Post by Zane on Apr 3, 2015 21:16:55 GMT -5
Part I: It Can’t Be this Easy
“So let me get this straight.” Zane says with a smirk. “Our savant of a Creative Director wants everyone’s promos this week to have a ‘pro-Syndicate’ spot in it ? Did he fall on his head ?”
Eden looks at him with a smile from across her desk before shrugging elegantly. She lifts up one hand and examines her fingers as she responds to Zane.
“It’s hard to say with him.” She replies. “It’s easy to insult him, but he’s sneaky and we know that he’s always up to something where we’re involved.”
Zane chuckles before leaning back in his chair and kicking his feet up onto the one that sits across from him, using it as a foot rest. Eden looks at him do so and looks like she’s going to say something, but doesn't do so. She just goes back to inspecting her hand. Zane smirks and stretches in the chair and then answers her.
“Yeah.” He replies. “But this one is too easy for us.”
Eden looks at him with a raised eyebrow.
“I think I know where you’re going with this, but tell me anyway.” She replies. “Why is that ?”
Zane’s smirk spreads into a smile.
“You, Alan, Killian and I are ‘The Syndicate’.” Zane replies. “Everything we do and say is favorable towards the ‘The Syndicate’. This stipulation is as unintendedly asinine as him telling me that I had to show myself getting a haircut.”
Eden shudders at remembering Zane’s creative approach to addressing the former stipulation and looks at him with a disgusted expression on her face.
“Thanks for the reminder.” She replies. “I’d managed to forget about that until now.”
Zane’s grin widens and his expression becomes one of glee and not just amusement.
“You’re welcome.” He replies. “Glad I could help.”
She responds with a shake of her head and an eye roll before looking back at his smiling face.
“Sometime you remind me of why I hated you so much.” She replies with a chuckle.
“No problem.” He says with a shrug. “I thought my answer to that stipulation was pretty clever.”
Eden looks at him blandly.
“It was.” She answers. “It was just disgusting.”
“It worked.” He said with a shrug. “This time isn't any different.”
Eden looks at him with a raised eyebrow and a smile.
“Sure it is.” She replies.
Zane gestures for her to answer.
“Ok.” He says. “Do tell.”
“It won’t require you to trim yourself anywhere.” She replies with a smile.
Zane responds to her answer by throwing his head back and laughing. He laughs for a few moments, causing his eyes to tear. He finally slows his laughter and runs the backs of his hands across his eyes, wiping them.
“True.” He replies with a nod and a grin. “Very true.”
Part II: Apartment Hunting
Fooling the concierge at the front desk had been easier than he thought it would be. Maybe the guy wasn’t a wrestling fan, maybe he didn’t take his job that seriously and would let anyone into the building or maybe he was just tired or having a bad day. Maybe he was one of those overly sentimental types that falls for a sob story. Zane had to admit that he laid a good one on when he told him that his friend had been in a coma for the past five months and he was there to walk around his place and make sure everything was ok. He thought it was a particularly touching moment when he’d managed to force out what looked like a couple of tears before he put his fingers over his eyes and “wiped” them away. It had been a masterful performance.
His thoughts are interrupted by the ding of the elevator as it stops. Zane looks at the floor menu and smiles when he sees the right number. He was almost there. He stands quietly as the door slides open and walks through it as it opens. He makes a left turn and strides down the clean, well maintained hallway, scanning the apartment numbers as he goes. He passes multiple apartments until the finally sees the one he’s looking for.
Three twenty-eight.
The name on the door plate said everything.
Colin Zale.
Zane fishes the concierge key from his jacket pocket and begins to insert it into the door.
When it swings open.
The action causes him a fleeting moment of pause before he places his hand on the door and slowly pushes it open. His eyes quickly scan the living room that sits at the end of the short entrance hall and shakes his head with a smirk when he sees nothing that appears to be out of place. He steps into the apartment and quietly closes the door behind him, listening for any sounds that seem out of place. This was a perfect opportunity to ambush him and he didn’t want to be on the receiving end of one. He takes a few more steps into the room and takes a quick look into the small kitchen. It always amazed him that a man with as much money as Colin Zale consciously chose to live in such Spartan and simple accommodations. He shakes his head and chuckles. Some things about his former teacher just never made sense to him and probably never were. He took another step forward and stopped dead in his tracks.
Something felt wrong.
He dropped and rolled forward without even thinking, his training with Spyder and Zale kicking in. He feels the air move over his shaved head before he comes back up to his feet in the living room, facing back into the hallway that he’d just vacated. He looks up and narrows his eyes at the sight before him.
“Hiya kid.” “The Perfect Weapon” Tre Crawford says with a crooked smirk.
Zane stands up, ready for and expecting a fight. Instead Crawford reaches to his right and picks an open beer up and drinks from it. He strolls into the living room and sits down on the large black leather couch. Zane stays where he is, eyeing him suspiciously.
“Relax kid.” Crawford says with a smirk. "It's not healthy to be that jumpy."
Zane straightens his jacket out and walks across the room, where he stops in front of a red recliner and stares down at the long term friend and former tag team partner of his still fallen former mentor. Tre takes another drink from the bottle and looks up at Zane with his well-known and extremely hated smirk.
