Post by Pyro on May 4, 2021 22:59:08 GMT -5
In the remnants of what’s left the Goiania Arena of Goiania, Brazil at the conclusion of the last Fallout, runs the skeleton crew as the last fans are ushered out of the arena, scattered trash is picked up from the floors, and remaining flames are stomped out by the crew members who choose the shortest straws, is the ever neutral expression of one Arik Holt looking through the empty parking lot and folding his hands behind his head. A pet project started in a basement in California feels almost like someone else’s memory, as the lighting of a massive stadium’s dimmed down as the audience clears out and various talents are either hitting a night on the town, or likely getting through Customs for Fallout’s next big landing. Not one to linger or dilly dally, Holt checks his watch directly as his ride to the airport pulls into the empty garage. The honk of the limousine gets his immediate attention, as well as tests his eardrums as the sound echoes through the empty concrete structure as it slowly approaches him. With the next stop on the mind, Holt’s hand reaches for the handle, and he takes what feels like his very first breath all night as another show went successfully and another day is done, and he lets his eyes close.
“Ah, right on time! We interrupt your regularly scheduled investigation to offer you a chance to catch a breath of fresh air. Got a sec?”
It isn’t until he eyes a certain cheshire smile in the window that he snaps back to attention.
As soon as the limo door closed, the screeching from the wheelspin echoed throughout the car park that was filled with smoke as Pyro shot away. The speeding away sends Holt flying back in his seat as Drago’s grin is almost dripping with how venomous it is. That’s when Arik Holt pulls out his notepad and writes something down showing it to Drago who shakes his head.
“Holt here doesn’t think you’re going fast enough and says for someone rumored to have a kid, you sure don’t drive like it!”
Not even a word comes from Pyro as he shakes his head before he speeds up more as Drago watches as Holt shakes his head trying to let Pyro know he didn’t say that as Pyro starts to sing.
“London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair Lady.”
As they come up to a corner, Pyro doesn’t even slow down, sliding the limo around the corner just avoiding clipping the truck beside him, all at the low price is one side mirror shattering like ice. This throws Arik towards Drago, who once Pyro straightens the limo up, pushes Arik with an ever-so-gentle shove to the other side of the limo’s backseat. As Holt started rubbing his shoulder after it slammed into the door he started to write something else down on his notepad.
“Build it up with wood and clay,
Wood and clay, wood and clay,
Build it up with wood and clay,
My fair Lady.”
Once Pyro was done singing the next verse of the song, Arik Holt showed the notepad to Drago again.
“Pyro, our new friend here seems to think you’re starting to go off the deep end, and that you have a family you should think about.”
The death stare in the rear view mirror straight at Holt stops him from nodding his head and leads him to take a big gulp.
“Wood and clay will wash away,
Wash away, wash away,
Wood and clay will wash away,
My fair Lady.”
“The most amazing thing about the sport is that you get to see it all, don’t you? Had you told me months ago I’d be fighting next to Titans, Tyrants, and time travellers, I don’t know I’d believe you. Coming from such experienced eyes, trust me, my guy - don’t be too afraid of those lil’ nursery rhymes, worry about what happens when they stop. Turns out, family’s a biiiiiiit of a touchy subject.”
The limo is now at it’s limit as Pyro starts to weave in and out of the vehicles in the way. The needle of the speedometer is literally off the charts. Pyro was angry now as Holt is desperate to get away as he tries to undo the door. Holt straight away finds out that they’re locked and so are the windows too. Drago looks at Holt and just shakes his head at Holt signalling that there is no escape.
“Build it up with bricks and mortar,
Bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar,
Build it up with bricks and mortar,
My fair Lady.”
“Speaking of things a lil’ birdy told me, the locker room seems to think that when there is something to investigate, you’re the man for the job. When Arik Holt waves, people move. When Holt points, people take note of it. After all, security of a federation shouldn’t be a job that’s too special or anything, but we ain’t a traditional federation, are we? If you’re the head of security, you’re the person I personally owe one big talkin’ to for sitting on standby while I got attacked from every single way but forward on the way to Wired Consequences…”
“Try to relax, will you? This isn’t a kidnapping - this is a token of my appreciation! Bravo! Good job! Not only are you responsible for turning a blind eye when I was told to ignore it because ‘anything goes’, but because you are the person currently enforcing those same rules I was told didn’t exist. For that, you’ve given Pyro and I something we didn’t know we needed - permission. You’ve given us the green light to treat you with the exact same amount of grace you afforded us. We can lie, we can backstab, and we can do absolutely anything we’d like in the name of crossing off an empty box. At best, we’ll run this place. At worst? We’ll be EXACTLY like you.”
