The sun beat down with reckless abandon on the streets of Las Vegas, uncaring in it's mistreatment of the people who called this fabled 'City of Sin' home; unwavering in the magnitude of the extreme temperatures it cultivated. Already it had hit triple digits, and it was currently 113 degrees. Ordinarily one might try to find comfort in the fact this was what they called a 'dry heat', but with the threat of scattered thunder storms, there was a humidity in the air that drove this to being positively stifling. It made it difficult to even breathe and there had already been reports of people being hospitalized from over exposure.
The red Corvette Z06 pulled up to the curb right outside of the building that housed the offices to Sin City Wrestling, and the engine was cut off. After a few scant moments, the driver's side opened and out stepped the man who was the 'spiritual leader' and yes, friend, of the group that billed itself as the 'even Deadly Sins' referring to Synn himself. Of course, now that each member of the active squad held championship gold around their waists, some were even referring to them affectionately as the 'Golden Sins'. Synn stood for a moment and leaned into the car, making certain that the 'sun shade' was fit correctly over the wind shield so his car wouldn't absorb the heat as much while he was here. Satisfied, he stepped back away and shut the door and looked up at the building, slowly surveying it. In truth, he had never been to the formal offices of the SCW before. The few meetings he had with either Mark or Christian to discuss contracts or other business had usually been done in a more public setting to the comfort of all. This time was different. This time, the two bosses of the promotion his team called 'home' did not even know they had a meeting with him today.
Mostly because he hadn't scheduled one.
All he knew was that their secretary answered the phone and confirmed one of them was here all day, and he hung up and was on his way. Hence his arrival. He figured that the bosses would be busy preparing everything for the Supercard that was scheduled in the coming weeks, and were keeping everything hush hush. Synn did not particularly care for secrets, unless he was in on them, but he shrugged it off. Let Mark and Christian have theirs if it amused them. He had a bigger situation to confront them about.
Glancing up toward the glaring sun, he fit a pair of shimmering red shades over his eyes and stepped around the front of the car and headed inside of the building. Clad in a dark suit as was his usual attire, even on a hot day such as this, even Synn could not help but feel grateful that the building was kept cool with air conditioning. He glanced around and saw against the wall the floor plan of the building's three levels and what was set up on each. He took a few long strides over and looked carefully until he came across M. Ward and C. Underwood; Level 3.
A lone security guard stepped away from the front desk of the building and approached him. He sized Synn up, his look and stature of over 6'8" and easily knew him to be a wrestler, or at the very least, affiliated with the business. It was common knowledge amongst the other proprietors of this building that a wrestling company was housed within, so word spread and even some who were not fans of the business felt almost a sense of awe at these real life 'superheroes'.
The tag on the guard's badge named him Saul, and he approached Synn to ask, "Is there something I can help ...?"
"Found it." Synn cut him off abruptly and moved past him toward the elevator without another word.
__________________________________________
The soft chime of the elevator sounded its arrival on the third floor. The doors slid open and Synn stepped out onto the soft carpeting of the hallway without so much as even acknowledging the three other passengers who stared at him in curiosity, an emotion he seemed to enhance without so much as trying.
He glanced around and noted that there were only three doors in the hall. The building itself was rather modesty sized -- appropriate for a promotion like SCW that was still within it's first year of growth. Given that Sin City Wrestling was quickly rising in status as one of the premiere regional independent promotions in the nation, he gathered these offices were temporary only and soon Mark and Christian would expand as their business did.
Deciding he wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible, he walked toward one of the doors and had a look at the plaque on the door. It read 'SCW: 616'. Bingo, and on the first try. He proceeded to grasp the handle and step inside where he admitted he was caught unaware. A single glance around made Synn wonder silently if the building looked smaller from the outside than it truly was. This area had just enough room for a sofa for those waiting and the desk where a comely young woman sat, typing away at a computer. A secretary, Synn could only assume. He didn't think either owner had enough extra work to warrant hiring one but he had never ran a wrestling promotion before so he couldn't be certain. given her looks and manner of attire, he was fairly certain that she was hired by Ward, and not Underwood.
Taking the initiative, Synn cleared his throat and stepped forward. The secretary looked up from her work and gave him a pleasant smile.
"Yes, can I help you?" She asked.