“What the hell are you doing here, Tre ?” Zane asks, looking down at him suspiciously.
Tre whistles a short tune for no apparent reason, with an expression of pure mockery on his face. He continues to do so for about thirty seconds before he suddenly stops and looks at Zane with a grin.
“Not a fan of old school rap I take it ?” He asks snidely. “Youngsters have no taste in music.”
“What do you want, Tre ?” Zane asks again.
Tre takes another drink from the bottle, lifts it up and looks in it before shaking it in disappointment.
“Empty.” He says. “Would you be a good boy and fetch me another one ?”
Zane raises an unamused eyebrow and folds his arms across his chest. Tre stands up and walks past Zane into the kitchen, where he places the bottle into the sink and opens the fridge. He rummages around in it for a few moments.
“You want one ?” He calls back over his shoulder.
Zane rolls his eyes and sits down in the chair.
“Why the hell not ?” He replies with mild exasperation.
Tre pulls two from the fridge and closes the door. He hands Zane one as he walks by and sits back down on the couch. Both men pop their drinks open.
“Bottoms up, junior.” Tre says before he takes a long drink from his.
Zane shrugs and takes a drink from his before setting it down on the table.
“Are you ever going to answer me ?” He says. "Why the fuck are you here ?"
“Why are any of us here ?” Tre quips with a smirk, shrugging when Zane responds with a glare.
"Not a fan of philosophy either, I see." He replies. "I could ask you the same."
“You could.” Zane replies.
“Ok.” Tre suddenly replies with a smile. “Why're ya here ?”
Zane closes his eyes and shakes his head before opening them.
“I set myself up for that one.” He says with a sigh.
“Yup.” Tre responds. “Youth really is wasted on the young.”
Tre takes another drink and leans back on the couch.
“Am I mistaken, Zane ?” He asks. “Don’t you have a match you should be preparing for ?”
“Yeah.” Zane replies. “So what ? You don’t give a damn what I’m doing.”
Tre looks at Zane as if he’s momentarily hurt by the accusation.
“That’s not true.” He exclaims in mock displeasure. “I care a lot. I did help train you.”
Zane narrows his eyes.
“No, you helped Colin and Spyder treat me like shit for their own amusement.” Zane replies. “That hardly counts as training.”
Tre shrugs.
“It worked, didn’t it ?” He replies.
“I got where I am in spite of you three.” He replies. “You didn’t get me when I walked in.”
Tre shrugs indifferently.
“I didn’t have to miss.” He replies. “Even you know that.”
“I’ll let that dig pass.” Zane replies. “I know you too well to fall for that.”
Tre smirks in reply.
“You think so ?” Tre replies. “I have been retired for a while. I could be a bit rusty.”
“Why are you here, Tre ?” Zane interjects irritably.
“I was asked to check on the place.” He replies.
“By who ?” Zane asks suspiciously.
“Do you really care ?” Tre asks with a smile.
“Yes.” Zane replies.
Tre smiles and takes another drink, raising his eyebrows in amusement.
“Realllly ?” Tre asks with a grin. "I know bullshit when I hear it, but I'll play."
“For fuck sake, Tre.” Zane answers. “I don’t have time for this.”
Tre lifts the bottle and points at Zane with the open end.
“Sadly Zane, none of us really know how much time we have. Mortality is so fleeting.” He replies sarcastically. “In regard to more present matters, you have a four on four match to prepare for.”
“Yes.” Zane replies. “Among other things.”
“Like what ?” Tre replies.
Zane goes to answer when Tre interrupts.
“Wait, I have a more important question first.”
“What ?” Zane asks tersely.
“How’s that little cutie Eden in the sack ?” Tre asks with a smirk. “I bet she’s a real freak.”
Zane replies with a glare.
“I don’t know.” He replies. “What the fuck does that have to do with anything ?”
“You work with her and you two are obviously close in some weird way.” Tre replies. “It’s a legitimate question, and might I add that I am very disappointed in you.”
Zane replies to the statement in confusion.
“For what ?”
“For not tappin that cute little ass !” He practically exclaims. “I thought that I trained you better as a Playa. It's such a disappointment.”
Zane closes his eyes and opens them quickly, realizing his mistake.
“Just tell me what the hell you’re doing here so I can leave.”
“Spyder asked me to check on the place.” Tre replies with a shrug. “They’re both my friends. I help James out by checking on Colin’s apartment every so often.”
Zane eyes Tre suspiciously. This time Tre is the one with the question.
“What are you up to Zane ?” He asks. “You ain’t here outta the kindness of your heart.”
Zane picks his bottle up and drinks from it, never taking his eyes from “The Lethal Weapon”.
“There’s been some strange shit going on lately and it reeks of Colin and Spyder to me.” He replies. “That’s all you need to know.”
“Aight.” Tre replies, finishing off his bottle. “If it is either of them, it ain't like you don’t deserve it.”
Zane’s eyes narrow.
“So it is them.” He says. “You know something.”
“I know a lot of ‘something’s.” Tre replies with a shrug. “I didn’t get to be a legend in the business by being a sucker.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Zane replies in an accusatory voice. “You three are always scheming with each other.”
Tre shakes his head and affects concern for Zane.
“Your new associates are making you paranoid.” He replies. “Colin is still healing.”
