~ The Assignment ~

Rp Title:              Characters Mentioned:        Current assignment:        Rp Date:

A Mission of the Past        Manik, Torch, Nemesis, Akron      Bloody Revenge            05.16.04                

Inner voice: I know this is a bad idea...
I know this is a bad idea...
I know this is a bad idea...

-=Markus=- FUCK! This is such a rotten idea. Why the hell did I let Akron talk me into doing this? Is he out of his damn mind? Manik is going to want to rip me apart. After what he had to say... sending me out like this is practically BEGGING homicide. ((Sigh)) Well, I guess there's really nothing that I can do about it now. I'm all ready on this God-forsaken airplane, and I don't think it's landing anytime soon. Thank God that the Orange County Police Department isn't far from JFK airport. I think it's about five miles or so. Akron said he would send a limo there to pick us both up on the way and take us to San Diego for the pay per view tonight...

_-Little child-_ Uhm... mommy told me never to talk to strangers.

((It was just then that Markus realized that he was thirty-five thousand feet in the air, and venting out his frustrations and anything that was on his mind to a nine year old girl. It took a moment to grasp what he was doing, but upon realizing, Markus shook his head and leaned back in the seat, only to be sent jolting forward by the same little boy who had returned to his proper seat behind Markus Katastrophik.))

-=Markus=- Oh...great!

(( Markus was sent on an airplane on special request by Akron Johnson, father to Manik's kidnapped wife, as well as Nemesis, and father in law to Manik himself. As well as holding those accolades, he ran Monday Madness, which was slowly turning into a bombshell event to kick off every week and compliment Adrenaline rather nicely.

As of right now though, the terms on which Markus accepted this assignment are not known, but is sure to be revealed in due time. But as we speak, Markus is sitting miserably in his window seat, with an empty bag of peanuts in front of him, a half-empty cup of gin, and a kid behind him with the stamina of the energizer bunny. All of these things combined made Markus even more weary, but at the same time, reminding him so much of why he hated to fly--the service was horrendous, and the passengers are in great need of a forearm to the temple--. 

Markus looks down at his watch "10:19am"... Markus quickly shoves it back into his pocket with great frustration, as he lays his head down on the back of his chair and begins to wake, before he is startled by a sharp thrusting kick to the back of his chair and the sound of one of the stewardesses over the intercom, "the captain has asked that you turn off all electronic equipment, and return your tray tables to their full and upright position as we will be landing at John F. Kennedy Airport in Orange County, California momentarily. Furthermore we would like to thank you for your cooperation, and thank you for choosing TWA...thank you."

Markus jumps up in his seat at the sound of this. He looks up at the logo at the head of the cabin, on the chest of the stewardesses dresses, and finally looks on the wing of the airplane. After it dawns on him that the flight IS a TWA flight, he immediately goes into an intrusive state of panic, remembering that all of the bad airplane accidents occur usually on a TWA flight. This alone sends Markus screaming, and running around frantically... in his mind.

Markus soon is sent into an even more crazed panic as the plan begins to make a sharp downward descent. The camera fades out to an image of Markus gripping the arm rests of his seat and the old man next to him, as the plain prepares to land.))

-=Markus=- That was the most God-awful plane ride I've ever taken. But at least I'm back in the terminal, and on the ground finally. If I had to sit in that place for any longer, I would've gone mad! Plus, that stewardess with the missing tooth was checking me out, that little boy was about three seconds from taking a dropkick to the skull, and the old man next to me kept talking and talking about how he crapped his diaper...Jesus he smelled like rotten eggs. Just my luck, old smelly men, to rich California smog.

((Markus had made it through the nightmarish airplane ride, but was rather hesitant, and quite unsure if he would make it through the next part of the assignment, find and take Manik the Hunter to San Diego for the Pay Per View. But at the current moment, Markus stood alone at the terminal carousel trying to get his luggage.

Minutes pass and nothing is spun out, before a black suitcase comes barreling out the carousel. Markus gets his hopes up only to have them dashed as the same old man shoves Markus out of the way in a rather rude manner, and grabs the black suitcase, before bolting out of the airport terminal like a bat out of hell.

Markus waits and another minute goes by before a pair of duffel bags, and a chrome briefcase comes out of the tunnel and scrolls across in front of Markus. He is quick to snatch them off the rack placing the two duffels over each shoulder, with the case in his right hand, and heads off towards the door, before hailing a taxi to take him to the holding pen at the OCPD. 

