"Oh for God's sake! How many times are you going to make me repeat myself!?"
Rage bellowed from where he sat in the dining room of Synn and Despayre's large, Las Vegas estate. Synn had gone out for a good part of the day to conduct some business, and Gabriel was busy preparing a show at the Luxor (for which Despayre had front row seats of course!) and he would not be visiting that day. Shane and Fantasia were in England so Shane, a native of London, could properly celebrate the Queen's diamond jubilee. That left Rage himself in the house with Despayre who had thought of the perfect way that he and Rage could pass the time until Synn returned home and Gabriel's show that evening.
The zoo of course! Despite all the time he had now called Las Vegas his home, Despayre had not had the opportunity to visit the local zoo. Truth be told, he didn't even know Las Vegas had a zoo until Rage made the mistake of mentioning it in passing. Since then, Despayre had been pestering everyone who would listen to take him to see all the animals and exhibits but thus far, his efforts had been resisted. There seemed to be a funny rumor going about this little 'family' that things just seemed to happen when Despayre was taken -- well, anywhere.
Who else but Despayre would get lost wandering Buckingham Palace and end up having tea with the Queen of England herself?
The point is, it would seem our little Despayre had developed for himself a bit of a reputation for causing things to happen. Some might call it bad luck. Others might call it mischief. Well, whatever you might call it, Rage wanted to be no part of the end result of whatever might happen.
Despayre, however, was positively enthused about the prospects of this little adventure, and he was not giving up so easily. His gray eyes were alight with excitement, and he seemed unable to stand still before Rage as he bobbed on his toes and the soles of his feet, and he kept slapping his palms together in the front of his waist.
"Alright, let's settle this right here and now!" Rage said as he set his glass of water untouched back down onto the table. He had been trying to get some lunch to eat in peace but Despayre was being somewhat uncooperative in that plan. "Is Synn in the house?"
"Nope!" Despayre answered, shaking his head vigorously in the negative.
Rage nodded, tapping a forefinger on the table. "Right. How about Gabriel? Is Gabriel in this house?"
Despayre looked upwards through his eyebrows and then shook his head. "Uh uh!"
"Right!" Rage smirked and nodded, satisfied. He leaned back and rested his large arm along the back of his chair. He said, "So... who's in charge?"
Despayre beamed and said without hesitating, "Theresa!"
Without another word, Despayre turned around and trotted off, leaving a confused Rage in his wake. Theresa? Rage frowned and lowered his arm from the back of the chair when he caught sight of the woman herself from out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and Synn's house keeper held out a picnic basket toward him.
She said, in her thick, Spanish accent, "I packed a lunch for you and Joshua to take to the zoo."
Rage stared at her and snarled, "Take his side why doncha?" And he grabbed the picnic basket and practically leapt from his chair and stormed out.
"Despy! Wait up!"
Rage yelled for the little guy as the moment Rage handed over the cash to the woman at the zoo's ticket office, Despayre (and Angel of course!) practically bowled him over diving through the gate and raced into the zoo's court yard.
"Despy!" Rage snatched the tickets the woman in the booth held out for him and ran in through the gates, almost sending a family of five toppling over in his midst. Rage came through the gate and stooped short as the object of his pursuit had stopped in the center of the court yard where a gathering of hedges trimmed into the shapes of many of the zoo's animal exhibits were fashioned into something of a maze. Each path would lead to the respective animals and more and Despayre himself seemed spoiled for choices. His head was bent almost completely back gazing up at the signs over the hedge paths and he spun in a slow circle, trying to see everything at once.
He looked down with eyes filled to the brim with animal loving wonder and he asked as Rage approached, "What shall we see first?"
"I don't care." Rage reprimanded him and he shook a finger. "Just so long as you don't..."
"Flamingos!" Despayre cried and he took off down a path and Rage finished to empty air...
"...run off again."
"Can he sit on your shoulders?"
"What!? No! Angel isn't...!"