As soon as the words exit Tre’s mouth, the hairs on the back of Zane’s head stand up. He springs to his feet and turns around.
“What the ?” He says before spinning back around towards Tre.
That’s when he sees the boot.
Then the lights go out.
Part 3: Re-arranging the Board
“Nice bruise, Zane.” “Vain” says with a smirk. “It looks like you took that like a Champ.”
Zane looks at Alan Wallace and shakes his head.
“Funny Alan.” He replies. “Crawford and Spyder are up to something and I could have sworn that I saw Colin out of the corner of my eye.”
“It looks to me lad, like the only thing you saw out of the corner of your eye was Crawford’s foot.” “The Crucible” says as he puts his feet up on the long conference table. Zane looks at him and rolls his eyes before looking back at Wallace as he chuckles in amusement before looking down and admiring his face in the UGWC World Heavyweight Championship.
“Those three are up to something.” Zane says again. “I can feel it.”
“The only thing that Colin Zale is ‘up to’ is sucking his food through a feeding tube.” “Vain” says while not removing his eyes from the Championship.
Zane holds the ice pack over his left eye and winces slightly.
“Goddamned Crawford.” He growls. “He just had to sucker punch me.”
“It looks to me like he sucker kicked you.” King replies with a shrug.
“Same fucking difference.” Zane replies. “It doesn’t matter at this point. There’ll be another time to deal with him. In the meantime, it looks like my new friend in the “World Champion for one defense” club, his two new best buddies, Graber and Rydell and Ichabod have decided to band together against us.”
He pauses for a moment.
“Personally, I think Ichabod is up to something. Allying with them is just too convenient.”
“Yes.” Killian agrees. “From what I’ve seen of him, that’s far too obvious to be real.”
“The World Champion of Sexy” looks up from appreciating himself in the World Championship and casts his gaze on his fellow stable mates.
“Someone had to add an air of legitimacy to that group.” He says with a shrug. “Rydell is a joke, and a bad one, Graber is a mess and Klaus...well, we all know what the one that “The Vain One” carried on his back to greatness is all about.”
“Yeah.” Zane says with a derisive grunt. “Himself.”
“Vain” points at Zane in a “ding” gesture before going back to admiring himself in the World Championship.
“One thing at a time, gentlemen.” Eden Morgan says as she strides into the room with her personal toadie, Brandon Simon and her Head of Security, Carl Langley, in tow.
She walks up to a high backed leather office chair and makes herself comfortable in it before gesturing for Simon and Langley to leave. Langley does so quietly with a nod of his head. Simon is not quite so anxious to go.
“What if you need something, Miss. Morgan ?” He asks, drawing eye rolls rom Zane and Killian.
“I’ll be fine, Brandon.” Eden replies sweetly. “Wait outside. I’ll let you know if we need anything.”
“As you wish, Miss. Morgan.” He replies before scurrying from the conference room. Zane watches him go with a disgusted glare before looking back at Eden.
“When are you going to let me find his replacement ?” He growls.
“Oh stop, Zane.” She replies. “He may be disgusting and sycophantic, but he’s very good at what he does.”
“Abasing himself at your feet ?” Zane asks rhetorically.
“Exactly.” Eden says with a sweet smile. “He’s happy to be my willing toadie and I’m happy to let him do so until he’s no longer useful.”
“At which point Killian and I will invite him to explore his “future options”. Zane says with an evil grin.
“Aye lad.” Killian replies with a nod. “I like the sound of that. I need to keep my violent chops up as I am the new Chaos Champion.”
Eden rolls her eyes at both of them.
“Keep those ‘chops’ up this week.” She says cheerfully. “We Klaus and his new ‘alliance’.”
She says the second statement more mockingly than cheerfully, drawing grins from “Vain” and Killian and a dubious expression from Zane. The three notice it, but it’s Killian that speaks first.
“You don’t find them as amusing as we do ?” He inquires.
Zane moves his hand from his chin and gestures dismissively with it.
“No, it’s not that.” He replies. “It’s Ichabod. His inclusion in this little mutual enthusiasm society that Klaus has pieced together doesn’t make sense. There’s something else going on there, I just haven’t quite figured it out yet. I’m relatively certain that it has to do with Pax and the Cross-Hemisphere Championship.”
Eden nods her head in agreement.
“Are we even sure that Pax is one of them ?” She asks. “It’s obviously somewhat safe to assume that he is associated with them in some way, especially now that he’s managed to slither his way out of the ‘Melee’ with the Cross-Hemisphere Championship, but it’s not entirely obvious.”
“It doesn’t have to be.” “Vain” replies. “They’re just using each other. As long as they pay lip service to watching out for each other, the ‘alliance’ works. In the end it’ll implode for the same reason that every alliance with Klaus fails, because of his ego.”
The other three members of “The Syndicate” all grin at his assessment as “Mr. Ego” goes back to admiring himself in the World Championship.
“As ironic as that was,” Eden says. “Alan has a good point.”
“Yes he does.” Zane agrees. “It’s obvious why Klaus, Rydell and Marty are together. They all want a shot at us, all hate us and know that they can’t get close to us on their own. Ichabod doesn’t fit into that. He’s not strictly our enemy, he’s just backing up Graber since they’re allegedly ‘friends’. He can do that without being ‘aligned’ with them. It just doesn’t add up. Ichabod has never been the ‘alliance’ type from what I’ve seen.”
