Post by 高村謙信 on Apr 13, 2014 1:33:58 GMT -5
PROLOGUE
Only a short time ago, it was announced via OCW Newswire that “Tokyo Tiger” Kenshin Takamura would be competing in WWA’s Steven W. Pagano Memorial Cup. We had learned that President Dean had hand selected Kenshin to represent the company due to his work ethic and the positive image he would give OCW from the outside.
For the past week or so, Takamura has been very busy preparing himself for the tournament. He even took some time off to allow his shoulder to heal some more after competing in a match against Bobbinette Carey. Despite the fight the veteran OCW starlet put up, Kenshin was able to dispose of her with a pinfall victory, but took a little bit of collateral damage in the process. She slightly broke his nose again, but it healed relatively quickly and didn’t leave a pair of black eyes like the broken nose that he had sustained at the hands of the man who took the Internet Championship from him, Scott Syren. Now, he was on to getting himself ready to take on some of the biggest names from other wrestling organizations…
SCENE 1
“Wrong!”
CRACK! The kendo stick lashed at his back again, leaving a red welt in its place. At this point, Kenshin Takamura had gotten used to the strike and was able to subdue the effect it had on him. Oh, it still hurt him. It hurt him very much, but Kenshin had figured out a way to silence himself from the pain. He could take the pain from the kendo stick and use it as motivation.
His eyes narrowed angrily as his pupils turned to glare upon his father, Kaito. During training, he wanted to just kill the old bastard sometimes, but he ignored the urge. He used that urge and turned it into something useful as he turned back to the heavy bag that he was working on.
Kaito Takamura: “You must channel your strength into your leg, Kenshin. Quit thinking about moving the bag, and do it.”
Kenshin couldn’t help but think of how crazy the old man was, talking about channeling his strength. What he didn’t realize was that it was the doubt in his mind that was holding him back. Kenshin’s dark eyes turned to face the heavy bag once more, but they trailed up along the bag and to the chains that secured it to the metal piece inside the tracks that it moved across. He couldn’t help but think about the fact that he wouldn’t be able to move that bag as far as his father wanted him to. It was impossible in his mind. Little did he know, it was this doubt that caused his inhibitions. His inhibitions made his kicks and elbow strikes less effective.
After taking a stance, Kenshin pivoted his hips and brought a devastating kicking swinging around and impacted the bag with a loud thud. The chain clinked as the bag jumped, but it only moved a mere half a foot. Kenshin shook his head with irritation as he knew exactly what was coming. He just stood there as…
CRACK! The bamboo bit his back once more as the young Takamura cursed under his breath. Once again, Kaito chimed in.
“Kenshin, quit doubting yourself! Eliminate all your inhibitions! Focus only on the perfect point to strike… and strike.”
Kenshin Takamura: “This is impossible, Sensei.”
Kaito Takamura: “Impossible? Move aside.”
Kaito walked over as Kenshin moved out of the way, watching his father with disbelief. At this point, Kenshin was as strong if not stronger than the old man. He had already begun ailing from something. If Kenshin couldn’t do it, neither could his father. Or so Kenshin thought at that moment in time.
A few more seconds, Kaito’s hips pivoted with perfection, using his legs to send power up through his body and into his arm as his folded arm rotated toward the bag, hitting it with an elbow strike. The heavy bag went sailing across the room via the rail above it. Kenshin’s eyes widened with shock.
Kenshin Takamura: “Gah…”
His mouth gaped wide open as he watched his father still in his stance watching the now distant bag finishing its swinging process. Slowly, he stood up from his stance.
Kaito Takamura: “Now that you know your old father can do it, it is your turn to impress me… if you can.”
Kaito’s eyes dared Kenshin to whine again, but instead his son stepped up to the bag, focusing his eyes on it then dropping into a stance. His eyes remained on that one spot. That was where he had chosen to strike the bag at, and so his hips pivoted sending strength up his legs and into his hips as they turned. He focused all of his strength and power into his thigh as he arced it around then his shin as it began to flip forward, and lastly, his foot as it straightened and struck exactly where he intended on the heavy bag. The bag lifted into the air then soared backwards only to come to an abrupt halt when it slammed against the end of the rail. The law of motion causes the bag to try to continue, but instead it swung back, in turn, causing it to move back toward Kenshin a little bit. It finally came to a complete stop there as a smile appeared on Kaito’s face, but he wouldn’t allow Kenshin to see it when he turned to look at him.
