, I could understand, but he had no concept of it. He was sick and twisted…just like I once was…
…like you will be again…
I froze as the inner voice that had left me so long ago returned. I closed my eyes and shook my head, hoping to erase it…but there was going back, not now…
…Senji is right, you know that he is. Stop fighting him and do what you really know is right…
I ignored the voice and gave rise to my own instead. “So…what am I suppose to do? Go to Validation and convince Nyako that you’re not a sick bastard? Am I suppose to fight my match, beat Fujiko, and then stand in the ring holding hands with you and Ny like we are one big happy family?!”
Senji continued to smile, stroking his chin. “I like that idea sister…I really do like it.”
“Well, fuck what you like!” I spat out. “I told Ny all about you…she won’t ever listen to your lies about family! You don’t know what it is…you never have and you NEVER will!”
His face went cold and hard as he straightened. “She’ll learn to embrace me like you did…like you will again…Oni. You’ll show her the way…you’ll lead her to the water, and there…she and you will drink!” He stormed over, grabbing the coffee table and violently up ending it, sending it crashing into the wall. “Her education begins on Sunday night…and you will be her teacher! You will lead by example…when you show the world what it means to be a member of this family.”
“You expect me to go to Validation and defend this belt…after all the threats you just levied? You cannot be serious!!” It was no way in the world that he could expect me to be focused on a match after everything he had said.
He waved his hand absently, “Matches…titles…defenses…” he shrugged his shoulders, “I didn’t ask you to do any of that…I told you to go out there and show the world what it really means to be a Shinsuzuki! I want you to go out to the ring and show me that you remember who you are…and that you know who I am and what I do! My name…OUR name…it means something…it’s time that everyone found out.”
Senji walked over to television that sat near the wall. “I watched and I listened to you…and then I watched and I listened to the woman you are to face on Sunday. The two of you talking and talking…respect this and respect that. It was…was…” He grabbed the television and threw it to the floor, “…it was ridiculous! Who cares about respect when everyone knows that power is everything! Do you think that our clan rules because our enemies respect us?” He walked back over to me, lifting my chin as he forced me to look into his eyes. “We rule because they fear what we are and what we do! Remember what that was like Oni? Remember what it was like to be feared?”
…I remember it…
I jerked my head away from him, turning my gaze to the floor instead. “You think that Ny is going to run to us if she sees us acting like animals? You’re insane!”
He moved himself back into my field of vision. “She’ll learn…just like you learned. You’ll teach her…you’ll teach them all.”
I steeled myself, looking at him sharply…defiantly. “And if I don’t?! What if I don’t…what if I can’t?!!”
His expression was blank as he spoke, “Have you ever been to Sheffield in England?”
“What?” I asked, stupidly. I had no idea where he was going, or what he was saying.
The coldness in his demeanor and in his voice didn’t change. “You know Sheffield…the home of John and Sue Yin…”
I grew deathly still at the mention of Alex’s parents. I knew where this was going and like a car crash in slow motion, I was powerless to do anything other than watch.
“It is no small matter to get our people into Sheffield…but they are there all the same…and you know what…my people are ready to teach! If you cannot teach our ways here…my people will teach our ways there. Do you understand what I am saying?”
I nodded my head, shaking at the thought that he would threaten Alex’s family. “Senji…you don’t…”
He finished my sentence, “I don’t…but I do! You have to understand that to me…this is important! Family is something that matters! I have traveled here personally to show you what it means. I have taken steps to make sure that my family is protected and that those who protect my family are rewarded.”
“Uzai? You are responsible for his escape…”
He shrugged, “His liberation…as a reward for the good faith he showed to you and your sisters. You know that we pay our debts to those who are loyal…” he paused, “…and as for those who might be a problem…we deal with that as well.”
“What? What do you mean?” I was legitimately confused over his last comment.
Instead of clarifying, he waved for his goon to join him. “Good talk…Oni. I think we have an understanding now.” He looked at his watch. “You’d do well to hurry packing…your flight is boarding in an hour…I’d hate for you to miss it!”
I stood up, still confused over my brother’s comment earlier. “Senji…what did you mean about those who might be a problem?”
Instead of answering me, he pointed to his watch. “The clock is ticking…tick…tock…tick…tock! You have somewhere to be I think?”
I stood there for another moment, staring and unsure. Finally, I walked back to my room to pack what I needed…even though I had no idea what that was. The voices coming from the television in the bedroom just faded to something akin to white noise. I didn’t know how long I stood there…staring. I didn’t know what to think or what to do. Senji had given me an ultimatum…or was it really that at all? An ultimatum presented a choice…in this, I had none. I would have to go to Validation and I would have to ‘perform’ for my brother…and by proxy…my sister.
Up until now, I had not considered how I would fight Fujiko…I woman I had no REAL malice for, despite her brash attitude. She had no doubt about how she would perform and what she would do once the bell rang. When it was over, she would have her hand raised and then she would move on to the next challenge. For her…it was just that simple. I envied her for that. It must be nice to have things so perfectly laid out before you…
…you had that…once…you can have it again if you just stop fighting him…stop fighting us…fighting what you truly are…
Who I truly am? A criminal…a psychopath…a monster?
…words is all they are…their sum does not equal what you are or what you can be again; Senji is giving you the chance to be who you were always meant to be, all you have to do is listen…
“Listen to Senji?” I said out loud.
“Is that so bad?” Came the response in Japanese. I looked up and I had to wonder how long I had been standing there. The muscle-bound woman had packed my bag for me and stood there holding it out to me. “He cares about you and your sister…in his own way.”
I snatched the bag out of her hand, “He only cares about power…and how to get more of it!” I walked over to the television to cut it off before I left for the weekend, but I stopped with my finger just an inch from the power button as I noticed a familiar face on the news program. My mouth went dry as I watched the story play…
…28 year old semi-professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter, John Michael Kreese was found dead today in a local area hospital, amidst what police are calling suspicious circumstances. Kreese was recovering from serious injuries he sustained back in February, which left him in a coma.
The man accused of causing the injuries that put Kreese into a coma, Ito Kazama, escaped from police custody earlier this week. Police are continuing to search for Kazama and they urge caution in light of the news surrounding the fate of his alleged victim. Kazama may be armed and dangerous…
“Kreese is dead…” the words slipped out so quietly that they didn’t even seem like my own. Is this what Senji meant when he said that he would deal with those who ‘might be a problem?’ I ran out of the room and ran right up to him, “DID YOU HAVE SOMEONE ONE DO SOMETHING TO KREESE?”
Senji took the bag from my hand and absently handed it over to the nameless woman that reappeared beside him, as if by magic. “It looks like you’re ready to go…and just in time to catch our flight!”
I grabbed my brother’s arm. “What did you do Senji?!”
He glared back at me, “I did what needed to be done in order to set your mind at ease. He was a loose end…”
“If he ever woke up!” I answered, nearly beside myself.
My brother’s answer was as cold as ice. “And now you and your sweet little adopted sister don’t have to worry…ever again.” He watched as the blood slowly drained from my face. My relationship with the man hadn’t been healthy, but he didn’t deserve what happened to him. Senji stepped even closer to me, “When are you going to learn the lesson about how important family is Oni? When are you going to see that the only thing that matters…is family?”
My hand slipped off his arm and fell down limp at my side as he walked to the door and opened it for me. I didn’t want to move, but my feet betrayed me and before I knew it, I was through the door and headed out the building…on my way to Validation.
Life as I knew it had changed…and maybe not only for me, but also for those who cared about me…those who hated me…and those who hardly knew that I existed at all. In all my time in LAW…all that anyone had ever seen was who I wanted to become…but now they would all be forced to see who I was. Oni was just a nickname…and nothing more, but now that was all about to change. My brother was here and the very well being of my sisters was now in jeopardy. If I was going to stand any chance in hell of helping them I would first have to find a way to deal with Senji…and the only way to fight a monster…was to become one yourself.
Sometimes all you can do is focus on the work…so now…that is exactly what I am going to do. I am going to focus on the work that I have to do in less than 24-hours. Here I am, on the verge of the biggest match of my LAW career and all that really matters is how my life is coming down around my ears. Fujiko Mine is a great competitor…a dangerous and motivated performer that has a huge edge over me…she has the luxury of complete focus. She has the luxury of thinking about how to begin her reign, if she is fortunate enough to win on Sunday night. I haven’t even had time to digest how I would feel if my reign came to an end or if it continued.
There is no shame in losing a match, especially to the likes of Mine…but I am the LAW Champion, and that is more than a title…it is a responsibility. It wasn’t just a responsibility to LAW, but to the fans and more importantly, to my opponent and the other women in the back that want to wear the belt someday…and to those that would never even get the chance. Defending that belt is everything, to everyone! I could have given up the belt after my injury...I could have just walked away and never looked back…but where would that have left me?
I know that Evie Taylor didn’t have any love lost for me, but I truly respected her and the way she won that belt. I know that she wanted to defend that belt more than anything, but the fact of the matter was that she would never get that chance and she would always regret that. Win, lose, or draw…anything would have been better than leaving that belt in the hands of management. She would have to live with that regret forever, and I felt for her. I know that she would have done it, if it were physically possible. I worked hard to ensure that my reign didn’t end up the same way…I would defend that belt, regardless of what turmoil was going on in my life. My attention might be divided…but the importance of this moment is not lost on me.
At Validation…the LAW Championship will hang in the balance between me and a woman who knows without a shadow of a doubt that she will beat me. I would laugh at her arrogance and tell her to her face that she’s a liar…but then what would that make me? To reach the top in any sport, there is no greater ally than confidence and a touch of arrogance. Fujiko has told the world that the ending of our match is a foregone conclusion. While I might be good…she’s better. While I might be smart…she’s smarter. While I might be the champion…she’s leaving Validation as the one and only LAW Champion.
She’s a bad ass, there’s no doubt about it…but before we go too far down that road, let us not forget that telling everyone what you’re going to do is one thing…doing it is quite another. I love the fact that you’re hungry and the fact that you’ll let nothing stand in your way…but don’t think for a minute that I have brought into a moment of your hype. You claim that your time is at hand and no one deserves MY title more than you? I say that you are right about your time…it is at hand, but it’s not time for you to take my title…it’s time for you to run headlong into a buzz saw that up until this moment has been sitting idly by on the sidelines…waiting for a chance to chew someone up…and spit them out!
