Devil's Spoke
Jul 7, 2016 19:57:56 GMT -5
Post by Ruby Tyler on Jul 7, 2016 19:57:56 GMT -5
June 19, 2016
Once outside the Hardaways' building, Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. The dinner party for Kim's birthday had gone over much better than Ruby had originally anticipated. Kim was a smart kid, funny, articulate... everything her father wasn't, Ruby thought, although even she had to admit that as of late, she hadn't been feeling quite so antagonistic toward her tag partner. He was still the person who knew how best to get under her skin, but during their evening with Kim, the two of them had been more joking than anything else in their exchanges. It was odd to Ruby, and she knew Hardaway had to feel the same way. She had never envisioned him as much of a family man, but seeing him with his daughter gave her a new perspective.
For the first time, she saw what she was trying to protect by helping Hardaway with whatever was after him. And she liked Kim on her own merit. Ruby had never considered herself great with kids, but she had gotten along very well with the younger Hardaway. Maybe the kid took after her mother, the mysterious Angie. Hardaway never talked about her, so all Ruby's knowledge of the woman came from Google searches and whatever else she'd been able to dig up while she was researching Hardaway back in San Diego. Asking him about her would be a definite violation of their don't ask, don't tell policy, but her curiosity was eating away at her, especially now that she had met Kimberly. It made her wonder what kind of man Hardaway had been before all the nonsense in California had started. Once upon a time, a woman had loved him enough to accept his marriage proposal and bear his child. And he loved her so much that even in death, he was still clinging to her memory.
But there would be time enough to wonder about the enigma that was Kevin Hardaway. Now, she had to focus on another mission: finding out if there was any way to reverse what had happened to Tsurugi Kanemoto, her beloved foster brother. The changes in him had been evident during the last HELL show he had performed on, and the subsequent phone call with Masato had left her stunned into silence. Tsurugi had done the unthinkable, though apparently it was not the first time someone in the Kanemoto family had given in to the temptation of power. The beings they fought had strength and stamina beyond anything most humans could comprehend. Ruby could understand why the ability to harness those abilities was so seductive, but to see her brother embrace it hurt more than she wanted to admit.
Finding her car, Ruby started up the engine and drove through the streets of Baltimore until she found what she was looking for: a strip mall off the beaten path, with most of its storefronts displaying graffiti and For Rent signs that seemed like they had been there for a decade or more. Hers was the only car in the lot, and most of the lights had burned out long ago, leaving her alone in the darkness. Only then did she take out her phone and call back the person who had reached out to her on her way out of the Hardaways’ door.
“Johnny, hey. Sorry I couldn't talk before. What's up?”
“You mind telling me what the hell kinda mess you got yourself into this time? Why am I trying to find records from The Order? You know better than I do how close those bastards keep their stuff. Even finding someone willing to talk…”
“I know, I know. But I can't go back to my contacts there. This thing could topple the whole organization if it got out, and I'm not willing to risk the boys or their father over it. Did you get anything?”
“Not much, unless you feel up to trying to perform an exorcism without killing the kid. Which you probably will, if it's successful. And if it's not, then I'm sorry sweetheart, but you'd be cashing in your check.”
“So how do I do this thing?”
“You don't.”
“But you just said…”
“Ruby, if I let you do this then I'm going against everything I believe in. I know the risks involved in this life but we’re talking about something that has maybe a one percent chance of working, and that's me being optimistic! I'll see if I can find another way but I'm not making any promises.”
“Okay. Thanks, Johnny.”
As soon as she hung up the phone, Ruby slammed her hands against the steering wheel and sighed loudly, biting her lip to try and keep the tears at bay. No matter how many times she had tried to tell herself otherwise, she felt at least partially responsible for what had happened with Tsurugi. If she hadn't left that night, if she had come back to the Order and become the Hunter she had been trained to be, then maybe this wouldn't have happened. Rationally, she knew it had more to do with the loss of his mother than anything she had done. The seeds of this transformation had been sown long before the Kanemoto brothers learned the name Ruby Tyler, but her gut still twisted every time she spoke to Tsurugi and Masato.