“Zane is right.” Killian agrees. “How long will it take for him to come to blows with Klaus or Rydell ?”
“One of them will piss him off eventually.” “Vain” says without looking up. “They’re both so arrogant and self-absorbed.”
The three of them look at Wallace again and shake their heads. Zane speaks first this time.
“Wallace for the ‘irony’ win again.” He replies. “I’ve seen enough of Ichabod to know that Rydell will eventually rub him the wrong way. It’s also possible that Graber will feel resentful towards Ichabod for ‘outing’ him, if he doesn’t now. There’s no way that Graber is happy about having something that he tried so hard to hide being blurted out to the world by someone he considers a friend. We could help build animosity in Graber about that. It might be obvious, but at some level it’ll work.”
Eden puts a finger to her lips in thought.
“I like that idea.” She replies.
“Aye, me too.” Killian agrees. “It’s inelegant and obvious, but it’s so simple that it’s perfect.”
“The Vain World Champion agrees.” Wallace thirds.
“Excellent.” Eden nods. “What about this week ?”
“This week we let them trip over their own competing motivations.” Killian replies. “Rumor is that each of them wants one of us. I presume that Klaus wants you Eden, after all he can’t stop talking about you. Graber wants Alan...”
He pauses for a moment as the World Heavyweight Champion looks up.
“He’s not ‘The Vain One’s type.”
“Moving on.” Killian continues. “And who knows what they hell that tosser Rydell wants.”
“More importantly,” Zane interjects. “Who cares ?”
“I suspect that he’ll target Alan.” Eden replies. “He seems to think that he deserves a shot at the World Championship.”
“The Vain One” is here to assure him that he’s very wrong.” Wallace replies. “That knuckle dragging bottom feeder isn’t worth the attention of anyone in ‘The Syndicate’, let alone the World Heavyweight Champion. “The Vain One” has better and more worthy tasks to tackle.”
“Like Graber ?” Killian says with a snide grin.
“The Vain One” does not follow.” Vain replies.
The three of them chuckle at “Vain”, who places the World Championship down on the table and looks at them with slight confusion. After a few moments the chuckling ceases and Eden speaks.
“We all know that Rydell is nothing more than an annoyance.” She says. “He can still be trouble if we let him be, but he’s not the major concern out of that group.”
“No.” Zane says. “The greatest threat is Ichabod and he I still don’t think he’s with them.”
“We know that each of them is after one of us.” Killian says. “We need to use that. It shouldn’t be too hard.”
“The Sexicutioner” will have no trouble taunting intellectual lightweights like Graber and Rydell.” The World Champion says. “Even his former tag team partner will be easy to set off as he is still jealous of and angry at “The Personification of Perfection” for embarrassing him by liberating the World Heavyweight Championship from his thieving hands.”
An unreadable look flashes quickly in Zane’s eyes, but his team mates apparently don’t catch it. He closes his eyes momentarily and takes a short breath before opening them again.
“I think we all know the strategy to be taken this week.” He says. “There’s no need to elaborate on it, at least not here.”
The other three members of “The Syndicate” shake their heads in agreement.
“Aye.” Killian says. “It’s best to keep such things away from prying eyes.”
“Good.” Eden says. “We have that settled. Does anyone else have any other business ?”
“Yeah.” Zane says. “I do.”
“Ok.” Eden says. “What is it ?”
“I have an idea that could rid us of two problems at the same time.” He says with a devilish smile.
“Do tell.” Killian says with a grin. “If your expression is any indication, it’s a good one.”
Zane smirks and nods his head.
“Oh, it is.” He says.
“Do tell.” The World Champion says. “The Weapon of Mass Seduction” and “Champion Who Makes the Championship Shine” is pleased to see that you are taking a more proactive role in our planning.”
Zane nods his head again, this time to single his thanks for the compliment.
“You’ll like this one a lot, Alan.” He says. “It involves someone near and dear to your heart. A couple of old friends.”
The World Heavyweight Champion raises a curious eyebrow at the statement. Eden and Killian respond with expressions of equal curiosity.
“Tell us Zane.” Eden says with a wicked smile. “It sounds like we’ll all like it.”
“I think you all will.” He replies. “Especially you and Alan as it deals with current annoyances and...”
“And ?” The World Champion asks.
“Retirements.” Zane replies with a wicked grin.
All three of them exchange confused expressions before the meaning dawns on Wallace. He turns and looks at Zane with a positively demonic grin on his face.
“The World Champion likes it Zane.” He replies. “The World Champion likes it a lot.”
“I’m not following.” Eden replies.
“Allow the World Champion to sum it up with one word.”
“Ok...” Eden replies.
“Families.” He replies.
“Exactly.” Zane says, leaning back and smiling. “Once we've done what needs to be done, we’ll have two less to concern ourselves with and the beauty of it is that they’ll do all of our work for us.”
Eden and Killian look at each other for a moment before both look at him with expressions of equal pleasure.
“That’s bloody fucking marvelous, lad.” He replies. “Bloody fucking marvelous indeed.”