You think that I have been on the ‘easy track’ in LAW since winning the title at Rising Stars because of a few injuries? No, that isn’t the case at all and you are going to find that out first hand when we finally meet at Validation. I’m not the one that has had it easy…you and the entire LAW roster have been the ones that have had it easy! Broken leg, broken arm, broken fucking neck…at the end of the day, you best believe that if my name is on that LAW marquee…I am coming to the ring and I am coming locked and loaded for war!
Over the last few weeks I have had my doubts over the quality of my title reign and what it has meant for LAW. I have allowed lesser individuals to dictate the course of this company on the strength of what comes out of their mouth when they are outside the ring and sitting behind a computer sending tweets and posting selfies. I have bent my knee to a self-serving cunt of a General Manager…all in the sake of restoring peace and order to LAW. Has that made me a terrible champion…one that is in need of redeeming? It certainly does in my book…but don’t get it in your head that it ends with beating you…it doesn’t end there…that is just where it all starts!
I gave away my power because I thought that is what you had to do in order to show people what being a professional was all about. When my sister and I retaliated against the Pink Ladies for their insults and attacks, I didn’t get a pat on the back…I got a kick in the ass for not conducting business like I was suppose to. Do I have regrets? I have them everyday…but none of them are about winning the LAW Title…they are about not doing everything I should have to show arrogant shit heads why I won that belt and why they are light years from being good enough to take it away from me.
I put you in the category Mine…the ‘light years from being good enough’ category. Can you become a champion? Sure you can…look at you…you already are! But are you on my level? No…you aren’t on my level! You see this match as your chance to add another accolade to your resume…put another bullet title under your name. I’m not looking for any of that…I’m looking to show you that stepping into that ring with me means that you are not fighting for a title…you are fighting for the chance to walk out of that ring under your own fucking power!
Up until now…I have always given respect to my opponents and not torn them down. I even did that with Kate Steele, a woman that I despised for what she did to a woman that I considered a friend and an ally in Miyoko Oshiro. But you know what? I was wrong to do it with Steele…not because of what she did to Oshiro, in the end…I should have been glad because Oshiro never gave a rats ass about me or any of my sisters! I shouldn’t have given Steele or any of the others respect because they have to earn it if they want it! They have to take it if the can! I don’t agree with my brother on much of anything…but in this…he and I are starting to see eye to eye. So don’t worry about whether there is going to be any mutual respect on Sunday to worry about…that can come later…after I show you the door the same way you walked in it…empty handed!
You want to talk about not taking things personal and proving that you’re the best? Then stop talking about how much better you are than me…stop the backhanded comments…and for God’s sake, stop with the shameless self-promotion! I for one, can’t wait for this match to start…not so I can win it and send you out with your tail tucked between your legs…I just want to get some damn peace and quiet for a change! I can see no better use for your mouth than to stick my fist in it and see it swell shut for the first time in a damn month!
Maybe I am being too harsh, but I’m not being harsh at all…I am being real! I have had to sit back and listen to you and your chicken coop of cackling hens crow about this victory that is coming your way. Everyone is ready for you to walk out of Validation with my title in your hot little hands as if it is nothing but just another day in the office. Get this straight right here and right now…when you face me…you aren’t in this for just another day…you are in this for LIFE! This is what I do when I wake up in the morning…this is what I do when I go through my day…before I go to sleep at night I think about the next time I step foot in the ring…and when I dream, it is about hurting you and anyone else that has the guts to want to fight me.
Do I think that you are underestimating me? No…I think that you are just too damn stupid to know what you are up against! Up until now…I have been hiding who I am and what I can do, not because I am afraid of you or anyone else on this roster…but because I am afraid of what I will do to all of you if I don’t keep it in check! I’m not asking for you to go easy on me…I am asking you to do everything you can to make sure that I can never get my hands on you, because if you don’t…you will find out that mercy and pity are a couple of words that were never ever in my vocabulary!
You are looking for validation of your career…of your ability…of all the hard work and time that you’ve put into walking out of the ring with my title. You talk about the blood, sweat, and the tears that you’ve shed to get to this point? You aren’t done bleeding…as a matter of a fact, you haven’t even started! If you are going to sweat, I suggest that you start doing it right now, because once the bleeding starts…the only thing that will be left will be the tears you shed for realizing that you came face to face with cold, hard facts! Beating me was a lot easier to say than it was do…and sometimes being a mouthy bitch isn’t enough to get you past someone who lives to hurt you!
I live for moments like this Ms. Mine…playing the role of the spoiler! You are looking forward to raising that title high over your head and celebrating the greatest moment of your career…and I am looking forward to seeing you cry your heart out for not being quite as good as you thought you were!
You have made yourself out to be a lone wolf that no one can take down…some sort of number one draft pick that my sister and I were salivating over having as a member of our team, but here is another news flash honey, you aren’t any of those things! You have been taken down, by the same woman that you have been so dismissive of since she put you on your back…my sister, the LAW Marquee Champion! I heard you crowing on the Hot Seat about us wanting you with us…but why would we want a woman like you on our team, a woman who’s ability in the ring is as over-inflated as her bra size? I was nice enough not to put you on blast for that little bit of fiction…but I can only take so much vitamin BS before I have to tell a bitch what is what! You aren’t good enough to stand with USA…just like you weren’t good enough to stand against my sister! I’m not my sister…it’s like you said…I’m not a strategist. She’s the smart one…she fights smart…and she wins smart. She’s like an elegant katana sword that slices through the competition like a surgeons scalpel. I am like a hammer…and I hit and I hit and I hit until you don’t get up again. You asked the question…what will I do when I hit you with everything that I have and you still get up? Well…since I am just a dumb brute without a brain in my head…I guess that leaves me with smashing you to bits with my empty skull! And I’ll do it Ms. Mine…I will hurt myself to make sure that you don’t get up! I’ll send myself to the hospital, if it means sending you to the morgue!
So go ahead! Come up with an elaborate game plan and how to deal with what you think I have in store for you. What I have isn’t hard to see. I am a machine that is built to hit and hit until you can’t take getting hit anymore. You think you have prepared for whatever I can throw your way? I can hardly wait to see if that is true…because I can throw a lot your way…and I intend to throw everything I have at you at Validation.
Keep that positive outlook…I hope you still have that sunny disposition after you come up short in one more big match. Keep on thinking that you have studied enough to pass the test that I have in store for you tomorrow night…when you fail you’ll have no one to blame, but yourself!
Your journey in LAW is certainly coming to an end…but not to one paved in gold…but one that is marked by the steepest jump in competition that you have ever seen! You think that all the matches you have crowed about winning have prepared you for me? All those matches have done is laid the foundation for how much more work you still have to do when you sign on the dotted line to face me.
You aren’t the best until you beat the best…until then, you are just like all the rest! Name them all, like you love to do. Bring up Steele for the hundredth time…but you aren’t facing someone with a showy nickname like ‘Ultra Violence.’ You are facing a woman who lives in a world of actual violence! While you are looking for headlocks and bodyslams, I am looking for the most brutal way possible to separate your head from your body! Talk about Keira Fischer some more…the woman with a demon inside her. You might be wishing that you are fighting Fischer, but you’re not that damn lucky! I know a little something about demons…they don’t have girlfriends and they don’t tweet about it either…they step inside the ring and they hurt people!
You might say that I changed my tune…but I haven’t changed anything. Ask anyone you want that has ever stepped in the ring with me and they will never say that anything I just said is a lie. Have I hurt people? Yes I have! Do I like to bleed just as much as I like making others bleed? Yes I do! Have I faced down every challenger that has been put in my way…I absolutely have…and at Validation, I will add your name to that list. Don’t be sad about that…it’s a very long and illustrious list of who’s/who in this business. Besides that, you won’t to spend every waking moment telling the world that you are the best anymore, because you will have finally lost to the best…and you’ll have to shut your damn mouth about it! I can think of no higher public service than that. Congratulations to you for getting to the big dance…and here is a pat on the back for knowing that you were going to do it the entire time. Hell! I’ll even give you kudos for thinking that you’re going to beat me, after all…confidence is a virtue. But there is where it all stops for you. So very close…and yet so very far when it is all said and done! You know you can beat me…and know that you will not. Its not the circle of life…its just the cold hard truth!
Some might say that I got the toughest draw for a first title defense in history…but I say that I got another chance to show everyone in the world why I wear this belt…
…because there’s no one good enough to take it from me!
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Post by Publicist on Feb 20, 2019 11:36:16 GMT -5
My Sister's Keeper
Following the main event of Validation, I had to be physically dragged away the ring. I was so angry at having lost my championship to a woman who was so arrogant…but at the same time…I was relieved to no longer have that albatross around my neck anymore. Not that being the LAW Champion was not desirable, but the responsibility was enormous…and no matter how much I hate to admit it, I wasn’t up to the challenge of being champion and I wasn’t up to the challenge of beating Mine tonight…
...I don’t know, it sure looked like you were up to it after the match was over; if you ask me…the next time you see her inside the ring, she’ll think twice about running her mouth...
I felt a twinge of shame over what I had done…but there was also a sick sort of satisfaction as well as the old me raised its head for a moment. It had felt good to cut loose…even though in the end I didn’t leave as the winner.
After Roxi and her gang let me go…I found the darkest corner of the arena I could find as I sat on a stack of equipment boxes to attempt to clear my head. I wasn’t ready to face anyone at the moment…at least until my adrenaline levels dropped. Despite my desire for solitude, it didn’t take long before one of the LAW interviewers found me.
“Oni! Can I get a word…please!” Colin Reed came running up with his camera person in tow. I had to hold up my hand to block the camera’s light as it shone in my eyes and nearly blinded me.
“Mr. Reed…I’d really like to have a few…”
“We know you are disappointed at your loss…especially after the uncharacterist reaction you took at the end…but the fans really want your reaction.”
I started to get up and walk away, but the last thing I wanted to do was to get a call from LAW Management about disrespecting the staff. I sighed as I threw up my hands. “I lost…and I am very sorry to Ms. Mine for the way I acted after the match was over. Tonight, she was the better wrestler…and I applaud her for her win…that’s it…”
Colin nodded, “So…you can invoke your rematch. How soon do you think before you decide to do that?”
I shook my head, then shrugged my shoulders. “I’m not thinking about that right now. I am looking forward to getting back in the ring for the next show and then getting back into the flow…that’s all.”
Colin seemed a bit embarrassed to be the bearer of bad news, but still he pushed on. “Unfortunately…it doesn’t seem like you’ve been booked.”