"But you're taller than I am!"
"So?? I am not putting Angel...!"
"But Angel wants to see too!"
The heated debate was drawing more stares than the animals themselves and Rage grumbled inaudibly. he'd learned not to speak aloud too often when in these moods because he'd almost single handily filled Despayre's curse jar more than once. That or it was the tail end of the debate and the fact that Rage was now holding the teddy bear companion of Despayre's on his wide shoulder. Despayre was satisfied, wearing a wide smile as he stood at the railing and watched through the bars as the lioness wandered across her habitat, with three small cubs trailing after her.
*****
It certainly helped going to the zoo with a man the size of Rage...
This exhibit was crafted to look like a large pond amidst several tropical trees and plants. A crafted waterfall of miniature stature was built on the far side and water trickled down the uneven rocks and into the body of water at it's base where a flock of pink flamingos mingled with their species and ate as the zoo keeper tossed their meal toward them while standing in the water.
Despayre loved pink flamingos. They were such a soft, pretty color and he enjoyed watching the way they pranced or stood on a single leg in the water. Or he would enjoy it if he could see them. He whimpered softly as he stood on his tip-toes but at his diminutive height, it did him little good as he stood behind several people who had gotten to the flamingo exhibit first and were selfishly monopolizing it with little care to those behind them. Despayre turned toward Rage and stared helplessly at the big man with those sad, puppy dog eyes and nothing need be said.
"Alright, coming through!" Rage barked and he walked forward and acted as a plow, forcing a parting of the sea of people. Many of them hissed in disdain and protested, their cameras flashing against their intended shots until finally Rage stood at the knee-high rail and Despayre trotted up behind him, all smiles.
Several of the people frowned and murmured beneath their breath but none of them dared speak openly to the rather large, mean looking individual as he and the smaller fellow with the teddy bear took their turn to watch the flamingos.
"Happy?" Rage asked.
Despayre nodded vigorously. "Uh huh!"
*****
"Now this is a bit more my style!"
Rage said as he wandered in the dark corridor of the Reptile House. There were several panes of glass and behind each one was a reptile of some form, be it a lizard or a snake.
"I don't like these things." Despayre said softly as he shook his head and stood almost in the center of the 'house' and shook his head.
"Aw c'mon!" Rage said. "It's not that bad! C'mere! Look at this."
He grabbed the reluctant Despayre by the arm and pulled him towards one glass panel in particular where inside, a large anaconda was in the process of swallowing some animal as it's meal. Despayre turned around and made a face.
"Blah!" He gagged with eyes closed and his tongue out.
*****
At a small court yard, the touring pair (or trio when you count Angel -- you should always count Angel!), sat at a table under a patio umbrella to shield them from the hot rays of the sun overhead. Despayre was hurriedly trying to put away his ice cream cone and hot dog while Rage was wolfing down a large-sized BBQ chicken sandwich. Angel was seated with a sandwich of his own on a plate in front of him, but the teddy bear was obviously still excited about being at the zoo because his food was still untouched.
Despayre had a map of the zoo unfolded on the table in front of him and Rage craned his neck to glance at the lay out.
Rage asked, "So what are we seeing next?"
Despayre leaned over and smiled, "Oo! Giraffes! We can feed the giraffes! They're right by the elephants and we can see them all together."
The little guy paused and looked at Angel and frowned, "Angel's getting tired of all this walking."
Rage paused, about to take the finishing bite of his snack and stared at first the bear, then at Despayre. Rage shook his head and said, "I'm not carrying him again Despy."
Despayre rolled his eyes, "You don't have to!" He said with exasperation. "See?" He pointed across the food court. Rage turned to see what the big deal was and he closed his eyes and turned back away.
"Oh for the love of..."
Moments later Rage walked behind Despayre who was happily pushing Angel in one of the strollers that could be rented from the zoo for small toddlers. They passed a middle aged couple who stopped and stared at the odd sight, and Rage turned and growled at them,
"What's the matter!? His teddy bear's tired of walking!"