Once Pyro has finished that verse of the song he brings the limo to a stop as it spins around in a 360 as he does. Arik Holt and even Drago Santiago look at Pyro unsure on what he was going to do. Getting out of the limo, Pyro heads to the trunk, opening it and pulling out a jerry can full of fuel. As Pyro starts pouring the fuel over the limo, Drago looks over at Holt and signals to him to stay put.
“Arik dares to bring my family into this. Now it’s time I up the ante and let him and DeMarco know things are about to get more serious.”
Just as Pyro had finished pouring the fuel on the limo, Arik Holt gets out of the limo and runs off as Pyro just stands there laughing as he does. Drago looks over at Pyro slightly concerned at the unhinged behaviour.
“You weren't really going to set fire to the limo with Holt in it was you?”
“I’ll do whatever it takes, Drago!”
As Drago looks on at Pyro, without any hesitation, Pyro pulls a match out of his pocket, he strikes it and flicks it at the limo which instantly goes up in flames. The shock on Drago’s face is a picture to behold as Pyro’s anger instantly goes as he stands there smiling as he watches the limo burn.
“Why would you burn the limo?”
“Not our limo, and the owner of it is in the trunk.”
Shrugging Pyro still stood there and turned to Drago and started laughing maniacally.
“Shit! Are you serious?”
“No Drago, no I’m not.”
“Pyro. You do realise we have to walk now right?”
Going into his pocket, Pyro grabs some money and throws it at Drago who instinctively grabs at the loot with stupor spread across his visage.
“Get yourself an Uber, primadonna. I prefer the walk. Helps me cool off..”
Mumbling and grumbling to himself, Pyro leaves, leaving Drago standing in the light of the expanding blaze.
Drago Santiago and Pyro are a perfect match like fire and pain. One will break your body while the other will set you on fire. Both of them though will enjoy every moment of it, whereas those on the receiving end, they won’t like it at all. Not long ago Pyro took Drago to his limits in the Prime Championship, the person to blame for that is no longer around and the other wasn’t even a factor. It could’ve been a different matter right now, Pyro could’ve been Prime Championship and had it been a one on one may well have been. Who knows where that may have left Drago and Pyro then?
That doesn’t matter though, what will be, will be. What matters is the devastating team of Drago and Pyro. Not just any two normal people but monsters each within their own right. Alone they were dangerous in Project: Honor but together things have got a whole lot more dangerous. The outcome after the Drago Santiago and Savannah Sunshine match was proof of that. That’s just the start of what they’re capable of, there is more to come and it will be enough to give you nightmares.
No one is safe from the team of Drago and Pyro, they proved that at Public Execution. It doesn’t matter whether you’re on Fallout or Proving Ground, Drago and Pyro are out to terrorise who they want, when they want. When you have two mad men like them willing to do what it takes, it’s a dangerous situation to deal with and one you won’t be able to. Although it’s a strange pairing, it’s also one that is going to cause nothing but trouble and mayhem. A team that is willing to cleanse Project: Honor with fire, it’s about time Project: Honor had a cleansing too.
“Fireballs, Fireballs, step up and collect your Fireball To The Face. Easier on you to voluntarily come see me. It doesn’t matter if you don’t though because I like people who play hard to get. One way or another I’m going to get you and you’re not going to enjoy what is coming your way. Whether it’s a voluntary cleansing from The Pyro Massacre or not, the cleansing will happen. Just know that if I have to come looking for you, I won’t be alone, and it won’t be pretty.”
Looking to his left, Pyro has a sinister smirk on his face as Drago enters the room and looks at him.
“What are you doing Pyro?”
Drago was just short and to the point.
“I was just doing a little introduction thingy. You know, let these vermin know that whether they like it or not, the cleansing by fire will happen. Letting everyone in or out of Project: Honor know that if they get in our way, we won’t hesitate to obliterate them. There has been a Plague in Project: Honor for too long and we’re the cure.”
Once again Pyro has that sinister smirk on his face as he continues to look at Drago.