I was surprised by the news, but I had only been booked for a single match after winning the LAW Title…and that was a tag team match. I wasn’t happy, but there was no reason for me to expect anything more. I did my best to hide my disappointment. “I guess…I can just show up and apologize to Mine for the way that I acted. No need in both of us having nothing to do first show back.”
Again, Colin seemed even more uncomfortable, “Well…Fujiko has a match…a Champion’s match in the main event…taking on your sister and Keira Fisher.”
I was shocked to my core that not only was I not booked, but Mine was booked in the main event. I felt a tinge of jealousy…and a great deal of anger welling up inside me. I clenched my fists, but I kept my composure as I responded, “Oh…well…I suppose LAW still doesn’t need me on it’s programming...unless I am tag teaming with my sister!”
“Well…I don’t know wha…”
Before I could stop myself, I was on my feet and grabbing Colin by his collar. “YOU DON’T KNOW?! OF COURSE YOU DON’T KNOW!! NO ONE FUCKING KNOWS!!”
Colin’s eyes grew wide as he looked around nervously, afraid of what I might do. SoLo ran into the scene and grabbed me from behind. “ONI!! LET HIM GO!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!”
I let him go as I backed up…still upset…but now even more embarrassed at my actions. I turned and walked away, needed to get as much distance between me and the cameras as humanly possible.
SoLo ran up behind me, grabbing my arm. “Oni! What are you doing?!! You need to calm down!! Ny needs us…you saw the way she got attacked tonight…she is still being looked at in the back.”
I was worried about my sister’s well being, but I was still upset…about losing my match, about not being booked…about playing second fiddle to my big sister. The latter made me feel even more ashamed. I shook my head as I backed away from SoLo. I was truly concerned about my sister’s welfare, but I didn’t want her to see me like this…not after what I had done after my match. I didn’t want her to see my jealousy…I didn’t want her to see…
…didn’t want her to see how much you enjoyed what you did to Mine…
I shook my head, “Song…I…I can’t…not right now.”
I turned and ran for the exit, even as I heard her calling out to me. I knew that what I was doing…what I had done, had been wrong, but looking my sister in the face was the last thing that I wanted to do at the moment. I knew that all of this was Senji’s influence, but it was like a switch had been thrown inside me that I was powerless to turn off myself. I was already embarrassed by my lie to her being exposed, and now this…it was too much and I needed to center myself before I was ready to see her again.
I burst through the doors and out into the night air, hoping to finally have the time to gather my thoughts. As I stood there for a moment, I realized how insane I had been acting. I needed to get a handle on myself…I needed to reign this all in.
“Oni…”
I froze in my tracks as I heard my brother’s voice. I turned and watched as his muscle bound goon opened the car door for him. He stepped out and regarded me coolly. “Sorry about your loss out there tonight…but I have to admit…you did it with a sense of style. You made her bleed really good…” he smiled deviously.
I rolled my eyes, “Go away Senji!” I turned and headed back towards the arena. “I’m going back inside to check on my sister.”
He ran up to me, grabbing my arm and turning me back towards him. “Hold on there sis! I don’t think that is a good idea…especially in your particular state! Maybe it’s best of you head out of here for now…get some rest.” Senji caressed the side of my face with his hand. “You’ve had a rough night…”
I jerked my arm away from him. “DON’T YOU TOUCH ME!!”
Senji’s mood immediately darkened as he grabbed me roughly by my hair and threw me into the side of the car. “I’m not asking you…I AM TELLING YOU!”
Despite being physically spent from my match, I found the energy to fight back. I twisted out of his grip and shoved him back, immediately going into a fighting stance. “I am NOT going to let you do anything to Ny!! You stay away from her!!”
Senji stepped back, his demeanor cold and unyielding. “So…this is about you trying to step up and be your sister’s keeper now? Let me tell you something Oni…we both know that I am going to get what I want in the end…no matter what. I can do it with you…or I can do it over your dead body. I don’t prefer the latter…but, things happen!”
I saw Senji’s henchwoman moving into position, but if I had to fight them both, that was just the way that it would be. “I am not going to let you touch her…I’ll die before I let you lay your hands on her!”
Senji relaxed a bit, holding up his hands. “That’s what this is all about? You don’t want me to show my sister the affection that she deserves after all this time that we have been apart?”
I spat at his feet, “You’re not going to touch her!!”
Senji walked right up and got in my face. “If you try to push me away…you’ll end up pushing her away from you as well. You know that I’m right…but maybe there is a reasonable middle ground that can been found between the two of us.” He posted his arm on the car as he blocked me from leaving. “I won’t touch her…I won’t touch your friends…but you and I…it will be like old times between us. Show me that you can be the Oni that I still know is inside…” He traced his finger down the center of my chest, then stopped as he looked me in the my eyes, “…and in return…it’s hands off, what do you say?”
I knew that it was a horrible deal, but until I was able to convince my sister otherwise, I didn’t see a lot of options. I swatted his hand away, “You stay away from them…Song and Alex as well!”
Senji grabbed me, shoving me against the side of the car. “I SAID NO TOUCHING…PERIOD!! If that isn’t good enough for you…”
I raised my hands, “No touching! Fine…just…just don’t!”
Senji nodded to his muscle and she opened the car door next to me. Senji gestured, “Get in the car…”
I looked back at the arena, knowing that Nyako would be wondering why I left without saying a word to her. She would see the interview with Colin Reed…and things would look horrible for me. I looked back at my brother, but there was no compassion there. He had an agenda, and he would follow through on his threats to Song, Alex, and both of their families if I didn’t follow along…at least for now. The sacrifice I made was worth it…to spare my sisters…at least until I found a way to deal with my brother…once and for all.
I stepped into the car and closed my eyes…shutting out the world as Senji slid into the seat beside me, slipping his arm over my shoulder. He put his mouth close to my ear, “I’m only doing this for the good of my family…” He grabbed the side of my face and turned my head, forcing me to look at him. “…you understand, right?”
I wanted to pull my head away…but I didn’t. “I understand…” I turned my head away and shut off the rest of the world…I’d be doing this a lot more in the future…but it was all for the good of my family…because I was now my sister's keeper...
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Post by Publicist on Feb 20, 2019 11:38:00 GMT -5
CTN INSIDER MAGAZINE
June 2015 Issue
Features
Nyako Shinsuzuki: Page 38 Since her arrival in LAW, “The Korean Natural Disaster” has been flawless in big match situations. She captured The Marquee Championship from Gabby Camacho in November of 2014 and has had a death grip on the belt every since. Nyako proved her dominance again right after another successful title defense against Kate Steele by defeating The LAW Breakout Champion, Keira Fisher and The LAW World Champion, Fujiko Mine in a three-way Champions match. With victories over former and current champions, what’s next for this seemingly unstoppable wrecking machine?
Fujiko Mine: Page 7 “Lady Luck’s” first in-ring outing as LAW Champion was spoiled after being defeated by Nyako Shinsuzuki for a second time, but she isn’t burying her head in the sand. Despite stumbling out of the blocks, she has set her sights on one goal, becoming the best damn LAW Champion that the company has ever seen! Challengers are lining up, but Fujiko is ready…and she has a Luck Shot ready and waiting for each of them. Find out who our experts have picked to be next in line for a shot at the top prize in the sport!
Keira Fisher: Page 14 The newly crowned Breakout Champion won the title in controversial fashion after the interference of Sidney Grey, but she has vowed not to let that stop her from proving that she’s the rightful champion. Keira was a whisper away from winning the 3-Way Champions match after laying out the LAW Champion, but again outside interference reared its ugly head. Is Keira destined to have an asterisk beside every match as champion? Not if she has anything to say about it!
Kate Steele: Page 42 “Miss Ultra Violence” failed to defeat Nyako for the Marquee Championship at Validation, but she didn’t let that stop her from claiming the belt. She has had her heart set on winning that title for several months, but has come up short at every opportunity. Will her latest ploy earn her yet another shot at the strap…and if she gets her chance…will she be able to capitalize? Our fan poll reveals what our readers think!
Oni Kymiku: Page 22 The former LAW Champion snapped and viciously attacked Fujiko Mine after their title match at Validation, leaving the new Champion a bloody mess. Many fans were shocked by her actions, but they saw that it was not an isolated incident, as Oni went after Fujiko a second time at LAW 28…though with a vastly different outcome. No one knows what’s inside the mind of this former fan favorite. After attacking the LAW Champion and an apparently falling out with her sister, the LAW Marquee Champion, is she looking for another championship opportunity…or is she merely headed down a path of self-destruction?
Sidney Grey: Page 30 Fans and LAW stars alike were shocked when perennial heel Sidney Grey was run down in a cowardly hit and run attack at LAW 28. Rumors and finger pointing have rubbed nerves raw since the attack and many of Sid’s adversaries have found themselves under intense scrutiny. Head of LAW Security, Roxi Johnson has taken up the cause of finding out who was truly behind the attack before the accusations tear the entire company apart!
Plus Much More!!
- CTN Insider Centerfold -
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Post by Publicist on Feb 20, 2019 11:41:31 GMT -5
It's Complicated (Some Mature Themes)
I stood in the well-apportioned bathroom of my twin brother, which was larger than my entire SoHo apartment and I wondered what was happening to me. I reached out with my hand and wiped away the condensation from the large mirror and revealed my reflection; a massive bruise to the side of my face to go with my swollen and blackened eye. I had been a victim of yet another Lucky Shot from Fujiko Mine…this last one, certainly well deserved. I shook my head as I raked my hair over my face to hide the damage…
…that bitch got off her last Lucky Shot against us, it will be our turn next time…and she won’t be getting up again…
I had never welcomed my inner voice before, but in recent weeks I had learned to appreciate it more and more. Human contact was at a premium for me…so I was now my own best company. I had not seen my sister since her last match, in which she had immerged as the victor, proving that she was the greatest champion of LAW’s trinity of titleholders. Her win might have been facilitated by Keira Fisher dropping Mine in the center of the ring…but in the end, the result was the same. Ny took advantage of Mine where I could not at Validation.
I had to admit it…there was a bit of jealousy in me. Mine and I had fought tooth and nail for the LAW title, but in the end I was unable to land my best shot and keep her down. I had to respect it…I didn’t like it…but I had to respect it. When my sister did what I could not do…for a second time I might add…the green-eyed monster inside me reared its ugly head. I confronted Mine in the ring…taunting her with the LAW Title, which she snatched out of my hands…just like she snatched it from me at Validation. My anger boiled over and I hit her…intending to deliver my finisher to her and leave her laying, but Ny stepped in…stopping me short and leaving me open for yet another ‘Lucky Shot.’
