Post by EZRA on Jan 21, 2023 2:11:32 GMT -5
The scene opens to Tate Levene seated on the floor of Ezra Wolf’s living room with a PS4 controller in his grubby hands. Behind him on the couch is Ezra himself. He lays with his eyes closed and an ice pack on either side of his neck. As Tate grunts in frustration, Ezra addresses him without opening his eyes.
“Hey. Dum-dum. I’m trying to nurse myself back to health after being obliterated. Can you keep it down?”
“Sorry, Ezra. This game is just kicking my ass.”
“What did your grandma tell you about cussing, bro?”
“That people who speak the devil’s language will eventually meet him.”
“Right. Some shit like that. What are you playing?”
Tate gestures to the TV then cranes his chubby neck to see that Ezra’s eyes are closed.
“Mortal Kombat 11. If I do these towers I can see the characters endings.”
“What’s the problem then?”
“Well, I want to play as Kotal Kahn and see his story. Except I can’t make it past the first block of the tower.”
Ezra adjusts slightly, wincing as he opens one eye.
“Just restart and see if you draw better on the next tower, dude.”
“I DID! Twice. Still getting my ass kicked.”
“Third times the charm, my dude.” Ezra says, rolling over so his back is to Tate.
Tate does what is suggested and restarts again. He then heads into the Tower menu.
“Flippin’ sweet! I’ll totally beat the first block this time!”
Ezra grunts in frustration this time as he gets to his feet and stretches his neck slightly. He then wraps a blanket from the back of the couch around himself. Ezra looks down at Tate who is actually winning his match before noticing the innumerable amount of crumbs and candy trash surrounding Tate on the floor.
“And this is why you have your own controller, bro. Dear lord. I’ll be on the balcony. Behave yourself until your grandma gets here.”
With that, Ezra heads out onto the balcony of his apartment. He takes a seat and puts his feet up on the railing as he relaxes back in the chair.
“I hate to relate to that chubby fucker on any level but he got me thinking. I’m definitely off to a rough start with this Global Challenge. Zero and fuckin’ two, my dudes. Big fat goose egg on the scoreboard. Getting my ass-kicked on the hypothetical first block of the tower. Maybe what I need is a reset. And next week could be just that. Going in to the first two rounds, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. With Tempy and the Zaniac, I was going into an uphill battle. Not this time though.”
Almost out of habit, Ezra digs in the small table next to his chair. He pauses and closes the drawer.
“Naw. Maybe that’s another thing I need a reset from. I don’t smoke on show days. Never have. But maybe I’ve been clouded regardless, my dudes. Maybe I need to go into this one with clear eyes instead of red eyes. Where’s Ben Stein when you need him?”
Suddenly, his eyes grow wide as he quickly digs in his pocket for his phone. He dials somebody then puts the phone to his ear.
“Zeke! Bro! I just had an epiphany of sorts. Can you meet me at the gym tomorrow? Naw… I can’t tonight. My neck is still fucked from Monday. Sweet! Thank you, bro. Tate’s fine. I don’t understand why I had to babysit when he’s a full-grown human. Fine, fine. Not a problem, bro. See you tomorrow.”
The scene fades as Ezra sits back in the chair and props his feet up again.
“Do you even know which ‘Dead Rabbit’ you’re facing this week?” Ezekiel says, wiping some sweat from his forehead as they take a short break from training.
“No clue, bro. I’ve never heard of these dudes before. They entered the Global Challenge as a group. Doesn’t seem totally fair but I’m not one to complain.”
“Ehhh…” Ezekiel says with a smile.
“Hey. I’ve expressed some anger after a loss. BUT I’ve never complained about facing an opponent. Except Miss Vee. Because that shit was getting old.”
“Alright. That’s fair. What was this big ‘epiphany’ you had last night?”
“In hindsight, it’s not exactly groundbreaking. I just didn’t think of it before. I lost both my matches in the Challenge so far. Which means the guys in the lead will most likely have 6 points going into Synergy. I figure ---”
“You figure that you should go for the submission victory against this Rabbit. Except submissions aren’t your strongest attribute. Which means you want a crash course in them before the next show. Close?”
Ezra scowls at Ezekiel. He continues staring at him as he rolls into the training ring inside their gym. He gets to his feet then motions for Zeke to join him in the ring.
“You’re a dick. And you’re also correct. Also, I’ve got that Bridging Fujiwara Armbar down pretty good. You said so yourself. Dick.”
