wanderingwolf
rush99999
Digizel
Izurich
MrSkimobile
XxFellsingxX----
Mexico City, Arena Coliseo
July 13th 6:00 PM
Some would say that a world that celebrates violence in countless forms, this world is a black and unforgiving place. Well to the men, women and children who were gathered here they would probably share this sentiment to anyone who disputed the fun of violence; Color our world blackened, blackened.
Well while the world might have not immediately blackened, at the very least the arena itself quickly turned the lights off, with the only lights visible being a few lights down the ramp and the cellphones that illuminated sections of the stands who were trying to figure out who was coming out, if it would be Bane after all or if they were getting swerved with someone else.
The sounds of the crowd were starting to fill the air as no music had yet played; when suddenly both down on the ramp and on the titantron an illumating pair of red eyes appeared and blinked open as the lights shot back up to full view.
Bane stood at the center of the ramp, well after he dropped his dufflebag just under the ring, near the very curtain which led to the television control center of the Gorilla Position. His right hand was held up skywards as, his theme began to play. Bane swaggered down to the ring, deliberately rolling his fists around as he threw them up towards the crowd. It was a simple pattern, do it a bit with the right, then moving it on to the left.
Meanwhile at the Spanish Commentary desk, Hector "The Hand" Espinosa - a bald man in his late fifties with a piglike nose, used to be a luchador back in the day before he came down with a nasty back injury - was part of the current announce team. He was dressed in a simple black three piece suit with a canary yellow undershirt and a peach colored tie, and as many would attest to he still smelt of cigarette smoke.
["Ladies and Gentlemen, for all of you watching here live, at home, the bar, or for you kiddos out there anywhere where you can get a signal, let me welcome you to the Arena Coliseo for the Showdown of the Rising Suns! Up for grabs tonight for the winner of this tournament between our, well at the least my home of CFM and the RAW invaders is the MASK OF AZTECA. Only with mental and physical fortitude, not too mention a little bit of Lady Luck - believe me I've had a fair share of her grace - on their side, one man will achieve great honor and glory, not only for themselves but for their organization!"] Hector declared in his raspy voice as he beamed a grin showing off his, well lack of really, stained yellow teeth. He continued, ["And this kid here, the man they call Bane, I'm glad he found his break in the big leagues. Brave guy diving right in his debut to hang with these harded sharks of men from over the seas."] Hector chuckled for a moment, before he began wheezing a bit; after that he returned to his dialogue.
["Well I appreciate his testicular fortitude in boldly going out into this tournament while he's still fresh meat in these big leagues. His fighting spirit cannot be questioned but will it burn passionately enough to help progress him through to the next round?"]
At the edge of the wrestling ring, Bane made his way up the metal steps, through the top two ropes before heading to the far right corner. He climbed up to the top of the ropes as he slowly raised his right arm. Extending his pointer finger he circled around the arena to point at everyone, while he kept his footing on the ropes only bouncing from it slightly, before clutching his hand into a fist and dragging it down to his side.
Leaping down Bane stood in the corner flexing as he awaited his opponent to come to him.
["And now, the challenger!"]
Doyun Kim- the man who'd given Shousei Kougami, the promotion's owner, a ride earlier that day ran forward down the ramp as his entrance music blared. Taking a running jump from the stairs into the corner, he flipped up onto the turnbuckle and started pumping up the crowd. At the request of the referee, he shrugged, dropping down to lean on the corner.
["Looks like our first member of the Rogue Alliance of Wrestling is Doyun Kim- the Middleweight Champion of All Japan Pro Wrestling. This feisty Korean spends his time during RAW's off season as an MMA pro... but he doesn't have any titles from that little side venture yet!"] came from the other member of the two-man booth of the Spanish Commentary Team. This man was Yamashita Katsurou, a thin man who appeared to be in mid-thirties. He was dressed in a grey suit, a black tie with a white undershirt. He had short, but slick back hair which gleamed from the set's lightning. He pulled out a switch-blade comb, flicked it open and combed a bit of his hair before continuing.
["Still, for a guy his size, getting to the semifinals in those matchups is pretty impressive. He's one of the more agile members of RAW, but that leg injury he took in the octagon won't be doing him any favors tonight. His love of violence, on the other hand, might just help him pull through."]
["Who doesn't love some good carnage? That's a tune we can all brawl to. And that's certainly what these two are going to do.]
Bane carefully eyed his opponent, the Killer Korean, Douyn Kim. Just as these proceedings were about to start, well as soon as the bellkeeper rang the bell and after the ring announcer's spiel was done, Bane stopped the impromptu flexing, headed to the center of the ring and when he was there Bane spread his legs apart and began to square his shoulders. This luchador was ready to compete for the amusement of the crowd, and more importantly, for that prized mask. For his part, Doyun kept his feet spread as well, making his way cautiously to the center of the ring. Bane here was an unknown quantity, but he knew the gist of the script. The thing about the leg injury was true, but it was healed up by now. It was a way to save face for going down in the first round. He was ready for Bane, though he wasn't sure how well striking would go over against this opponent.
Alongside the two competitors was a woman who was dressed in a sequin red dress carrying a microphone.
["Laaaaadiiiiiiiies and Gentleeeemeeeeen, this match will be], quite a few fans in the audience chanted alongside her, [ ONE FALL! The winner of this match will progress to the next bracket in the tournament!"]
She gestured to Bane, ["FIGHTING FOR THE CFM, BAAAAAAAANE!"] Bane kept his position as he continued to staredown Doyun Kim.
["AAAAAND FIGHTING FOR THE ROGUE ALLIANCE OF WRESTLING, DOOOOOYUUUUN KIIIIIIIIM!"]
With the announcements done, she left under the ring ropes as the Timekeeper rang the bell to signify the match start.
Showdown of the Rising Suns Early Bracket: Bane vs Doyun Kim, Arena Coliseo
And so Bane charged at Doyun Kim with his left arm extended to start off the affairs with a clothesline. For his part, Kim was going to press his agility as best he could. He ducked the clothesline and stepped to the side, taking a quick punch at Bane's side as he did; Bane stumbled back a bit from the punch, Kim after all needed to go a bit over, especially as he had that MMA career mojo on his side. However Bane of course felt that he could not sell too much, after all he was a strong man, so after regaining himself he ran a bit towards Kim before diving in an attempt to get Kim with a spear. Perhaps it was a bit early for a move such as that, but at this moment it felt right to Bane to be a bit flashy. For what it was worth, the spear hit its mark. Doyun obviously knew how to sell this one, exhaling sharply and staggering back.
Bane got up before speaking briefly, loudly enough for Doyun to hear, but hopefully quiet enough so no snoopy dirtsheets could claim the call was a botch. ["Too stiff?"] With that said Bane began to throw a few more worked punches at Doyun's direction.
Doyun's spanish was, surprisingly, quite good. Whatever his martial art was, he knew how to do functional, but flashy, blocks. ["Nah, I work with other strikers a lot."]