-- Ten Minutes Later --

((Markus arrives in grand fashion...a taxi cab... at the Orange County Police Department. It seems just in time to see the police officer in charge of Manik, preparing to release David Gedron, better known as Manik the Hunter, from his jail cell. Markus quickly grabs his bags, tosses the cab driver a 50 and tells him to keep the change, before halting the officer. Manik seems confused, but pleased at his release from the cramped jail cell. Markus tells the officer of his orders that Manik was to be released into his custody for the next few hours prior to the event.))

-=Markus=- Excuse me officer, you can not legally release Mr. Gedron here into this man's custody. It has been expressed by the higherarchy of our employment that Mr. Gedron here is released into my custody here at 11:30am sharp. And if my clock isn't off, that leaves ten minutes before he is legally free to go. So good sir of the law, please escort Mr. Gedron back to his cell immediately. Thank you.

((Manik looks astounded, and enraged as he is placed back into the cell and the bars door is slid shut on him, and re locked to ensure his captivity until the ordered release. Markus thanks the officer who recognizes Markus from surfing the television some nights, and asks graciously for an autograph. Markus is quick to oblige and gives the man as he requests, before taking a stool and placing it between the two cells with the keys in his hand. He looks over at the other cell and notices Nemesis sitting in a corner, with his knees up around his chest. 

Markus looks to the other side and sees Torch there, visibly confused and frustrated by his plan gone awry. Markus looks at him and shoots him a cocky smirk.))

-=Markus=- I think that's all for you junior. We'll be seeing you at Bloody Revenge here soon. Sorry things didn't work out the way you had planned, bosses orders. Cant argue with that now, can ya? Hey, hey hey! No touchy touchy! Unless you wanna be stripped of your half of ownership of the SwF European Championship! 

((Off in the distance Manik's voice is heard lightly, egging on and antagonizing Torch to hit Markus if those are the circumstances, thus making Manik the sole European Champion.))

-=Markus=- Be nice Hunter, we'll get to you soon enough. But Torch, you're no longer needed, so just wait until Bloody Revenge, and then we'll settle our score the old fashioned way. IF you can hack it. Let's just see what you're made of!

((Torch looks to approach Markus, but the officer stands and requests Torch's departure, escorting him out of the building and into the car he arrived in.

Markus again looks over at Nemesis, and then back at Manik, smirking as he holds a tight grip on the keys. Manik reaches through the bars and attempts to snatch the keys from Markus' hands but to no avail. Markus looks over towards Nemesis and tosses the keys into the cell.))

-=Markus=- Karl... you're free to go. Akron asked that you be released, and since I've got more important things to take care of, our issues are going to remain unsolved for now, so get yourself out and leave the keys, and get to San Diego IMMEDIATELY, your father's orders!

[[Nemesis]]: You should know, just because my father says it, doesn't mean I follow it. 

-=Markus=- That's true, but unless you want to go back in the cell for disobeying direct law-biding stipulations, and forfeit your match with Steve tonight, I'd follow the leader tonight!

[[Nemesis]]: Screw that! I'm not going back in that cell. But just remember, we've got some stuff to settle still, you and I! 

((Nemesis looks over at Manik, taunts him, and walks out of the holding pen, and out of the police department, heading in the direction of Bloody Revenge, and San Diego. Markus and Manik are left alone in the room, as Manik sneers and barks out threatening remarks to Markus, on the other side of the bars.))

++Manik++: Boy, you better hope that life insurance is paid off, cause when I get out of here, you're going back to your family in a pine box!

-=Markus=- Ah, ah, ah. Remember that little thing I told Torch about attacking me? That goes double for you. See, Akron had an idea that one of you might try to intercept me, or might try to take swings at each other. And so he sent me with this...

((Markus opens the chrome briefcase once more, and pulls out an official document hand-signed by Akron Johnson. Markus hands it to Manik who reads it slowly, out loud.))

++Manik++: "This makes official that if any of the three combatants commits an act of physical abuse towards any of the other two participants involved in said Triple Threat match for the SwF European Championship, then the party or parties involved will be stripped of their rights to compete for said title, or be stripped of the title outright, and hereby be suspended until further notice from competition, WITHOUT PAY!"

...SON...OF...A...BITCH! So he managed to pull it off. 

(( Manik tosses the piece of paper through the bars of the cell, and onto the floor at the feet of Markus, who picks it up and puts it back in the briefcase before closing it and placing it down to his left on the floor.))

-=Markus=- Yup, so we might as well be civil, as much as it pains us both. Cause I'm not willing to give up my shot, and I know you want that title outright. So David... what will it be?