“I agree! But you’re crazy. I mean that in a good way, no Pyro Massacre’s for me thanks.”
From snarling back to smirking, Pyro just nodded his head at Drago.
“Lil’ late for intro pieces, ain’t it? DeMarco’s temper tantrums spilled over from twitter and resulted in him doing a better introduction than I think either of us ever could do. Cowardice and atrocity, DeMarco’s been Hooked on Phonics, yeah? According to the big guy, we’re vicious, we’re conniving, and most importantly, we are signed to the show where eeeeeeeeeeeverything he hates about those traits is the alpha, the omega, and everything in between.”
Drago cuts his teeth and scowls for a single second, before picking up his sing-songy tone where he left it.
“Talk about buyer’s remorse, would you? Man campaigned openly and proudly, shaking hands and kissing babies, about this slick, sick new shit unlike anything you’ve ever seen! A federation where “”””anything goes”””” - but we actually freakin’ mean it! Save the fencing for the French - Fallout’s a free-for-all, where the difference between a dub and a loss is about who pulls the trigger first, and who brings the bigger guns. And god damn, we brought some big guns - fireballs to the face -”
Hands clasped behind his head, and an innocent whistle escapes his mouth. Pyro stands there with just a raised eyebrow.
“-Per a certain someone, men slammed through glass, barbed wire strangulations and… even an actual gun. But it was something no one ever questioned, because the John Hancock on the dotted line spoke for itself. He manages this company like a coyote on peyote - and he frets at the sight of two heads workin’ in tandem because he’s a hydra of impulses tripping over each other. Destruction for the sake of destruction is mindless and pointless, and now that we’re ready for what comes after the storm, he’s reneging. Forget the PG version of shit - iunno about you, but this ain’t Harry Potter, and I won’t be a prisoner of Caliban.”
Rubbing his hands together, Pyro’s facial expression shows that he is angry.
“Fuck DeMarco, fuck Julius and fuck everyone else! DeMarco can kiss my ass! I’ll have a surprise for both DeMarco and Julius at Fallout. I don’t care about DeMarco’s tantrums, I don’t care what match Julius chooses either. If DeMarco wants to stand against us too, I’ll quite happily douse the cunt in gasoline, strike a match and stand there and watch as the shapeshifting bitch burns! If he thought it was okay for Kevin Hunter’s evil twin to pull out a gun, maybe I should go one better and pull out a flamethrower and burn the whole GOD DAMN BUILDING DOWN!!!”
The signs of anger showed more now as Pyro snarled and you could see saliva froth from the sides of his mouth.
“If DeMarco wants to be a Rock Johnson duplicate and try and bring me down then I welcome it. I’ll break every bone in his body and everyone else's who stands beside him. DeMarco doesn’t care for his talent, he booked himself in an Ascension Championship Match for fuck sake. He’ll be full of excuses why and saying he is doing it because he has to do it. Well let’s see him squirm when he comes face to face with me. He has chosen the wrong guy to piss off and get on the wrong side of and I won’t stand for it. I’ll happily go find his mother if he has one and burn that bitch alive too!”
The vein in the side of Pyro’s head starts pulsating now as he gets more angry.
“Fallout is meant to be about chaos and destruction but because he sees two of the most dangerous men on the roster align, he is scared. He should be scared, everyone should be scared. I’m angry, my blood is fucking boiling and this isn’t what DeMarco should want. If he thought I was a deranged man before, he hasn’t seen anything. The chaos and destruction that has been on Fallout so far is just a small portion of what I’m capable of. With you by my side too, DeMarco isn’t going to be able to stop us. When I’m done with DeMarco he is going to be a bloody mess at my feet, begging me to stop and I’m just going to…”
The insane laughter takes over from the anger of Pyro as his deranged side is coming out more. In complete contrast, Drago’s left hand strokes his chin through a jovial grin spreading across his visage.
“Ain’t that an attitude similar to the one you used when we faced off?”
A beat of dead silence between the duo, before Drago continues.
“Whether I was scolding you or I was praising you, the exact same set of facts are true. Fires ranging from lil’ sparklers to gender reveal parties are meaningless to your cause,” a hand out stretches for his comrade’s shoulder, and a warm smile hides enough venom to make a southerner proud.