She wanted them safe and protected, as much as any Hunter could be. The same went for Hardaway and his daughter, and her mother and her new family. Ruby needed to do whatever it took to prevent them from getting in harm’s way.
Even if it killed her.
Once outside the Hardaways' building, Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. The dinner party for Kim's birthday had gone over much better than Ruby had originally anticipated. Kim was a smart kid, funny, articulate... everything her father wasn't, Ruby thought, although even she had to admit that as of late, she hadn't been feeling quite so antagonistic toward her tag partner. He was still the person who knew how best to get under her skin, but during their evening with Kim, the two of them had been more joking than anything else in their exchanges. It was odd to Ruby, and she knew Hardaway had to feel the same way. She had never envisioned him as much of a family man, but seeing him with his daughter gave her a new perspective.
For the first time, she saw what she was trying to protect by helping Hardaway with whatever was after him. And she liked Kim on her own merit. Ruby had never considered herself great with kids, but she had gotten along very well with the younger Hardaway. Maybe the kid took after her mother, the mysterious Angie. Hardaway never talked about her, so all Ruby's knowledge of the woman came from Google searches and whatever else she'd been able to dig up while she was researching Hardaway back in San Diego. Asking him about her would be a definite violation of their don't ask, don't tell policy, but her curiosity was eating away at her, especially now that she had met Kimberly. It made her wonder what kind of man Hardaway had been before all the nonsense in California had started. Once upon a time, a woman had loved him enough to accept his marriage proposal and bear his child. And he loved her so much that even in death, he was still clinging to her memory.
But there would be time enough to wonder about the enigma that was Kevin Hardaway. Now, she had to focus on another mission: finding out if there was any way to reverse what had happened to Tsurugi Kanemoto, her beloved foster brother. The changes in him had been evident during the last HELL show he had performed on, and the subsequent phone call with Masato had left her stunned into silence. Tsurugi had done the unthinkable, though apparently it was not the first time someone in the Kanemoto family had given in to the temptation of power. The beings they fought had strength and stamina beyond anything most humans could comprehend. Ruby could understand why the ability to harness those abilities was so seductive, but to see her brother embrace it hurt more than she wanted to admit.
Finding her car, Ruby started up the engine and drove through the streets of Baltimore until she found what she was looking for: a strip mall off the beaten path, with most of its storefronts displaying graffiti and For Rent signs that seemed like they had been there for a decade or more. Hers was the only car in the lot, and most of the lights had burned out long ago, leaving her alone in the darkness. Only then did she take out her phone and call back the person who had reached out to her on her way out of the Hardaways’ door.
“Johnny, hey. Sorry I couldn't talk before. What's up?”
“You mind telling me what the hell kinda mess you got yourself into this time? Why am I trying to find records from The Order? You know better than I do how close those bastards keep their stuff. Even finding someone willing to talk…”
“I know, I know. But I can't go back to my contacts there. This thing could topple the whole organization if it got out, and I'm not willing to risk the boys or their father over it. Did you get anything?”
“Not much, unless you feel up to trying to perform an exorcism without killing the kid. Which you probably will, if it's successful. And if it's not, then I'm sorry sweetheart, but you'd be cashing in your check.”
“So how do I do this thing?”
“You don't.”
“But you just said…”
“Ruby, if I let you do this then I'm going against everything I believe in. I know the risks involved in this life but we’re talking about something that has maybe a one percent chance of working, and that's me being optimistic! I'll see if I can find another way but I'm not making any promises.”
“Okay. Thanks, Johnny.”
