Post by Knight on Jul 14, 2014 21:03:46 GMT -6
Sir Benedict's Tavern on the Lake, on the shores of Lake Superior, is "an authentic English Pub", according to the signs anyway. One man sits at a corner table, his back turned to the crowd. A half-eaten Ben's Boar sandwich sits next to him, but his attention is more focused on the beer in his hand. The other hand reaches up to rub the back of his neck. The big man stares down into the beer, purposefully shutting out the rest of the crowd. Thus, he is completely oblivious to the exchange going on behind him.
Nick: I'm telling you, that's that Knight guy from the wrestling show.
Tim: Are you sure? He's big as fuck, sure, but he...hey, Mikey'll know! MIKEY!
A third man wanders to the table from across the bar. He pauses to watch a pair of young ladies pass by, then finds his way to his friends' table. He looks around the crowded room then back to his friends.
Mike: Sup, guys?
Nick: Look over there in the corner, is that guy a wrestler?
Mike cranes his neck to get a better view.
Mike: Oh, shit, yeah...that's Scott Knight.
Nick: Told ya.
Tim: So he wrestles, huh? He any good?
Mike: Yeah, as long as women ain't involved. He lost to Vanessa the other night, and everything he does, he does because that Lovecraft chick tells him to.
Tim: So, he got beat by a woman?
Mike: From the look of Lovecraft, I'd say he gets beat by a woman quite often. Not much of a man if you ask me. I bet if...
**********
Kross: I'm starting to wonder about your Knight, Lil.
Lovecraft glares at her cousin, but shakes her head and returns her attention to her phone. Victor looks around the hotel suite, glancing briefly at the television before shrugging and reaching for his laptop.
Kross: I'm just saying...there were plenty of potential men you could have chosen.
Lovecraft sighs and looks up from the phone.
Lovecraft: Scott IS the right choice. If any mistakes were made at Breakthrough, I was the one making them.
Kross: And where is your champion now?
Lovecraft: He needed to blow off some steam, so I told him to go do so.
Kross: And he's out there alone? You know what kind of hell he'll raise without you to...
Lovecraft: Relax, Victor. Your Saint agreed to keep an eye on him.
Victor sighs as he opens his laptop.
Kross: Right, because X and trouble never find each other...I better make a phone call...
**********
Saint: X here...oh, hey Vic! Yeah, some bar...pretty good sandwiches. You'd probably like this...yeah, no, I got my eyes on him.
Saint is seated in the far corner of Sir Benedict's. Half a beer rests on his table, next to an empty plate that once held a sandwich and chips. He looks across the room to Knight. A brief scan of the room looks over the rest of the crowd. Saint's eyes lock on the trio of college jocks who are also watching Knight's back. No stranger to violence, Saint recognizes machismo and aggression when he sees it.
Saint: Don't worry, I'll keep on...
Knight pushes away from the table. A quick motion lifts the beer to his lips and he quickly drains it. Without so much as a glance around, he heads for the door. The three men Saint had pegged earlier are quick to leave their seats as well. Saint sighs, drains his own drink, and stands just as the last of the men leaves the room.
Saint: I'll call you back. Dark clouds on the horizon...gonna go make sure it doesn't storm.
**********
Knight walks the streets of Duluth, his mood matching the darkness settling over the town. More than once, he stops to look around before choosing a direction seemingly at random. He fails to notice the three men following him. Those men, in turn, fail to notice their own shadow. Xavier Saint, however, notices everything as he tails the men tailing Knight. Scott rounds another corner and pauses. This time, the delay allows Mike time to catch up to The Blackguard.
Mike: Hey, tights boy! Yeah, you, the girly man who lets women tell him what to do!
Knight perks up as he turns to face the approaching man. He opens his mouth to speak, but is cut off by a loud clanging of trash cans from around the corner. Both men turn in the direction of the noise in time to see Tim sprawled out on the sidewalk. Behind him emerges Xavier Saint. He pauses to wipe his hands on his jeans before pointing over his shoulder with a thumb.
Saint: Your other "bro" isn't looking too good either. You three might want to find another way to walk out here...if your buddies can walk, that is. Scott, you OK?
Knight glances sidelong at Mike, then shrugs and looks back to Saint. Mike looks at Saint, then Knight, and bolts away. The two men watch him leave, glance at the crumpled form of Tim on the sidewalk, and continue walking.
Knight: I am perfectly fine. Why are you here?
Saint: You want the soft answer, or the perfectly blunt one?
Knight: You don't strike me as a man of subtlety, Saint.
Saint: Fair enough...your old lady asked me to check in on you.
**********
Kross: Yeah, thanks, X.