Rage continued on, and now so did the couple.
*****
The day moved on slowly, and even Rage seemed to be enjoying himself (albeit begrudgingly) as he watched Despayre hand the dollar to the zoo staff member who in turn, placed a few pellets in the palm of his hand. Despayre walked up to the edge of the rail and held out his hand and the giraffe moved in closer and with a lap of it's long tongue, it slurped the treats up. Despayre laughed in delight and unbeknownst to him, Rage caught a quick snapshot of it for Synn.
*****
Despayre was all smiles as he watched the handler of the elephants down in the dry pit spray the one young elephant with the hose and it happily trumpeted as it cooled off and took its bath.
"Despy." Rage spoke up and Despayre had to tear his gaze away from an older elephant who was no rubbing its large backside against a post to scratch an itch.
"Hm?"
Rage said, "We're going to have to get going soon. Gabriel's show starts in a couple of hours."
"Oh! Okay." Despayre nodded. he turned to rage and asked, "Can we go see the gorillas first?"
Rage sighed. he had hoped drawing Despayre's attentions to Gabriel's show tonight would bring an end to the trip to the zoo, but what was a few more minutes? He shrugged, "Sure, why no....? Despy! Slow down!" And Rage took off after Despayre toward the gorilla exhibit.
*****
"I'm surprised we're the only ones in here. Wonder why?"
"Prolly because this one's closed today."
Rage blinked and looked down at Despayre who had his face pressed up against the glass. Rage looked around and saw a sign posted outside of the door that said this exhibit was indeed closed today because of a move of one of it's occupants. Rage turned to Despayre and was about to ask how he walked in to a locked exhibit.... but the answer seemed too easy.
Locks didn't seem to be much of a barrier when it came to Despayre.
The silverback gorilla made it's way through the brush of it's 'realm', walking on its feet with its knuckles down against the grass. This exhibit was incredibly large and elaborately done to resemble the gorilla's native jungle habitat. It was the only one of its kind in this exhibit, as the other of its species had just arrived at a zoo in Tokyo for breeding purposes. The gorilla wandered over towards the glass window pane which just happened to be close to a small 'pond' and it sat down against a small rocky outcropping crafted into the side of the wall.
"Wow he looks like King Kong!" Despayre said and he rapped his knuckles on the glass, which caught the gorilla's attention. It turned its head and looked at the two men staring through the glass at him and it snuffed and turned it's head away and stared off back into the trees.
"Hello! Rude!" Despayre scowled and watched as the gorilla got up and wandered over towards some bushes. Despayre looked at Rage and he said, "I don't know why Shane keeps calling you a big ape. you're nowhere near as rude as that lug!"
Despayre turned back to keep an eye on the gorilla. Rage frowned and looked down to respond to that little bit of opinion when a loud shriek escaped Despayre and startled even the big man.
"What!?" Rage said, looking around for whatever it was that had startled Despayre. "What is it!?"
Despayre was silently screaming, his mouth open wide and eyes showing stark fear. He pointed at the glass and Rage looked in and saw the gorilla walking across the terrain with a tanned teddy bear in its large paw.
Oh crap...
"Angel!" Despayre cried. "He has Angel!"
Angel? "How the fu... hel...heck did Angel get in...?" Rage stopped before he finished the question as that bear had about as bad a habit of getting into places as Despayre did himself.
Despayre turned to Rage and his face had lost what little color it had and there was panic in his voice as he cried, "Save him! You gotta save him!"
"I'll get someone..." Rage started to say but Despayre cried,
"No! It'll be too late! He'll hurt Angel!"
"Despy what the hell do you want me to...!?"
"PLeeease!" Despayre cried, the tears now flowing freely and Rage knew something had to be done and fast before the kid had a complete melt down. That teddy bear was the one thing that acted as an anchor to Despayre's already fragile mind and if something happened to it...
Rage looked at the glass, then at the door that led into the exhibit....