As soon as she hung up the phone, Ruby slammed her hands against the steering wheel and sighed loudly, biting her lip to try and keep the tears at bay. No matter how many times she had tried to tell herself otherwise, she felt at least partially responsible for what had happened with Tsurugi. If she hadn't left that night, if she had come back to the Order and become the Hunter she had been trained to be, then maybe this wouldn't have happened. Rationally, she knew it had more to do with the loss of his mother than anything she had done. The seeds of this transformation had been sown long before the Kanemoto brothers learned the name Ruby Tyler, but her gut still twisted every time she spoke to Tsurugi and Masato.
She wanted them safe and protected, as much as any Hunter could be. The same went for Hardaway and his daughter, and her mother and her new family. Ruby needed to do whatever it took to prevent them from getting in harm’s way.
Even if it killed her.
[So, my opponents have had an awful lot to say about me, Hardaway, and Ricky Valero lately. Or rather, one opponent and the hired mouthpiece for the Usual Suspects have had a lot to say. Personally I'd like to hear from the two guys who will actually be in the ring with me, but if there's been one phrase to describe my career up until this point, it's “you can't always get what you want.” I've made my peace with it, though. After all, life is what happens when you're busy making other plans, and no matter how much I may get shit on for what I've managed to accomplish over the last eighteen months, I'm proud of it. And I know that I'll keep improving and eventually, I will get what I want.
Right now, that's a proper shot at the FGA Tag Team Championship. Of all the teams in that tournament, RubyWay is the only one that is both a permanent part of this company and not looking at the tag belts as a stepping stone to something greater - not something that can be said of our current champions, but I digress. That’s something that Rother wants to hold over our heads - that his boys have tasted gold in FGA, while Hardaway and I haven’t. Which, granted, was years ago, before they dropped off the face of the planet and then decided to come back for another shot. Between these guys and Status Quo, it seems like the old guard in FGA is using these belts as a means to an end. Sure, Rother claims that his boys are in this only for Tag Team Championships, but just by looking at the guy I’m pretty sure I’d trust Donald Trump more than him. And I don’t like that his boys just stand idly by and let this guy do the talking for them. He’s probably better at it than they’ll ever be, but I wonder what they think of him declaring their intentions for them?
The Usual Suspects are familiar with both my tag partner and the gentleman joining our side for this six-man tag match but not so much with me, it seems. You’d think Sara Cochran would have filled them in a little, but I guess she wouldn’t have been able to hear them anyway if they asked, what with the earmuffs she always wears to block out the fans. Girl’s got a knack for drama, I’ll give her that, and she’s not half bad in the ring either.
But let me tell you something, sweetheart. Once you’ve had to deal with the people I did out in San Diego, watching the routine gets a little old. Call people buttface idiots all you want, but they’re still the ones buying tickets and therefore they’re the reason you get a paycheck every week. You complain about the fans not cheering for you, or appreciating you enough, or whatever. But here’s a little secret: when you act like an asshole, people are gonna call you out on it. And you, Sara, have been nothing but an asshole since you got here. So go ahead and keep it up. You’re not the first person to hate the crowd, nor are you the last. Nothing you’re doing is particularly unique or special. Not even joining forces with that little blonde cult leader girl.
Everything you and Rother are saying has been said before about me, about Hardaway, about Ricky, about RubyWay. Call WLW a shitty gym organization all you want, but it attracted some of the greatest names in wrestling to come perform there in that shitty little gym. Hardaway and I beat out fifteen of the best tag teams from around the world, including some FGA roster members and alumni, to win our belts there. It sucks that we won’t get to keep defending them, but they do mean something, regardless of whether or not you want to admit it. They mean that RubyWay is more than some fanfiction writer’s wet dream. They mean that we’re finally starting to hit our stride as a tag team.
And now, with one half of Next Level, a man who knows what it means to be a champion and to defend those tag belts we want so badly, we’re going to prove that The Usual Suspects and Sara Cochran are far better at pissing and moaning than they are at actually achieving something meaningful in that ring.
Say hello to #RickyRubyWay, bitches.