Kross sets his phone on the desk next to the laptop and looks to the Mistress.
Kross: They'll be here shortly.
Lovecraft: Excellent. We need to prepare for the match with Jones. We don't need another incident like last week.
Kross: Yeah, another bad incident or two and we'd have real trouble on our hands.
Nick: I'm telling you, that's that Knight guy from the wrestling show.
Tim: Are you sure? He's big as fuck, sure, but he...hey, Mikey'll know! MIKEY!
A third man wanders to the table from across the bar. He pauses to watch a pair of young ladies pass by, then finds his way to his friends' table. He looks around the crowded room then back to his friends.
Mike: Sup, guys?
Nick: Look over there in the corner, is that guy a wrestler?
Mike cranes his neck to get a better view.
Mike: Oh, shit, yeah...that's Scott Knight.
Nick: Told ya.
Tim: So he wrestles, huh? He any good?
Mike: Yeah, as long as women ain't involved. He lost to Vanessa the other night, and everything he does, he does because that Lovecraft chick tells him to.
Tim: So, he got beat by a woman?
Mike: From the look of Lovecraft, I'd say he gets beat by a woman quite often. Not much of a man if you ask me. I bet if...
**********
Kross: I'm starting to wonder about your Knight, Lil.
Lovecraft glares at her cousin, but shakes her head and returns her attention to her phone. Victor looks around the hotel suite, glancing briefly at the television before shrugging and reaching for his laptop.
Kross: I'm just saying...there were plenty of potential men you could have chosen.
Lovecraft sighs and looks up from the phone.
Lovecraft: Scott IS the right choice. If any mistakes were made at Breakthrough, I was the one making them.
Kross: And where is your champion now?
Lovecraft: He needed to blow off some steam, so I told him to go do so.
Kross: And he's out there alone? You know what kind of hell he'll raise without you to...
Lovecraft: Relax, Victor. Your Saint agreed to keep an eye on him.
Victor sighs as he opens his laptop.
Kross: Right, because X and trouble never find each other...I better make a phone call...
**********
Saint: X here...oh, hey Vic! Yeah, some bar...pretty good sandwiches. You'd probably like this...yeah, no, I got my eyes on him.
Saint is seated in the far corner of Sir Benedict's. Half a beer rests on his table, next to an empty plate that once held a sandwich and chips. He looks across the room to Knight. A brief scan of the room looks over the rest of the crowd. Saint's eyes lock on the trio of college jocks who are also watching Knight's back. No stranger to violence, Saint recognizes machismo and aggression when he sees it.
Saint: Don't worry, I'll keep on...
Knight pushes away from the table. A quick motion lifts the beer to his lips and he quickly drains it. Without so much as a glance around, he heads for the door. The three men Saint had pegged earlier are quick to leave their seats as well. Saint sighs, drains his own drink, and stands just as the last of the men leaves the room.
Saint: I'll call you back. Dark clouds on the horizon...gonna go make sure it doesn't storm.
**********
Knight walks the streets of Duluth, his mood matching the darkness settling over the town. More than once, he stops to look around before choosing a direction seemingly at random. He fails to notice the three men following him. Those men, in turn, fail to notice their own shadow. Xavier Saint, however, notices everything as he tails the men tailing Knight. Scott rounds another corner and pauses. This time, the delay allows Mike time to catch up to The Blackguard.
Mike: Hey, tights boy! Yeah, you, the girly man who lets women tell him what to do!
Knight perks up as he turns to face the approaching man. He opens his mouth to speak, but is cut off by a loud clanging of trash cans from around the corner. Both men turn in the direction of the noise in time to see Tim sprawled out on the sidewalk. Behind him emerges Xavier Saint. He pauses to wipe his hands on his jeans before pointing over his shoulder with a thumb.
Saint: Your other "bro" isn't looking too good either. You three might want to find another way to walk out here...if your buddies can walk, that is. Scott, you OK?
Knight glances sidelong at Mike, then shrugs and looks back to Saint. Mike looks at Saint, then Knight, and bolts away. The two men watch him leave, glance at the crumpled form of Tim on the sidewalk, and continue walking.
Knight: I am perfectly fine. Why are you here?
Saint: You want the soft answer, or the perfectly blunt one?
Knight: You don't strike me as a man of subtlety, Saint.
Saint: Fair enough...your old lady asked me to check in on you.
**********
Kross: Yeah, thanks, X.
Kross sets his phone on the desk next to the laptop and looks to the Mistress.
Kross: They'll be here shortly.
Lovecraft: Excellent. We need to prepare for the match with Jones. We don't need another incident like last week.
Kross: Yeah, another bad incident or two and we'd have real trouble on our hands.