To say that I was upset with Ny would be an understatement…but my love for my sister was not diminished. Could I fight her? Would I fight her? Oh yes…that I could and that I would on Sunday night if my hand was forced, but there were other factors at play here…and I would have to deal with them as well.
Kate Steele was my partner for the night. She was a woman that I had little love lost for. She had been a thorn in the side of my sister and I for months, and now she was running around LAW with my sister’s title…attacking her at will. I didn’t know what Lucas was thinking by pairing me with that red-headed buffoon, but if she thought for a moment that I wouldn’t drop her on her fucking head the first chance I got…then she was sadly mistaken. No matter what problems my sister and I were having, her blood was the same as the blood that coursed through my veins. If Steele was dumb enough to turn her back on me, it would be the last mistake that she ever made. However, she was just a target of opportunity…there was someone else that I wanted to get my hands on even worse.
Fujiko Mine was the lightning rod for my rage and anger. Right or wrong, she had been inserted into the equation…and now it was time to show her just how dangerous I could really be. Her win over me was hardly a fluke…I would never say that. She beat me right in the middle…1, 2, 3…but things were far from being settled between us. Her wonderful ego stuck in my craw and all I wanted to do was punch her in the mouth over and over until my arm got tired or my fist shattered her skull. Either one was acceptable to me.
The fact that she had the LAW Title no longer mattered to me…if I was meant to be the champion, the belt would come to me in time. Whether I destroyed Mine in a one on one rematch or I ended up going against the woman who won it from her…it was of little consequence. All that mattered at the moment was the fact that I was filled with rage and Mine was going to be the vessel in which I would pour my all into. Unfortunate for her…
…that bitch is going to find out that being lucky once can bring you gold…but trying to live on luck will just get you beaten black and blue…
So lost had I become in my thoughts that I didn’t notice that I was no longer alone. I felt a hand brush across my bare shoulders, and I closed my eyes, covering my bare breasts behind crossed arms.
“You surveying the damage that bitch did to you?” Senji grabbed my shoulders, turning me to face him. He looked at me, tilting his head to see through my tangled mass of black hair. “Move your hair…”
I threw back my head, not wanting to remove my arms, but the dampness from the shower worked against me. My hair stuck to my face in long tangled strands. For my failure, I received a sharp smack to the side of my face. The blow stung me, but I was thankful that it was not to the side where Mine had left the massive bruise.
“Move your fucking hair.” Senji repeated, but his tone was low and even. That is what was the most frightening about him…you never knew when he was angry or when he wasn’t…
…why you being such a bitch, move your goddamn hair…
I gnashed my teeth as I brought my hands up, revealing my nakedness. I pulled back my hair quickly, then crossed my arms over myself again. “There!” I said, curtly.
He looked at the side of my face and my swollen eye and frowned. “Eeyah! That’s a bad one sis.” He rubbed the back of his hand against the side of my face, causing my bruise to sing out its discomfort as I winced. His face grew deadly serious as he added, “You want the bitch dead…it can certainly be arranged.”
…yes… “NO!” I responded quickly, my eyes no longer down cast, but fixed on his.
He met my gaze and smiled, ever so subtly. He ran his hand down the side of my face, across my neck and down to my crossed arms. He grabbed my arms and yanked them down to my sides, exposing me once again. His gaze was piercing as his eyes fixed to mine. “Don’t hide from me…ever.”
I closed my eyes and turned my head away from him. I wanted to be anywhere right now…just not right here with him. I could feel his eyes roaming over me…as if he were touching me with his hands. Before long…I actually did feel his hands on me…
…don’t fight…
He turned me and pushed me against the sink, forcing my head against the mirror. I gripped the porcelain so hard that my nails cracked. I wanted to cry, but anger wouldn’t let me…
…you know that this is all Nyako’s fault…it should be her here…
That is exactly what I told myself, even as the rhythmic pace of my debasement began. I wasn’t angry at my sister for this…I was glad that it was me here and not her, as I knew Senji wanted. This was nothing for me…I had survived much worse in Japan…but I also knew that he was just getting started. He would do his best to break me…to reawaken the demon inside me. He was going to play me against my sister…and that was something I would never allow. I would endure whatever humiliation he had in store for me if it meant sparing her his attention…
…it will get worse…
So be it. The demon inside me had been awoken long before he began to play his games, and what was more, my demon served no master but it’s own sick desires. Senji may have had designs on bending me to his purpose…using me as his weapon, but for now all he had done was set loose something inside me that would take his cruelty in all its many forms and project it outward.
Nyako would never believe what I said about Senji…not without seeing what his cruelty would do first hand. So…where words failed, action would now be the method by which I got my point across to her. I surrendered myself to spare her for the time being…how long…I couldn’t say.
I would endure this…for now…
SOHO New York City …a few days later…
It had been weeks since I had finally been allowed out of my brother’s sight, and now that I had finally been able to come back to my apartment to pick up a few things, I was relishing it. The air around the neighborhood had never been particularly pleasing to me, but now it smelled as sweet as anything I could remember. Once, the sounds of the people and cars all around were stifling to me, now…I welcomed it all. It had been a long time since I had enjoyed anything at all, and it was not until I had lost it that I had learned to appreciate what I had.
The same could be said of the LAW Championship. I had not appreciated it…not until it had been taken from me. It was a burden that I had not been ready for…one that I did not value. Others carried their belts everywhere they went…I left the title in the closet or in my suitcase. It had rarely seen the light of day when it was in my possession. I remember the moment when my back hit the mat and the referee counted to three…I suddenly felt as light as a feather, a burden had suddenly been lifted from me. I should have thanked Fujiko Mine for relieving me of it…but I didn’t.
Instead, I savaged her in the ring…taking out months of frustration on a woman who had done nothing to me directly…only taken verbal jabs where she could. If I were to be honest, I think that it was jealousy. She was going to do something with that title that I never could…make it mean something more than a way stop for retirement or obscurity. Only Kate Steele was still here after holding that title…and she was now only returning to any sort of prominence in LAW. All the rest were gone…even I was on the edge of falling off the proverbial map.
I had failed LAW as its Champion…I had failed myself as a wrestler…and I think I wanted to see Mine fail as well, just so I could tell myself that it wasn’t me…it was that albatross that had been put around my waist that had pulled me down. It was a lie…and I knew it…that is why I attacked her after our match…that is why I attacked her again after her triple threat match. Jealousy…the green-eyed monster had reared its ugly head.
Had my brother not arrived to stoke the fire that had gone out inside me…I might have been able to smile and shake Mine’s hand and tell her ‘congratulations and good luck’ after our match…but I could no longer hide my true face behind a false smile. My failure and inadequacy had been exposed by Mine’s Lucky Shot and now I was lashing out. Mine didn’t deserve what I had done…but she was a convenient target for my aggression at LAW 28…and she would be again at LAW 29.
The only thing that complicated matters was the fact that my sister would be in her corner this time. For the first time I would face off against her…and part of me was excited by the prospect. Not because I wanted to find out who was better…I already knew the answer to that question, she was the most dominant champion in LAW history…arguably. No…I wanted her to see how good it felt to cut loose…to really just cut loose inside the ring. Having Mine’s blood on my hands was intoxicating…and I wanted Nyako to get a taste of that for herself.
“So…this is where you live?”
I paused, taken out of my musing by the voice of the muscle-bound woman that served as my brother’s right hand. I stared at her stupidly…because she had asked a stupid question. “No, this is the White House, I was hoping to stop by and talk to the President about the Affordable Health Care Act before I headed over to get my stuff.”
She eyed me carefully, “I thought the White House was in Washington.”
I rolled my eyes and threw up my hands, turning my attention back to the task at hand. I headed into my building and boarded the elevator. For the entire ride up, all I could do was stare at the woman, wondering what her deal was. Finally, I gave in and asked her. “What exactly is it that you do for my brother?”
The woman folded her massive arms. “I do whatever he needs done…and I do it without complaint. Things would go easier for you if you did the same.”
Her words stung me a bit, as I got the feeling that she knew way too much about me and my brother. I narrowed my eyes, “So…you’re like his slave or something?”
She didn’t hesitate as she answered, “If that is what he requires of me.”
I rolled my eyes, “Stupid fucking sow…”
I could tell that she heard me, but she didn’t respond to my little jab. It was clear that she wasn’t there to keep me in line, but to make certain that I didn’t try to run off or to do something my brother didn’t approve of.
As soon as I reached my floor I headed right for my apartment, but to my dismay I saw a familiar face there by my door, and my heart began to pound so hard in my chest that I thought my breastbone would crack in two. For an instant, I was torn on what I should do…I couldn’t turn away and I couldn’t ignore him, so I did the next best thing.
“Dillon!” I spoke up, alerting the detective to my presence. He turned and started to speak, but I rushed up to him and threw my arms around him and kissed him hard on the mouth. I felt him tense and try to push me away, but I held on tight, eventually breaking the lip lock long enough to whisper in his ear, “Play along…its not safe.” Only when I felt him relax a bit did I finally pull away from him.
Detective Dillon raised his hand to wipe his mouth, but instead he turned it into an awkward wave at the woman who accompanied me. “Hey…errr…who’s your friend?”
I turned to my warden and shrugged, “To be honest…I have no idea what her name is. I whistle…and like a dog…she just comes running right up to me.”
It gave me a secret sense of satisfaction to see the merest eye twitch from the woman. It was nice to see that something could get to her. She looked Dillon up and down and then spoke. “Jun.”
“Jun? No last name?” he asked.
“It’s just Jun.” She responded.
I looked at Dillon and shrugged, “Don’t feel bad…I didn’t know what her name was either until you asked.” I pulled out my keys and opened my door, holding it open for the detective. Jun started to walk in as well, but I stepped in front of her. “Would you mind staying out here?” I glanced over my shoulder at Dillon, then turned back to her, biting my lip. “I’d like to spend a little time with my friend if you don’t mind.”
Jun frowned, the first time I saw her show any real emotion. “Your brother won’t be happy about this.”
“So…don’t tell him, bitch!” I walked into my apartment and slammed the door in her face. I stood with my back to the door, locking it from behind as I looked at the detective. I put a single finger to my lips, signaling to him to stay quiet. I knew that Jun would be listening by the door, maybe even trying to look through the peephole from the outside. I took him by his hand and pulled him back to the bedroom.
As we got there, he pulled away from me. “How far are we playing this Ms. Shinsuzuki?”
