Saviour (offcam)
It was night, the temperature had dropped just below freezing and thus the streets were empty. Save for a single figure who stalked the shadows, moving unseen from one to the other. It was Supreme Machine who was on his usual nightly stroll. His usually bare torso was hidden inside a worn hoodie with the hood pulled down deep to hide his face from the slightest light. Like a predator he stalked the alleyways and corners of the city, constantly on the lookout for something.
“You’ll come up emptyhanded tonight… there isn’t anyone out. Let’s just go home” spoke the subdued voice of Tom. He tried to keep relief out of his voice as he did, since he didn’t want SuMa to keep hunting just to spite him.
“Don’t be so sure weakling… we aren’t the only hunters in the night” the beast replied, his instincts telling him that they weren’t alone. He stopped to listen and a smile spread to the scarred lips of his. “Hear that?”
SuMa began to travel with intent, having located something of interest and after a few corners let out a low chuckle. “Interesting…” he muttered as he saw a gang of 4 men stalking a lone woman. The woman looked like she had spent the evening clubbing, dressed far too skimpily for the prevailing weather, and was clearly impaired by alcohol. The gang of thugs also noticed this and it wasn’t hard to predict where this would lead up. The woman took a turn to an alleyway, not realizing it’s a dead end and the thugs followed her in, with SuMa silently following, staying unseen in the shadows as the scene infront of him unfolded.
The gang began to corner the woman who realized she had nowhere to escape, starting to scream only to be shut down by one of the men swatting her across the face, dropping her to the ground. As the men advanced on the defenseless woman, Tom couldn’t take it anymore. “You gotta go help her.”
A sarcastic, low chuckle followed that statement. “Oh? And why is that?” he responded to Tom. “This is just survival of the fittest in progress… just the way it should be.”
Tom felt powerless, but desperately racked his brain to find a justification to get SuMa to interfere in the disgusting event unfolding before their eyes. “Because it is the right thing to do!” He exclaimed, words that only elicited a deep laugh from the beast, but before SuMa could respond Tom continued. “And because those men won’t take kindly to being interrupted and you’ll get your fight…”
SuMa paused to mull over Tom’s words. “Maybe this will be a lesson to you then…” he muttered and took three quick steps deeper into the alleyway and piped up. “How about you pick on someone your own size”
The thugs turned around in unison, staring at the interloper. “You don’t want nothing to do with this man. Turn around and leave if you value your life” Said the biggest one of them, brandishing a knife. It was obvious he was the leader of the group, the Alpha.
“You are nothing but a bunch of mutts, preying on the weak. Pathetic excuses of men.” SuMa goaded the group, a small grin spreading on his lips as he saw the anger flash in the eyes of the leader.
“Boys, I think this fucker wants a lesson. The bitch ain’t goin anywhere anyway.” The leader hollered and all four began to circle SuMa. The 6’9’’ mountain of a man showed no signs of intimidation or acknowledgement, keeping his eyes locked at the leader. The leaders eyes shifted to SuMa’s right for a split second, which was enough of a sign for him to know thats where the first attack came.
SuMa sidestepped a lunge from the man on his right, using his left hand to give the attacker more momentum and sending him crashing head first into the brick wall. Without interrupting his motion he spun around and landed a heavy haymaker on the face of the man who had circled behind him, breaking his nose and sending him to the ground with blood spurting from the shattered appendage. SuMa took a step back and repositioned so both of the two remaining thugs were within his field of vision. “Pathetic.” he repeated his earlier statement, standing with his arms hanging to his sides.
His arrogant lack of fighting posture infuriated the leader. “Who the fuck do you think you are freak? You got lucky there. Let’s see if your luck holds out” the leader yelled at SuMa, while the remaining goon grabbed a metal pipe from the ground, advancing on SuMa in lockstep with the leader. The two men looked at each other and the pipe-wielding goon charged forward, swinging for the fences, aiming at the side of SuMa’s head. The monster blocked the hit with his forearm, barely registering the sharp jolt of pain that shot up his arm. With a quick flick he grabbed the pipe out of the goons hands and slammed it downwards on the collarbone, a sickening crunch echoing in the alleyway as the goon dropped like an empty sack.
The leader looked at his downed men, his survival instinct trying to kick in. But the whole situation had wounded his pride too much. He couldn’t back down. “I’m gonna kill you for that.” He growled at SuMa, the knife in his hand aimed squarely at him. SuMa sized him up, making note how unlike the goons the leader clearly had some experience at fights. His stance and his movements were measured and confident even in his angry state. And to top it all off he was a lot bigger than the goons.