["Good."]Bane took a few steps back before throwing a, telegraphed, right elbow at Doyun. Doyun ducked under, delivering a few quick punches to Bane's stomach before leaping back. Bane, buckled down a bit as he held his arms over his chest for a moment. He then began to circle around towards Doyun as if he was stalking prey. He lifted back his arms and began moving his hands back and forth, ready to pounce. And as he pounced, Bane attempted to perform a double axehandle, a move involving Bane clutching both of his fists together, as he swung them to strike Kim on the head. Kim took it, falling to one knee and springing back again, making sure to sell the stumble as he landed on his left leg and shook his head. He gave Bane a cocky grin and "come at me" as he steadied himself.
And now as the story had been expressed by Kim, Bane would be sure to do his part in order to sell the story in the ring. Outside the ring the commentators would most surely sell it as it should be, once again charged at Duyon, starting off with a feint jab, before moving in with the attempt to take him down with a single leg takedown on Kim's bad leg. Doyun moved to block the feint, though he took the takedown like a champ, crying out and collapsing. Still, he wasn't going down easily, lashing out with a leg sweep with his good leg. He was still, naturally, quite hurt, as the script dictated.
Bane reacted quite naturally to the leg sweep as he motioned to the side away from the strike and towards the ground. From here Bane transitioned into a kneebar, as he went to trap Duyon Kim's good leg in between his own and after securing his arms around the leg, Bane began to stretch the leg.
["Tap."] Bane tersely stated.
Doyun knew the role in this tournament. He made a show of the struggle, wincing and struggling, but eventually tapped out, gasping for air. The referee came over to separate the two, leaving Doyun to look down at his leg as two men with a stretcher came to retrieve him.
As the referee and the two work medics came, Bane simply nodded his head in approval of Doyun, but as the bellkeeper rang the bell to signal the end of the match, Bane hopped on the rops and began thrusting his fist into the air as his music played.
Above an updated graphic had a large 'X' pop over Doyun before moving to a bracket which showed the updated competitors. With that done, alongside his bit of celebration, Bane rolled out of the ring and headed to the back for a brief rest before he would be called once again to the ring.
----
After this match, the crowd were introduced to various promo packages from the competitors who were stating their desires about why they wanted to win the Tournament. Some like El Guacho gave a promo about how they looked up to Aztec the First and how it inspired them to become a proper wrestler.
Bane didn't necessarily give so much of a speech as much as simply pointing towards his own Mask and nodding, the solemn respect that a luchador could offer another luchador. It was the way of the mask, Bane knew it and those who did know the 'Honor Code of Lucha' would get it, everyone else didn't matter.
Loco Loro had an enthusiastically delivered package detailing about the payoff that was going to the winner and of course how he was always destined to fly to the top.
Kid Phoenix spoke of how it was great to face off against other agile fighters- his acrobatic style needed testing against folks who didn't focus on the ground game as much as practitioners of Strong Style, and Luchadores made for perfect opponents.
The remaining wrestler- a disgraced sumo- talked about how his powerful techniques would crush any luchador's style.
Senketsu Joe played the heel nicely- speaking of how Aztec was one of the only luchadors he could bring himself to respect. How he wanted to take that mask and protect it from those who wouldn't live up to the legacy.
These segments served as a bit of time filler so that the talent would be called back to the arena, to stir up interest for the upcoming matches due to investing in the talents that were being presented. As each of these matches were coming to ahead, the jumbotron above kept a steady picture of the current bracket standings.
---
Behind the scenes, Death Man had already set to work. Splicing into the cables leading to the titantron wasn't any big deal, really- a quick "smoke break" as one of RAW's promoters had given him all the private time he needed. He'd even located the mask and appropriated it- treated as some worthless prop. Originally, he had planned to simply abscond with it in silence. But the conditions it was kept in, then suddenly whipped out had made him angry. No, now he was off-script. Now he was going to make these fools pay for disrespecting the mask. He sat down in front off the chair and waited.
----
...["With the diving fist drop Loco Loro, whiffed, and got the ref instead."] Hector stated bemused as he placed his hands on his head. Yamashita smirked as he watched as Joe took advantage of this unique opportunity from this botch.
["And Senkentsu Joe goes for the Hangman's Choke!"] eagerly declared Yamashita, while Hector was banging his hands on the desk. ["Ref are you blind!? That's illegal!"] cried out Hector as he watched as Loco Loro had his will of life drained from him, as he was stuck in a sleeper hold within the ropes. Slicking back his hair Yamashita smirked, ["What they don't see won't hurt them. Kid shouldn't have tried to go to the ropes. When Joe's around, you're in a no fly zone."] Hector snarled as he shook his head.
["Ref c'mon, GET IN THERE!"] bemoaned Hector as the ref returned back into the ring to see a knocked out Loco Loro. ["Day late and a dollar short, well if you were a fan of Loco anyway. I'll give the kid this, he did make a wonderful combo, but all things must come crashing back down to earth, and Joe will bring them down."]
...
["JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH!"] exclaimed Hector as he looked down at the carnage that happened to their desk set. The Spanish Announce Table was a shattered pile of wood, both in flaming debris and regular debris, that held the masked man known as Bane crashed in the middle of it. Standing triumphantly Kid Phoenix began swinging his flaming right leg up and down to the admiration of the crowd.
["Ha! That's the blazing spirit of Kid Phoenix for you; he'll light himself on fire if that means he can get an advantage and take you down. And that Flaming Frog Splash from the top ropes certainly brought that shooting star downwards."]
["Don't count on it just yet. Bane is still stirring with some fighting spirit."] Hector remarked as Bane arose from the ashes to catch Kid Phoenix by surprise and caught Kid Phoenix in a front face-lock. Bane transitioned this into a vertical suplex and slammed Kid Phoenix into the ruined table that he created. As the ref continued counting, Bane slid back into the ring and watched as Kid Phoenix was counted out.
___
Showdown of the Rising Suns Semi-Finals: Senketsu Joe the Fifth vs Bane, Arena Coliseo, 7:55 PM
Through a rough series of matches, the collective of Japanese and Mexican wrestlers began to dwindle as the cream among them were rising to the tops. At this particular round of the semi-finals, two men, one Japanese and one Mexican clawed their way to the top.
These two were the established superstar, Senketsu Joe the Fifth and the rising talent, the one simply known as Bane.
["I hope you folks are ready, because we have a legacy versus the new blood! Senketsu Joe is the fifth to don the mask of the man deemed too brutal for the ring! Holding two heavyweight belts in the various Japan Pro Wrestling circuits for five years running, he has earned his place in history!"]
Amid the smoke and darkness, fountain fireworks went off as a large, burly man in a full-body suit made to look like the human circulatory system walked through the sparks. He thrust his fists upward and let out a hearty laugh before running for the ring, performing a surprisingly agile front-flip to clear the ropes.
["Standing at a whopping six and a half feet tall, weighing in at over two hundred and eighty pounds of muscle! The strongest and nastiest that the Rogue Alliance of Wrestling has to offer! Presenting, the one, the only: Senketsu Joe The Fifth!"]
"And challenging, the rising force of CFM, standing at five feet six inches, weighing in at two huuundred and eighty five pounds, BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANE!"
Once again Bane's theme began to play. He simply settled for entering through the middle ropes and pointing around to the crowd with his right index finger. After he finished pointing up towards the rafters, he pointed towards the jumbotron which currently displayed a portrait of the Mask of Azteca.