++Manik++: ((Sigh)) Agreed...for now. So MARK, ((said with obvious disgust)) when do we get out of this hell-hole and go to the arena?

-=Mark=- In about another five minutes. But until then, I've got a question for you...WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING? You kidnapped your own wife. Why? I mean, I know you're sick, but this is just beyond me. I can't seem to figure out that one question...why?

++David++: I have my reasons.

-=Mark=- That's all? You have your reasons? Is that the best you have?

++David++ Lets get one thing straight right now Mark, we might have to get along, or at least be civil for the sake of my dear old daddy-in-law, but I don't owe you SQUAT! Who are you? Exactly where do you get off thinking I owe you ANY kind of cooperation or justification?

-=Mark=- Fair enough. I just want this to go as smoothly as possible, so do us both a favor... knock off the tough-guy routine, and attitude.

++David++ Fine, have it your way...answer me a question... why'd you come back? What on earth possessed you to come back here? And what were you doing for the past eight months.

-=Mark=- All right, if you must know, I came back because someone that was really close to me told me that he was most proud of me when he saw me lift up that title. I lost two people in the past nine months. And after a messy divorce to Raven, there was a lot of issues inside of my head I needed to iron out. I lost my father, my best friend, and the woman and son I wanted to make a family with. So really, what else was there to do? I have no family anymore, my ex wont even let me speak to my son. As warped as it sounds, you're closer to me than any of my living family or even ex-family is. How does that make you feel?

++David++ Shit, I...well. I know that we've got scores to settle with each other, and were never going to be friends again, but I'm still sorry to hear of your losses. Julie, as much as I sometimes use her for my plots, you know, I love her to death. She means the world to me, and I couldn't bear to lose her. So for that, I am sorry. But that doesn't change the fact. You've all ready done everything you could here, why come back?

-=Mark=- Well... I had nowhere else to go. And I saw what I had been missing... this was the only place I felt complete peace with myself and the world around me. Strangely enough, you giving me hell, feels sort of like home. After my dad died a few months ago... I had nobody to talk to, and nobody to comfort me, so I trained, and I just fought out all my emotional problems, and eventually I fought my way up the ranks in Japan, and in three months, I knew I was ready. I called up Mikey, and I was still welcome. And I guess you were just the first person I spotted, and knew we had business we never finished.

++David++ How convenient. I was the FIRST. Lucky me.

((Mark stands up off the stool and walks over to the cell door, picking the ring of keys off the ground, before unlocking the door, sliding it open and beckoning David out of the cell. Without much hesitation he rises off the bunk and steps out of the cell, stretching off stress from the cramped room. Both men continue talking as Mark signs the release papers,. David walks out of the double door entrance to the police station, and into the bright sunlight, quickly putting on a pair of sunglasses, followed shortly behind by Mark. David notices the limo as Mark walks in front of him and opens the door, climbing in. David follows slowly behind and steps in, sitting across from Mark in the sleek, stylish black limo. David looks around somewhat impressed at the things the limo came equipped with.))

++David++ Certainly no expense spared here, huh?

-=Mark=- Yeah, Akron tends to go overboard a bit sometimes, doesn't he? Oh yeah... driver, you have your instructions?

[[Driver]]: Yes sir.

++David++ Yeah, he was always an overzealous one. But why did he send YOU to do this, he could've sent anyone, and it would've been a lot less risk for him.

 -=Markus=- Perhaps he knew that as much as you would want to tear me apart, you would be intrigued by this decision, and would hold your aggressions until Bloody Revenge and do it the right way. See David, though we all know how cold blooded and manipulative you are, some of us closest to you, such as myself and Akron...were smart enough to know that you don't want to tear apart Markus Katastrophik at some jail cell in Orange County, but in San Diego, at Bloody Revenge. Or... maybe he just wanted to get you to stare at me so close long enough, that you screw yourself? Either way, I don't know what he was thinking, I'm just doing what I was assigned. I've got a lot at stake in this Dave, and I'm not going to blow it on some ridiculous childish antics.

++David++ Hey kid, don't forget who you're talking to. I've got just as much riding on this. But you're right about one thing I suppose, we have to keep a level head about this, until we CAN tear each other apart.

-=Mark=- Like the good old days, eh?

++David++ You have no idea.

-=Mark=- Those were the days, when everything seemed so simple. Whooping ass, and showing no mercy. The feelings and emotions, and fans, and everything started changing, people started leaving... and everything changed. We all seemed to go our own way. Karl left, you became increasingly vengeful and personal, and I just needed to take charge of my career. 