"Is either of your bosses in today?" Synn responded in questioning, staring past her and nodding toward the door against the far wall.
"Mister Underwood is." She answered. "Do you have an appointment?"
"No." He stated matter-of-factly. "But I do need to see him."
The secretary started to look uncomfortable and she fidgeted in her seat. "I'm sorry, sir. Mister Underwood is busy working on details for the next supercard. If you don't have an appointment..."
Synn promptly leaned over her desk and she flinched as he pressed his forefinger down on the intercom button and he barked, "Hey Underwood! Mind if you and I have a little chat!?"
He released the button and stepped back. The young woman looked aghast at him when the intercom clicked on and Christian's voice was heard;
"I am going to go out on a limb here. Synn, right? I thought I recognized those dulcet tones. Come on in. The door's open."
Synn gave the secretary a wink and walked right past her and through the closed door. One foot inside and he understood he really was inside of a wrestling office. It was a nice size larger than the waiting area outside. There was a desk back against the window along with a sofa and two chairs. A plasma TV was hung against the far wall and in two book cases were video copies of every SCW program and he would hazard to guess, a number of discs for scouting purposes or talent looking for work.
Christian looked up from a folder on the desk with several contracts sticking out and he let out an audible sigh before speaking up, "Do you always go around terrorizing innocent secretaries like that?"
"It's an impulse." Synn answered. "Besides, I didn't do anything to scare her. Just acted my usual, charming self."
"Try to avoid that. If this one in particular were to quit, you'd have Mark to answer to." Christian countered, closing the folder before him and he looked up. "So to what do I owe this dubious pleasure? I'm assuming this isn't a social call. So, what do you want?"
"Oh?" Synn smirked and rested his hand against the edge of the desk and leaned in. "And just what makes you think that this isn't a social call?"
Christian stared at him and shrugged nonchalantly before finally answering, "Because the only times you deign to grace the bosses with your appearance is when you either want something, or want to bitch about something. Now seeing as how your pants are still above the ankles, I'm going to guess you're here to bitch."
Synn watched him for a moment before saying, "Touche'. Nice piece of detective work there..."
"I'm busy Synn." Christian finally said forcefully. "What do you want?"
Synn huffed. He was not used to this brusque treatment. He was more used to successfully using his charms to work Christian like a tool, but clearly he was not in the mood. Good. Neither was Synn. He carefully backed toward a chair and had a seat before he started to voice himself.
He said, "I just wanted to know what the Hell you and Mark were thinking, booking this match."
Christian's eyebrows rose up and he waved his hand toward the man opposite him. "You have some sort of problem with your guys defending their championships?"
"It's more like I have a problem with who they're defending against." Synn countered.
"Hunh." Christian bit his lower lip. "And here I thought you'd be happy for Sean to get..."
"I am not referring to Sean and you damn well know it." Synn said, his voice rising steadily. "I'm talking about Goth! What the Hell were you two thinking!?"
Christian exhaled through his nose and leaned back in the chair, never once taking his eyes off of Synn. He took a moment to contemplate his response and finally spoke. "Mark and I were thinking of a match that would give Gabriel and Despayre a challenge, and the fans a thrill. I mean, that is what we're about here, isn't it?"
Synn shook his head, "Goth has no business getting..."
"That is for Mark and myself to decide." Christian interrupted. "Not you. Goth got a big win the previous week so he's getting rewarded like anyone else would be. He poses a challenge to those titles your boys fought so hard to get."
"Yeah. I seem to recall the threat he posed when he busted up Gabriel's knee a few months ago as well!" Synn barked. "Are you going to accept responsibility if something like that happens again? Because you know as well as I do that he's going to try and hurt both Despayre and Gabriel!"
"All the more reason for the match to move forward as planned." Christian responded calmly. "Despayre already got his match against Goth, and won I might add. Gabriel has yet to get a pound of flesh from Goth for that time he got put out. Call it a win-win."
Synn shook his head, "I did not want Despayre exposed to that bastard again. He's been through enough regarding him and..."
Christian said, "That's an unlikely expectation in this business, Synn. You're smart enough to know that. Especially in an indy promotion. Paths cross, and they continue to cross. Our roster isn't limitless. There will be times when wrestlers oppose one another more than once. This is one of those times."
"But teaming him with Sean?" Synn frowned. "How is that supposed to work out?"