“For example. The same characteristics that made DeMarco fall in love with ya’ are the same reason why you’re sittin’ in a heartbreak hotel. Dude leaned into the fire, and learned it was too hot for them to handle, and that doesn’t sound like the meaningful cleansing I know would do you proud, does it?”
“No, that cleansing is when you take that flame and you possess it - you CHANNEL it - and you make it into something greater than the sum of its parts. Maverick, or the man he pretends to be, Jason Long, has all of the youthful talent and passion in the world. Julius has never needed a gun to let you know he was aiming at the head every time he’s in the ring, because for all the shit I’d sling his way, the guy seems like someone who had to climb both ways up Shit’s creek to stand in the ring.”
“But when a motherfucker wants cake, you ain’t gonna hand ‘em flour, milk and eggs. Having all the ingredients on the table doesn’t make a meal. You got the personality of a Black Air Force one, violence follows you like a god-damn shadow, and your real potential is going to shine when you channel that flame into something controlled, something LETHAL - like the pin firing a bullet into someone’s heart. I’m not Drago dearest, teaching people to lean away rather than touch the stove that’s hot. They don’t get a choice. Got it?”
Seconds of eye contact feel like minutes. Drago Santiago, prime champion and allat jazz, lowers his championship from his waist as Pyro’s gears spin, as if he isn’t too confident in his ability to guess where lightning will strike. After biding his time, Pyro’s fist unclench.
“Possessing. Honing. You sound like DeMarco, or at least are as controlling as him.”
Drago tut-tut-tuts.
“Call it a craft of the trade - appreciate the mountain as you climb over it, and such.”
“Whatever you’ll call it, I’ll chalk it up as a tax to whatever this team kamikaze this is. You underestimate me if you don’t think I can see the big picture. Enjoying the view beforehand is the best part of watching it turn into ashes. When you stood in a ring surrounded with flames and saw a chance to defend your belt, you grabbed the first chance you got. Both of us know how to focus on the thing that really matters… Julius has been the shadow to the light I cast for too long now, hasn’t he? First Fallout PPV and I make my presence known in the main event, and he chases the coattails. Forgive me, or don’t, but I was seconds away from turning this bull of a partner into ribeye, but Julius not only cost me the match, but took himself out of the equation to boot…”
“Cleansing is my end all, be all, holy ever lovin’ king of everything. Laugh if he will, people who serve a higher calling always get mocked, until it turns out we’re right. But there’s no Noah’s ark for these two, he washed the sins of the world away with water the first time, and the second time he sent me. Julius serves nothing and believes in nothing, which is why he’s got a show to bask in his own praises, he’s got a win over the champ himself, and STILL the best he can do is struggle to keep his head above water on a roster full of people who have passion, who have lust, and who have something driving them more than a fragile ego.”
“Quiet now, don’t summon him. Maverick is like beetlejuice, and we’re two fragile egos away from the least lucky Leprechaun I’ve ever met. I really loathe this new generation of TikTok teens having nothing to derive self-worth from other than what they can show off to others. I’d have to wash my mouth out with soap if I even spoke about infidelity - but Jason cheats on his girlfriend? Get a new one. You finally stopped getting your ass kissed in OWA and WW? Welcome to Project Honor, baby! You finally realize that all that potential you thought was a lifeline for you to climb to the top was a strand of the noose being braided around your throat when you don’t measure up to expectations? Get a new you - throw away the person you used to be like a kid taking his ball and going home.”
“Julius doesn’t need me to tell him he’s talented. When the conditions are right, Jason makes miracles seem mundane. But you two are the WORST possible combination of fighters this roster could put together. Your prime champion calls himself your prime champion because of moments highlighting this - prime example - Julius outta’ cosign the mortgage on my home after clearing the field for me to sweep the bases at Wired Consequences, all because he took his eye off the ball. Didn’t take much for Jason to gladly cling onto the chance to have an ally, so much so that he forgot to question exactly why Pyro would be coming to his aid… but it ain’t like that for us.”
“I trust you as far as I can throw you. I believe you’d feed me to flames the second I look more like fuel than something functionable. Your northern star is a bloodbath, but I know what guides you. We don’t need a secret handshake to get into our treehouse, nor do we need fickle, trite bits of ego blinding us and making us trip over each other’s feet. You’ll kill to burn it all down. I live to build from whatever’s left. Can’t say I regret a single second of the hell we inflicted on one another, but both of us are willing to cut off the fat to serve our causes. You think Jules and Jay can say the same?”