++David++ Things were much more simple then, before everyone started abandoning each other, and turning on their friends.

-=Mark=- Hey, watch it with the cheap shots. It was just that every time we worked together as a team, I was the one left with secondary titles, second place, and leftovers. And I couldn't stand that anymore. I felt like I never really got the credit I deserved, because I was the guy in Manik's shadow. 

++David++ And look at where that got you. In a hell of a lot of trouble.

-=Mark=- How come it is that Karl can accept what I did, and he could even acknowledge my accomplishments after we all parted ways. He can understand why I did what I did, but you never could. It's like you were bitter, or just pissed cause I did it the way that I did.

++David++ For Christ's sake Mark, you left the Pack! You turned your back on family, and family doesn't forgive and forget quite so easily!

-=Mark=- We've all turned our backs on someone in our life... at one time or the other. We do it in the best of intentions for our own sake, and we do it because we realize that in order to succeed, we can no longer thrive off the thrills we experience, and need a new fix.

++David++ Thanks for reducing our family and your abandonment to a clever psychoanalytical speech.

-=Mark=- Hey... I'm sorry, David. I didn't know that it was THAT important to you. But anyways, do you remember the bars, the brawls we used to start. We used to raise hell like no other. We were the best, and we still are the best. We are just the best, on opposing forces. Tragic really...

++David++ Yeah, yeah...real tragic. Stop trying to make buddy buddy. You burnt those bridges long ago pal! As far as I'm concerned, you made your decision, and you'll live with it now.

-=Mark=- Hmm... all right then.

++David++ How much longer do we have to go?

((Mark looks outside of the tinted window, waiting for the next freeway distance sign to pop up, and looks it over quickly before it disappears behind them. The sign says "San Diego 25mi". Markus makes this clear to David, and the two sit around in silence for a while. Sign after sign passes as San Diego grows closer and closer.

An awkward silence builds over the room, and both men just sort of stare at the other, waiting for the next word to be spoken. Knowing David well enough that he'd never speak unless Mark had said something, Mark took the initiative in making conversation.))

-=Mark=- Listen, I know you don't like me, and frankly, that's fine by me. But there is one thing you have to understand, I'm not one for holding grudges longer then necessary. And after tonight, any problem I have with you, will be wiped away. Whether you want to believe this one is yours to win, or whatever is going on in that mind of yours... I'm going to erase everything that happened in the past after tonight. And rewrite the story. I've played in your shadow, and we've traded our clever little games. But I know just as well as you do, that this means more to us, than anything else in our lives right now. Torch is an afterthought as far as we're concerned. I'm not asking for an alliance, just know... that when it's down to me and you, with all of those people around the ring. I don't want you to feel as though you're being cheated, and I wont either. It's going to be just you, and me....mano-y-mano. David... it's all coming down to what happens here tonight. I know you have much bigger aspirations than this title. But you know what, don't let that detour you from fighting me like your life depends on it. Cause lets face it. If we aren't careful... one of us is leaving on a stretcher. And I'm going to do everything I have to in order to accomplish one of the things I set out to do when I came back here. 

++David++ Fair enough. But I'm not going to lie down for ANYBODY, no matter the match, or the circumstances. You should know me better then that by now. You're not the champion, but you might as well be, cause as we get closer to San Diego, and closer to Bloody Revenge, that bulls eye is getting sweeter and sweeter. 

((The limo falls silent yet again, as Markus and Manik begin to fall back into their roles, as the adrenaline begins to course through their veins, and a sign saying "Arena, next exit" passes them by. The demeanor of the two seems to shift from one of relaxation, and calm civil acceptance turns into one of stiff, rigid anticipation, and stern contempt. Both men sit up straight, and as the limo pulls off of the freeway, and makes a few turns, heading down into the bowels of the arena parking garage, Markus removes his glasses. Manik follows suit, before Markus leans forward and stares at Manik with a look that could kill. Manik moves in closer and both men are face-to-face, eye-to-eye, and neither say a word.

The silence is broken as the car pulls to a stop and Markus opens his mouth to speak in a soft, but confidently determined voice))

-=Markus=- You know... I'm going to win tonight...

((Manik smirks, and leans just a little bit closer.))

++Manik++ Well lets just go see!

((Markus backs up against the leather back of the seat, and extends his arm towards the door of the limo...))

-=Markus=- Shall we?

((The feed ends as Manik opens the door and steps out, followed closely by Markus Katastrophik, before the door slams shut.))