"Shit...." Rage growled and he headed for the door with Despayre attached to his arm. He grasped the door handle and tried it but it was locked firmly. Rage looked at Despayre and arched an eyebrow. "Can you....?"
It took no time at all. Call it inspiration to save his friend that helped Despayre along. The locked door was no more and Rage was about to open it and slip through, hopefully just long enough to nab the bear and get the hell out. Rage grabbed Despayre's hand and pried him loose and set him in place in front of the glass. "Stay there!" And he moved toward the door.
***
Despayre leaned against the glass, his face flushed with the fear that 'King Kong' would bring harm to his plush little pal. He swallowed hard as he watched Rage part some plants in the scenery and step through into the open area. The gorilla sensed the new arrival as well and it looked up from where it sat. The animal's body tensed at the male intruder to its own territory. It dropped the teddy bear to the turf...
"Angel!" Despayre called out and banged his small fist against the glass as the gorilla lurched up on its feet and knuckles to watch Rage.
Rage was no fool. Bad ass as he was, this was a gorilla we're talking about! He held a hand up and said as calmly as he could, "Alright Kong, I just want the bear. Then I'll haul ass outta here and let you be."
"Swear jar!"
Rage looked toward the glass incredulously and he said, "Seriously!? Even know and what I'm doing!?"
The gorilla stood up as straight as it could and bellowed a challenge and Rage cursed openly, "Shit!"
Despayre watched from his side of the glass and he suddenly stood upright and clapped his hands in excitement, "That's it Rage! Defend Angels honor! Give King Kong there what for!"
**THUNK!**
Rage flew across the exhibit and smacked hard against the glass and hit the ground, causing a small cloud of dirt to sail upward. Despayre leaned down against the glass with a serious expression on his face.
He said, "You are not going to take that, are you?"
Rage just leaned up on one elbow and stared hard at Despayre before he returned his glance away toward where the gorilla was, the only thing between him and the teddy bear. With an audible growl, Rage pushed himself up and charged.
Despayre jumped up and down and started a Shane McMahon boxing dance, shouting, "That's it! Defend Angel's honor! You got him! You got..."
**THUNK!**
And Rage hit the glass again and crashed right back down into his previous spot. Despayre looked down and shook his head.
"Oh Rage..." He said and clucked his tongue at the big man.
"Oh give me a damn break!" Rage snarled. "It took a dozen airplanes to wipe out King Kong!"
Rage pushed himself back up and started off at the gorilla and he balled up his fists.
"Alright!" Rage said. "Now I'm warmed up!"
"Hooray!" Despayre yelled and Rage charged! "Kick him in the crackers Rage!"
"STOP HANGING OUT WITH SHANE!!" Rage yelled.
Rage was forced back and he reared his fist and charged the gorilla and swung!
"MOTHER FU...!!!"
Despayre waved his hand and called out, "Oh don't be such a baby! If it hurts you then it hurt him!"
The sounds of a hard scuffle and the gorilla roaring could be heard as Despayre bobbed and weaved, watching. He called out, "That's it Rage! You got him right where he wants you! Give him a shot to the bojangles!"
Suddenly there was a high pitched scream and Despayre's eyes opened wide. The little guy then scowled and pointed, "Hey stop stealing my ideas! That was for Rage! Not you!"
Despayre cringed and then frowned and turned away, covering his eyes, "I can't watch! oh hi Angel... ANGEL!?"
Despayre uncovered his eyes and at his right was his teddy bear companion 'standing' upright and watching through the glass as well while Rage wrestled a gorilla to try and get....? Despayre scooped his friend up and appeared momentarily confused until he noticed a photo emblem on the right side of the glass and he leaned over to inspect it...
"Well whaddya know!?" He exclaimed. "The gorilla has a teddy bear all of his own. That was the gorilla's teddy bear!" He held Angel up close and rubbed noses with it. "You're safe! Look Rage! Angel's safe!" he held the bear up high as Rage came crashing back against the ground.