Having absorbed all this information SuMa chuckled. “We hope you aren’t as much of a disappointment as they were…” his words were like a slap to the leaders face, the insult to his men was a straight insult to him. But to his credit, the leader maintained his composure and began to circle SuMa, waiting for the big man to make the first move. SuMa didn’t though. He was merely keeping him infront of him, goading the leader to strike first with his inaction. Eventually it worked and the leader rushed forward, throwing a punch at SuMa’s head with he blocked with ease. That was only a distraction though, as at the same time the knife flashed in the night and sliced through the monsters clothing, cutting a gash on his side. The leader let out a victorious cry, but it was cut short as SuMa moved with deceptive speed, grabbing him by the throat, lifting him in the air and slamming him into a wall, holding him there.
“Impressive.” SuMa whispered to the leaders face, staring him down. The pain on his side was throbbing, but he didn’t let it distract him. “It’s been a while since someone wounded us. Too bad you won’t be able to enjoy your victory.” His voice was completely calm as he said that, slowly squeezing the leaders airways shut.
“Wh...what are you??” The leader managed to squeak as SuMa momentarily eased his hold. Fear filled his eyes as he realized that he was completely powerless to stop the big man. His legs kicked in the air and he desperately clawed at the massive arm holding him in place.
“Your worst nightmare” SuMa responded with a sinister chuckle and squeezed harder, watching as consciousness fled the mans eyes. He finally let the leader drop to the ground, watching as air rushed back into his lungs. He was unconscious, not dead. With a quick scan of his surroundings SuMa confirmed that all 4 men were still breathing. He didn’t need a murder investigation distracting him. SuMa was about to walk off when he heard a whimper and remembered the woman that was the start of the whole event.
He slowly moved towards the woman, who was still hunched over on the ground, her clothes torn by the goons and a black mark forming on her cheek from the blow she absorbed earlier. SuMa crouched next to her, his massive frame still dwarfing the petite woman. The woman looked up to him, her expression a mixture of relief and worry. “Th...thank you…” she whispered weakly.
As SuMa remained still, watching her, her expression began to change. Fear crept back into her eyes as her “savior” said nothing. Slowly with measured movements SuMa reached up and began pulling the hood off his head, revealing his disfigured face to the woman. She gasped at the sight, pressing against the brick wall she leant against to get away from SuMa. Slowly the man reached over and grabbed her by the jaw, turning her head so their eyes met. The cold, black eyes of the monster freezing the woman in place like a deer in headlights and he could feel her whole body trembling. “Run” SuMa muttered a single word to her as he stood up, and as if a spell was broken, the woman took off, sprinting into the night with tears streaming down her cheeks.
SuMa watched her go, pulling his hood back over his face and began walking away. “See that weakling? Even when we are a saviour… we are feared. The mere sight of our face terrified her more than the whole ordeal.” he spoke to his other half with condescension in his voice. “Even if we let you back in control… we would still be the monster.”
Tom had difficulty responding, as the pain that SuMa was ignoring in his forearm and side was affecting him heavily. “Doesn’t… matter… you… saved… her…” He managed to gasp out.
“And those men we hurt deserved it right?” SuMa responded, still maintaining that condescending tone.”
“Yeah.. they… did…” the belabored words came out, the pain making it difficult for Tom to understand what SuMa was going for.
“Good and evil are subjective weakling… On the surface we did a good deed… but who knows. Maybe that woman was just like our dear sister… someone with a path just as bloody behind her as we do. Maybe we could’ve saved lives by letting those men break her. Or maybe now that those men are broken there will be a power vacuum and a turf war, leading to more innocents being hurt. You never know. Yet you take one glance at a situation, make assumptions and assign labels. You are a fool. You would act without having all the information on just surface knowledge. Sentimentality and emotional responses cause more harm than good… That is why you are the weakling.” SuMa lectured his other half, almost enjoying the anguish he was inflicting upon him.
“You… made your… point…” Tom’s words were subdued. What he had perceived as a win over his monstrous half had been flipped completely around on him. He could argue his view further, but he knew SuMa was in his twisted way, right. “Is that why you joined Bane? You used the term he does… Savior…”
“So you aren’t as stupid as you seem… Yes. He is inciting a turf war… our presence will make it a shorter struggle. Those resisting him will be crushed faster with us by his side.”
“What about good and evil though? That whole lecture about not knowing the ramifications?”
