[REC]
“Wow, A. Wow. I can’t believe how much hate you’re getting. I mean, Adam, as your only friend, it seems to me that you’re doing something right to get that much attention,” Bison slapped his thigh and laughed. He was in a fenced off backyard, his ex-wife’s home. The back porch light cast him in a dim light. He had set up his camera on the back step. He didn’t really care about the lighting, as long as they could hear his voice. “I guess that’s what happens when you’re a dick. You rub people the wrong way. And you’re an easy target, but I want to say, god bless you man and I hope you all do well on your journey to recovery. I couldn’t believe that you actually turned to rehab to get right. I was worried about you. I should have done more to help lead you to that destination sooner but sometimes you can’t get above the noise. When you in the thick of it, you lose sight.”
“I’ll be here when you need me. I be here when you get out. I know we don’t see eye-to-eye on many things. I know we annoy the fuck out of each other, but we’re a unit. A team. And I can’t feel like only I can make fun of you, give you a hard time, because I’m your friend. And that’s what friends do. These other people? Fuck ‘em. Don’t listen to them. You’re the best wrestler I know. You might be morally suspect. You might be an egomaniac, a real narcissist but sometimes, deep down, I saw that you care. You just can’t help yourself, but maybe you’ll better yourself and be able to foster enough willpower to do right but first, focus on getting right yourself. You know what I’m trying to say?” Bison stopped, put his hands on his hips. He grinned. His gold crowns reflected by the light. “You’re my man, Adam. I got your back. So stop having aneurysms because these pricks disrespected you.”
“Kimberly Williams has no grounds to speak. I mean, we all give her credit for having spunk and maybe we’ve been giving her a pass because she’s cute. But nah, man. What can she say? She tried so hard to be the Tag Team Champions with her half-sister, but she came short? And Twin Magic, they didn’t even hold the titles as long as us. So she needs to get her ass off the pedestal and come down to reality.”
“Kennedy Street? She can just waltz right back after turning her back on the industry. She thinks she is owed her spot, but you snooze, you lose. And Adam, regardless what your opinion on the match, you went the distance with a prominent star in this sport. Forget the she-say-he-say bullshit, and focus on how we’re in our forties and we’re owning youngster left and right. They can’t keep up without grinding, they can’t match our hustle. So what? We won some. We lost some. And we had some draws, but there is a silver lining in all of us. We’re riding strong through the ebs and the flows of this sport, but we’re on a upwards trajectory.” A slapping noise interrupted, the sound of Bison punching his own palm. He grinded his knuckles into the opposite hand, but he looked up sharp and determined. “Without you, I would never have found my place in his world. For the first time in my life, I found purpose, a meaning. I never realized how far I have wandered, how dazed and confused I was, trying to make other people happy, trying to make a name here and there. And finally, I got a home. And it’s all thanks to you, dawg. All thanks to you.”
“So when our partners trash our name. When our opponents try to dance on our grave. You know what? We show them why we’re Golden. Why we’re the hottest tag team in the damn business today. The ass connections are keeping our belts warm and toasty for us to take them back. And hell, I know you’re still beating yourself up over Rise to Greatness. Forget it! Spilt milk. Water under the bridge. Doesn’t matter, what does we’re still in the driver’s seat of our destiny. And that’s what we need to hone in on. We’re going to beat the shit out of these haters. We’re going to beat the shit out of our rivals. We’re going to paint them black and blue. They will be cursing our names for weeks, for months, knowing we’re the cause of much hurt and disappointment. And if anyone wants to sleep on us, then we’re going to bite them hard and rip them to shreds,” Bison’s laughter cut his speech short. He shook his head, letting our a deep growl. “Apocalypse is simply a night to awaken some fools from their deep ignorant slumber. We’ll open their eyes. We’ll still here. We’re still fighting. And ya’ll just another piece of meat on the menu.”
“Now you’re going to find out why you let sleeping dogs lie. We’re the Golden Boys, mofos, and we’re the shit.”
[/REC]
“Damn, that fool better appreciate this,” Bison spoke aloud. He clenched his fists. He looked up at the night sky, only the moon was visible, the city lights blocked all the stars. He sucked in some of the cool autumn air. He really hoped Adam got to hear his words. He didn’t like to see his partner be in such a fragile state, worrying that such criticism, some fair but most not, would set him back in his recovery.