Pointing back to himself, Bane flexed and readied himself.
Once again the ring announcer explained the rules; that this particular match, the penultimate battle with the winner facing El Guacho for the chance to win the tournament, was a one fall match, with disqualification and count outs at play. With her job finished, she rolled out of the arena so these wrestlers could duke it out.
The bell rang to signal that the match was now official and had begun. Bane pounded on his chest with his right hand before stomping up towards Senketsu Joe the Fifth in order to challenge this wrestler in their field. Extending his right arm wide, Bane whipped it against Senketsu's chest.
It appeared that the luchador wanted to engage this man in a contest of strength, done in a traditional fashion in Puroresu. One could only imagine whether this was done in an attempt to mock and embarass Senketsu Joe the Fifth in his area of expertise, or if it was done as a sign of respect. Joe, meanwhile, ran forward to meet the charge, grabbing for Bane's neck for a typical lock stalemate. A fairly standard start to a match for two grapplers. While the two grappled, however, Joe kicked at Bane's calf. Bane took some damage from this attack, and began to falter downwards, so Joe had the advantage. However this could prove to be an opportunity for the masked man; Bane attempted to bring Joe's elbow away so he could do a proper duckunder and weasel his way around his opponent for a better position and perhaps attack with a suplex. Of course, a momentary distraction can cost a lot- especially with an experienced grappler. Joe brought his head back, and gave Bane a mighty headbutt, attempting to distance himself from Bane a bit.
"[LISTEN UP, AMIGO, BECAUSE I'M GONNA SAY THIS ONCE!]"
"[THERE ARE THREE FUNDAMENTALS OF WRESTLING. DOYUN'S KOREAN MARTIAL ARTS MAKE HIM A POWERFUL, AGILE FIGHTER, BUT HE'S PATHETIC AT FOULS.]"
"[KID PHOENIX IS AN AGILE GUY WHO FIGHTS DIRTY, BUT HIS MOVES DON'T HAVE A LOT OF POWER BEHIND THEM BEYOND THE FIRE.]"
"[AND THAT SUMO IN THE LAST ROUND IS A POWERFUL JACKASS WHO CHEATS, BUT HE'S AS AGILE AS A GODDAMN HIPPO!]"
"[SO ASK YOURSELF... HOW DO YOU FIGHT A MAN WHO HAS MASTERED THE THREE FUNDAMENTALS OF WRESTLING?]"
The headbutt was successful at its intended goal, Bane staggered backwards as he was struck from the blow. He listened carefully to the lesson that Senketsu Joe was teaching in his boastful speech. Bane needed to out-think, out-manuever and out-power Joe, as a master of these three arts could only be defeated by a superior master of those three essentials, or one with a fourth essential.
["BY BEING THEIR BANE!"] roared out Bane as he rushed towards Joe to grab an arm and fling him towards the turnbuckles in an Irish Whip. As Bane threw him towards the turnbuckle, however, Joe dove to the side at the last minute- sliding between the top two ropes and leaving the ring, landing in a painful-looking roll into the announcer table. He dashed back in as fast as he could. However, the titantron's picture began to waver as a cloud of static overcame it, and a new entrance theme played. The screen showed a laughing skull- followed by various headlines in various languages. "SKULL-FACED JAP BAFFLES GIs." "MYSTERIOUS THIEF BURGLARIZES ST. PETERSBURG ARMORY." "MASKED MIKADO OF MAYHEM MYSTIFIES MANTIS."
Interspersed were clips from some Japanese cartoon, all featuring the same man in a skeleton costume. Finally, a voice clip.
"A heist is all about aesthetics! It requires style, coolness, and nobility! The ultimate contest of wits? Stealing today, tomorrow and everything in between! I am The Phantom Thief..."
Finally, the camera shifted to a costumed man reclining comfortably in an office chair, drinking wine through his somehow unstained mask. Three suitcases sat on the desk in front of him as he stood up and held his hands up on either side.
"SALUDOS, Mexico City! You came here to watch masked men in the ring, but I'm afraid there's one more behind the scenes thanks to the shoddy security systems!"
Tapping his cane to the side of his head, Death Man continued, reaching under the desk and putting a picture of the most famous Luchadores of all time on the table- an unmistakable figure in a silver mask, Followed by Fray Tormenta, and finally Azteca 1.
"And I've been thinking. Back during the second World War, there was an attempt by the axis to turn Mexico against the United States. During that time, I was here in Mexico attempting to gather intelligence at Emperor Hirohito Tojo's behest. I saw a truly amazing spectacle- one of El Santo's first matches! And the most beautiful part was that it wasn't staged. Glorious combat between two actual competitors!"
Lord Death Man sighed, seemingly lost in the nostalgia as he looked at the pictures. He sighed and replaced them on the desk.
"And, while I decry the death of shoot promotions outside Japan, today my heart goes out to the luchadores. You are, possibly, the last people on Earth who understand the value of a mask. And I can understand the pain you feel. Nobody cared who you were until you put on the mask."
With that, Death Man opened the middle suitcase and took out a red and blue mask, adorned with a massive topaz, to the gasps of the attending crowd.
"Take Aztec The First... a salt miner from an impoverished town seeking money to build a school. He claimed he had mystical might that came from the Star of Quetzlcoatl, the gem he built into his mask. However, whether or not that element is true, the fact remains- he was a strong man, both in character and in the ring. This mask, it became a symbol to so many! But no, the audience today doesn't really care about that... They're here to watch a violent spectacle, so that CFM's golden boy El Gaucho can don it. No honor, no attempt to actually earn it..."
Death Man pointed his cane to the camera, smiling underneath the mask.
"And that is why, I have come to make an announcement!"
["Cut the feed and call the fucking police."] the lead promoter from CFM shouted frantically to one of the backstage agents manning the monitors at the gorilla position.
["Sir, I've been try-"] answered the closest agent before getting interrupted by the promoter who was already losing his mind.
["Did I fucking stutt- What do you mean you've been trying?!"]
---
Mexico City Police Department
July 13th, 8:00 PM
Throughout the parking lot and halls, the police faced a rather... interesting problem. The floors, parking lot, and offices were currently being patrolled. Not by any human- the humans were hiding in bathrooms and cells. No, tonight the ones travelling the methodical routes tonight were a swarm of cobras, slithering about. The phones in dispatch were ringing constantly... but a number of cobras were already curled up quite comfortably around them. Officer Santiago decided to be a hero and make a break for it. Maybe, if he could make it to a car, he could radio a patrolman or something. He gritted his teeth, gripped his pistol, and made for the door, raising his gun to take a shot at a cobra... which sprayed him in the eyes even as he pulled the trigger. The shot went wild. Officer Santiago was blinded that night. He didn't know how things would turn out- but he would now and forever fear the snake.
---
"Going forward, the final round will be a Shoot match! The winner will receive three prizes: The first, two hundred thousand pesos! The second, the mask of Aztec that I now hold! And finally, a personal gift from yours truly: The opportunity to join the greatest criminal enterprise in history!"