Admittedly, his comment stung me. “What’s wrong? You don’t find me attractive?”
He blanched a bit, “Tell me what’s going on here.” He turned and nodded towards the door. “Does Mount Fuji out there work for your brother?”
“Yes…” I walked over and reached under my bed for my suitcase, but before I knew it I was being throw hard down to the floor and Dillon was on top of me, holding me in place. I glared at him, “Change your mind about how far you wanted to play this?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” He reached over and pulled the bag out from under my bed, opening it up and finding it empty. He turned back to me, “You could have been going for a gun.”
I chuckled, “And you could be rounding third base…looks like we are both going to be disappointed, huh?” He swallowed hard, then stood up, offering me his hand. I ignored it as I got to my feet and tossed my bag on my bed. I started towards my dresser, then stopped as I looked at him. “I was about to pack some clothes…but if you want, you’re welcome to rifle through my panties…in case I have a gun, car bomb, or a pack of condoms hidden in there.”
Dillon walked over, standing inches in front of my face, then he turned and pulled open my drawers and gave them a cursory glance, then nodded. “Go ahead.”
I rolled my eyes as I muttered under my breath, “…asshole…”
“What do you expect me to do? I know your history…and I know your brother’s history as well. The two of you are dangerous criminals!”
I grabbed a handful of clothes and haphazardly dumped them into my bag. “I have never been convicted of a crime.”
He shrugged, “Maybe…but only criminals have files on them as thick as the two of you. Now that you two are here in the States…it is only a matter of time before I get to be the one to make the title of criminal official.”
“Good luck with that detective. Trust me, my brother didn’t get to where he is by being stupid.” I opened my closet door and stood aside, inviting him to check it.
Dillon walked over and flipped through my things before stepping back and nodding for me to get what I was after. “Okay…so it’s obvious that Jun is here to guard you…but who is she protecting you from?”
I grabbed a few more of my things. “She’s protecting me from myself…and I guess I’m protecting you from him now.”
He laughed out loud at this. “Wow! The world has really gone to shit now! Criminals are protecting the cops? What’s next, cats and dogs sleeping together? Sounds like a sign of the apocalypse.”
“Funny!” I rolled my eyes at him. “Look detective…my brother is every bit the criminal that you think he is…and probably more, but him being here in America isn’t for what you think it is.”
This peaked his interest. “So…spill it! What is he here for?”
I looked at him, considering how much I should say to him, then I turned back to my suitcase, closing it. “Its complicated detective.” I picked up my bag and started towards the door.
He blocked my way, reaching down and taking the bag out of my hand. “I hope you’re not planning on leaving town.”
Leaving town sounded heavenly to me, but there was no way in hell that he was keeping me from going to LAW on Sunday night. I wasn’t leaving my sister alone. I leaned in close to the detective, “You scared you’re going to miss me?”
He chuckled, “Hardly, but I want you to tell me what the hell is going on! You drag me in here, but you’re not telling me anything!”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “Look, you have the equation half right. My brother is dangerous…but only to people who get in his way.”
“Am I in his way?” Dillon asked, surveying me closely.
I ran my hands over my face and let loose an exasperated sigh. “No…but you could be. Look, my brother is here to take me and my sister with him back to Japan.” I reached for my bag.
He pulled the bag out of my reach, still staring at me. “Like for a vacation?”
“Like forever.” I responded. I planted my hands on my hips. “Can I please have my bag?”
He ignored my request. “But you don’t want to go.” He thought about it for a moment, “So…is he kidnapping you?”
Senji was doing a lot of things, but kidnapping wasn’t one of them. “You know my brother’s history…and apparently you know mine. I escaped that lifestyle when I came here…I have no desire to return to it and I don’t want my sister pulled into it either!”
He shook his head, “You are making ZERO sense to me right now!”
”My brother doesn’t think or operate like anyone you know. He has his sights set on me and my sister right now. He won’t hurt us…” That was a lie, and I knew it when I said it, but I had little choice in the matter. “You on the other hand…a policeman…”
“I’m a detective.” He responded curtly.
I reached over and snatched my bag out of his hand. “You’re a fucking shithead right now! My brother doesn’t care for authority…so I’m saving you from yourself. You should really stay away from us…okay?”
He leaned against the door jam, folding his arms. “Breaking up with me so soon? Was it the kiss?”
I smiled, and it was genuine, but I willed it away. “Do yourself a favor…stop looking into my brother. If you don’t…he’s going to start looking into you.” I maneuvered past him and headed to the front door, pausing there as I waited for him to come and open it.
He walked over and unlocked it, looking down at me for a moment, then opened the door. I stepped out and Jun was standing there, glaring at me. Dillon pulled the door closed behind us and put his hand on my shoulder, leaning down as he kissed me on my cheek. “So…when am I going to see you again?”
I could tell by Jun’s death stare that she had already called Senji and told him about my…boyfriend. I turned to him, “Sorry…we’re breaking up.” I handed Jun my bag and walked away from them as I headed to the elevator.
Dillon followed us to the door and started to step in with us, but I put my hand on his chest and pushed him back out. He stood there, staring at me. “I hope this isn’t about another guy.”
I hit the button to close the door. “Don’t worry…you’ll find someone better someday.” The door closed and the elevator started down.
Jun, still holding my bag, turned and stared at me. “We didn’t know you had a boyfriend.”
I shrugged, not even looking at her. “I didn’t know your name until today.”
She turned away from me, casting her gaze to the doors. “Jun isn’t my real name.”
What a coincidence, Dillon wasn’t my real boyfriend. I balled up my hands, turning them into fists at my side. Senji wasn’t going to be happy about this and he would certainly take it out on me, but that was better than what he would do if he found out that Dillon was a cop who was investigating him. I had no doubt that Senji would find out who Dillon was eventually, but until then…I could buy a bit more time.
Instead of worrying about my brother and his jealousy, I turned my attention back to LAW. On Sunday night I would find myself in a match with three women which had no love lost for each other…one of them was my sister…and the question of her love for me was anything but assured. I’d find out once the match began. Either my sister was with me…or she was against me. There was no middle ground here.
I was sacrificing myself soul to keep her safe from our brother…but if she picked the wrong side on Sunday night…I don’t know who’ll be able to keep her safe from me!
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Post by Publicist on Feb 20, 2019 11:46:57 GMT -5
Fracturing The Bonds with Nyako and Alex Yin
Following the wild finish of the main event, I stalked the backstage area of the arena, still angry and spoiling for a fight. I needed to get myself under control before I departed. Tonight’s match had solved nothing, but things were moving forward as if there had been some sort of resolution. Kate Steele was still in possession of my sister’s championship title and Fujiko Mine was still walking around LAW, acting as arrogant and cocky as ever!
I didn’t like it…I didn’t like it one fucking bit!
“ONI!” I turned to see SoLo running up to me, with a look of concern on her face. She held her phone up so I could see her Twitter banter with Kenzi and half of the LAW roster. “LOOK! Kenzi is trying to sign with LAW! She wants to fight Keira Fisher!”
I rolled my eyes, not giving a damn. “Song…do you think I care about any of that right now?! Did you see what just happened out there in my match!”
SoLo pulled the phone back, a look of hurt on her face. “Oni…she’s my friend…”
I folded my arms across my chest. “Well…that’s great for you, but she’s not my fucking friend, so…I don’t give a flying fuck what she does!” I could see the hurt in SoLo’s eyes at the harshness of my words and while it did bother me, the annoyance I felt was far greater. I sighed, “Jesus Song! She’s a grown ass woman! If she wants to run around here and get punched in the fucking face for a paycheck, LET HER! She’s none of my fucking business!”
Tears appeared in her eyes as she stared at me. “Her mother is responsible for brining you here! I know you don’t care about Sid…but her daughter is innocent and you should at least want to do something…for me if nothing else!”
I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm as I responded as bluntly as I could. “People act like I owe Grey a debt of gratitude for getting me signed with LAW..I don’t! Grey has been the biggest piece of shit walking the halls of the company and now that she is gone, it should be nothing but happy days! All this non-sense about who hit her is stupid!” I chuckled, “I hope they find the person who did it, so I can shake their goddamn hand!” I walked up on SoLo, getting right in her face as I poked her hard in her chest, “Fuck Grey and fuck her dumb-ass kid!” If you can't understand any of that...fuck you too Song!
SoLo stumbled back, staring at me wide-eyed, “Oni…?”
It did hurt me to say those things to her, but I needed her to distance herself from me. It wasn’t safe for her…it wasn’t safe for anyone so long as my brother was near. He has promised to stay away from her and the rest of my friends, but if they sought me out…all bets would be off. This was just the way that things had to be. I was going to exile myself from my sisters…until I found a way to deal with Senji.
Maleek Raheem had come to the arena in the hopes of surprising Nyako and taking her out on the town afterwards. That was what boyfriends did, and if he was ever going to be considered one…he needed to get an early start.
When he happened on the commotion in the back between Oni and SoLo, he considered staying out of it…but since these were essentially the two people Nyako cared most about in the world, he felt obligated to get involved. He ran over, stepping between the two. “HEY! Cool out! What’s goin’ on here? I don’t know why yall’ are beefin’ but I think the enemy is in th’ ring…not between th’ two of you!”
It felt strange trying to play peacemaker all of a sudden, but Nyako had affected him in ways that he couldn’t have imagined. He really was head over heels for her and right now he didn’t care who knew it.
I didn’t know what Raheem was doing here, and frankly I didn’t give a damn…but it was irritating to me. I slapped his hand away from me, “FUCK OFF!! I don’t need or WANT you in my business! Take your ass back to CTN where you can screw up everyone’s lives from the comfort of your offices!”
I narrowed my eyes, “And while you are there, tell VanReardon that I said fuck her as well!”
I heard the commotion coming from the locker room and recognized the voice of my sister and Maleek inside. I had heard him trying to get between whatever was happening between my sister and Song who I could hear whimpering inside. I had wanted to attempt to try to talk to Oni following g our match but hearing the tone in her voice from outside in the hall knew it wasn’t going to be welcomed. I hesitate to go in the room but when she told Maleek to fuck off I decided enough was enough.
“What in the fucking hell is your problem Oni?! Why in the fuck are you acting like this all of a sudden? At first I wanted to believe it was because you were reverting to your former self and all this time you’ve been putting on a false front to deceive me. But if that was the case you wouldn’t have hesitated to try to beat the hell out of me in the ring.”