A full on laughter erupted from SuMa, which echoed eerily in the winter night. “We never tried to claim we are good… You did.”
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The War (offcam)
The incident of the previous night forgotten, SuMa had been spending most of his time in the basement of his sister's house, an arrangement of convenience for both. It was just another day for the masked monster as he rested on the furthest corner of the room, seated on the floor with his back leaned against the concrete wall.
“A fine… what a joke” He mumbled with that low, gravelly voice he was known for. A tinge of amusement could be heard, even if it was all so slight. The events of Climax Control had caused a slight uproar amongst those that opposed Mac Bane and his new group that SuMa was part of. But the masked monster cared little of it. “They should be thankful we had restraint and didn’t leave the ring littered with broken bodies…”
“SCW is not like the other promotions you’ve worked for… They are quite clear in their rules.” came a response from the suppressed personality of Tom. The contrast on the way the two spoke was almost jarring, with Tom’s soft, kind voice being a stark contrast of SuMa’s gravelly bass.
SuMa responded with a malicious chuckle. “Rules… You should know by now that we don’t care about the rules. They want to fine us? Let them. It won’t stop us from doing whatever we want.”
“Are you sure you want to push too far though? With Dom and Mac falling short you haven’t exactly gotten the start you thought you would…” Tom knew he was treading on thin ice, something that he always was when he questioned the beast.
“That is irrelevant weakling… Despite those “losses” we have left an impression that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. It’s about the war… not the singular battles. It might even work in our favor… leading those who wish to oppose us to be lulled into a false sense of security… Make them underestimate us… Make them cocky.” The Beast’s voice was tinged with excitement. He always enjoyed the hunt, playing the long game with his prey. Giving an inch to gain a mile down the line. For SuMa, it was more than just the thrill of the proverbial kill. It was the process, the journey.
Tom was silent for a while, pondering whether he should bring up the last point he noticed. Being an observer in a body he had no control over, he often picked up small things the often tunnel-visioned SuMa did not. But he wasn’t sure if he wanted to approach this particular topic as it was one of the few things that could cause actual anger in the beast that had pushed him aside. And for the moment he decided that it was better to remain silent.
Sadly for Tom, SuMa sensed his apprehension and like a shark smelling blood bounced on in. “Spit it out weakling. We know you are hiding something. That is… unwise” SuMa muttered with a sinister tone. And Tom knew he had no choice but to acquiesce, since if he didn’t, the beast would just start hurting himself, a process that hurt Tom more than the dominant personality. A quirk in their dynamic that was often abused.
“Fine. Knox has come to SCW. And judging by his tweets… he’s gonna make a beeline to Mac. And if he goes for Mac…” Tom let the end of that sentence trail off since he knew the beast would pick up on what he’s inferring.
“He’ll have to go through us…” SuMa finished the thought. The war between Matthew “The Raven” Knox and Supreme Machine had raged early on the year, and despite their clash ending with a definite win, the conflict wasn’t over. It had entered into a state of a cold war, with various factors deepening the hatred between the two. They had been giving each other a wide berth since, mostly due to Jenny’s insistence. And the sister of the masked monster had insisted on that because it had turned out that they were of kin. Sharing the same bloodline. And the family curse that came along.
Yet, both men had always known that a rematch was inevitable. Knox suffered from a pathological hero complex, seeing villains to vanquish and victims to save everywhere he looked. And for someone like that, SuMa was irresistible. A beast to slay. And now their collision course was drawing closer and closer. Yet, in SuMa’s mind Knox was no more than a distraction, a sidetrack on a path laid out. He looked forward to the battle, but it wasn’t on the forefront of his mind. He’d deal with it when the time came. And finish it once and for all.
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Path of Destruction (oncam)[/b]
The view opens up to show the 6’9’’ 360lbs frame of Supreme Machine standing on top of a skyscraper in the twilight hours of the night. He is dressed in usual getup, a pair of black jeans and black combat boots covering his tree trunk-like legs while an old worn hoodie hides his upper body from the world. He is staring into the distance, his breath creating a cloud of mist in the cold winter air. Without turning to look at the camera he speaks up, his growl-like voice coming in as barely a whisper, almost drowned out by the sound of life from below.
“Watching the fallout from Climax Control has had us amused. Why would we do that? How could we? It is always entertaining to watch as the cattle attempts to rationalize the acts of a predator…”
A short silence follows before SuMa turns around to face the camera, pulling the hood down with measured moves. A bead of sweat has frozen on his temple and the greasy black mane that often hides his face hangs stiff from the cold. He slowly cocks his head to the left, the cold, dead stare of his black eyes unrelenting.