Christian shook his head, "That's for Goth and Sean to worry about. Not you. Your only concern should be your guys retaining their championships, no matter who they're up against."
"That is not a concern." Synn pointed out. "It's a formality."
"Well then there's no problem." Christian smiled. "You know how the tag team divisions work in SCW. If you're not a regular pairing, then anybody could team with anybody. The match is signed, Synn. It's going to happen, regardless. No bad intentions were meant in regards to Despayre and his past with Goth." He shook his head and appeared serious. "You should know me better than that."
Synn shook his head and started to speak, "If anything negative happens to Despayre..."
Christian held up his hand, forestalling the verbal warning. He said, "Synn, I've been watching that kid since he started here and he's impressed me. Despite his shortcomings, he is a lot more resilient than people give him credit for."
"Are you saying I'm not giving him enough credit?" Synn frowned, asking.
Christian held his hands up in innocence and shook his head. "I am not saying anything. I'm just saying that with how's he's performed in the past and overcome obstacles, that maybe you should be more concerned about Sean and Goth than you are with him."
Synn paused to think for a moment, not taking his eyes off of Christian who returned the stare without flinching as was the norm. Slowly, Synn stood up. He said in a barely audible hush, "The match goes on?"
"As scheduled." Christian answered matter-of-factly without reservation.
Synn said nothing else as he turned and simply left the SCW offices.
__________________________________________
"BANZAI!" Despayre yelled as he got a running start and jumped off the edge of the pool in an awkward somer sault and landed with a loud splash against his back.
Muggy as the morning was when Synn visited the SCW offices, the afternoon became almost unbearable as the sun positively glared down against anything and everything within it's direct path. Hence why Despayre proceeded to call as many of the Sins that were in Vegas and hold an impromptu pool party. Shane was daring as always, clad in just that microscopic leopard thong and lounged back on the pool deck while Fantasia, in a black and red one piece swimsuit, rubbed lotion into Shane's shoulders in a gentle massage. Synn sat on the patio at a table, bare chested and wearing the same shades from earlier and a small, black speedo. His eyes were firmly glued on the pool and watching as Despayre emerged from under the water and spewed water and rubbed his nose vigorously. Synn could not help but chuckle. Little guy got water up his nose again.
Synn looked past where Despayre was and saw the ever present teddy bear, Angel, laying back on the floating cushion, decked out in an old fashioned red and white striped swimsuit from the 1920's. A small set of sunglasses rested over the bear's plush nose, a large hat on it's head, and a Mai Tai in the crook of its lap with a long silly straw. Synn thought privately how amazing it was that Despayre took to water as quickly as he did after his removal from Broodmoore. The little guy had never actually been swimming before in his life, and was terrified at the prospect of getting into the water of any pool. He had a near panic attack the first time that he convinced him to give it a try, but only minutes later, with an assist from Gabriel, Despayre took to it with immense delight. Now that they had a home with a pool of its own, Despayre spent more time in the water than out of it.
Sometimes even when wearing a swimsuit as opposed to his street clothes!
"So I take it from your ever cheerful disposition, the match is still on?" Gabriel said as he approached the patio table, an open short robe draped off of his shoulders and in a black speedo of his own. He pulled a chair out and sat down, holding a cold bottle of beer in his hand.
Synn sat back and rested his elbow on the chair's arm and his chin against his knuckles. He silently nodded his confirmation.
Gabriel shrugged nonchalantly and leaned back as well, turning his head to watch the goings on at the pool where Despayre had his hands on the back of Angel's floating cushion, giving the bear a ride around the pool.
"Doesn't matter." Gabriel mused and took a swallow of his beer before continuing. "It's not like it won't be a win, regardless."
"Easy for you to say." Synn whispered as he removed his shades and dropped them onto the table. "This challenge will be different on a variety of levels."
Gabriel set his bottle down on the table and turned to confront Synn. He asked, "This about us fighting that.... about us fighting Sean?"
"No." Synn shook his head. "It was bound to happen, sooner or later. You're champions, you and Joshua, and he's a ranked contender. He was bound to receive a title opportunity somewhere down the road. It's just..."
"His partner." Gabriel finished the unspoken thought.