Rage said, "I'm glad ONE of us i-..." He suddenly gets dragged away! "SONOFA...!"
"Well, well. Just look at you."
Nothing could be seen save for the darkness. Nothing could be heard except for the soft, echoing clicks of footsteps against the solid foundation.
"In case you might be wondering, you are not speaking to Despayre. I would hope you're not under the assumption that this is Angel, either. You see, Despayre is not that fond of strangers, and by his own admission, he dislikes speaking in public. As for Angel, well, that little fella seems only to like to talk to Despayre."
A red spotlight turned on and cast the face of Synn within it's inflamed illumination. He had that familiar smile on his handsome face that had been known to forebode trouble for those that were in his direct path.
"That's why you have to deal with me, and I get to address the two of you."
"Aleksei..."
He chuckled softly before he turned aside and stepped out of the spotlight and walked into the void.
"My. My. My. How far you've come in such a short amount of time Mister Koji. I have to admit that I am impressed, and if you choose to ask those whom know me, they would tell you that I do not impress all that easily. In the short time that you've been here, you've made a number of people sit up and take notice. Not so easy a thing to do in such a competitive field, especially given your rookie status. You've acquired a number of victories over some impressive talent. The losses that you've went through, you have not allowed to affect you. I like that about you. You take a loss, and allow it to strengthen your resolve. It makes you want to understand what it was that you did wrong so that you might try harder and gain the victory the next time you are out there."
The red light switched on over a lone, black chair and Synn turned his back to it and had a seat. It could now be seen he was wearing his usual 'business' attire of a full black suit but without a tie. He kicked a foot up over his bended knee. he placed his elbow on the edge of the chair and rested his chin on his fingertips.
"As I recall, it wasn't too long ago that you had another 'golden' opportunity when you were the third man in the Roulette triple threat with Casey and Prime Time. Now Matthew and Casey made a big stink of that little addition, and I'm certain they considered you something of a third wheel to their equation, but you didn't let that bother you. No, no."
He shook his finger at the camera.
"You went out there, uncaring whether or not they wanted you in that match. You had your mind instead on where it should have been; the championship and how to take it off of Kennedy's waist and put it on your own. A shame, really, that Casey walked away with the title that night. If I must be honest, I admit I was rather rooting for you. You have a very promising future in this business. I just have one small question..."
Synn frowned.
"What in Hell were you thinking, involving yourself with a parasite such as Weapon-X?"
He shook his head in mock disgust.
"I would have thought better of you than to place yourself in such a predicament. Have you even paid much attention to this man, as well as his wife, and the spotlight they seem to prefer putting themselves in? They would have the world to believe them as saints, when truth be told they appear to be little more than hypocrites who are only out for themselves. They see a person who is on the verge of stardom and popularity, and find a way to take advantage of them to inflate their already over-inflated status. They tried it with Despayre, if you will recall. They wanted to use his innocence and popularity with the fans to cement their standing here in Sin City Wrestling. they wanted to make an impact, and attempted the use of my son to do it."
Synn tilted his head to the side.
"You can understand why that would be a sore spot for me, but we can focus on your partner at a later time."
He held his hands out toward the camera.
"This time is for you Aleksei, and what you hope to achieve in this Tag Team Championship match. Status. Glory. The all-consuming drive to be accepted and prove yourself. In short, pride."
Synn smiled and lowered his hands, clasping them in his lap.
"Something I can relate to, I assure you. The problem is, you let it blind you when it came time to channel it. You let it cause a mistake when it should have driven you forward onto the path to success. You answered the challenge laid out by Gabriel and Despayre, but in your haste you took the first person to accept your request for a tag team partner."
Synn raised his eyebrows and appeared 'almost' sympathetic.