Zeke chuckles as he follows his student into the ring.
“If you have it down so good, how come I’ve never seen you use it in the ring?”
If a character in UGWC could break the fourth wall and stare at the match writers, this is what Ezra would be doing at that moment. Instead, he just shrugs.
“Haven’t really found the right moment I guess. Uncle Dave and I have plans involving that move though. It’ll be sick once we actually get to team up again after the Challenge is over. Come to think of it, there aren’t really any other teams around except Rogan and Lucy. Kenny has gone singles. Deimos, Holden, and Hastings switch partners like Miss Vee switches concubines. Anyways, I’m getting sidetracked here.”
Ezekiel holds up his thumb and index finger in the universal symbol for ‘a little bit’.
“Did you have any ideas for submissions?” he asks, stretching out a bit.
“I mean, that’s your job, isn’t it?” Ezra says playfully. “I’d suggest something that fit my opponent, but I can’t do that since we don’t know who I’m facing.”
“You have long ass legs which means you should utilize them for sure. Like with a Guillotine Choke or Rear Naked Choke with a body scissor. You could flex your legs while you have the guy in the move to add more pressure.”
Ezekiel steps towards the center of the ring and motions Ezra forward as he says “Give it a shot.”
Ezra steps forward as well and gives his mentor a kick to the gut before grabbing him in a Front Headlock. With a quick hop, he wraps his legs around Ezekiel’s waist and locks in a loose Guillotine Choke.
“That’s a good start.” Ezekiel says. “Now flex your hips and lean backwards without loosening your grip. And let go once I tap. Or I’ll kick your ass.”
Ezra does as he’s told, flexing his hips and leaning backwards, which causes Ezekiel to fall onto all fours with Ezra wrapped around him. Zeke taps and Ezra quickly releases the hold.
“Nice. Your grip is very important. If you’re facing a taller individual, they could slam down to the ground with the hopes of jarring you into releasing the hold. Once you have it on, never let that shit go. If you catch them off guard enough you could roll backwards where you end up on top of them instead of the other way around. There’s also more than way to go into it. Hit the ropes and go into a Tilt-a-Whirl Headscissor. Instead of holding onto my head to complete the Headscissor, continue rotating almost like you’re turning it into a Satellite DDT. Once you’re in position for the DDT, wrap your legs around my waist. Got all that?”
Ezra nods then runs past Ezekiel to hit the ropes. Ezekiel turns to post for the maneuver and lifts Ezra into a Tilt-a-Whirl who passes through the Headscissor and turns it into a Guillotine Choke. Ezekiel keeps a steady base before leaning slightly forward then exploding backward, launching Ezra into a T-Bone Suplex. Both men get back to their feet with Ezra stretching his neck slightly.
“That grip needs to be spot on, Ez. Or else that’ll happen. If you tried that on Zane, he would’ve launched you across the ring.”
“Got it. Tight grip. What’s next?” Ezra asks, rubbing his neck.
“You good?” asks Ezekiel, a tinge of concern in his voice.
“I’m good. Zaniac just fucked me up a bit. Dude was out to prove a point. But I’m good.”
Ezekiel scratches at his beard a little bit.
“You sure?”
Ezra nods.
“Alright. Similarly to the Guillotine Choke, you can do the same methods with the Rear Naked Choke. Locking it in is one thing. The important step is having a strong grip with both your arms and legs. Go ahead and lock it in but don’t do the body scissor.”
Ezekiel turns his back to Ezra, who locks in a tight sleeper hold and falls to his back. Ezekiel puts the bottoms of his feet into the mat and bridges. He then rolls backwards which pins Ezra’s shoulders to the mat while also making him unable to break the hold. Ezra lets go and both men to get a knee.
“The body scissor will make the chances of a counter a lot less likely. You’re not the biggest dude in this company which means you need to play to your strengths like I said earlier. Lock it again and don’t fall backwards. Jump up and execute the body scissor while I’m still standing.”
Ezekiel places his back to his protégé again and Ezra jumps onto his back, locking in the choke and body scissor simultaneously. The grip on the choke is loose since they’re training which makes it so Ezekiel can give further commands.
“Once you have it locked in, try to lean forward. Almost like you’re a deadweight. This will make your opponent carry your weight and tire them out faster. Or you can throw your weight backwards, taking your opponent off their feet. Be careful with this one though. Tuck your head or you’ll end up knocking yourself out.”
Ezekiel gives a quick tap to Ezra’s arm, instructing him to break the hold.