Bane clenched his right fist as he began pounding it in an open hand. Certainly this was a serendipitous boon to the luchador, he wouldn't have to force his way into claiming it against the wishes of the promotion. That specter he saw on the television at that fateful morning at the gym was here. And he understood the mask, this much was clear from that broadcast and now properly putting up for a prize in a real battle. Bane was not about to lose his chance at the prize, nor would he disappoint this man.
He had to make a good impression, Lord Death Man was watching. That skeleton needed to know that he was another student of the mask; and Bane was ready to conquer all who stood before him.
And with that Bane went charging towards Joe to strike with a shoulder tackle. Joe dodged to the side, sticking out his leg and attempting to trip Bane.
"[Look. There's one more round. You wanna run down your gas tank fighting me, or you want to save it for Gaucho?]"
Bane noticed the leg and began to dive through the ropes, ["You make a good point."] but he did not dive through the ropes and in fact managed to hang on to the second rope. Swinging on his side around through the ropes, Bane performed a Tiger Feint Kick to strike Joe. ["But who said we were going back to a regular scheduled program?"]
["Lord Death Man ain't one to skip on planning. He'll have something set up. But I've been watching Gaucho's matches. I can teach you the techniques he won't be able to counter, but I'm not sure you've got the mass for 'em."]
Swinging back through the ropes without contact, Bane struck his feet back on the ground and stood back up, taking a bit of time for a breather. ["Do not worry about the mass, my body is a pristine temple that can handle it and I would say more."]
["Alright... then prepare for the brutal technique passed down by the original Senketsu Joe! Prepare your body for... SENKETSU HELL!"]
Joe rushed forward, grabbing for Bane's neck and thigh and lifting him up onto his shoulders. Pulling Bane's chest and arms down, Joe pulled tighter and tighter. Ordinarily, Bane's strength would prove more than a match for such a hold. However...
["First, the backbreaker! Disorient your foe... and just as they are about to break out...]"
Joe fell to the side, bringing Bane's head straight down onto the canvas... and indeed, through it, Bane's head sticking out the bottom of the ring. Joe jumped backward upon the landing, going for the ropes to help build momentum.
["A Japanese mat is firmer, meaning this technique is a good deal more lethal. However, a Lucha mat is softer to allow for a better airgame. These are key differences you'll need to know in the ring if you want to work for Death Man."]
Bane clawed his hands deep into the mat as Senketsu Joe illustrated the manuever. To a normal man, and with the proper mat, this would be the most dangerous technique. Fortunately Bane was not an ordinary man; pushing down against the mat he roared as he ripped his head out through the mat and emerged. Heaving, Bane turned around to face Senketsu Joe the Fifth.
["Hm."] Bane mused as he clutched his right hand over his chest before rolling his neck around. ["I still have much to learn it seems to be a truly masterful warrior."] After rolling his neck around he moved to rolling around his shoulders, ["Good. This means I can progress further. I thank you for showing me this."] Bane said with small nod to Senketsu Joe.
["Now, I need El Guacho."]
Meanwhile as this was going on, the crowd and commentary just watched in a stunned silence unsure of how to respond to the events that quickly unfurled before them.
["Hehehe... yeah."] With that, Joe gave a thumbs-up to Bane and made his way over to the announcer's table. He promptly picked up a mic and made an announcement.
["RAW didn't sign up for this shit. I just came here to see Mexicans getting hurt, and I don't care if it's me or Bane doing it. Just send me my damn check, I'm out."]
With that, Joe dropped the mic and headed for the arena's exit, rolling his shoulders as he made his way out.
-----
Meanwhile, in the locker room, El Gaucho was cornered by a swarm of cobras, hissing menacingly. He became a luchador with CFM to avoid shit like this. He expected it from bushleague tier and those hardcore promotions but hoped that moving to CFM would give him a sense of safe professionalism in his work. But at least the dumb animals had left him an opening. A clear path from the locker room to a nearby door. El Guacho needed to manuever through this gracefully, no way would his medical insurance company believe that he was attacked by a swarm of cobras at one of his performances. With that El Guacho began dashing and hopping his way through multitudes of cobras in order to reach that door to freedom.
Back inside the ring, Bane began pacing back and forth. ["El Guacho! You can't hide from me! I am waiting!"] In an attempt to get some measure of control of the situation, a pair of referees hopped in the ring and attempted to calm down Bane and try to convince him that this wasn't worth it, and that this was just some manner of trick and things were still going to go on as planned.
[ "I WILL NOT BE DEEEENIIIIIED!" ] roared out Bane as he hooked one of the referees with a headlock and transitioned into a fisherman's suplex as he sent the referee flying. The other referee scurried back as security were swarming towards the mat; but the results were the same as most times when security got involved in wrestling angles...
...lots of security agents took a beating.
While lower on gastank, he still had enough for this task. Bane began battering security guards with flurries of jabs, elbows and a few lariats. Bane carved his way towards the back to find El Guacho so he could finally earn the prizes that Lord Death Man put up for stake.
["YOU, THE MONEY AND THE MASK SHALL BE MINE! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORD DEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAATH MAAAAAAAAAAAN ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?"] was uttered in a rather dramatic fashion as Bane forced his way towards the back to collect the few belongings he left at the arena, and more importantly to find El Guacho.
In the locker room, sitting on one of the benches and with a cobra on either side, a figure in a black cape and skull mask sat, watching a pocket television that would have been outdated 20 years ago. Still, it got the transmission well enough, and as he leaned on his cane, he nodded.
"Quite impressive work, Bane. I must admit, since I stole the matchup card, I was curious about you. Wondered why they would let new talent go so far in his first appearance. Nevertheless, you took a bit longer than I thought you would."
Bane gave a bow towards Lord Death Man, "I am glad. Hopefully not too long?" he spoke as he opened up his locker and ripped out his dufflebag without paying much mind to some of his pads that fell out.
"Oh, no, but those lockers smell like ass and I was hiding in one for like... ten minutes. El Gaucho was in here but... something or other scared him off, I suppose."
"Hmrphm." Bane grumbled out as he opened up his dufflebag and took out one of the many containers of Venom that was stashed within it. Attaching this first container of his most precious drug to the system, he mused. "Any plan for getting out?"
"Well, I suppose I can give you a lift. We do have a submarine to catch." Death Man swung his cane about, letting the cobras slither up into his cape as he made for the exit. "I think you'll fit right in with what I'm planning if you're willing to bring that no-nonsense attitude to the criminal world."
"You understand The Code the Way of the Mask. As such my services are at your disposal." Bane explained as he took out another canister and put it into place. "However I was not able to catch El Guacho; was my performance enough to earn those rewards?"
Under the mask, Death Man sighed and gave a smile. Not exactly what you'd expect from a Yakuza boss- a warm, friendly one, almost fatherly.
"Bane, I have an excellent eye for rising young talent. You are, frankly, wasted in a promotion like the CFM. You have the potential to become one of the greatest criminals of the modern age, and as an elder... well, it's my solemn duty to help you and others come into your own. The 'civilized' world turns its back on us, those who were abused and abandoned, so it's only right we look out for each other. That's how the Yakuza started, and that's how we remain."
Reaching into a duffle bag of his own, Death Man withdrew a number of other cobras, sticking them under his cape.