"Yes." Synn sat forward and rested his forearms on the table while he watched Despayre climb out of the pool and go running (carefully) over to the bar-b-que grill where Rage was standing in a pair of shorts and grilling hamburgers for their lunches. Synn continued, "I had honestly hoped that we were finished with Goth. I assumed he'd get a chance at a title, I just didn't imagine Ward and Underwood would pull a stunt like this and pair him with Sean to challenge you two."
Gabriel turned at the sound of a splash and saw Despayre had finished his inspection of the burgers which were giving off a mouth watering aroma by now. "I'm looking forward to it." Gabriel spoke up. "I never did get a chance to pay the bastard back for that little trip to the hospital."
Synn said, "Then we could have arranged for a singles match. I wanted Joshua finished with him. I hated having to tell him that Goth would be in the ring with him again. Last time it was like telling him that he'd have to spend the night in a closet with the Bogey Man."
"How did he take the news?"
"He hasn't really responded at all." Synn answered. "He just listened and stared at me, then went back to watching Looney Tunes. I think he's trying to shut it out." Synn looked over to Gabriel and added, "Christian thinks I'm not giving Joshua enough credit for his tough skin."
Gabriel turned to him and frowned.
Synn said, "He thinks Joshua is tougher than we give him credit for. Than I give him credit for."
Gabriel bit his bottom lip and turned away and watched as Shane stood up and walked toward the pool. Glancing from the corner of his eye, he noted Synn's eyes were firmly glued to Shane's bare backside. Fighting to get that image from his mind, Gabriel spoke, "Maybe he's right, but it happens. Can't help but be concerned for the little guy's welfare."
"Joshua!" Synn called out and from where he was paddling in the pool, Despayre turned at the calling of his given name and looked over to Synn who called out, "Take a break from the water! You're going to burn again!"
"Aww!" Despayre called out in disappointment, but he obediently paddled Angel's floaty over to the pool's side and set the bear up on the edge of the pool and started to scramble out of the water. Indeed Despayre's back was starting to appear a little pink. Synn had no troubles at tanning, but Despayre must have gotten his fair skin and penchant for burning from his mother who was a fair skinned Canadian.
Gabriel watched as Fantasia walked up to Despayre and tossed a towel over his head and started to playfully dry his hair while he squealed in surprise and amusement. That was an opening if there ever was one. He had been meaning to talk to Synn about this for the longest time. He had promised himself he'd find a way to breach this sensitive subject. He started to say, "Speaking of protecting, Synn... "
"Synn..."
"Gabriel sighed and muttered, "Damn it." Just as he had finally found the right opening, he had it slip right through his fingers as Theresa, the house keeper of Synn and Despayre's home, stepped out through the patio door and she approached the table where they were sitting.
Synn turned at the waist to watch as she approached and she stopped mid-way and shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand. She said, "There's a delivery man at the front door for Joshua."
"For Joshua?" Synn frowned and looked back over to where the aforementioned young man was busy hovering around Rage, who watch equally busy trying to keep the little guy from stealing a morsel from the BBQ grill and possibly burn his fingers. Or he had been, but Despayre seemed to have an uncanny knack for hearing when his name was mentioned and he perked up and looked over their way.
"For me?" He called out. "A delivery?" He ran around Rage and the grill and almost skidded and fell on the wet pavement but managed to remain upright by sheer, dumb luck, and he almost careened right into were Gabriel was sitting.
"What is it?" Despayre chirped excitedly. "What what what?"
"Well how should I know?" Theresa said, waving her hand toward him. "It's for you so if you want to find out..."
No need to say anything else as Despayre ran around the table and darted inside the house, forgoing the gate to simply walk around the house to the front yard.
Synn looked at Gabriel and said, "I guess we better go find out what this is all about."
Gabriel nodded, curious as well, and the two stood up and opted to use the gate to head Despayre off. Synn grabbed his own robe and started to slip it on as they headed off. Theresa turned around to head back inside when she heard her name called out.
"Theresa! Theresa....!"
She turned back around and saw Shane jumping up and down on the diving board in an excited manner, much like a child. Shane was smiling and waving his arms, calling out, "Look at me Theresa! look at me!" And he proceeded to leap off of the diving board and land in the pool with a heavy cannon ball splash. The resulting wave of water from the pool flew out and struck the house keeper full on, soaking her from head to toe.