“Julius. Jason. Bring your talent. Bring your egos. Empty out the clip - bring EVERYTHING you’ve got. I’ll take everything away. Fire consumes all. Remember that.”
“Ah, right on time! We interrupt your regularly scheduled investigation to offer you a chance to catch a breath of fresh air. Got a sec?”
It isn’t until he eyes a certain cheshire smile in the window that he snaps back to attention.
As soon as the limo door closed, the screeching from the wheelspin echoed throughout the car park that was filled with smoke as Pyro shot away. The speeding away sends Holt flying back in his seat as Drago’s grin is almost dripping with how venomous it is. That’s when Arik Holt pulls out his notepad and writes something down showing it to Drago who shakes his head.
“Holt here doesn’t think you’re going fast enough and says for someone rumored to have a kid, you sure don’t drive like it!”
Not even a word comes from Pyro as he shakes his head before he speeds up more as Drago watches as Holt shakes his head trying to let Pyro know he didn’t say that as Pyro starts to sing.
“London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair Lady.”
As they come up to a corner, Pyro doesn’t even slow down, sliding the limo around the corner just avoiding clipping the truck beside him, all at the low price is one side mirror shattering like ice. This throws Arik towards Drago, who once Pyro straightens the limo up, pushes Arik with an ever-so-gentle shove to the other side of the limo’s backseat. As Holt started rubbing his shoulder after it slammed into the door he started to write something else down on his notepad.
“Build it up with wood and clay,
Wood and clay, wood and clay,
Build it up with wood and clay,
My fair Lady.”
Once Pyro was done singing the next verse of the song, Arik Holt showed the notepad to Drago again.
“Pyro, our new friend here seems to think you’re starting to go off the deep end, and that you have a family you should think about.”
The death stare in the rear view mirror straight at Holt stops him from nodding his head and leads him to take a big gulp.
“Wood and clay will wash away,
Wash away, wash away,
Wood and clay will wash away,
My fair Lady.”
“The most amazing thing about the sport is that you get to see it all, don’t you? Had you told me months ago I’d be fighting next to Titans, Tyrants, and time travellers, I don’t know I’d believe you. Coming from such experienced eyes, trust me, my guy - don’t be too afraid of those lil’ nursery rhymes, worry about what happens when they stop. Turns out, family’s a biiiiiiit of a touchy subject.”
The limo is now at it’s limit as Pyro starts to weave in and out of the vehicles in the way. The needle of the speedometer is literally off the charts. Pyro was angry now as Holt is desperate to get away as he tries to undo the door. Holt straight away finds out that they’re locked and so are the windows too. Drago looks at Holt and just shakes his head at Holt signalling that there is no escape.
“Build it up with bricks and mortar,
Bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar,
Build it up with bricks and mortar,
My fair Lady.”
“Speaking of things a lil’ birdy told me, the locker room seems to think that when there is something to investigate, you’re the man for the job. When Arik Holt waves, people move. When Holt points, people take note of it. After all, security of a federation shouldn’t be a job that’s too special or anything, but we ain’t a traditional federation, are we? If you’re the head of security, you’re the person I personally owe one big talkin’ to for sitting on standby while I got attacked from every single way but forward on the way to Wired Consequences…”
“Try to relax, will you? This isn’t a kidnapping - this is a token of my appreciation! Bravo! Good job! Not only are you responsible for turning a blind eye when I was told to ignore it because ‘anything goes’, but because you are the person currently enforcing those same rules I was told didn’t exist. For that, you’ve given Pyro and I something we didn’t know we needed - permission. You’ve given us the green light to treat you with the exact same amount of grace you afforded us. We can lie, we can backstab, and we can do absolutely anything we’d like in the name of crossing off an empty box. At best, we’ll run this place. At worst? We’ll be EXACTLY like you.”
Once Pyro has finished that verse of the song he brings the limo to a stop as it spins around in a 360 as he does. Arik Holt and even Drago Santiago look at Pyro unsure on what he was going to do. Getting out of the limo, Pyro heads to the trunk, opening it and pulling out a jerry can full of fuel. As Pyro starts pouring the fuel over the limo, Drago looks over at Holt and signals to him to stay put.
“Arik dares to bring my family into this. Now it’s time I up the ante and let him and DeMarco know things are about to get more serious.”