"Now, let's go. Our ride is waiting."
Mexico City, Arena Coliseo
July 13th 6:00 PM
Some would say that a world that celebrates violence in countless forms, this world is a black and unforgiving place. Well to the men, women and children who were gathered here they would probably share this sentiment to anyone who disputed the fun of violence; Color our world blackened, blackened.
Well while the world might have not immediately blackened, at the very least the arena itself quickly turned the lights off, with the only lights visible being a few lights down the ramp and the cellphones that illuminated sections of the stands who were trying to figure out who was coming out, if it would be Bane after all or if they were getting swerved with someone else.
The sounds of the crowd were starting to fill the air as no music had yet played; when suddenly both down on the ramp and on the titantron an illumating pair of red eyes appeared and blinked open as the lights shot back up to full view.
Bane stood at the center of the ramp, well after he dropped his dufflebag just under the ring, near the very curtain which led to the television control center of the Gorilla Position. His right hand was held up skywards as, his theme began to play. Bane swaggered down to the ring, deliberately rolling his fists around as he threw them up towards the crowd. It was a simple pattern, do it a bit with the right, then moving it on to the left.
Meanwhile at the Spanish Commentary desk, Hector "The Hand" Espinosa - a bald man in his late fifties with a piglike nose, used to be a luchador back in the day before he came down with a nasty back injury - was part of the current announce team. He was dressed in a simple black three piece suit with a canary yellow undershirt and a peach colored tie, and as many would attest to he still smelt of cigarette smoke.
["Ladies and Gentlemen, for all of you watching here live, at home, the bar, or for you kiddos out there anywhere where you can get a signal, let me welcome you to the Arena Coliseo for the Showdown of the Rising Suns! Up for grabs tonight for the winner of this tournament between our, well at the least my home of CFM and the RAW invaders is the MASK OF AZTECA. Only with mental and physical fortitude, not too mention a little bit of Lady Luck - believe me I've had a fair share of her grace - on their side, one man will achieve great honor and glory, not only for themselves but for their organization!"] Hector declared in his raspy voice as he beamed a grin showing off his, well lack of really, stained yellow teeth. He continued, ["And this kid here, the man they call Bane, I'm glad he found his break in the big leagues. Brave guy diving right in his debut to hang with these harded sharks of men from over the seas."] Hector chuckled for a moment, before he began wheezing a bit; after that he returned to his dialogue.
["Well I appreciate his testicular fortitude in boldly going out into this tournament while he's still fresh meat in these big leagues. His fighting spirit cannot be questioned but will it burn passionately enough to help progress him through to the next round?"]
At the edge of the wrestling ring, Bane made his way up the metal steps, through the top two ropes before heading to the far right corner. He climbed up to the top of the ropes as he slowly raised his right arm. Extending his pointer finger he circled around the arena to point at everyone, while he kept his footing on the ropes only bouncing from it slightly, before clutching his hand into a fist and dragging it down to his side.
Leaping down Bane stood in the corner flexing as he awaited his opponent to come to him.
["And now, the challenger!"]
Doyun Kim- the man who'd given Shousei Kougami, the promotion's owner, a ride earlier that day ran forward down the ramp as his entrance music blared. Taking a running jump from the stairs into the corner, he flipped up onto the turnbuckle and started pumping up the crowd. At the request of the referee, he shrugged, dropping down to lean on the corner.
["Looks like our first member of the Rogue Alliance of Wrestling is Doyun Kim- the Middleweight Champion of All Japan Pro Wrestling. This feisty Korean spends his time during RAW's off season as an MMA pro... but he doesn't have any titles from that little side venture yet!"] came from the other member of the two-man booth of the Spanish Commentary Team. This man was Yamashita Katsurou, a thin man who appeared to be in mid-thirties. He was dressed in a grey suit, a black tie with a white undershirt. He had short, but slick back hair which gleamed from the set's lightning. He pulled out a switch-blade comb, flicked it open and combed a bit of his hair before continuing.
["Still, for a guy his size, getting to the semifinals in those matchups is pretty impressive. He's one of the more agile members of RAW, but that leg injury he took in the octagon won't be doing him any favors tonight. His love of violence, on the other hand, might just help him pull through."]
["Who doesn't love some good carnage? That's a tune we can all brawl to. And that's certainly what these two are going to do.]
Bane carefully eyed his opponent, the Killer Korean, Douyn Kim. Just as these proceedings were about to start, well as soon as the bellkeeper rang the bell and after the ring announcer's spiel was done, Bane stopped the impromptu flexing, headed to the center of the ring and when he was there Bane spread his legs apart and began to square his shoulders. This luchador was ready to compete for the amusement of the crowd, and more importantly, for that prized mask. For his part, Doyun kept his feet spread as well, making his way cautiously to the center of the ring. Bane here was an unknown quantity, but he knew the gist of the script. The thing about the leg injury was true, but it was healed up by now. It was a way to save face for going down in the first round. He was ready for Bane, though he wasn't sure how well striking would go over against this opponent.
Alongside the two competitors was a woman who was dressed in a sequin red dress carrying a microphone.
["Laaaaadiiiiiiiies and Gentleeeemeeeeen, this match will be], quite a few fans in the audience chanted alongside her, [ ONE FALL! The winner of this match will progress to the next bracket in the tournament!"]
She gestured to Bane, ["FIGHTING FOR THE CFM, BAAAAAAAANE!"] Bane kept his position as he continued to staredown Doyun Kim.
["AAAAAND FIGHTING FOR THE ROGUE ALLIANCE OF WRESTLING, DOOOOOYUUUUN KIIIIIIIIM!"]
With the announcements done, she left under the ring ropes as the Timekeeper rang the bell to signify the match start.
Showdown of the Rising Suns Early Bracket: Bane vs Doyun Kim, Arena Coliseo
And so Bane charged at Doyun Kim with his left arm extended to start off the affairs with a clothesline. For his part, Kim was going to press his agility as best he could. He ducked the clothesline and stepped to the side, taking a quick punch at Bane's side as he did; Bane stumbled back a bit from the punch, Kim after all needed to go a bit over, especially as he had that MMA career mojo on his side. However Bane of course felt that he could not sell too much, after all he was a strong man, so after regaining himself he ran a bit towards Kim before diving in an attempt to get Kim with a spear. Perhaps it was a bit early for a move such as that, but at this moment it felt right to Bane to be a bit flashy. For what it was worth, the spear hit its mark. Doyun obviously knew how to sell this one, exhaling sharply and staggering back.
Bane got up before speaking briefly, loudly enough for Doyun to hear, but hopefully quiet enough so no snoopy dirtsheets could claim the call was a botch. ["Too stiff?"] With that said Bane began to throw a few more worked punches at Doyun's direction.
Doyun's spanish was, surprisingly, quite good. Whatever his martial art was, he knew how to do functional, but flashy, blocks. ["Nah, I work with other strikers a lot."]