“Indeed.” Wallace replies with a smile. “Who wants lunch ? The World Champion is famished.”
End
“So let me get this straight.” Zane says with a smirk. “Our savant of a Creative Director wants everyone’s promos this week to have a ‘pro-Syndicate’ spot in it ? Did he fall on his head ?”
Eden looks at him with a smile from across her desk before shrugging elegantly. She lifts up one hand and examines her fingers as she responds to Zane.
“It’s hard to say with him.” She replies. “It’s easy to insult him, but he’s sneaky and we know that he’s always up to something where we’re involved.”
Zane chuckles before leaning back in his chair and kicking his feet up onto the one that sits across from him, using it as a foot rest. Eden looks at him do so and looks like she’s going to say something, but doesn't do so. She just goes back to inspecting her hand. Zane smirks and stretches in the chair and then answers her.
“Yeah.” He replies. “But this one is too easy for us.”
Eden looks at him with a raised eyebrow.
“I think I know where you’re going with this, but tell me anyway.” She replies. “Why is that ?”
Zane’s smirk spreads into a smile.
“You, Alan, Killian and I are ‘The Syndicate’.” Zane replies. “Everything we do and say is favorable towards the ‘The Syndicate’. This stipulation is as unintendedly asinine as him telling me that I had to show myself getting a haircut.”
Eden shudders at remembering Zane’s creative approach to addressing the former stipulation and looks at him with a disgusted expression on her face.
“Thanks for the reminder.” She replies. “I’d managed to forget about that until now.”
Zane’s grin widens and his expression becomes one of glee and not just amusement.
“You’re welcome.” He replies. “Glad I could help.”
She responds with a shake of her head and an eye roll before looking back at his smiling face.
“Sometime you remind me of why I hated you so much.” She replies with a chuckle.
“No problem.” He says with a shrug. “I thought my answer to that stipulation was pretty clever.”
Eden looks at him blandly.
“It was.” She answers. “It was just disgusting.”
“It worked.” He said with a shrug. “This time isn't any different.”
Eden looks at him with a raised eyebrow and a smile.
“Sure it is.” She replies.
Zane gestures for her to answer.
“Ok.” He says. “Do tell.”
“It won’t require you to trim yourself anywhere.” She replies with a smile.
Zane responds to her answer by throwing his head back and laughing. He laughs for a few moments, causing his eyes to tear. He finally slows his laughter and runs the backs of his hands across his eyes, wiping them.
“True.” He replies with a nod and a grin. “Very true.”
Part II: Apartment Hunting
Fooling the concierge at the front desk had been easier than he thought it would be. Maybe the guy wasn’t a wrestling fan, maybe he didn’t take his job that seriously and would let anyone into the building or maybe he was just tired or having a bad day. Maybe he was one of those overly sentimental types that falls for a sob story. Zane had to admit that he laid a good one on when he told him that his friend had been in a coma for the past five months and he was there to walk around his place and make sure everything was ok. He thought it was a particularly touching moment when he’d managed to force out what looked like a couple of tears before he put his fingers over his eyes and “wiped” them away. It had been a masterful performance.
His thoughts are interrupted by the ding of the elevator as it stops. Zane looks at the floor menu and smiles when he sees the right number. He was almost there. He stands quietly as the door slides open and walks through it as it opens. He makes a left turn and strides down the clean, well maintained hallway, scanning the apartment numbers as he goes. He passes multiple apartments until the finally sees the one he’s looking for.
Three twenty-eight.
The name on the door plate said everything.
Colin Zale.
Zane fishes the concierge key from his jacket pocket and begins to insert it into the door.
When it swings open.
The action causes him a fleeting moment of pause before he places his hand on the door and slowly pushes it open. His eyes quickly scan the living room that sits at the end of the short entrance hall and shakes his head with a smirk when he sees nothing that appears to be out of place. He steps into the apartment and quietly closes the door behind him, listening for any sounds that seem out of place. This was a perfect opportunity to ambush him and he didn’t want to be on the receiving end of one. He takes a few more steps into the room and takes a quick look into the small kitchen. It always amazed him that a man with as much money as Colin Zale consciously chose to live in such Spartan and simple accommodations. He shakes his head and chuckles. Some things about his former teacher just never made sense to him and probably never were. He took another step forward and stopped dead in his tracks.
Something felt wrong.
He dropped and rolled forward without even thinking, his training with Spyder and Zale kicking in. He feels the air move over his shaved head before he comes back up to his feet in the living room, facing back into the hallway that he’d just vacated. He looks up and narrows his eyes at the sight before him.
“Hiya kid.” “The Perfect Weapon” Tre Crawford says with a crooked smirk.
Zane stands up, ready for and expecting a fight. Instead Crawford reaches to his right and picks an open beer up and drinks from it. He strolls into the living room and sits down on the large black leather couch. Zane stays where he is, eyeing him suspiciously.
“Relax kid.” Crawford says with a smirk. "It's not healthy to be that jumpy."
Zane straightens his jacket out and walks across the room, where he stops in front of a red recliner and stares down at the long term friend and former tag team partner of his still fallen former mentor. Tre takes another drink from the bottle and looks up at Zane with his well-known and extremely hated smirk.
“What the hell are you doing here, Tre ?” Zane asks, looking down at him suspiciously.