I look at Song huddled in on herself, seemingly scared of what is happening and I look at Maleek who I notice is trying his hardest to keep his cool. I put a hand on his arm to try to calm him a bit and motion to him to comfort Song for me. He moves closer to her, seemingly trying to shield her from more of Oni’s wrath.
I step up to my sister and get right in her face, tired of the lies and the bullshit. “What the fuck is going on? I want the fucking truth for once out of you and not just a partial one but the whole fucking thing. The person I’ve known over this past year would not snap at Song like you did even if you were getting frustrated and you damn well wouldn’t have said fuck her to her either.”
My voice was quivering with fear and anger but I was growing tired of what had happened between us.
It took everything inside me not to rush to Nyako and embrace her…to tell her everything that I had been through since our brother had surfaced, but I managed to remain resolute. My face betrayed no emotion…even though my heart was shattering into a million pieces inside me. If I thought that there was a chance in hell that talking to her would solve this…I would have done it gladly, but we had been here and we had done that. She had made her position on the subject clear…there was no debating that.
I didn’t back down from her, I matched her aggressive posture with one of my own. “You aren’t going to believe a fucking word that I say…so why ask me anything?!” I looked at SoLo and the look on her face made me want to vomit. I loved her and didn’t want to see her hurt…if she stayed near me, it would only be a matter of time.
If I was going to protect her, I needed to sever all ties. I opened my mouth and let the venom out. “Song…you’re fired! I don’t need or want some crybaby as my business manager! Maybe Ny will hire you…just don’t ever make the mistake of never telling a lie…she’ll never forgive you!”
I turned and glared at Nyako, hoping my vile behavior was enough to cut this short. I turned to head off, but she grabbed my arm to stop me. I jerked away from her and stuck my finger in her face. “DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME!! I’LL…”
“Whoa! Easy now…what’s the problem here?”
I froze at the sound of our brother’s voice. This is what I wanted to avoid. I didn’t want him around my sisters…that was our agreement, but he was breaking it and it was all my fault for lingering too long. I turned to him, “It’s nothing…a minor disagreement is all.”
Senji stared at me until I averted my gaze, then he looked at Nyako. “We are family…we shouldn’t be fighting one another. If we have a disagreement, we should sit down together and work through it. Blood is thicker than water…”
He paused as he glanced in Song’s direction. I nearly charged at him, but I caught myself…knowing how it would be perceived. “Senji…take me out of here…please.”
He looked at me and his expression said it all, I was overruled. “I’ll take you…but not with our family torn to pieces.” He looked over at SoLo. “Especially my new sister…Song Xu Lo, is it?” He moved to extend his hand to her.
“I SAID THAT I WANT TO LEAVE!” I screamed, knowing how crazy it made me sound, and not caring.
Somehow if there's a wrong place and a wrong time. Alex Yin will be there with alarming punctuality. Skipping around in high spirits after her victory and holding Chewie in the palms of her hand, Alex was suddenly taken aback by Oni's appearance. She'd heard rumblings of Oni's darker outlook as of late but had stayed out of her way for that exact reason. Still, on this occasion, joviality overtook common sense with alarming speed.
Alex: Hola, amigos! What's with all the fussin' and the feudin'?
Turned to see Alex standing there and for an instant I felt like an unarmed sheepherder trying to protect a flock of blind sheep from the Big Bad Wolf. I started to turn my venom on her as well, but Senji walked over to me, putting his arm round me, willing me to be silent and I did. “We will go once cooler heads have prevailed.”
He looked at Alex, “Alex…Yin?” He smiled, coyly. “Such a pleasure to meet my sister’s friends.” As he stuck his hand out to her, my jaw tightened. “This must be Chewie…” Even as he reached out, I saw Chewie pull away from his touch. Apparently animals had a great sense of good and evil.
Senji smiled, laughing it off. “Shy…?”
Alex instantly took to comforting her furry companion.
Alex: He can be. He can be really friendly too but the poor thing has been through a lot lately.
Chewie starts to tremble as his grip on Alex starts to tighten.
Alex: He loves his mummy. That's me. I'm Alex. Who are you?
Senji looked around at the women surrounding him and answered, in a tone that made my skin crawl. “Looks like I am your long lost brother…from another mother of course.” He chuckled, “Sorry for the poor joke…I am Senji Shinsuzuki, and Nyako and Kymiku are my sisters.”
He nodded towards SoLo, “That includes Song.” He turned back to Alex, smiling broadly. “You as well, Ms. Yin.”
I stepped forward, “If we are done here…I think we all have planes to catch! I don’t want to be here any longer than I have to!”
I know my tone was harsh, but I didn’t want any of my sisters getting to know Senji anymore than they had to. He was cross to bare…not theirs.
Raheem stepped forward, doing what he could to defuse things. He put his arm over Nyako’s shoulder, giving her a reassuring hug. “I chartered a flight here to surprise Ny…but there is plenty of room for anyone who wants to come. I was just goin’ to take her out someplace nice.” He looked at Oni and then Senji. “No pressure…just wanna keep th’ peace is all.”
Senji gave him a questioning glance, and he removed his arm from Nyako and reached out, shaking the man’s hand. “Maleek Raheem bro…but you can call me Raheem.” He nodded to Nyako, “I’m Ny’s boyf…” He paused when he felt Nyako tense up next to him, so he amended his introduction. “I’m a close friend of yo’ Sis.”
When Senji’s grip tightened, Raheem matched it, his eyes not leaving those of Nyako’s little brother.
Alex was not always the best at sensing tension and so with an arched eyebrow, she proceeded with caution, easing Chewie into the backpack "pouch" she had strapped to her front. She turned to Senji.
Alex: So...I don't get it. You're our boss? But I haven't...
Alex's brain suddenly got a flashback of Oni telling Alex about her upbringing. Alex didn't know if Senji was a part of that, but he gave the creeps. Slowly, Alex turned to Maleek and Nyako.
Alex: Guys, can I fly with you?
I watched as my brother looked at Alex and then at me, finally releasing his prolonged handshake with Raheem. He pondered the girl’s statement about him being my ‘Boss.’ It wasn’t entirely inaccurate, since Senji was now the head of our Yakuza family. Thankfully, Alex’s short attention span moved on to Raheem and Nyako, so there was no further discussion of the matter.
Besides, I had no idea how he’d answer such a question. I was curious…but not curious enough to stay.
Raheem put is arm back around Nyako and it became apparent to me that things were serious between them. The fact that she hadn’t pushed his face through to the back of his head was evidence enough of that. I didn’t like it…but seeing that my brother liked it even less made it tolerable…for the moment.
“Yeah…of course you can roll wit’ us Shorty!” He turned to me and Senji, “The offer is open fo’ yall too.”
Senji answered quickly, “I’d love to…but…I’m afraid that I have other things to attend to here before I can go.”
I wanted to fly back with them…to be apart of the group again…but to do so was dangerous for them. I needed to keep my distance. “Great…lets get out of here.” I moved to leave, hoping to end this as quickly as possible.
I looked at Oni and saw how much she was trying to rush out of the room, more so even when Senji came in. I knew something was up and wanted to get to the bottom of it but Oni kept throwing up walls to make it difficult.
It hurt me when she said I didn’t want to listen to the truth about things. What did she expect though since she had lied to me over and over and over again the past years? Even this past year we’ve been together where I thought we got past our old issues, she still insisted on lying to me. The keeping things from me I understood; didn’t like but understood. Oni had always been a person to keep personal things bottled up and tried to deal with them on her own instead of think someone would find her weak if she asked for help. But the lying and deceit about Senji’s fate was something I don’t think I could ever get over especially when she wouldn’t just tell me everything.
Even after the truth was revealed she was cryptic about it. Just warning me to stay away from him. Yes he owned up to me about being a bad man and for that I felt he was being a bit more honest with me than Oni. But when I would ask Oni to expand on it she would go off the handle and tell me to trust her.
My little sister telling me to trust her, treating me like I’m the child in all of this. That is one reason I felt I couldn’t be around her lately because every time I thought of her it made me more and more angry. But tonight showed me something else from her, something I thought at first was an apperation but proved to be real.
“I insist you both come with us. I’m sure your plans can be taken care of later dear brother. Aren’t you the one who said you didn’t want family to go away angry with each other?”
I could sense Oni tensing up. I know what she was doing with Song, she was trying to distance herself from her just like she was doing with me. Again she thought she was trying to save us from what ever but instead just made things worse. I didn’t like the way she handled Song and I would have to tell her about herself at another time. But for now I needed her to come clean with me. IF it wasn’t now I was damn sure I’d make it happen sooner or later.
“Please, for your older sister?”
I didn’t know what game my sister was playing at, if it was even a game at all…but her insistence on bringing Senji along with them was the last thing that I wanted. As for him…this was just what he was hoping for, I was sure. I could tell by his body language that he was preparing to graciously accept Nyako’s offer…so I did the only thing that I could do to break this up…
I pushed past Senji, glaring at Raheem as I yanked his arm away from my sister. “What in the hell is going on here?!” I turned to Nyako, “Don’t tell me that you two are screwing?!! Especially after you have seen what CTN has been willing to do to me…TO YOU EVEN!!”
Before she could say anything, I turned and I smacked Raheem in the face as hard as I could. Senji grabbed me and pulled me back as I kicked and screamed…more for show than out of actual anger. It hurt me to do what I did…even though I despised Raheem, I could clearly see that he made my sister happy. Were it not for Senji…I might have seen my way through to tolerating him, but for now…he was a means to an end.
As Senji pulled me back, I could feel anger radiating off of him like a blast furnace. There was no way that he was going to go with them now, I had to be taught a lesson for my insolence. I feared what he would do to me…but I feared what he could do to my sisters even more. They would all hate me…so be it. I was willing to be hated in order to spare them.
Senji held me back, and looked at Nyako apologetically. “I don’t think I will be able to come with you…apparently our sister has some issues that she needs to work though! I’ll see her back home since she won’t travel with the group.” He glanced over at Raheem, as he checked the inside of his mouth to make sure he still had all of his teeth. Senji gave him a head nod, but nothing more. He was jealous of Raheem…I could see it in him as plain as day.
He looked at the rest of the girls and nodded, “Nice to meet all of you…I’m sorry for…for…all of this!” He put his arm around me and I turned and left with him, content in my sacrifice…even if they didn’t see it for what it was.
He leaned his head in close to mine, whispering to me so only I could hear. “Well played Oni…but you know I’m going to make you regret this.”