Kenshin Takamura: “Is that what you wanted to see?”
Kaito Takamura: “Don’t get arrogant.”
Little did either Takamura know, father or son, that there were a pair of eyes on them from outside Kenshin’s father’s dojo. Those pair of eyes spied into the dojo, watching the young Takamura’s progress as a martial artist. With a smirk, the person who spied upon them turned and walked away from the dojo. A cell phone flipped out of the male’s coat pocket and pressed up to his ear.
“Hello, Father. It’s me, Sho. I found someone you might be interested in…”
SCENE 2
“All of this waiting around for this tournament to start is getting me antsy. I feel like all I have been doing lately is training, and there’s only so much I can do with a kick bag or even a sparring partner.”
Kenshin shifted uneasily. He felt rather odd talking to Mr. Fujito over his webcam on Skype in the middle of a Starbucks. Every now and then eyes would turn toward him, but he wasn’t quite sure if it was because people recognized him or people thought it was odd that he was Skyping in the middle of a public area.
Mr. Fujito’s eyes never left the screen though. Obviously he was somewhere comfortable to him. Probably at home. Takamura didn’t have such luxuries.
Mr. Fujito: “Are you thinking about getting back in the ring again at Monday Night Massacre?”
Fujito’s tone almost scolded Kenshin, telling him it was a bad idea. The professional wrestler knew the old man wouldn’t approve of the idea which is why he didn’t bring it up. Unfortunately, Mr. Fujito could almost read minds. He was an intelligent man after all. There was no use in lying to the man. That was just out of the question.
Kenshin Takamura: “The idea crossed my mind.”
Mr. Fujito: “At this rate, your shoulder will never reach 100 percent.”
People were definitely looking toward Kenshin as the old man was beginning to more or less scold him over the camera.
Kenshin Takamura: “Keep your voice down. I’m in public.”
Kenshin shushed the old man who had been such close friends with his father during Kenshin’s childhood.
Mr. Fujito: “I cannot stop you, Kenshin. You are a grown man, but I will warn you. If you get into that ring, you may be risking any chance of competing in the Steven Pagano Memorial Cup. You do know that, yes?”
A long, drawn out sigh escaped Kenshin’s lungs before he answered back.
Kenshin Takamura: “Yes, Mr. Fujito. I know, I know. I understand the risks. Look, you don’t have to worry about me all the time. I just cannot catch a break. If you aren’t nagging at me about my shoulder, Mr. Fujito, MJ is.”
Mr. Fujito: “Well, she is a good woman then, Kenshin. She is looking after you just like your uncle. She seems to be a keeper, wouldn’t you say?”
A wide grin appeared on the old Japanese man’s wrinkly features which drew a chuckle from Takamura.
Truth was, Fujito wasn't actually his uncle. It was more of a term of endearment, plus he had known the man for all of his life anyway so he might as well be family.
Kenshin Takamura: “Yeah, sure. Listen, Mr. Fujito. I will be fine. Besides, there is not any guarantee that I can get a match at the last second anyway. I can ask Dean for it, but he might not have a place to fit me. I guess I’ll just have to wait it out and see. Anyway, I need to get going. People around here seem to be getting irritated with hearing me constantly talk to my computer. I will speak with you later, uncle.”
Kenshin bowed toward his computer as his uncle did the same. Once Kenshin looked at his computer again, Mr. Fujito gave him a smile before cutting off the video chat. Upon closing out of the window, Kenshin finally remembered that he had a coffee. When he reached for it, he realized it was cold now.
“I guess I’m drinking ice coffee…”
He made a long face before finally taking a sip of the coffee then going back to browsing his computer. When he checked the OCW website, he found an odd video package of some new signee named Bob Grenier. He opened up the video just to see the kind of people President Dean was hiring these days...