"Unfortunately, that mistake is going to cost you the win you so desire. Weapon-X might be your partner for this match, but deep down he is looking out only for himself. You, Aleksei, are a means to an end where he and his wife are concerned. They are no longer heralded as the World Tag team Champions, so their status has been diminished. They knew that they could not challenge the champions as a male/female combination, so where have they gone? To you. As much as I profess respect for you, Aleksei, it will not stop me from speaking the truth. And the truth is, you have a viper in your corner that will strike when your back is turned and the opportunity presents itself. Your first partnership with Weapon-X should wisely be your last. It's not as if you will actually accomplish anything in Las Vegas. Gabriel and Despayre will walk in as the champions, and will leave the same. Their first loss as a team will not be by your hands."
Synn uncrossed his ankle from his bended knee and placed both feet on the floor. he leaned forward in the chair and glared toward the camera.
"I hope you can understand that, Weapon-X. I hope you can appreciate the fact that after all of this time, after all of the lies and accusations against me and my family, that you finally have the chance to step up and face Sinful Obsession. No more lies. No more trash talking about denying medications or supposedly gaining access to Despayre's medical records. You have finally got to act the part of a man, and face the man you claimed as a victim, and the man who you accused of victimizing him."
Synn smiled.
"How different will it be for you, Weapon-X, not having your wife to hide behind? To not have a microphone in your hand to spew your venom? But instead being inside of the ring, facing the very targets you inflicted such angst against? To summarize the impact you've made since you first showed your face in Sin City Wrestling; whine. Bitch. Complain. Use. Abuse."
His eyebrows rose and he smiled, tilting his head back ever so slightly in contemplation.
"Ahhh. You could finally be coming to an understanding where we are concerned, true? Hopefully you finally know that in Gabriel and Despayre, you have two minds that can not be corrupted by your talentless attempts at kissing ass. You are simply out of your element. While you still have some of the fans in your corner, you are no longer anywhere near as popular as you once were. perhaps the people are starting to see you for what you are; frauds. After all..."
He shrugged.
"Where there is smoke, there is fire, and there have been a number of things said about you. Now normally I try to ignore idle gossip because it spreads like a common disease, but then again, you yourself are something of a disease all unto yourself. As I told your unaware partner, you are as a parasite. A bacteria that latches itself onto the first available host for the sole purpose of survival. One might even say that you've used that bride of yours in the same manner, but then again, you two do seem to be cut of the same mold. It is going to be such a pleasure once you find yourself with no more excuses, and no explanations as to your impending loss -- other than you simply were not man enough to back up your foul bile. I almost feel sorry for you. Almost. You are about to be dissected by a very upset young man. Despayre adores Gabriel. One might even say he has a form of ... hero worship, in his heart for him. And you went and tried to poison him against the man he loves like a brother. Oh X, how I would hate to be you when that bell rings, and the caged animal is unleashed."
Synn leaned back in the chair and as his final words were spoken, the light faded to non-existence.
"Better men than you have tried taking what does not belong to you. None have succeeded."
Synn sat in his office, having arrived home just forty minutes ago. He spent some time perusing the newspaper and wishing he had scheduled the day to put Gabriel and Despayre through another training regime. He knew that his men were confident. Why shouldn't they be? They have been unbeaten as a tag team combination since their first match in the AWA well over two years ago. A record that still holds. It was a reason he himself was confident that the pair would continue on with their success and walk out of "Into the Void" still the SCW Tag team Champions. They had to. Gabriel and Despayre had waited too long for their chance at the title and worked much too hard to just let it go on their first defense.
Especially against a makeshift combination like Weapon-X and Aleksei. Synn had little to say about Aleksei. Little that was negative at the very least. Weapon-X on the other hand... oh he had plenty to say about that man given all of the headaches he had caused the Sins as of late, along with that wife of his. The startling accusations they had confronted both Gabriel and himself with, and violating Despayre's privacy by snooping around in his medical records. That reason alone was enough to make Synn want his team to force a reckoning against this so-called 'do gooder'.