["Good."]Bane took a few steps back before throwing a, telegraphed, right elbow at Doyun. Doyun ducked under, delivering a few quick punches to Bane's stomach before leaping back. Bane, buckled down a bit as he held his arms over his chest for a moment. He then began to circle around towards Doyun as if he was stalking prey. He lifted back his arms and began moving his hands back and forth, ready to pounce. And as he pounced, Bane attempted to perform a double axehandle, a move involving Bane clutching both of his fists together, as he swung them to strike Kim on the head. Kim took it, falling to one knee and springing back again, making sure to sell the stumble as he landed on his left leg and shook his head. He gave Bane a cocky grin and "come at me" as he steadied himself.
And now as the story had been expressed by Kim, Bane would be sure to do his part in order to sell the story in the ring. Outside the ring the commentators would most surely sell it as it should be, once again charged at Duyon, starting off with a feint jab, before moving in with the attempt to take him down with a single leg takedown on Kim's bad leg. Doyun moved to block the feint, though he took the takedown like a champ, crying out and collapsing. Still, he wasn't going down easily, lashing out with a leg sweep with his good leg. He was still, naturally, quite hurt, as the script dictated.
Bane reacted quite naturally to the leg sweep as he motioned to the side away from the strike and towards the ground. From here Bane transitioned into a kneebar, as he went to trap Duyon Kim's good leg in between his own and after securing his arms around the leg, Bane began to stretch the leg.
["Tap."] Bane tersely stated.
Doyun knew the role in this tournament. He made a show of the struggle, wincing and struggling, but eventually tapped out, gasping for air. The referee came over to separate the two, leaving Doyun to look down at his leg as two men with a stretcher came to retrieve him.
As the referee and the two work medics came, Bane simply nodded his head in approval of Doyun, but as the bellkeeper rang the bell to signal the end of the match, Bane hopped on the rops and began thrusting his fist into the air as his music played.
Above an updated graphic had a large 'X' pop over Doyun before moving to a bracket which showed the updated competitors. With that done, alongside his bit of celebration, Bane rolled out of the ring and headed to the back for a brief rest before he would be called once again to the ring.
----
After this match, the crowd were introduced to various promo packages from the competitors who were stating their desires about why they wanted to win the Tournament. Some like El Guacho gave a promo about how they looked up to Aztec the First and how it inspired them to become a proper wrestler.
Bane didn't necessarily give so much of a speech as much as simply pointing towards his own Mask and nodding, the solemn respect that a luchador could offer another luchador. It was the way of the mask, Bane knew it and those who did know the 'Honor Code of Lucha' would get it, everyone else didn't matter.
Loco Loro had an enthusiastically delivered package detailing about the payoff that was going to the winner and of course how he was always destined to fly to the top.
Kid Phoenix spoke of how it was great to face off against other agile fighters- his acrobatic style needed testing against folks who didn't focus on the ground game as much as practitioners of Strong Style, and Luchadores made for perfect opponents.
The remaining wrestler- a disgraced sumo- talked about how his powerful techniques would crush any luchador's style.
Senketsu Joe played the heel nicely- speaking of how Aztec was one of the only luchadors he could bring himself to respect. How he wanted to take that mask and protect it from those who wouldn't live up to the legacy.
These segments served as a bit of time filler so that the talent would be called back to the arena, to stir up interest for the upcoming matches due to investing in the talents that were being presented. As each of these matches were coming to ahead, the jumbotron above kept a steady picture of the current bracket standings.
---
Behind the scenes, Death Man had already set to work. Splicing into the cables leading to the titantron wasn't any big deal, really- a quick "smoke break" as one of RAW's promoters had given him all the private time he needed. He'd even located the mask and appropriated it- treated as some worthless prop. Originally, he had planned to simply abscond with it in silence. But the conditions it was kept in, then suddenly whipped out had made him angry. No, now he was off-script. Now he was going to make these fools pay for disrespecting the mask. He sat down in front off the chair and waited.
----
...["With the diving fist drop Loco Loro, whiffed, and got the ref instead."] Hector stated bemused as he placed his hands on his head. Yamashita smirked as he watched as Joe took advantage of this unique opportunity from this botch.
["And Senkentsu Joe goes for the Hangman's Choke!"] eagerly declared Yamashita, while Hector was banging his hands on the desk. ["Ref are you blind!? That's illegal!"] cried out Hector as he watched as Loco Loro had his will of life drained from him, as he was stuck in a sleeper hold within the ropes. Slicking back his hair Yamashita smirked, ["What they don't see won't hurt them. Kid shouldn't have tried to go to the ropes. When Joe's around, you're in a no fly zone."] Hector snarled as he shook his head.
["Ref c'mon, GET IN THERE!"] bemoaned Hector as the ref returned back into the ring to see a knocked out Loco Loro. ["Day late and a dollar short, well if you were a fan of Loco anyway. I'll give the kid this, he did make a wonderful combo, but all things must come crashing back down to earth, and Joe will bring them down."]
...
["JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH!"] exclaimed Hector as he looked down at the carnage that happened to their desk set. The Spanish Announce Table was a shattered pile of wood, both in flaming debris and regular debris, that held the masked man known as Bane crashed in the middle of it. Standing triumphantly Kid Phoenix began swinging his flaming right leg up and down to the admiration of the crowd.
["Ha! That's the blazing spirit of Kid Phoenix for you; he'll light himself on fire if that means he can get an advantage and take you down. And that Flaming Frog Splash from the top ropes certainly brought that shooting star downwards."]
["Don't count on it just yet. Bane is still stirring with some fighting spirit."] Hector remarked as Bane arose from the ashes to catch Kid Phoenix by surprise and caught Kid Phoenix in a front face-lock. Bane transitioned this into a vertical suplex and slammed Kid Phoenix into the ruined table that he created. As the ref continued counting, Bane slid back into the ring and watched as Kid Phoenix was counted out.
___
Showdown of the Rising Suns Semi-Finals: Senketsu Joe the Fifth vs Bane, Arena Coliseo, 7:55 PM
Through a rough series of matches, the collective of Japanese and Mexican wrestlers began to dwindle as the cream among them were rising to the tops. At this particular round of the semi-finals, two men, one Japanese and one Mexican clawed their way to the top.
These two were the established superstar, Senketsu Joe the Fifth and the rising talent, the one simply known as Bane.
["I hope you folks are ready, because we have a legacy versus the new blood! Senketsu Joe is the fifth to don the mask of the man deemed too brutal for the ring! Holding two heavyweight belts in the various Japan Pro Wrestling circuits for five years running, he has earned his place in history!"]
Amid the smoke and darkness, fountain fireworks went off as a large, burly man in a full-body suit made to look like the human circulatory system walked through the sparks. He thrust his fists upward and let out a hearty laugh before running for the ring, performing a surprisingly agile front-flip to clear the ropes.
["Standing at a whopping six and a half feet tall, weighing in at over two hundred and eighty pounds of muscle! The strongest and nastiest that the Rogue Alliance of Wrestling has to offer! Presenting, the one, the only: Senketsu Joe The Fifth!"]
"And challenging, the rising force of CFM, standing at five feet six inches, weighing in at two huuundred and eighty five pounds, BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANE!"
Once again Bane's theme began to play. He simply settled for entering through the middle ropes and pointing around to the crowd with his right index finger. After he finished pointing up towards the rafters, he pointed towards the jumbotron which currently displayed a portrait of the Mask of Azteca.