“Take a seat,” he says, pointing towards the corner. “There’s a cornucopia of different submissions you could use. Shit like a bearhug or a standing ankle lock should be disregarded. Again, you’re not a powerhouse type guy. You’re wire-y. Like Nigel Gruff. That armbar you like works well because your whole body weight goes into it. Keep that in mind when trying to lock in a submission. Lastly, don’t make that your whole focus. Earning five points is great. Earning three points is good. Earning another zero can’t happen unless you’re cool with finishing at the bottom of the bracket. You’ll have one more opportunity to earn points after this one. Use it wisely. Trying some half-assed submission on JC will not benefit you in any way, shape, or form.”
“Understood.” Ezra replies.
“There’s one other thing I wanted to talk to you about. It’s not exactly related to your upcoming match. It’s important either way.”
Ezra cocks his head in concern briefly. “What’s up?” he says, getting to his feet.
“I know that guys like Tempest and Zane mention our relationship like it’s a bad thing just to get in your head. They have a point though. There will be a time where you go off on your own. Make something of yourself without me by your side, Ezra. Make your own nicknames. Use your own moves. You don’t need me holding your hand. Or holding you back.”
Ezra waves off the notion like he just smelled something awful.
“Naw. Fuck all that, bro. You’re not holding my hand OR holding me back. I wouldn’t be Cross-Hemisphere Champion without your guidance. Don’t listen to those dudes. Like you said, Zeke. It’s mind games.”
“Don’t downplay your success. You retained that title on your own. I wasn’t even there.”
“Bro. We’re not doing this right now. You’re stuck with me, my dude. Like Terry McGinnis and Bruce Wayne. You’re going to be old and gray while still giving me guidance. Just accept it.”
The reference brings another smile to Ezekiel’s face.
“If you say so, kid. Just give it some thought, alright? I’m not going to be here forever.”
“Yeah, you will. Don’t be a downer, bro. I think the kids these days call it ‘BFFs’. That’s you and me, Zeke.”
“That’s it. You’re walking home.”
“Uh. I drove here. And we don’t live together.”
“It was a joke.”
“Riiiight. I think you’re already losing it a bit.”
Ezekiel shoves Ezra as he goes to get out of the ring, causing him to stumble off the apron. Ezra gets back to his feet and points at Zeke in a serious manner.
“Watch it, old man.” Ezra says as we fade to black.
“Hey. Dum-dum. I’m trying to nurse myself back to health after being obliterated. Can you keep it down?”
“Sorry, Ezra. This game is just kicking my ass.”
“What did your grandma tell you about cussing, bro?”
“That people who speak the devil’s language will eventually meet him.”
“Right. Some shit like that. What are you playing?”
Tate gestures to the TV then cranes his chubby neck to see that Ezra’s eyes are closed.
“Mortal Kombat 11. If I do these towers I can see the characters endings.”
“What’s the problem then?”
“Well, I want to play as Kotal Kahn and see his story. Except I can’t make it past the first block of the tower.”
Ezra adjusts slightly, wincing as he opens one eye.
“Just restart and see if you draw better on the next tower, dude.”
“I DID! Twice. Still getting my ass kicked.”
“Third times the charm, my dude.” Ezra says, rolling over so his back is to Tate.
Tate does what is suggested and restarts again. He then heads into the Tower menu.
“Flippin’ sweet! I’ll totally beat the first block this time!”
Ezra grunts in frustration this time as he gets to his feet and stretches his neck slightly. He then wraps a blanket from the back of the couch around himself. Ezra looks down at Tate who is actually winning his match before noticing the innumerable amount of crumbs and candy trash surrounding Tate on the floor.
“And this is why you have your own controller, bro. Dear lord. I’ll be on the balcony. Behave yourself until your grandma gets here.”
With that, Ezra heads out onto the balcony of his apartment. He takes a seat and puts his feet up on the railing as he relaxes back in the chair.
“I hate to relate to that chubby fucker on any level but he got me thinking. I’m definitely off to a rough start with this Global Challenge. Zero and fuckin’ two, my dudes. Big fat goose egg on the scoreboard. Getting my ass-kicked on the hypothetical first block of the tower. Maybe what I need is a reset. And next week could be just that. Going in to the first two rounds, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. With Tempy and the Zaniac, I was going into an uphill battle. Not this time though.”
Almost out of habit, Ezra digs in the small table next to his chair. He pauses and closes the drawer.