Aleksei wanted this badly enough. He had proven himself in the singles ranks and if he could carry such success over toward the tag team division as well? And X had already proven himself through the years as a bona fide tag team perfectionist. Yet his record stood with his wife as his partner -- not Aleksei. Yet the facts could not be denied. Weapon-X was formidable in tag team competition, and if he could bond with Aleksei as he had done with his wife, it would make for perhaps one of the Sins' most challenging matches to date.
Synn decided then and there as he finished typing an email and prepared to turn the desk top off. He hoped Gabriel was well enough recovered from his illness he suffered from earlier in the week. He hoped Despayre didn't stay up too late or try to stay over at the Luxor this time around. Because both men were going right back into the gym in the morning. He was taking no chances.
There was a knock on his closed office door and without a word, the knob turned and the door opened. Theresa, his housekeeper, peeked her head inside and she looked concerned for some reason.
"Mister Synn." She said. "There's someone at the door for you."
Synn glanced up and rubbed his temple with his fingers, attempting to massage away the growing headache he felt was only beginning. He said, "Tell them to go away, Theresa. I'm a little..."
"It's Margaret." Theresa interrupted, and the reason she seemed concerned was now all too clear.
"Excuse me?"
Theresa opened the door wider and placed her hands before her ample waistline. "It's Margaret." She said. "Joshua's..."
"I know who she is." Synn growled as he stood up from his desk and came towards the door. "What the fuck is she doing here???"
Synn went right past Theresa who hurriedly moved aside to give him space, and Synn practically stormed through the halls of his house until he came toward the foyer between his living room and the front door. The door was closed and he turned toward the living room and there she was, standing by the fireplace and looking over the framed photographs resting on the mantle.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Synn asked as he walked past the frame of the living room door and cautiously approaching her as if she were poison.
Margaret turned around and she said, "Hello to you as well." Her face was almost stoic, devoid of emotion save for the trace of annoyance twitching at her eyes and lips.
"Answer the question." Synn demanded.
She sighed and shrugged her arms. She shook her head as if she could not understand why this man felt such hostility toward her and she answered, "Fine. Joshua invited me. To see that friend of his and his magic act."
"Gabriel." Synn pointed out. "His name is Gabriel."
"Gabriel." Margaret repeated. "He invited me to see Gabriel..."
"Sorry." Synn cut her off. "The show is sold out. Our table is booked. Had I known he invited you..."
Margaret cut him off this time, "You probably wouldn't have arranged for me to be able to attend."
"Not probably." Synn assured her. "Definitely." He took another step toward her and continued, "I am tired of this game between us, Margaret. I allowed it to go on at first for Joshua's sake, but I am starting to believe I am indulging the boy a bit too much. Especially when you are concerned."
"What are you saying?" She asked with a frown on her face.
Synn answered simply by stretching out his arm and pointing toward the door, "I am saying that I want you to walk out that door, and not come back. Your last time seeing Joshua, was the last time."
"Synn," She protested. "I came all the way from Vancouver...!"
He cut her off, "Then you should really be racking up your frequent flyer miles! Your travel issues are none of my concern, just as Joshua is none of yours!"
"He is my son!"
"Not any longer!" Synn bellowed. "I am done with indulging your selfish little fantasy that you are still welcome in his life! I am finished with your little act, pretending that you are not the same selfish BITCH that abandoned him to a torment of Hell in Broodmoore!"
Margaret's eyes started watering as she placed her fingertips to her breast and she pleaded, "Synn! I didn't...!"
"SHUT UP!" He roared and she visibly flinched. He paused, eyes closed, and took a deep breath in an attempt to soothe the raging beats that was his temper. After a moment, he opened his eyes and exhaled slowly through his nose. "Get out. Now. And don't ever look back."
"You can't keep me from seeing him, Synn."
"Really?" Synn raised his eyebrows and almost -- almost smiled. "Is that what you think?" He folded his arms over his chest and asked, "Exactly how hard do you think it would it be for me to go to a judge, show him the papers that you signed at Broodmoore, the evidence of his abuse at their hands, and get a restraining order placed against you?"