Just as Pyro had finished pouring the fuel on the limo, Arik Holt gets out of the limo and runs off as Pyro just stands there laughing as he does. Drago looks over at Pyro slightly concerned at the unhinged behaviour.
“You weren't really going to set fire to the limo with Holt in it was you?”
“I’ll do whatever it takes, Drago!”
As Drago looks on at Pyro, without any hesitation, Pyro pulls a match out of his pocket, he strikes it and flicks it at the limo which instantly goes up in flames. The shock on Drago’s face is a picture to behold as Pyro’s anger instantly goes as he stands there smiling as he watches the limo burn.
“Why would you burn the limo?”
“Not our limo, and the owner of it is in the trunk.”
Shrugging Pyro still stood there and turned to Drago and started laughing maniacally.
“Shit! Are you serious?”
“No Drago, no I’m not.”
“Pyro. You do realise we have to walk now right?”
Going into his pocket, Pyro grabs some money and throws it at Drago who instinctively grabs at the loot with stupor spread across his visage.
“Get yourself an Uber, primadonna. I prefer the walk. Helps me cool off..”
Mumbling and grumbling to himself, Pyro leaves, leaving Drago standing in the light of the expanding blaze.
...DRAGO SANTIAGO…
...PYRO…
...TWO MEN THAT ALONE ARE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH…
...PUT THEM TOGETHER…
...THEY BECOME SOMETHING DIFFERENT…
...MORE THAN A SUM OF THEIR PARTS…
...BONES WILL BREAK…
...BLOOD WILL SHED…
...FIRES WILL BURN…
...MOST OF ALL…
...SALVATION…
...CLEANSING...
...HEALING…
...EVERYONE WILL BE FREED FROM THEIR CHAINS…
..EVERYONE WILL BE MADE PURE...
...NO MATTER WHAT IT COSTS THEM…
Drago Santiago and Pyro are a perfect match like fire and pain. One will break your body while the other will set you on fire. Both of them though will enjoy every moment of it, whereas those on the receiving end, they won’t like it at all. Not long ago Pyro took Drago to his limits in the Prime Championship, the person to blame for that is no longer around and the other wasn’t even a factor. It could’ve been a different matter right now, Pyro could’ve been Prime Championship and had it been a one on one may well have been. Who knows where that may have left Drago and Pyro then?
That doesn’t matter though, what will be, will be. What matters is the devastating team of Drago and Pyro. Not just any two normal people but monsters each within their own right. Alone they were dangerous in Project: Honor but together things have got a whole lot more dangerous. The outcome after the Drago Santiago and Savannah Sunshine match was proof of that. That’s just the start of what they’re capable of, there is more to come and it will be enough to give you nightmares.
No one is safe from the team of Drago and Pyro, they proved that at Public Execution. It doesn’t matter whether you’re on Fallout or Proving Ground, Drago and Pyro are out to terrorise who they want, when they want. When you have two mad men like them willing to do what it takes, it’s a dangerous situation to deal with and one you won’t be able to. Although it’s a strange pairing, it’s also one that is going to cause nothing but trouble and mayhem. A team that is willing to cleanse Project: Honor with fire, it’s about time Project: Honor had a cleansing too.
“Fireballs, Fireballs, step up and collect your Fireball To The Face. Easier on you to voluntarily come see me. It doesn’t matter if you don’t though because I like people who play hard to get. One way or another I’m going to get you and you’re not going to enjoy what is coming your way. Whether it’s a voluntary cleansing from The Pyro Massacre or not, the cleansing will happen. Just know that if I have to come looking for you, I won’t be alone, and it won’t be pretty.”
Looking to his left, Pyro has a sinister smirk on his face as Drago enters the room and looks at him.
“What are you doing Pyro?”
Drago was just short and to the point.
“I was just doing a little introduction thingy. You know, let these vermin know that whether they like it or not, the cleansing by fire will happen. Letting everyone in or out of Project: Honor know that if they get in our way, we won’t hesitate to obliterate them. There has been a Plague in Project: Honor for too long and we’re the cure.”
Once again Pyro has that sinister smirk on his face as he continues to look at Drago.
“I agree! But you’re crazy. I mean that in a good way, no Pyro Massacre’s for me thanks.”
From snarling back to smirking, Pyro just nodded his head at Drago.