“But let us enlighten you… Why did we do it? Why did we take the time to go in and intimidate a woman like Bea Barnhart? Because we wanted to. Because the look of fear in the eyes of the prey when they realize they have no place to run and no place to hide… when they realize they are at our mercy… is so enjoyable to us. And not only that… we did it to make sure everyone understood that if you step in our path… nobody is safe. Anyone who wishes to oppose us or any of our allies must understand that there is no line we won’t cross… No deed beneath us. This is a war. And in war… collateral damage is inevitable.”
SuMa lets the last few words hang in the air to underline the severity of his threat. He slowly wipes the frozen strands of hair from his face to reveal the leather mask that hides his disfigured features below. Just as the silence was about to become oppressive he let out a sinister chuckle and continued.
“We can already hear the indignant gasps. The calls of cowardice. We don’t care. The Apex Predator gives no weight to the opinion of the prey. Our path to the top is set. And anyone who thinks they can stand up to us must consider the cost of doing so. We know everyone who comes into this business is ready, willing and able to sacrifice their own well being for glory and honor… But very few are willing to put those they care about on the line. That is a weakness we have no qualms about abusing. We make the battle as personal as possible to make sure that our foe understands the cost of defeat… and thus fights with all their might. That makes the battle so much more intense and enjoyable for us. Forcing them to spend every last drop of energy in resisting us… until there is nothing left but a broken husk of a man. A man who goes down knowing that everything they hold dear was on the line and they failed. It is not just about physical destruction… a physical defeat is fleeting, physical wounds heal. Bones mend and blood dries. But to break them mentally leaves marks that can never heal. It is a total victory.”
Turning his back to the camera and staring at the hustle and bustle below, SuMa continued his monologue, sounding amused at times and almost as if he was preaching on others.
“But to our joy there are always those willing to risk it all to fight us. Fenris threw himself on the firing line. We admire his courage. But it was for naught. What we did to him at the end of Climax Control was merely an appetizer, a preview of our true might. We would have preferred finishing the job at Climax Control 318. But it was not to be... It makes no difference though. The man they sent against us will serve his purpose all the same. Milo Kasey will act as another warning, another example of the fate of those who stand against us.”
He chuckles once again, turning around and walking off the edge of the building, the camera following him a few steps behind. A metal pipe on the roof reflects enough light to show that the camera is actually set up on a drone, explaining its motions. SuMa stops at the shadow of the concrete bunker that holds the entrance to the roof and sits down. The camera lowers as well, filming him head on as he sits there.
“We know little of him. And we do not even care to know more. For us he is irrelevant. Just another faceless lamb to the slaughter. His alignment, his loyalties, his allies and his abilities are of no consequence for us. No matter how talented or adept he is in the ring, he has never gone against someone like us. We know people take one look at us and file us away as a mindless brute or some sort of a b-movie monster… but we welcome that attitude. We relish their blindness. Underestimating us makes the moment they realize the depth of their mistake all the more euphoric. And we know many of you are already muttering to yourselves how we are no better, how we are simply overlooking Kasey… and you couldn’t be further from the truth. Our attitude, our mentality stems from experience. We have traveled far and wide, our path of destruction has cut a swath through companies all over the country and the world. Everywhere we have gone we have stood atop the pile as the most dominant, most violent and most devastating force. We have learned to see our enemies strengths and weaknesses at a glance. We need but to take one look at our foe to determine their worth and Milo Kasey has none.”
He pulls the hood back over his face and if you didn’t know better, you’d think he was just a hobo squatting for shelter, hunched over on the ground in worn and torn clothes. You couldn’t help but to think it was intentional. A camouflage to hide his true nature.
“But don’t take our word for it. At Climax Control 318 we will make it painfully clear just how ill-equipped Milo Kasey is to challenge us. And whatever his allies in the so called “Wolf's Lair” or whatever try to pull… It won’t help him. We are an army of one. A force of nature. Treat us as merely a man at your own peril. The end result of the upcoming battle has already been decided. When the dust settles we will stand triumphant and Milo Kasey will lay broken at our feet. And so shall all others who step up to try and challenge us.”
SuMa raises his gaze just enough to meet the lens head on, his piercing stare front and center as he speaks one more time.
“The Path of Destruction cannot be stopped.”
The way he said it was more a statement than anything else. Not a threat, not a brag. A matter-of-fact statement of reality. And after saying it, SuMa merely stared as the view faded to black.