"A restraining order!?" Margaret almost shrieked. "I am his mother!"
"Not any more!" Synn bellowed in return. He poked a finger at his own chest. "Me! I am his father! I am his mother! You!" He pointed right in her face. "You are nothing, no longer!"
Margaret slapped his hand from her face and stuck her own finger in his.
"You listen to me you sorry ass bastard!" She seethed. "You will not do this to me!"
"We're home!"
The cheerful voice ended the argument abruptly and Despayre skipped in, all smiles, with an arm load of zoo souvenirs. rage followed, not looking in as good a mood as his shirt was torn and he had bruises all over his arms and face, and he walked with a slight limp.
Synn looked him over and frowned, "What the hell happened to you?"
"I don't want to talk about it!" Rage answered.
Despayre smiled, "He beat up a gorilla at the zoo!"
Margaret looked from rage to Synn and asked in disbelief, "Is he serious?"
"Somehow I would assume so." Synn answered despite his animosity and Despayre's face suddenly lit up.
"Mom!"
He dropped his armload, save for Angel, and ran to her when Synn reached out and grabbed him around the chest and reeled him back before Margaret could take him into her arms. Despayre blinked, caught completely off guard and not understanding what was happening. Rage himself looked surprised.
Synn looked at Despayre and tilted his head toward his mother, indicating her as he asked, "You mind explaining this?"
"What?" Despayre asked, suddenly unsure of himself. "Did i do something wrong?"
Synn asked, "Why did you invite her down here again?"
"Because she's my mom." It seemed a simple enough answer, and Despayre figured that was all the answer he needed to give.
Synn just stared at him, and after a few unnerving moments, Despayre started to fidget and grow uncomfortable.
"Go upstairs."
"Huh?" Despayre frowned, now really not understanding what was happening.
"You heard me." Synn said, pointing toward the stairs that led to the house's second floor. "Go. Now."
"But mom is..." Despayre started to say when Synn exploded.
"NOW!"
Everyone flinched from the outburst; even Rage, but nobody more so than Despayre himself. He almost cowered and stepped back away from Synn, his face suddenly wavering on borderline fright. From the very day Synn rescued him from the 'bad place', he had never -- never -- so much as raised his voice to him. He didn't understand why. He didn't like it. He looked at his mom briefly, then at Rage and Theresa who had stepped into the hall.
That innocent feeling, the one every child would understand welled up in the pit of his stomach. Despayre's face fell and the tears started to flow as he ran past them all and dashed up the stairs.
Synn turned to Margaret and said, "Well. I hope you're happy."
"Me?" Margaret placed her hand against her own breast. "I'm not the one who just screamed at that boy like a lunat..."
"Do NOT finish that sentence!" Synn held a finger up, then pointed toward the door. "You will leave, now. Whether it be the easy way, or the hard way. Make your choice."
"Are you threatening me now?" Margaret asked, hands on her hips. "What will you actually hit me?"
"No." Synn answered, shaking his head. "Surprising as it is to admit, despite my hatred towards you, I would never allow myself or any man to put a hand to the mother of my son. But... there are two women in this house, possibly three..." he glanced back towards his housekeeper. "...that would gladly do the job for me."
It seemed to become a stand off. Margaret stared at him, unsure of herself or whether she should believe him and the promises of what he would do. She slowly shook her head.
"Please..." She choked back the starting tell-tale sign of losing control of her emotions. "Don't do this..."
Theresa then stepped forward and said, "The door?"
Synn turned his back on the woman as a defeated Margaret had little choice but to follow Theresa to the front door. He heard the door open, and then shut. He kept silent, his eyes closed, and he heard the footsteps of Theresa, and then Rage, leave the room. Only then did he open his eyes and he turned around and was startled to see Despayre at the top of the stairs.
He was startled by the expression on the young man's face.
Despayre hissed, "I HATE you!"