“Naw. Maybe that’s another thing I need a reset from. I don’t smoke on show days. Never have. But maybe I’ve been clouded regardless, my dudes. Maybe I need to go into this one with clear eyes instead of red eyes. Where’s Ben Stein when you need him?”
Suddenly, his eyes grow wide as he quickly digs in his pocket for his phone. He dials somebody then puts the phone to his ear.
“Zeke! Bro! I just had an epiphany of sorts. Can you meet me at the gym tomorrow? Naw… I can’t tonight. My neck is still fucked from Monday. Sweet! Thank you, bro. Tate’s fine. I don’t understand why I had to babysit when he’s a full-grown human. Fine, fine. Not a problem, bro. See you tomorrow.”
The scene fades as Ezra sits back in the chair and props his feet up again.
“To stand still is to fall behind.” – Mark Twain
“Do you even know which ‘Dead Rabbit’ you’re facing this week?” Ezekiel says, wiping some sweat from his forehead as they take a short break from training.
“No clue, bro. I’ve never heard of these dudes before. They entered the Global Challenge as a group. Doesn’t seem totally fair but I’m not one to complain.”
“Ehhh…” Ezekiel says with a smile.
“Hey. I’ve expressed some anger after a loss. BUT I’ve never complained about facing an opponent. Except Miss Vee. Because that shit was getting old.”
“Alright. That’s fair. What was this big ‘epiphany’ you had last night?”
“In hindsight, it’s not exactly groundbreaking. I just didn’t think of it before. I lost both my matches in the Challenge so far. Which means the guys in the lead will most likely have 6 points going into Synergy. I figure ---”
“You figure that you should go for the submission victory against this Rabbit. Except submissions aren’t your strongest attribute. Which means you want a crash course in them before the next show. Close?”
Ezra scowls at Ezekiel. He continues staring at him as he rolls into the training ring inside their gym. He gets to his feet then motions for Zeke to join him in the ring.
“You’re a dick. And you’re also correct. Also, I’ve got that Bridging Fujiwara Armbar down pretty good. You said so yourself. Dick.”
Zeke chuckles as he follows his student into the ring.
“If you have it down so good, how come I’ve never seen you use it in the ring?”
If a character in UGWC could break the fourth wall and stare at the match writers, this is what Ezra would be doing at that moment. Instead, he just shrugs.
“Haven’t really found the right moment I guess. Uncle Dave and I have plans involving that move though. It’ll be sick once we actually get to team up again after the Challenge is over. Come to think of it, there aren’t really any other teams around except Rogan and Lucy. Kenny has gone singles. Deimos, Holden, and Hastings switch partners like Miss Vee switches concubines. Anyways, I’m getting sidetracked here.”
Ezekiel holds up his thumb and index finger in the universal symbol for ‘a little bit’.
“Did you have any ideas for submissions?” he asks, stretching out a bit.
“I mean, that’s your job, isn’t it?” Ezra says playfully. “I’d suggest something that fit my opponent, but I can’t do that since we don’t know who I’m facing.”
“You have long ass legs which means you should utilize them for sure. Like with a Guillotine Choke or Rear Naked Choke with a body scissor. You could flex your legs while you have the guy in the move to add more pressure.”
Ezekiel steps towards the center of the ring and motions Ezra forward as he says “Give it a shot.”
Ezra steps forward as well and gives his mentor a kick to the gut before grabbing him in a Front Headlock. With a quick hop, he wraps his legs around Ezekiel’s waist and locks in a loose Guillotine Choke.
“That’s a good start.” Ezekiel says. “Now flex your hips and lean backwards without loosening your grip. And let go once I tap. Or I’ll kick your ass.”
Ezra does as he’s told, flexing his hips and leaning backwards, which causes Ezekiel to fall onto all fours with Ezra wrapped around him. Zeke taps and Ezra quickly releases the hold.
“Nice. Your grip is very important. If you’re facing a taller individual, they could slam down to the ground with the hopes of jarring you into releasing the hold. Once you have it on, never let that shit go. If you catch them off guard enough you could roll backwards where you end up on top of them instead of the other way around. There’s also more than way to go into it. Hit the ropes and go into a Tilt-a-Whirl Headscissor. Instead of holding onto my head to complete the Headscissor, continue rotating almost like you’re turning it into a Satellite DDT. Once you’re in position for the DDT, wrap your legs around my waist. Got all that?”