“Lil’ late for intro pieces, ain’t it? DeMarco’s temper tantrums spilled over from twitter and resulted in him doing a better introduction than I think either of us ever could do. Cowardice and atrocity, DeMarco’s been Hooked on Phonics, yeah? According to the big guy, we’re vicious, we’re conniving, and most importantly, we are signed to the show where eeeeeeeeeeeverything he hates about those traits is the alpha, the omega, and everything in between.”
Drago cuts his teeth and scowls for a single second, before picking up his sing-songy tone where he left it.
“Talk about buyer’s remorse, would you? Man campaigned openly and proudly, shaking hands and kissing babies, about this slick, sick new shit unlike anything you’ve ever seen! A federation where “”””anything goes”””” - but we actually freakin’ mean it! Save the fencing for the French - Fallout’s a free-for-all, where the difference between a dub and a loss is about who pulls the trigger first, and who brings the bigger guns. And god damn, we brought some big guns - fireballs to the face -”
Hands clasped behind his head, and an innocent whistle escapes his mouth. Pyro stands there with just a raised eyebrow.
“-Per a certain someone, men slammed through glass, barbed wire strangulations and… even an actual gun. But it was something no one ever questioned, because the John Hancock on the dotted line spoke for itself. He manages this company like a coyote on peyote - and he frets at the sight of two heads workin’ in tandem because he’s a hydra of impulses tripping over each other. Destruction for the sake of destruction is mindless and pointless, and now that we’re ready for what comes after the storm, he’s reneging. Forget the PG version of shit - iunno about you, but this ain’t Harry Potter, and I won’t be a prisoner of Caliban.”
Rubbing his hands together, Pyro’s facial expression shows that he is angry.
“Fuck DeMarco, fuck Julius and fuck everyone else! DeMarco can kiss my ass! I’ll have a surprise for both DeMarco and Julius at Fallout. I don’t care about DeMarco’s tantrums, I don’t care what match Julius chooses either. If DeMarco wants to stand against us too, I’ll quite happily douse the cunt in gasoline, strike a match and stand there and watch as the shapeshifting bitch burns! If he thought it was okay for Kevin Hunter’s evil twin to pull out a gun, maybe I should go one better and pull out a flamethrower and burn the whole GOD DAMN BUILDING DOWN!!!”
The signs of anger showed more now as Pyro snarled and you could see saliva froth from the sides of his mouth.
“If DeMarco wants to be a Rock Johnson duplicate and try and bring me down then I welcome it. I’ll break every bone in his body and everyone else's who stands beside him. DeMarco doesn’t care for his talent, he booked himself in an Ascension Championship Match for fuck sake. He’ll be full of excuses why and saying he is doing it because he has to do it. Well let’s see him squirm when he comes face to face with me. He has chosen the wrong guy to piss off and get on the wrong side of and I won’t stand for it. I’ll happily go find his mother if he has one and burn that bitch alive too!”
The vein in the side of Pyro’s head starts pulsating now as he gets more angry.
“Fallout is meant to be about chaos and destruction but because he sees two of the most dangerous men on the roster align, he is scared. He should be scared, everyone should be scared. I’m angry, my blood is fucking boiling and this isn’t what DeMarco should want. If he thought I was a deranged man before, he hasn’t seen anything. The chaos and destruction that has been on Fallout so far is just a small portion of what I’m capable of. With you by my side too, DeMarco isn’t going to be able to stop us. When I’m done with DeMarco he is going to be a bloody mess at my feet, begging me to stop and I’m just going to…”
The insane laughter takes over from the anger of Pyro as his deranged side is coming out more. In complete contrast, Drago’s left hand strokes his chin through a jovial grin spreading across his visage.
“Ain’t that an attitude similar to the one you used when we faced off?”
A beat of dead silence between the duo, before Drago continues.
“Whether I was scolding you or I was praising you, the exact same set of facts are true. Fires ranging from lil’ sparklers to gender reveal parties are meaningless to your cause,” a hand out stretches for his comrade’s shoulder, and a warm smile hides enough venom to make a southerner proud.
“For example. The same characteristics that made DeMarco fall in love with ya’ are the same reason why you’re sittin’ in a heartbreak hotel. Dude leaned into the fire, and learned it was too hot for them to handle, and that doesn’t sound like the meaningful cleansing I know would do you proud, does it?”