Tre whistles a short tune for no apparent reason, with an expression of pure mockery on his face. He continues to do so for about thirty seconds before he suddenly stops and looks at Zane with a grin.
“Not a fan of old school rap I take it ?” He asks snidely. “Youngsters have no taste in music.”
“What do you want, Tre ?” Zane asks again.
Tre takes another drink from the bottle, lifts it up and looks in it before shaking it in disappointment.
“Empty.” He says. “Would you be a good boy and fetch me another one ?”
Zane raises an unamused eyebrow and folds his arms across his chest. Tre stands up and walks past Zane into the kitchen, where he places the bottle into the sink and opens the fridge. He rummages around in it for a few moments.
“You want one ?” He calls back over his shoulder.
Zane rolls his eyes and sits down in the chair.
“Why the hell not ?” He replies with mild exasperation.
Tre pulls two from the fridge and closes the door. He hands Zane one as he walks by and sits back down on the couch. Both men pop their drinks open.
“Bottoms up, junior.” Tre says before he takes a long drink from his.
Zane shrugs and takes a drink from his before setting it down on the table.
“Are you ever going to answer me ?” He says. "Why the fuck are you here ?"
“Why are any of us here ?” Tre quips with a smirk, shrugging when Zane responds with a glare.
"Not a fan of philosophy either, I see." He replies. "I could ask you the same."
“You could.” Zane replies.
“Ok.” Tre suddenly replies with a smile. “Why're ya here ?”
Zane closes his eyes and shakes his head before opening them.
“I set myself up for that one.” He says with a sigh.
“Yup.” Tre responds. “Youth really is wasted on the young.”
Tre takes another drink and leans back on the couch.
“Am I mistaken, Zane ?” He asks. “Don’t you have a match you should be preparing for ?”
“Yeah.” Zane replies. “So what ? You don’t give a damn what I’m doing.”
Tre looks at Zane as if he’s momentarily hurt by the accusation.
“That’s not true.” He exclaims in mock displeasure. “I care a lot. I did help train you.”
Zane narrows his eyes.
“No, you helped Colin and Spyder treat me like shit for their own amusement.” Zane replies. “That hardly counts as training.”
Tre shrugs.
“It worked, didn’t it ?” He replies.
“I got where I am in spite of you three.” He replies. “You didn’t get me when I walked in.”
Tre shrugs indifferently.
“I didn’t have to miss.” He replies. “Even you know that.”
“I’ll let that dig pass.” Zane replies. “I know you too well to fall for that.”
Tre smirks in reply.
“You think so ?” Tre replies. “I have been retired for a while. I could be a bit rusty.”
“Why are you here, Tre ?” Zane interjects irritably.
“I was asked to check on the place.” He replies.
“By who ?” Zane asks suspiciously.
“Do you really care ?” Tre asks with a smile.
“Yes.” Zane replies.
Tre smiles and takes another drink, raising his eyebrows in amusement.
“Realllly ?” Tre asks with a grin. "I know bullshit when I hear it, but I'll play."
“For fuck sake, Tre.” Zane answers. “I don’t have time for this.”
Tre lifts the bottle and points at Zane with the open end.
“Sadly Zane, none of us really know how much time we have. Mortality is so fleeting.” He replies sarcastically. “In regard to more present matters, you have a four on four match to prepare for.”
“Yes.” Zane replies. “Among other things.”
“Like what ?” Tre replies.
Zane goes to answer when Tre interrupts.
“Wait, I have a more important question first.”
“What ?” Zane asks tersely.
“How’s that little cutie Eden in the sack ?” Tre asks with a smirk. “I bet she’s a real freak.”
Zane replies with a glare.
“I don’t know.” He replies. “What the fuck does that have to do with anything ?”
“You work with her and you two are obviously close in some weird way.” Tre replies. “It’s a legitimate question, and might I add that I am very disappointed in you.”
Zane replies to the statement in confusion.
“For what ?”
“For not tappin that cute little ass !” He practically exclaims. “I thought that I trained you better as a Playa. It's such a disappointment.”
Zane closes his eyes and opens them quickly, realizing his mistake.
“Just tell me what the hell you’re doing here so I can leave.”
“Spyder asked me to check on the place.” Tre replies with a shrug. “They’re both my friends. I help James out by checking on Colin’s apartment every so often.”
Zane eyes Tre suspiciously. This time Tre is the one with the question.
“What are you up to Zane ?” He asks. “You ain’t here outta the kindness of your heart.”
Zane picks his bottle up and drinks from it, never taking his eyes from “The Lethal Weapon”.
“There’s been some strange shit going on lately and it reeks of Colin and Spyder to me.” He replies. “That’s all you need to know.”
“Aight.” Tre replies, finishing off his bottle. “If it is either of them, it ain't like you don’t deserve it.”
Zane’s eyes narrow.
“So it is them.” He says. “You know something.”
“I know a lot of ‘something’s.” Tre replies with a shrug. “I didn’t get to be a legend in the business by being a sucker.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Zane replies in an accusatory voice. “You three are always scheming with each other.”
Tre shakes his head and affects concern for Zane.
“Your new associates are making you paranoid.” He replies. “Colin is still healing.”