Ezra nods then runs past Ezekiel to hit the ropes. Ezekiel turns to post for the maneuver and lifts Ezra into a Tilt-a-Whirl who passes through the Headscissor and turns it into a Guillotine Choke. Ezekiel keeps a steady base before leaning slightly forward then exploding backward, launching Ezra into a T-Bone Suplex. Both men get back to their feet with Ezra stretching his neck slightly.
“That grip needs to be spot on, Ez. Or else that’ll happen. If you tried that on Zane, he would’ve launched you across the ring.”
“Got it. Tight grip. What’s next?” Ezra asks, rubbing his neck.
“You good?” asks Ezekiel, a tinge of concern in his voice.
“I’m good. Zaniac just fucked me up a bit. Dude was out to prove a point. But I’m good.”
Ezekiel scratches at his beard a little bit.
“You sure?”
Ezra nods.
“Alright. Similarly to the Guillotine Choke, you can do the same methods with the Rear Naked Choke. Locking it in is one thing. The important step is having a strong grip with both your arms and legs. Go ahead and lock it in but don’t do the body scissor.”
Ezekiel turns his back to Ezra, who locks in a tight sleeper hold and falls to his back. Ezekiel puts the bottoms of his feet into the mat and bridges. He then rolls backwards which pins Ezra’s shoulders to the mat while also making him unable to break the hold. Ezra lets go and both men to get a knee.
“The body scissor will make the chances of a counter a lot less likely. You’re not the biggest dude in this company which means you need to play to your strengths like I said earlier. Lock it again and don’t fall backwards. Jump up and execute the body scissor while I’m still standing.”
Ezekiel places his back to his protégé again and Ezra jumps onto his back, locking in the choke and body scissor simultaneously. The grip on the choke is loose since they’re training which makes it so Ezekiel can give further commands.
“Once you have it locked in, try to lean forward. Almost like you’re a deadweight. This will make your opponent carry your weight and tire them out faster. Or you can throw your weight backwards, taking your opponent off their feet. Be careful with this one though. Tuck your head or you’ll end up knocking yourself out.”
Ezekiel gives a quick tap to Ezra’s arm, instructing him to break the hold.
“Take a seat,” he says, pointing towards the corner. “There’s a cornucopia of different submissions you could use. Shit like a bearhug or a standing ankle lock should be disregarded. Again, you’re not a powerhouse type guy. You’re wire-y. Like Nigel Gruff. That armbar you like works well because your whole body weight goes into it. Keep that in mind when trying to lock in a submission. Lastly, don’t make that your whole focus. Earning five points is great. Earning three points is good. Earning another zero can’t happen unless you’re cool with finishing at the bottom of the bracket. You’ll have one more opportunity to earn points after this one. Use it wisely. Trying some half-assed submission on JC will not benefit you in any way, shape, or form.”
“Understood.” Ezra replies.
“There’s one other thing I wanted to talk to you about. It’s not exactly related to your upcoming match. It’s important either way.”
Ezra cocks his head in concern briefly. “What’s up?” he says, getting to his feet.
“I know that guys like Tempest and Zane mention our relationship like it’s a bad thing just to get in your head. They have a point though. There will be a time where you go off on your own. Make something of yourself without me by your side, Ezra. Make your own nicknames. Use your own moves. You don’t need me holding your hand. Or holding you back.”
Ezra waves off the notion like he just smelled something awful.
“Naw. Fuck all that, bro. You’re not holding my hand OR holding me back. I wouldn’t be Cross-Hemisphere Champion without your guidance. Don’t listen to those dudes. Like you said, Zeke. It’s mind games.”
“Don’t downplay your success. You retained that title on your own. I wasn’t even there.”
“Bro. We’re not doing this right now. You’re stuck with me, my dude. Like Terry McGinnis and Bruce Wayne. You’re going to be old and gray while still giving me guidance. Just accept it.”
The reference brings another smile to Ezekiel’s face.
“If you say so, kid. Just give it some thought, alright? I’m not going to be here forever.”
“Yeah, you will. Don’t be a downer, bro. I think the kids these days call it ‘BFFs’. That’s you and me, Zeke.”
“That’s it. You’re walking home.”
“Uh. I drove here. And we don’t live together.”
“It was a joke.”
“Riiiight. I think you’re already losing it a bit.”
Ezekiel shoves Ezra as he goes to get out of the ring, causing him to stumble off the apron. Ezra gets back to his feet and points at Zeke in a serious manner.
“Watch it, old man.” Ezra says as we fade to black.