Pointing back to himself, Bane flexed and readied himself.
Once again the ring announcer explained the rules; that this particular match, the penultimate battle with the winner facing El Guacho for the chance to win the tournament, was a one fall match, with disqualification and count outs at play. With her job finished, she rolled out of the arena so these wrestlers could duke it out.
The bell rang to signal that the match was now official and had begun. Bane pounded on his chest with his right hand before stomping up towards Senketsu Joe the Fifth in order to challenge this wrestler in their field. Extending his right arm wide, Bane whipped it against Senketsu's chest.
It appeared that the luchador wanted to engage this man in a contest of strength, done in a traditional fashion in Puroresu. One could only imagine whether this was done in an attempt to mock and embarass Senketsu Joe the Fifth in his area of expertise, or if it was done as a sign of respect. Joe, meanwhile, ran forward to meet the charge, grabbing for Bane's neck for a typical lock stalemate. A fairly standard start to a match for two grapplers. While the two grappled, however, Joe kicked at Bane's calf. Bane took some damage from this attack, and began to falter downwards, so Joe had the advantage. However this could prove to be an opportunity for the masked man; Bane attempted to bring Joe's elbow away so he could do a proper duckunder and weasel his way around his opponent for a better position and perhaps attack with a suplex. Of course, a momentary distraction can cost a lot- especially with an experienced grappler. Joe brought his head back, and gave Bane a mighty headbutt, attempting to distance himself from Bane a bit.
"[LISTEN UP, AMIGO, BECAUSE I'M GONNA SAY THIS ONCE!]"
"[THERE ARE THREE FUNDAMENTALS OF WRESTLING. DOYUN'S KOREAN MARTIAL ARTS MAKE HIM A POWERFUL, AGILE FIGHTER, BUT HE'S PATHETIC AT FOULS.]"
"[KID PHOENIX IS AN AGILE GUY WHO FIGHTS DIRTY, BUT HIS MOVES DON'T HAVE A LOT OF POWER BEHIND THEM BEYOND THE FIRE.]"
"[AND THAT SUMO IN THE LAST ROUND IS A POWERFUL JACKASS WHO CHEATS, BUT HE'S AS AGILE AS A GODDAMN HIPPO!]"
"[SO ASK YOURSELF... HOW DO YOU FIGHT A MAN WHO HAS MASTERED THE THREE FUNDAMENTALS OF WRESTLING?]"
The headbutt was successful at its intended goal, Bane staggered backwards as he was struck from the blow. He listened carefully to the lesson that Senketsu Joe was teaching in his boastful speech. Bane needed to out-think, out-manuever and out-power Joe, as a master of these three arts could only be defeated by a superior master of those three essentials, or one with a fourth essential.
["BY BEING THEIR BANE!"] roared out Bane as he rushed towards Joe to grab an arm and fling him towards the turnbuckles in an Irish Whip. As Bane threw him towards the turnbuckle, however, Joe dove to the side at the last minute- sliding between the top two ropes and leaving the ring, landing in a painful-looking roll into the announcer table. He dashed back in as fast as he could. However, the titantron's picture began to waver as a cloud of static overcame it, and a new entrance theme played. The screen showed a laughing skull- followed by various headlines in various languages. "SKULL-FACED JAP BAFFLES GIs." "MYSTERIOUS THIEF BURGLARIZES ST. PETERSBURG ARMORY." "MASKED MIKADO OF MAYHEM MYSTIFIES MANTIS."
Interspersed were clips from some Japanese cartoon, all featuring the same man in a skeleton costume. Finally, a voice clip.
"A heist is all about aesthetics! It requires style, coolness, and nobility! The ultimate contest of wits? Stealing today, tomorrow and everything in between! I am The Phantom Thief..."
Finally, the camera shifted to a costumed man reclining comfortably in an office chair, drinking wine through his somehow unstained mask. Three suitcases sat on the desk in front of him as he stood up and held his hands up on either side.
"SALUDOS, Mexico City! You came here to watch masked men in the ring, but I'm afraid there's one more behind the scenes thanks to the shoddy security systems!"
Tapping his cane to the side of his head, Death Man continued, reaching under the desk and putting a picture of the most famous Luchadores of all time on the table- an unmistakable figure in a silver mask, Followed by Fray Tormenta, and finally Azteca 1.
"And I've been thinking. Back during the second World War, there was an attempt by the axis to turn Mexico against the United States. During that time, I was here in Mexico attempting to gather intelligence at Emperor Hirohito Tojo's behest. I saw a truly amazing spectacle- one of El Santo's first matches! And the most beautiful part was that it wasn't staged. Glorious combat between two actual competitors!"
Lord Death Man sighed, seemingly lost in the nostalgia as he looked at the pictures. He sighed and replaced them on the desk.
"And, while I decry the death of shoot promotions outside Japan, today my heart goes out to the luchadores. You are, possibly, the last people on Earth who understand the value of a mask. And I can understand the pain you feel. Nobody cared who you were until you put on the mask."
With that, Death Man opened the middle suitcase and took out a red and blue mask, adorned with a massive topaz, to the gasps of the attending crowd.
"Take Aztec The First... a salt miner from an impoverished town seeking money to build a school. He claimed he had mystical might that came from the Star of Quetzlcoatl, the gem he built into his mask. However, whether or not that element is true, the fact remains- he was a strong man, both in character and in the ring. This mask, it became a symbol to so many! But no, the audience today doesn't really care about that... They're here to watch a violent spectacle, so that CFM's golden boy El Gaucho can don it. No honor, no attempt to actually earn it..."
Death Man pointed his cane to the camera, smiling underneath the mask.
"And that is why, I have come to make an announcement!"
["Cut the feed and call the fucking police."] the lead promoter from CFM shouted frantically to one of the backstage agents manning the monitors at the gorilla position.
["Sir, I've been try-"] answered the closest agent before getting interrupted by the promoter who was already losing his mind.
["Did I fucking stutt- What do you mean you've been trying?!"]
---
Mexico City Police Department
July 13th, 8:00 PM
Throughout the parking lot and halls, the police faced a rather... interesting problem. The floors, parking lot, and offices were currently being patrolled. Not by any human- the humans were hiding in bathrooms and cells. No, tonight the ones travelling the methodical routes tonight were a swarm of cobras, slithering about. The phones in dispatch were ringing constantly... but a number of cobras were already curled up quite comfortably around them. Officer Santiago decided to be a hero and make a break for it. Maybe, if he could make it to a car, he could radio a patrolman or something. He gritted his teeth, gripped his pistol, and made for the door, raising his gun to take a shot at a cobra... which sprayed him in the eyes even as he pulled the trigger. The shot went wild. Officer Santiago was blinded that night. He didn't know how things would turn out- but he would now and forever fear the snake.
---
"Going forward, the final round will be a Shoot match! The winner will receive three prizes: The first, two hundred thousand pesos! The second, the mask of Aztec that I now hold! And finally, a personal gift from yours truly: The opportunity to join the greatest criminal enterprise in history!"