As soon as the words exit Tre’s mouth, the hairs on the back of Zane’s head stand up. He springs to his feet and turns around.
“What the ?” He says before spinning back around towards Tre.
That’s when he sees the boot.
Then the lights go out.
Part 3: Re-arranging the Board
“Nice bruise, Zane.” “Vain” says with a smirk. “It looks like you took that like a Champ.”
Zane looks at Alan Wallace and shakes his head.
“Funny Alan.” He replies. “Crawford and Spyder are up to something and I could have sworn that I saw Colin out of the corner of my eye.”
“It looks to me lad, like the only thing you saw out of the corner of your eye was Crawford’s foot.” “The Crucible” says as he puts his feet up on the long conference table. Zane looks at him and rolls his eyes before looking back at Wallace as he chuckles in amusement before looking down and admiring his face in the UGWC World Heavyweight Championship.
“Those three are up to something.” Zane says again. “I can feel it.”
“The only thing that Colin Zale is ‘up to’ is sucking his food through a feeding tube.” “Vain” says while not removing his eyes from the Championship.
Zane holds the ice pack over his left eye and winces slightly.
“Goddamned Crawford.” He growls. “He just had to sucker punch me.”
“It looks to me like he sucker kicked you.” King replies with a shrug.
“Same fucking difference.” Zane replies. “It doesn’t matter at this point. There’ll be another time to deal with him. In the meantime, it looks like my new friend in the “World Champion for one defense” club, his two new best buddies, Graber and Rydell and Ichabod have decided to band together against us.”
He pauses for a moment.
“Personally, I think Ichabod is up to something. Allying with them is just too convenient.”
“Yes.” Killian agrees. “From what I’ve seen of him, that’s far too obvious to be real.”
“The World Champion of Sexy” looks up from appreciating himself in the World Championship and casts his gaze on his fellow stable mates.
“Someone had to add an air of legitimacy to that group.” He says with a shrug. “Rydell is a joke, and a bad one, Graber is a mess and Klaus...well, we all know what the one that “The Vain One” carried on his back to greatness is all about.”
“Yeah.” Zane says with a derisive grunt. “Himself.”
“Vain” points at Zane in a “ding” gesture before going back to admiring himself in the World Championship.
“One thing at a time, gentlemen.” Eden Morgan says as she strides into the room with her personal toadie, Brandon Simon and her Head of Security, Carl Langley, in tow.
She walks up to a high backed leather office chair and makes herself comfortable in it before gesturing for Simon and Langley to leave. Langley does so quietly with a nod of his head. Simon is not quite so anxious to go.
“What if you need something, Miss. Morgan ?” He asks, drawing eye rolls rom Zane and Killian.
“I’ll be fine, Brandon.” Eden replies sweetly. “Wait outside. I’ll let you know if we need anything.”
“As you wish, Miss. Morgan.” He replies before scurrying from the conference room. Zane watches him go with a disgusted glare before looking back at Eden.
“When are you going to let me find his replacement ?” He growls.
“Oh stop, Zane.” She replies. “He may be disgusting and sycophantic, but he’s very good at what he does.”
“Abasing himself at your feet ?” Zane asks rhetorically.
“Exactly.” Eden says with a sweet smile. “He’s happy to be my willing toadie and I’m happy to let him do so until he’s no longer useful.”
“At which point Killian and I will invite him to explore his “future options”. Zane says with an evil grin.
“Aye lad.” Killian replies with a nod. “I like the sound of that. I need to keep my violent chops up as I am the new Chaos Champion.”
Eden rolls her eyes at both of them.
“Keep those ‘chops’ up this week.” She says cheerfully. “We Klaus and his new ‘alliance’.”
She says the second statement more mockingly than cheerfully, drawing grins from “Vain” and Killian and a dubious expression from Zane. The three notice it, but it’s Killian that speaks first.
“You don’t find them as amusing as we do ?” He inquires.
Zane moves his hand from his chin and gestures dismissively with it.
“No, it’s not that.” He replies. “It’s Ichabod. His inclusion in this little mutual enthusiasm society that Klaus has pieced together doesn’t make sense. There’s something else going on there, I just haven’t quite figured it out yet. I’m relatively certain that it has to do with Pax and the Cross-Hemisphere Championship.”
Eden nods her head in agreement.
“Are we even sure that Pax is one of them ?” She asks. “It’s obviously somewhat safe to assume that he is associated with them in some way, especially now that he’s managed to slither his way out of the ‘Melee’ with the Cross-Hemisphere Championship, but it’s not entirely obvious.”
“It doesn’t have to be.” “Vain” replies. “They’re just using each other. As long as they pay lip service to watching out for each other, the ‘alliance’ works. In the end it’ll implode for the same reason that every alliance with Klaus fails, because of his ego.”
The other three members of “The Syndicate” all grin at his assessment as “Mr. Ego” goes back to admiring himself in the World Championship.
“As ironic as that was,” Eden says. “Alan has a good point.”
“Yes he does.” Zane agrees. “It’s obvious why Klaus, Rydell and Marty are together. They all want a shot at us, all hate us and know that they can’t get close to us on their own. Ichabod doesn’t fit into that. He’s not strictly our enemy, he’s just backing up Graber since they’re allegedly ‘friends’. He can do that without being ‘aligned’ with them. It just doesn’t add up. Ichabod has never been the ‘alliance’ type from what I’ve seen.”