Rage turned back away from the scene, trying not to laugh as well as to shield himself from any repercussions from the firecracker of a woman. Fantasia's eyes were wide and she shook her head and through pursed lips, went simply, "Oooooooo!"
__________________________________________
"What the Hell...?" Gabriel verbalized as he and Synn arrived around the corner of the large house, and see the large delivery truck parked along the drive while the driver and his partner stood and waited while Despayre scribbled his name on the clipboard to accept the delivery.
Finishing tying his belt, Synn hurried over and called out, "Excuse me, hey! I think there's been some kind of mistake!"
"A mistake?" Despayre asked, his face a mask of confusion. "It can't possibly be a mistake. They asked for me, didn't they? I'm me!"
"Be that as it may, Joshua..." Synn patted the young man on the back and leaned over to inquire towards the two delivery men. "Might I ask what this is all about? He didn't order anything. Especially anything this size!" He waved a hand toward the truck, then paused to think a moment and looked at Despayre with a arched brow. "You didn't, did you?"
Despayre held up a hand and shook his head 'no' while crossing his heart.
"What's going on?" Fantasia asked as she walked around the side of the house with Rage behind her.
"Where's Shane?" Gabriel asked.
Fantasia smiled, "Trying to get his head unstuck from in a life preserver."
"Huh?" Gabriel frowned and then shook it off as Despayre bounced around in excitement, watching as the driver walked to the back of the truck and unlocked the rolling gate, then slid it up and Synn cursed.
"What the fu..." He saw Despayre spin around and altered his words, "Fudge!"
Synn walked around for a closer view and Despayre was beaming, hands clasped in front of his waist and in complete awe at the bounty in the back of the truck. There had to be several hundred bottles of Cherry Coke stored back there, and a matching number of bags of Skittles to boot!
"Wooooow......." Despayre swooned as he leaned up against the back of the truck and peered inside, looking at all of the goodies.
"Are you sure you didn't order this Despy?" Gabriel asked as they all moved forward and again, Despayre silently shook his head in the negative.
Fantasia approached as Rage asked the question on all of their minds, "Well if the little guy didn't do it, what's this all about?"
"Got it." Synn said as he turned around with an irritated look on his face. He held out an 8x10 color photograph of James Huntington-Hawkes III in a comical wrestling pose. "It was pinned on the first crate of Coke. That little son of a...."
Despayre snatched the picture from out of his hands and looked it over, reading, 'Thanks for helping me get back on TV, I will repay your faith by being heavyweight champion one day, JHHIII'.
All eyes fell on Synn, then on Despayre who looked up from the picture with a bright smile. "What a nice gesture! Hey! How about we invite him to supper sometime as a thank you?"
"Joshua..." Synn placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "You have got to stop inviting everyone to supper." Synn looked at Gabriel and said, "This past month alone we've had three Avon ladies and two Jehovah Witnesses in for dinner!"
Gabriel snorted back an unsuccessful attempt to keep from laughing at the mere image of Despayre answering the door and dragging some poor old Avon woman in to have supper with him and Synn.
"It wasn't all that bad!" Despayre protested. "Theresa made out like a bandit with the Avon ladies!"
"Theresa buys Avon?" Fantasia questioned.
"No." Synn answered. "Joshua here loves ordering from catalogs so he had a lot of fun buying things for Theresa she didn't even know she wanted."
Despayre turns to his friends and nods with a smile.
"Still..." Gabriel nodded toward the truck where the delivery men were beginning to unload the mammoth amount of treats. "Where are you going to put all that?"
"We could put it in the basement!" Despayre called out as an offer to the dilemma.
"We don't have a basement." Synn said.
Despayre nodded. "Oh." He then looked at Synn and questioned, "Why?"
"Because we live in Las Vegas."
"So?"
"Las Vegas is basically a desert."
"And?"
"You can't build a basement on ground made of sand."
"Why?"
"Because the sand is too unstable."
"Why?"
Synn turned and looked at Gabriel, Rage and Fantasia who were more than just a little amused at Despayre's rabid questioning. Synn looked back down at Despayre and said, "Because God forgot to get the building permit signed."
"Ahhh!" Despayre turned to watch and nodded, as if that made all the sense in the world. Despayre then frowned and said, "Kind of a dumb thing to do coming from the guy who invented the aardvark."