Bane clenched his right fist as he began pounding it in an open hand. Certainly this was a serendipitous boon to the luchador, he wouldn't have to force his way into claiming it against the wishes of the promotion. That specter he saw on the television at that fateful morning at the gym was here. And he understood the mask, this much was clear from that broadcast and now properly putting up for a prize in a real battle. Bane was not about to lose his chance at the prize, nor would he disappoint this man.
He had to make a good impression, Lord Death Man was watching. That skeleton needed to know that he was another student of the mask; and Bane was ready to conquer all who stood before him.
And with that Bane went charging towards Joe to strike with a shoulder tackle. Joe dodged to the side, sticking out his leg and attempting to trip Bane.
"[Look. There's one more round. You wanna run down your gas tank fighting me, or you want to save it for Gaucho?]"
Bane noticed the leg and began to dive through the ropes, ["You make a good point."] but he did not dive through the ropes and in fact managed to hang on to the second rope. Swinging on his side around through the ropes, Bane performed a Tiger Feint Kick to strike Joe. ["But who said we were going back to a regular scheduled program?"]
["Lord Death Man ain't one to skip on planning. He'll have something set up. But I've been watching Gaucho's matches. I can teach you the techniques he won't be able to counter, but I'm not sure you've got the mass for 'em."]
Swinging back through the ropes without contact, Bane struck his feet back on the ground and stood back up, taking a bit of time for a breather. ["Do not worry about the mass, my body is a pristine temple that can handle it and I would say more."]
["Alright... then prepare for the brutal technique passed down by the original Senketsu Joe! Prepare your body for... SENKETSU HELL!"]
Joe rushed forward, grabbing for Bane's neck and thigh and lifting him up onto his shoulders. Pulling Bane's chest and arms down, Joe pulled tighter and tighter. Ordinarily, Bane's strength would prove more than a match for such a hold. However...
["First, the backbreaker! Disorient your foe... and just as they are about to break out...]"
Joe fell to the side, bringing Bane's head straight down onto the canvas... and indeed, through it, Bane's head sticking out the bottom of the ring. Joe jumped backward upon the landing, going for the ropes to help build momentum.
["A Japanese mat is firmer, meaning this technique is a good deal more lethal. However, a Lucha mat is softer to allow for a better airgame. These are key differences you'll need to know in the ring if you want to work for Death Man."]
Bane clawed his hands deep into the mat as Senketsu Joe illustrated the manuever. To a normal man, and with the proper mat, this would be the most dangerous technique. Fortunately Bane was not an ordinary man; pushing down against the mat he roared as he ripped his head out through the mat and emerged. Heaving, Bane turned around to face Senketsu Joe the Fifth.
["Hm."] Bane mused as he clutched his right hand over his chest before rolling his neck around. ["I still have much to learn it seems to be a truly masterful warrior."] After rolling his neck around he moved to rolling around his shoulders, ["Good. This means I can progress further. I thank you for showing me this."] Bane said with small nod to Senketsu Joe.
["Now, I need El Guacho."]
Meanwhile as this was going on, the crowd and commentary just watched in a stunned silence unsure of how to respond to the events that quickly unfurled before them.
["Hehehe... yeah."] With that, Joe gave a thumbs-up to Bane and made his way over to the announcer's table. He promptly picked up a mic and made an announcement.
["RAW didn't sign up for this shit. I just came here to see Mexicans getting hurt, and I don't care if it's me or Bane doing it. Just send me my damn check, I'm out."]
With that, Joe dropped the mic and headed for the arena's exit, rolling his shoulders as he made his way out.
-----
Meanwhile, in the locker room, El Gaucho was cornered by a swarm of cobras, hissing menacingly. He became a luchador with CFM to avoid shit like this. He expected it from bushleague tier and those hardcore promotions but hoped that moving to CFM would give him a sense of safe professionalism in his work. But at least the dumb animals had left him an opening. A clear path from the locker room to a nearby door. El Guacho needed to manuever through this gracefully, no way would his medical insurance company believe that he was attacked by a swarm of cobras at one of his performances. With that El Guacho began dashing and hopping his way through multitudes of cobras in order to reach that door to freedom.
Back inside the ring, Bane began pacing back and forth. ["El Guacho! You can't hide from me! I am waiting!"] In an attempt to get some measure of control of the situation, a pair of referees hopped in the ring and attempted to calm down Bane and try to convince him that this wasn't worth it, and that this was just some manner of trick and things were still going to go on as planned.
[ "I WILL NOT BE DEEEENIIIIIED!" ] roared out Bane as he hooked one of the referees with a headlock and transitioned into a fisherman's suplex as he sent the referee flying. The other referee scurried back as security were swarming towards the mat; but the results were the same as most times when security got involved in wrestling angles...
...lots of security agents took a beating.
While lower on gastank, he still had enough for this task. Bane began battering security guards with flurries of jabs, elbows and a few lariats. Bane carved his way towards the back to find El Guacho so he could finally earn the prizes that Lord Death Man put up for stake.
["YOU, THE MONEY AND THE MASK SHALL BE MINE! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORD DEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAATH MAAAAAAAAAAAN ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?"] was uttered in a rather dramatic fashion as Bane forced his way towards the back to collect the few belongings he left at the arena, and more importantly to find El Guacho.
In the locker room, sitting on one of the benches and with a cobra on either side, a figure in a black cape and skull mask sat, watching a pocket television that would have been outdated 20 years ago. Still, it got the transmission well enough, and as he leaned on his cane, he nodded.
"Quite impressive work, Bane. I must admit, since I stole the matchup card, I was curious about you. Wondered why they would let new talent go so far in his first appearance. Nevertheless, you took a bit longer than I thought you would."
Bane gave a bow towards Lord Death Man, "I am glad. Hopefully not too long?" he spoke as he opened up his locker and ripped out his dufflebag without paying much mind to some of his pads that fell out.
"Oh, no, but those lockers smell like ass and I was hiding in one for like... ten minutes. El Gaucho was in here but... something or other scared him off, I suppose."
"Hmrphm." Bane grumbled out as he opened up his dufflebag and took out one of the many containers of Venom that was stashed within it. Attaching this first container of his most precious drug to the system, he mused. "Any plan for getting out?"
"Well, I suppose I can give you a lift. We do have a submarine to catch." Death Man swung his cane about, letting the cobras slither up into his cape as he made for the exit. "I think you'll fit right in with what I'm planning if you're willing to bring that no-nonsense attitude to the criminal world."
"You understand The Code the Way of the Mask. As such my services are at your disposal." Bane explained as he took out another canister and put it into place. "However I was not able to catch El Guacho; was my performance enough to earn those rewards?"
Under the mask, Death Man sighed and gave a smile. Not exactly what you'd expect from a Yakuza boss- a warm, friendly one, almost fatherly.
"Bane, I have an excellent eye for rising young talent. You are, frankly, wasted in a promotion like the CFM. You have the potential to become one of the greatest criminals of the modern age, and as an elder... well, it's my solemn duty to help you and others come into your own. The 'civilized' world turns its back on us, those who were abused and abandoned, so it's only right we look out for each other. That's how the Yakuza started, and that's how we remain."
Reaching into a duffle bag of his own, Death Man withdrew a number of other cobras, sticking them under his cape.
"Now, let's go. Our ride is waiting."