“Zane is right.” Killian agrees. “How long will it take for him to come to blows with Klaus or Rydell ?”
“One of them will piss him off eventually.” “Vain” says without looking up. “They’re both so arrogant and self-absorbed.”
The three of them look at Wallace again and shake their heads. Zane speaks first this time.
“Wallace for the ‘irony’ win again.” He replies. “I’ve seen enough of Ichabod to know that Rydell will eventually rub him the wrong way. It’s also possible that Graber will feel resentful towards Ichabod for ‘outing’ him, if he doesn’t now. There’s no way that Graber is happy about having something that he tried so hard to hide being blurted out to the world by someone he considers a friend. We could help build animosity in Graber about that. It might be obvious, but at some level it’ll work.”
Eden puts a finger to her lips in thought.
“I like that idea.” She replies.
“Aye, me too.” Killian agrees. “It’s inelegant and obvious, but it’s so simple that it’s perfect.”
“The Vain World Champion agrees.” Wallace thirds.
“Excellent.” Eden nods. “What about this week ?”
“This week we let them trip over their own competing motivations.” Killian replies. “Rumor is that each of them wants one of us. I presume that Klaus wants you Eden, after all he can’t stop talking about you. Graber wants Alan...”
He pauses for a moment as the World Heavyweight Champion looks up.
“He’s not ‘The Vain One’s type.”
“Moving on.” Killian continues. “And who knows what they hell that tosser Rydell wants.”
“More importantly,” Zane interjects. “Who cares ?”
“I suspect that he’ll target Alan.” Eden replies. “He seems to think that he deserves a shot at the World Championship.”
“The Vain One” is here to assure him that he’s very wrong.” Wallace replies. “That knuckle dragging bottom feeder isn’t worth the attention of anyone in ‘The Syndicate’, let alone the World Heavyweight Champion. “The Vain One” has better and more worthy tasks to tackle.”
“Like Graber ?” Killian says with a snide grin.
“The Vain One” does not follow.” Vain replies.
The three of them chuckle at “Vain”, who places the World Championship down on the table and looks at them with slight confusion. After a few moments the chuckling ceases and Eden speaks.
“We all know that Rydell is nothing more than an annoyance.” She says. “He can still be trouble if we let him be, but he’s not the major concern out of that group.”
“No.” Zane says. “The greatest threat is Ichabod and he I still don’t think he’s with them.”
“We know that each of them is after one of us.” Killian says. “We need to use that. It shouldn’t be too hard.”
“The Sexicutioner” will have no trouble taunting intellectual lightweights like Graber and Rydell.” The World Champion says. “Even his former tag team partner will be easy to set off as he is still jealous of and angry at “The Personification of Perfection” for embarrassing him by liberating the World Heavyweight Championship from his thieving hands.”
An unreadable look flashes quickly in Zane’s eyes, but his team mates apparently don’t catch it. He closes his eyes momentarily and takes a short breath before opening them again.
“I think we all know the strategy to be taken this week.” He says. “There’s no need to elaborate on it, at least not here.”
The other three members of “The Syndicate” shake their heads in agreement.
“Aye.” Killian says. “It’s best to keep such things away from prying eyes.”
“Good.” Eden says. “We have that settled. Does anyone else have any other business ?”
“Yeah.” Zane says. “I do.”
“Ok.” Eden says. “What is it ?”
“I have an idea that could rid us of two problems at the same time.” He says with a devilish smile.
“Do tell.” Killian says with a grin. “If your expression is any indication, it’s a good one.”
Zane smirks and nods his head.
“Oh, it is.” He says.
“Do tell.” The World Champion says. “The Weapon of Mass Seduction” and “Champion Who Makes the Championship Shine” is pleased to see that you are taking a more proactive role in our planning.”
Zane nods his head again, this time to single his thanks for the compliment.
“You’ll like this one a lot, Alan.” He says. “It involves someone near and dear to your heart. A couple of old friends.”
The World Heavyweight Champion raises a curious eyebrow at the statement. Eden and Killian respond with expressions of equal curiosity.
“Tell us Zane.” Eden says with a wicked smile. “It sounds like we’ll all like it.”
“I think you all will.” He replies. “Especially you and Alan as it deals with current annoyances and...”
“And ?” The World Champion asks.
“Retirements.” Zane replies with a wicked grin.
All three of them exchange confused expressions before the meaning dawns on Wallace. He turns and looks at Zane with a positively demonic grin on his face.
“The World Champion likes it Zane.” He replies. “The World Champion likes it a lot.”
“I’m not following.” Eden replies.
“Allow the World Champion to sum it up with one word.”
“Ok...” Eden replies.
“Families.” He replies.
“Exactly.” Zane says, leaning back and smiling. “Once we've done what needs to be done, we’ll have two less to concern ourselves with and the beauty of it is that they’ll do all of our work for us.”
Eden and Killian look at each other for a moment before both look at him with expressions of equal pleasure.
“That’s bloody fucking marvelous, lad.” He replies. “Bloody fucking marvelous indeed.”
“Indeed.” Wallace replies with a smile. “Who wants lunch ? The World Champion is famished.”
End