Rage spewed the mouthful of beer he had just drunk everywhere!
__________________________________________
"Well now, isn't this an interesting turn of events?"
"I can't say that I'm entirely pleased to see you again, Goth. I had thought after Despayre pinned you in your first and only encounter, you had simply licked your wounds, tucked your tail between your legs and scurried back off to whatever hole you crawled out of. It's not like we've heard a lot from you, after all. I had assumed only that we proved everything we've been saying to you, and that Despayre clearly was and is, the better man."
"Unfortunately, thanks to Christian and Mark, such is not the case. How long have you been sitting back, waiting for this new oppurtunity to worm your way into our lives? You're like a cat with a favorite toy. You bat and chew and no matter how long you've been at it, you can't seem to ever tire of that familiarity or comfort of what lies before you. But just like a cat, that risky nature you lead is going to end up burning you in the end."
"You did everything possible to put Despayre down for the count. You tried ending his career and his livelihood, but his heart was simply bigger than your mind. He fought with courage and determination, and nothing you could throw in his path mattered. You couldn't stop him. how did that make you feel? How did it feel, after all the time you spent verbally trashing him from the AWA, right up to SCW, to know in the end, he was simply better than anything you could hope to become? Where Despayre is concerned, you used to be the monster under the bed. How sad that you've made yourself into less a monster, and more a court jester. Prancing about and making yourself look every part a fool. And this time it's not even Despayre you have to worry about and watch over your shoulder for. You forget that there is a second man on our team, one who now has as much a reason to target you as anyone else. Someone who felt the lain you inflicted on him with a steel chair. A man you had put in the hospital, all just because you wanted Despayre all to yourself. Well, you had him once, and yes, you will have him again -- but in this match, karma comes back to haunt your ass, Goth. Gabriel does not forget, and he is descending the Heavens to answer your challenge in fire and blood. He will pass through Purgatory itself and make you feel every ounce of agony that you inflicted on him! That ring, your championship opportunity, will become your own private Hell."
"All the threats and boasts won't save you. You'll be damned lucky if your own partner doesn't shove a knife right in your back, because I know damn well you'd see fit to do the exact same thing to him if the mood suited you. This is going to be the second time that you fall to the Sins. Your nightmare is at an end. It's time to wake up to reality."
"Now, Sean. I can't pretend that I'm thrilled to find us in this situation. I do not believe that this chance at a title match is not warranted or earned. You've proven yourself many times over. I don't see it as mattering what championship you target in your sights. SCW Heavyweight Championship? The Roulette Championship I long believed would be right up your alley. But the Tag Team Championship? I do apologize Sean, but no. This is simply not meant to be."
"I can't pretend that my feelings towards you will be any sort of factor once that bell rings. I am not in the match. I'm just standing outside, looking within. It's Despayre and Gabriel who you'll be facing, and whom you will have to try and defeat. An accomplishment that nobody has yet managed to do. And no, you will not either. Especially given who your partner is. Gabriel has made no secret about his feelings in regards to you, Sean, and he is only one you have to worry about when you're attempting to wrest the Tag Team belts away from Sinful Obsession. I have no idea truthfully how Despayre feels about you. Personally he appears to like you, but once he's teaming up with Gabriel, nothing else matters to him but walking away a winner and making his best friend and myself proud of him. That is heart. That is determination. That is something that simply can not be ignored or discarded."
"If you stop to think about it Sean, you would understand that the advantage lies all in the corner of the champions. They have teamed together for years. This is your very first time pairing together with Goth, and for your own sake, pray it is the last. And I imagine you will have watched videos of their matches, studied what you could and then made ready for what is to come. I admire that but when you're against an unpredictable force of nature like Despayre and Gabriel, all the strategies in the world won't net you these two gold belts they have worn proudly since the end of April. Plus, there's the kicker;"
"You see, Sean, I have known you for a number of years. I've watched and admired you both inside of the ring, and out. We've teamed together, and once or twice fought against if memory serves me correctly. What exactly does that tell you? It should tell you that I know how your strategies. I know the nuances of the games you play inside of that ring, and I have absolutely no qualms at all in telling my champions everything they need to hear and know about you, in order to walk away victorious and retaining their -- yes, their championships. I hope you understand."
"It's just business."