“Dad?” Joi called out.
“What’s up, babygirl?” Bison returned to the porch.
“Can we order pizza tonight?”
“Your wish is my command. Tell your sister.”
“She’s out.”
“At a time like this? She should be here or at the hospital, not out there with her boyfriend,” Bison grumbled. He hated feeling such a grouch but he started to realize that his eldest had her priorities in disarray. Her mother and stepfather were in the hospital, recovering but still. They had a nasty accident and are going to need some moral support to get through physical therapy. He had seen the lengths that Adam’s son had gone through to walk again. He had paid some neighborly visits to the young man. While not anywhere near that catastrophe that Alistaire suffered, they’re not fighters, they’re office workers. This is an uphill battle on a terrain they’re not accustomed to. He told himself that he was going to support them as much as he could, take some of the weight off their plate for the time being but what his ex-wife and her new husband needed was their children’s support. He knew that if they saw their faces, it would be a bright beacon of hope, a display of why they’re battling to get back to normalcy. So they can be there for these girls. Once instead, “Call your sister, and tell get her ass home. She needs to ask permission to stay out late like this.”
“You call her.”
“You don’t want me to call her, Joi. Do your sister a favor and speak to her for me. Because she ain’t going to like to hear what I think about her lack of feeling responsibility for her family,” Bison ordered. Joi didn’t dare defy her father when he spoke to her in such a tone. She rolled her eyes, claiming a minor rebellious victory before doing what she was told. “Meanwhile, I’ll get the pizza. Any special requests?”
“Stuffed crust!?”
“That’s nasty. What else?”
“Pineapples and ham.”
“I didn’t raise a freak like you. What else?”
“Something sweet for dessert,” Joi stuck her tongue out. Bison nodded. Despite his strong convictions about what pizza is supposed to be like, he was gonna let this one slide. He was going to make sure at least his youngest had a good night. Now the oldest, she ain’t going like the talking to that waited for her when she got home.
——————————-
The door slammed shut. Bison woke up from a sound sleep. He had fallen asleep in the recliner looking at the front door. This was the other man’s chair and he took a little victory in sitting in the man’s throne during his absence. The lamp beside him. Bison hurried to his feet, his first instinct was that there was a home invasion happening, especially since the cable box read 4:04 AM. He picked up a side table and stormed the front hall, but a girly scream stopped the blood rush.
“Dad!”
“Damn it, Journei. God damn it, I almost mistake you for a robber. What the hell? Did you just get home?” Bison set the side table down. He flipped on the lights. Journei recoiled from the light while trying to flatten her skirt to make it look like it’s really longer than it was.
“I fell asleep!”
“I don’t care what you did, or doing. I don’t even care if you’re lying to me, finding some excuse. Because nothing you say is going to not make disappointed in you. You’re breaking curfew, acting out, all while your mother’s in rough shape? Is that the girl we raised? God damn, you’re infuriating,” Bison unloaded. He wished his delivery was as he intended but being half-awake, straight up grumpy as hell didn’t help him.
“You didn’t raise anybody, dad.”
“Now, don’t be like that. I’ve always been around.”
“Have you?”
“Cheap shots won’t save you. Get your ass upstairs. You’re grounded,” Bison found himself threatening her. He almost laughed at himself because found that threat to be quite silly compared to the threats he received and issued with his peers in the locker room. And those threats contained violence.
“You think you can stop me from going out?”
“I’ll hunt down your boyfriend, break his knees and then let’s see if he still wants to date you.”
“You can’t do that!”
“Journei, I’m a man of immense size and talent. I do what I need to. And if there’s collateral damage in my quest to bring my girl in line and teach her some respect, then I’ll dirty my hands and spill the blood of innocence. Fire and brimstone, babygirl. Fire and brimstone!” He hollered. She hissed and hurried upstairs. He didn’t claim victory because he knew that by the time children became teenagers, they adjusted to such attempts at discipline. His mom used to talk to him in the same way and he went out despite her whacks with a soup ladle. He suspected Journei would find a way to sneak out… and besides, he wasn’t always going to be around to watch her follow his orders. So what did he just say? Probably nothing but an empty threat and the girl’s probably too bright to fall for his bluff.
King of HARDstyle 
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