I knew…but his displeasure put a smile on my face. He could do what he wanted for now…he would only be able to do it to me.
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Post by Publicist on Feb 20, 2019 11:48:57 GMT -5
Flight Home with Nyako and Alex Yin
On the plane back from LAW 29, I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on with my sister and my brother. She had tried her hardest to tell me to stay away from him, saying he was nothing but pure evil yet she spent so much time with him, I didn’t know what to think.
While we were backstage of the show I got the sense she was anxious to get him out of there before he got too personal with those we had come to consider family as of late, Song and Alex. The look on her face when Senji started to talk to them was one of fear, something I didn’t see to often if ever on the face of Oni. That was one reason I had insisted the accompany us back to New York if only so I could offer some measure of protection to Oni that she seemed so determine that I, we needed.
Instead she shut me out once again and made a scene by attacking Maleek who had only been there to, well I’m not sure, be there for me? Something that was new for not just him but for me too. I felt kind of sorry for stopping him from saying he was my boyfriend but from the climate of the room it didn’t seem such a good idea. Especially since I hadn’t had a chance to tell Oni what he was able to do to get her in the clear.
I looked over at Maleek as he sat next to me on the plane, away from Song and Alex who were more towards the front of the private jet. Alex seemingly trying to cheer Song up and comfort her from what Oni had said to her. I know Oni didn’t mean what she said but still I don’t think any type of comfort would be able to make Song feel any different than she did right now.
“I’m sorry for tonight Maleek. I’m sorry for what Oni did and how she acted. I’ve been angry at her as of late but still I know these actions of her’s lately aren’t her or at least not the On…Kym I’ve been with over the past year.”
Raheem reached over, pulling her close to him. His face still stung with pain from the powerful slap from Oni, but Nyako’s presence made it better. “I don’t know what yo’ girl’s deal is…but she’s always trippin’ th’ fuck out! I should have known that she was gonna do that…wasn’t th’ first damn time.” He gave her a squeeze, “But…for you…I’d take that everyday.”
He paused, thinking back on the entire exchange. “As for that brother of yours…he’s pretty protective of yall’ I think. Dude was tryin’ to alpha male me harder than a mutha! I hope he don’t be trippin’ like yo’ sis. I’d hate to have to fight yo’ whole family to be yo’…friend…”
Alex saunters over and sits on the jet's carpeted floor, stroking Chewie. This being the first tine Alex had flown woth her chinchilla, she wasn't sure if the nerves were normal ofmif this was something to domwith his previous encounter with Oni's brother. Sitting in front of Ny and Maleek, Alex looks up at them both.
Alex: Oni's still our friend, right? She's still one of us.
I looked at Alex as she asked the question ad my heart sank a little, not sure how to answer it. I had a hard enough time trying to figure out what was going on myself.
“I honestly don’t know Alex. I believe the sister I’ve grown to care about and know over the past year is still there, but the way she’s acting.”
I bit my lip and turn away for a moment feeling the hurt welling up again. Maleek squeezed my shoulder to show he was there for me and it made me feel a bit better so I could continue.
“It’s something to do with my little brother. She tried to warn me about him but she wouldn’t go into more details about it. Every time I try to get more information about it she just seems to blow her top thinking I’m not trying to hear her. Honestly I think she’s acting the way she is because she feels by pushing us away she’s protecting us.”
I looked at Song still feeling dejected and closed off further up the plane, wishing Oni decided to be honest instead of doing what she thought was best then maybe we wouldn’t be where we were. “But the way she went off on Song. I don’t care how much she tries to convince herself it was for the best, there is no excuse for it.”
I look back at Alex. “I’m not even sure your bubbly nature can get the old On..Kymiku back.”
I caught myself from saying Oni as I didn’t want to think of her returning back to her old ways. I had been calling her Oni ever since she blew up at me, but that was also when I thought she was playing me the whole time. But during our match I could tell she hadn’t been trying to play me, and she was genuinely hurting inside. I wanted to tell her all was forgiven but it just didn’t go the way I had hoped.
Up front, SoLo played the incident inside her head over and over again. It was difficult for her to believe that that same person who had carried her through so much over the course of the last year could just turn on her like that. She had been with Oni through thick and thin, right up until the arrival of her twin brother. Things had changed dramatically after that…decidedly for the worst. It was obvious that this had everything to do with him, but to what end, she couldn’t say.
She walked to the front of the plane and sat down with the others, taking a place on the floor as she played with Chewie for a bit, then looked at the others. “I’m going to get to the bottom of this. Whatever is doing this to our sister…I am going to find out what it is and stop it. She looked out for me when I thought that I was all alone…” She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “I don’t care how upset she is with me…I have to do something, fired or not.”
Nyako and Alex gave her concerned looks, but she was resolute and even more than that…she had a plan. “The last time I was with her, she had gone to see a policeman…the Detective that had tried to lock me up. I had been too scared and stupid to go in with her to talk to him…but after she came back, she was a different person. She was scared…she was angry…it was all because of Senji.” She turned her focus to Nyako. “She said that Senji was coming…and he was coming for the two of you.”
SoLo was still trying to work it out inside her head, but it made no sense. “She was terrified of him coming here…coming for you and her…but now she is with him constantly. She’s the one who’s chasing after him…”
Raheem watched the exchange and while he felt that Oni was nothing more than a problem, but the woman was Nyako's sister and it was for that reason only that he felt the need to speak on the issue.
“Look, I ain't gonna' git' up in yall' business. Oni and I ain't never seen eye to eye...most of our conversations end wit' her hittin' me in mine. That being said, Ny is my girl and if there is somethin' that's botherin' her.. I am gonna make it my business!" He gave her a squeeze. "We gonna figure this out...I'm wit' yall' in this...no matter what."
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Post by Publicist on Feb 20, 2019 11:51:35 GMT -5
Torment, Leverage, and Revenge
{ Chapter 1: Torment }
Tears, hot and wet, raced down my cheeks, but I didn’t scream as my teeth clenched tightly in my mouth. I hung by my wrists, the leather ties cutting into my skin as I tippy toed to try to relieve the pressure. I had been standing there for hours as he came in and beat me for a few minutes and disappeared, only to come back later and do it again. Just as I had thought, Senji was decidedly angry with me for sabotaging his opportunity to be near my other sisters and he was making the most out of punishing me for my insolence.
As much as the torture he was putting me through hurt…it was still better than seeing him near Ny, Song, or Alex. For my sisters, I would endure pain a thousand times worse than this. That was the price I would have to pay in order to protect them and keep them safe.
Senji walked back in, staring at my naked and sweat drenched frame. He smiled slightly as he pointed at me. “You were a crafty one sis…I have to give you that. Pushing buttons to make sure that we couldn’t fly back with them.” He walked over to me, lifting my chin with a single finger so I looked at him in the eye. “Is it jealousy? You don’t want to share me with the rest of them?”
I wretched and nearly vomited as he punched me in the stomach. Stretched as I was, my midsection was completely exposed. I nearly collapsed and as I did, the leather straps bit deeply into my wrists. I struggled to stand up, even as pain spread through my body. I swallowed back the bile that rose in my throat, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing me puke. I looked him right in the eye, managing a haggard smile of my own. “You belong to me…”
He slapped me hard across my face, the chuckled under his breath as he backed away and pointed at me. “If you believed that…you would listen to me…you would obey me.”
”Is that what you want? A brainless nothing that just follows you around and only jumps when you say jump? You have Jun for that.”
For a moment he seemed puzzled, then he laughed out loud as he realized that I was talking about his muscle-bound right-hand. “Oh! Is that what she’s calling herself now?” He shrugged his shoulders, “I can’t keep up with all her names. That being said…you could learn a thing or two from her. I reward loyalty…and as you see…I punish insolence.”
I managed a chuckle of my own, “Does she sit up and beg for her Scooby snacks like a good lap dog?”
Senji ignored my jab, maybe because he had no idea who Scooby Doo was. “I don’t want to hurt you Oni…I love you…just like I love our big sister. I only want the best for you…but I don’t know why you make me do this?” He sighed, “I’d hate to break something and then you’re unable to go into your match next weekend.”
My match…I nearly laughed out loud at the thought of it. I was thrust into a match against Crystal Hilton instead of with Fujiko Mine. I had no idea what the LAW brass was thinking…but a match was a match. A few months ago, I would have felt strange facing her…especially with our history, but now I was like a dog off it’s leash…I was looking to bite anyone that got too close.
“So…I heard you had some problems with this girl you are fighting…you tried to stab her once a few years back. You’ve got to be looking forward to that, huh?” Senji folded his arms as he leaned against the wall, watching me .
My right foot slipped from under me and I dropped down heavily, the leather tightening so hard that I thought my wrists would break. I did my best to portray as little emotion as possible as I stood back up on my toes. “I don’t care about Hilton…I don’t care about any of them!” My words were cold and even, but my body was screaming in pain. I shut it down and focused on him. I wanted to see him break before I did.
Senji smirked, “You going to roll over and show her your belly?”
“I could do that…” I added, “Or maybe I could bring her back here for a little fun…I know that weakness you have for girls like her.”
I could see him stiffen as he realized that I was talking about Jinee Nixon…the girl that he had fallen in love with back in Japan. The one I had tricked him into exiling…setting him on the path he was now on. I saw a slight smile touch his lips. “Is she a little black girl too?”
“She something or other…” I said, not bothering to think about Hilton’s heritage. “…what does it matter…they are all pink on the inside, aren’t they?”
I watched him as he stared back me, taking the full measure of what I said. I knew that this could go one of two ways…inside I breathed a sigh of relief as he nodded in agreement then walked over and cut me down. I was sickened as my body betrayed me when I tried to stand on my own, but my body collapsed down on him. I had no desire to be this close to my brother, but my legs and feet were all but useless. He walked to me to the shower, then shoved me inside. I collapsed on the floor, laying there stupidly for a moment, barely able to move after the torture that I had endured.
He walked over to the sink and began casually washing his hands, not even looking in my direction. “You need to learn humility Oni…you need to learn that you aren’t as special as you believe yourself to be. Losing that title was good for you…but apparently it wasn’t enough to bring you back down to earth.” I had no idea what he meant, but I didn’t care. He finished washing his hands, and headed to the door, casting one last barb my way. “Clean yourself up…you smell like a dung heap.”