“No, that cleansing is when you take that flame and you possess it - you CHANNEL it - and you make it into something greater than the sum of its parts. Maverick, or the man he pretends to be, Jason Long, has all of the youthful talent and passion in the world. Julius has never needed a gun to let you know he was aiming at the head every time he’s in the ring, because for all the shit I’d sling his way, the guy seems like someone who had to climb both ways up Shit’s creek to stand in the ring.”
“But when a motherfucker wants cake, you ain’t gonna hand ‘em flour, milk and eggs. Having all the ingredients on the table doesn’t make a meal. You got the personality of a Black Air Force one, violence follows you like a god-damn shadow, and your real potential is going to shine when you channel that flame into something controlled, something LETHAL - like the pin firing a bullet into someone’s heart. I’m not Drago dearest, teaching people to lean away rather than touch the stove that’s hot. They don’t get a choice. Got it?”
Seconds of eye contact feel like minutes. Drago Santiago, prime champion and allat jazz, lowers his championship from his waist as Pyro’s gears spin, as if he isn’t too confident in his ability to guess where lightning will strike. After biding his time, Pyro’s fist unclench.
“Possessing. Honing. You sound like DeMarco, or at least are as controlling as him.”
Drago tut-tut-tuts.
“Call it a craft of the trade - appreciate the mountain as you climb over it, and such.”
“Whatever you’ll call it, I’ll chalk it up as a tax to whatever this team kamikaze this is. You underestimate me if you don’t think I can see the big picture. Enjoying the view beforehand is the best part of watching it turn into ashes. When you stood in a ring surrounded with flames and saw a chance to defend your belt, you grabbed the first chance you got. Both of us know how to focus on the thing that really matters… Julius has been the shadow to the light I cast for too long now, hasn’t he? First Fallout PPV and I make my presence known in the main event, and he chases the coattails. Forgive me, or don’t, but I was seconds away from turning this bull of a partner into ribeye, but Julius not only cost me the match, but took himself out of the equation to boot…”
“Cleansing is my end all, be all, holy ever lovin’ king of everything. Laugh if he will, people who serve a higher calling always get mocked, until it turns out we’re right. But there’s no Noah’s ark for these two, he washed the sins of the world away with water the first time, and the second time he sent me. Julius serves nothing and believes in nothing, which is why he’s got a show to bask in his own praises, he’s got a win over the champ himself, and STILL the best he can do is struggle to keep his head above water on a roster full of people who have passion, who have lust, and who have something driving them more than a fragile ego.”
“Quiet now, don’t summon him. Maverick is like beetlejuice, and we’re two fragile egos away from the least lucky Leprechaun I’ve ever met. I really loathe this new generation of TikTok teens having nothing to derive self-worth from other than what they can show off to others. I’d have to wash my mouth out with soap if I even spoke about infidelity - but Jason cheats on his girlfriend? Get a new one. You finally stopped getting your ass kissed in OWA and WW? Welcome to Project Honor, baby! You finally realize that all that potential you thought was a lifeline for you to climb to the top was a strand of the noose being braided around your throat when you don’t measure up to expectations? Get a new you - throw away the person you used to be like a kid taking his ball and going home.”
“Julius doesn’t need me to tell him he’s talented. When the conditions are right, Jason makes miracles seem mundane. But you two are the WORST possible combination of fighters this roster could put together. Your prime champion calls himself your prime champion because of moments highlighting this - prime example - Julius outta’ cosign the mortgage on my home after clearing the field for me to sweep the bases at Wired Consequences, all because he took his eye off the ball. Didn’t take much for Jason to gladly cling onto the chance to have an ally, so much so that he forgot to question exactly why Pyro would be coming to his aid… but it ain’t like that for us.”
“I trust you as far as I can throw you. I believe you’d feed me to flames the second I look more like fuel than something functionable. Your northern star is a bloodbath, but I know what guides you. We don’t need a secret handshake to get into our treehouse, nor do we need fickle, trite bits of ego blinding us and making us trip over each other’s feet. You’ll kill to burn it all down. I live to build from whatever’s left. Can’t say I regret a single second of the hell we inflicted on one another, but both of us are willing to cut off the fat to serve our causes. You think Jules and Jay can say the same?”
“Julius. Jason. Bring your talent. Bring your egos. Empty out the clip - bring EVERYTHING you’ve got. I’ll take everything away. Fire consumes all. Remember that.”