I tried to stand, but my legs gave way like heated pasta. All I could do was reach up and turn on the water as I crawled under the sprinkler. I lay there for a moment as the water beat down on me…ice cold and stinging my naked flesh. My thoughts turned back to my sisters…my family and how I had treated them. It tore me up inside to force them away…all I wanted right now was to be among them. They had all become my entire world…a world that I had been forced to leave or see destroyed before my very eyes.
If I was going to ever get any of what I had lost back, I would have to find a way to deal with Senji…permanently. The thought of hurting my brother filled me with dread…but at the same time, knowing that I would be free of his abuse…my sister would be safe from him…that lessened the angst. I didn’t know how I would do it…I didn’t know when…but I would have to find a way before it was too late and I was unable to keep my sisters safe.
{ Chapter 2: Leverage }
Senji sat on the couch staring at a time-faded photo of himself being held by his mother. Her face had been scratched off, so only his image remained along side that of his sisters, Nyako and Kymiku. He sighed as he ran his finger across the images of his two siblings. In the picture, Nyako stood close to her mother and to him…but Kymiku stood further apart from the rest of the family, as she always had. He tapped her image, then sat it aside.
He reached for his phone and dialed the phone number of his American contact…the one that had helped him keep tabs on his sisters since their arrival in LAW. “Hey…it’s me. Oni is being a problem and I need you to pull the trigger on what we discussed. She needs to be humbled…she needs to be taught a lesson if I am ever going to get her to fall in line.”
He paused, listening to the reply. Whatever the news was, it didn’t appear to be good from the look on his face. “What do you mean ‘gone?’ Who took it…where is it?!”
Senji stood, gripping the phone so tightly that the screen cracked. “You find it…do you hear me?! I don’t want excuses…I want results!!”
Senji turned and threw the phone, watching as it shattered into a hundred pieces on the floor. “STUPID FUCKING AMERICANS!!”
The woman who had called herself Jun appeared, looking down at the mess on the floor, then back to Senji. “A new phone?”
Senji sighed as he straightened his collar. “Yes…a new phone…” She nodded as she directed the help to clean up the mess and she was gone a moment later. Senji ran his hand over his face, doing the best he could to quiet his mounting fustration.
{ Chapter 3: Revenge } Trisha VanReardon hung up the phone, cursing loudly as she did. It was obvious that Senji Shinsuzuki was very upset with her. Besides keeping tabs on his sisters, she had one job…to have the pornographic video of Oni ready to release on his say so…but in that she had failed. Her video and every copy that she had hidden away on her private server had been deleted.
It was painfully obvious to her that she had put her trust in the wrong person. Maleek Raheem had turned on her…played her for a fool. Either he had been working for himself the entire time, hoping to make the release himself…or he had been working with Syn to discredit her. It was likely the latter, since she didn’t think he had the brains to pull something like this off himself. No matter which one it was, her new business partner was none to pleased about it and that was a problem.
She had expected Raheem or Syn to try to ransom the video, but it was apparent that their plan wasn’t to release it, but to make sure that it never saw the light of day. She hadn’t heard from Raheem, nor had he bothered to answer any of her calls or texts. She had thought that she had him wrapped around her little finger, but apparently that wasn’t the case at all. Even of the lure of money hadn’t been enough, surely sleeping with her should have made him loyal. She was insanely hot…and no one had ever even thought to thumb their nose at her.
She would deal with that later…for now, she needed to find out if the video was truly gone. She replayed everything in her head. She had accessed her server from his computer and downloaded a copy for him, thinking that the original would be safe. Her servers had been wiped clean…but what about the copy that Raheem had? Had he destroyed it as well? The more she thought about it, the more she came to doubt it. Raheem was as conniving as she was. He would never completely abandon something that he could use for leverage one day.
It might not have still been on his computer…but that didn’t mean he didn’t save it someplace else. This game wasn’t over…it wasn’t over by a long shot. One way or another, she was going to get her hands on video…and after she did…she was going to do everything in her power to destroy Maleek Raheem, once and for all!
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Post by Publicist on Feb 20, 2019 11:53:17 GMT -5
Past & Present...
{ Chapter 1: The Past }
3WL’s 8th Anniversary Show Press Conference 1 December 2010
Crystal Hilton confronted me in a drunken rage, upset over the way I had attacked her former best friend, Nicky Silver, and put her in a wheelchair. She had every right to be upset with me, even I had to admit that what I had done had crossed the line…but I was never known for being apologetic. Instead of fighting her…I allowed her to vent her rage at me until management called for everyone’s attention.
The announcement that was being made was that Nicky was going to be the next inductee into the 3WL Hall of Fame. A tremendous honor, and one that was well deserved for all of the accomplishments she had made in the short span of time that was her career. She had held nearly every major title there…and thanks to me…she was retired from in-ring action. It was a great moment for her…but she wasn’t there…and Hilton was.
To this day, I’ll never know why anyone thinks that they can turn their back on me without consequence. With the practiced ease that anyone else would show with doing the most mundane of tasks, I casually rose from my seat, bashed Hilton in the back of the head, poured a bottle of champagne over her, then broke the bottle on the edge of the table as I prepared to stab her with it.
I had destroyed Nicky Silver in front of everyone…making sure that they saw that no one could stop me. It had been something akin to a public execution. There were times when my ‘Yakuza family’ would want someone removed so that they would stop causing trouble for the clan. Usually it was always done in secret and no trace was left behind to say what had happened with any certainty. However, there were other times…times when a message needed to be sent.
Sometimes, a person was removed in a very public setting…everyone was made to see this as a warning. It was an attention getter…it was a display of bravado…the ultimate middle finger, if you will. Sometimes the victim was the message…meant for the one who was the real problem. On the day that I attacked Nicky Silver, she was just like so much cannon fodder for a message directed to my real adversary.
Crystal Hilton? No…not Hilton at all. The friendship they had shared had long been over. Hilton had ruined it by sleeping with Silver’s man crush, Maleek Raheem. GOD! Is their anyone that this man won’t have sex with?!
My target had been Veronica Valiant, the woman who was next in line to challenge Hilton for her World Title. On that day, however, Hilton had taken my earlier display to heart. Far be if from me not to give her the attention she craved.
As I made ready to open up yet another publicly accessible hole in Crystal Hilton, she was saved by none other than her challenger, Veronica Valiant. The woman took my broken bottle from me…and I thanked her with a tongue down her throat. She didn’t appreciate it at the time…but I know she appreciated it later when I cost Hilton her championship when they finally had their World Title match.
Ahhhhhhh…the good old days…
{ Chapter 2: The Present }
Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena Green Bay, WI 4 July 2015
My thoughts turned back to the present, my body still singing with tremendous pain from the beating my brother had given me for ruining his chance to get close to my sisters. The bruises had faded, but the pain had remained…and so had the rage that boiled just beneath my otherwise placid surface.
This interview with Carmen Diaz would be exactly what I needed to stay focused on what was going on inside the ring…instead of outside of it. Diaz assessed me cheerfully at first, but when my expression remained cold, her demeanor changed. “So…Oni, I am glad you could be here on this Independence Day. Sorry to distract you from your holiday.”
I rolled my eyes at the comment, “I’m not American…so today is just another day to me…”
It pleased me to see the look on her face as I shut her down from the start, but she recovered quickly enough. “Yes…I keep forgetting…the whole Sisters of Asia thing.”
I sighed with a shake of my head. “That ‘thing’ is at an end Diaz. Nyako and Song are going their way and I am going mine. Plain and simple.” I saw her open her mouth to ask another question about it, but I stopped her. “IT’S OVER! Move on to the next question…something about my match tomorrow, if you don’t mind.”
Diaz wasn’t happy about me dictating the course of the interview, but she also knew that she would never get anything from me where it concerned my sisters. She glanced at her notes and then back up at me. “Very well…tomorrow night you face a woman that you had a very public blow up with in 2010…Crystal Hilton. You threatened to stab her on live TV…”
I chuckle a bit, but it is enough to unnerve Diaz for a moment. I wave for her to continue. “Go on…I was just reminiscing over the good times we had.”
Diaz glared at me, “You cost her a world title back then…aren’t you concerned that this is going to be, at least in her mind, a chance to get even? You may not be taking the match seriously, but I am sure that Crystal is!”
Maybe she was…and maybe she wasn’t. I didn’t know and I didn’t care. “I won’t presume what is rattling around inside Hilton’s head besides the handful of rocks that passes for her brains. The past is the past as far as I’m concerned. We both did things in that company that we don’t post on our resumes, but the difference is this; I’m not ashamed of anything that I did…not anymore. What I did to Silver back in 2010 was to send a message to someone. Hilton wasn’t the person I had in mind, but when she got in my way…I made her into the message. Tomorrow night…Hilton gets to be my message again.”
Diaz looked at me quizzically as she asked, “Message for whom? Fujiko Mine?”
I shrugged my shoulders, “Whomever’s watching…but Mine is certainly welcome to get a close up look.”
Diaz seemed to be getting annoyed at me for not giving her direct answers. “Oni…you seem to be sidestepping the issue. If this match tomorrow is not about Crystal and your past together, it is obviously about Mine. Is that what you want…a rematch against Mine?”
I didn’t change my expression one iota. “I am one of the very few women in this company who can say that they have been to the top in this business. Of course, unlike Mine…I don’t spend my every waking moment trying to convince people of that. I let my actions speak for me and tomorrow night, I will be doing a lot talking…inside the ring. If Mine happens to be listening…she’ll get my message.” I shrugged, “If she doesn’t hear me, it will probably be because she is too busy trying to convince Fisher that she’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. That would be a shame…but, she’s very self-centered that way…it’s a glaring flaw that Fisher may make her pay for.”
Diaz studied me, looking for a question that would get under my skin. “Aren’t you concerned with the fact that you might be overlooking Hilton? That could be a huge mistake on your part.”
“Overlook?” I answered with a look of mock surprise. “Oh, no! I am not overlooking Hilton…no…never that! ‘The Boob Goddess’ has my full attention…and for her…that is an unfortunate thing. She started this little dance with me. Now, we are going to finish that dance.”
“You meant Rose Goddess…didn’t you?” Diaz corrected.
I stood up and smiled at her. “Rose Goddess…Boob Goddess…in the end, it will all be the same, won’t it?”
Diaz stood up, “Oni, I have more questions for you here.”
I kept on walking, “You can watch me answer them inside the ring on Sunday…”
I couldn’t wait to get inside the ring…anything to take my mind off my sisters and my brother. All of the pain I felt had been coiled into a knot inside my chest…and at LAW 30, I was going to unleash it on anyone and everyone that was unlucky enough to be in my path!
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