Larry's Super Adventure [Vs Kat Jones - POWER Title]

The flight to Hawaii was going to be restless anyway, but after EXP 27, Larry had not been able to shake the idea that his grip on this ‘New Game Changers member’ triple threat was becoming tenuous. He hadn’t wanted to let his fellow associates in the group catch onto his reservations, but no matter how many different ways he thought to get them out of accepting a new member; no matter how he worded it to that blunt force trauma suffering fool, Trent Steel aka The Developer? Larry wasn’t sure if there truly was a way of avoiding having one of Bam Miller, Ziggy Morgan, or – he shuddered to think – Guy Man Son joining the Game Changers.



In fact, Larry had someone in mind to entice to join the Game Changers. Someone fresh and new, with a take that befit both the drive and ambition they sought in true members, and the ability to charge through competition and move things forward. Then an unfortunate mistake was made on his part, a rare one indeed: To have left himself open to Guy’s damned purple mist, infected him through the pores of his face weeks ago, and warping his mind into something truly unknown to himself. Guy Man Son took the ruthless and calculating leader of the Game Changers, the Level Up Power Champion, who had shaped that division from a glorified ‘wrestling plus toe-tipping around violence’ competition, into what it was intended to be… Guy’s mist took Larry’s mind from those points, and morphed him into some cotton candy sweet, see the best in people, noble fool with actual moral obligation to those who deserved absolutely none of it.



When Larry saw what he had done in those ten or so days, it was sickening.



It fouled up his carefully laid pitch to his prospect, and forced him to focus on this frivolous triple threat that Trent Steel decided could be justified by Larry’s heavily altered change of attitude. Sickening.



True, the Game Changers had made their statement at EXP 27. They had given a taste of what it took to be apart of this outstanding collection of stars and rising stars. Above all, they showed the cohesion that had made their run through the ranks of Level Up extremely difficult to stop. That’s what Ziggy, Bam, and Guy would put at risk.



Sickening. This trip to Hawaii was a precursor to Super Adventure Island, the Pay-Per-View that would determine the newest member of the Game Changers. Larry had enough to think about with that bit of business, but it was hardly the only business to attend to. He himself needed to be focused on his next defense of his title. Larry reached down to the duffel bag that was under the seat in front of him. He unzipped the bag and opened it a crack to see the gleam of the freshly polished and spotless Power Championship. A title he had held longer than its predecessor, Duncan Shepard – the current Final Boss Champion. Talk about sickening. But that was another point to look at, given ISAAC would be in that Final Boss Championship Skeleton Key match. Larry had discussed strategy with the Game Changers’ dawning star, the bulldozer who would be entering the first Skeleton Key match of his career. There had only been one other match of this type in Level Up’s history, of course, and only five who gained the experience of it. Of those five, two had survived this far to remain standing in Level Up…



The aforementioned Final Boss, and Larry, himself.



It was a sign of what it took to hold both the Power title, Larry’s belt that he had already placed his stamp upon. It also showed where it could take you to endure such a path – the only other Power Champion now holding the top belt in the company. For Larry’s part, that meant he could impart invaluable wisdom on ISAAC, and see if the former Faction member could leverage that along with his own abilities, to knock off the Final Boss and only existing winner of a Skeleton Key match.



EAB would also need to defend his Courage Championship in a match versus… not Dionysus. Larry zipped closed the duffel bag and considered again, as he had on this flight, the thought that this whole opponent swap felt a little too convenient for Trent Steel to go about doing. He supposedly found out that EAB’s opponent, Dionysus, would be unable to compete at EXP 27. However, rather than doing the rational and tactful option – allowing Mister Blizzard to choose his opponent, given this sudden vacancy – it was instead an amazing coincidence that the opponent Trent chose happened to NOT BE BOOKED at Super Adventure Island. Oh, and not to mention, he happened to be a longstanding rival of Mister Blizzard’s.



Eli Goode. A man Larry was familiar with, as well, and thought would attempt to dethrone him as Power Champion, for all the ‘good’ that would have done Eli. It was a little too convenient, the whole scenario, and Larry meant to address it at some point. Right now, though, he believed EAB knew how to dispatch of the man who seemed to have garnered a coveted spot as one of The Developer’s favorites, not unlike Duncan and that insufferable Robert.



Yes, Robert McAlroy. That man would also be resurfacing at Super Adventure Island. There was plenty of unfinished business between them, and Larry had not doubt it would be addressed – just not in this moment. He truly had a full plate of items to juggle. Of course, that’s what leadership was about – making sure you had the proverbial ducks in a row, ready to dispatch as needed. Or, altogether put down. It was a matter of keeping perspective and using sound judgment to pass sentencing on those who would seek to disrupt and oust he and his team from the positions they had established and earned through their collective effort.



With all that to consider, Larry cracked open his window covering and gazed at the kaleidoscopic colors that coalesced in borderline dizzying fashion, before pulling the cover back down. He certainly needed to reach Hawaii with an expediency, and to achieve that had booked a Kayfabe Airlines flight from New York. He knew it would be the fastest flight, and they had proven adept at providing accommodations and efficiency, as advertised. Larry pushed a button on his premium seat and a transparent shell of walling curved up and around him and his seat. They created a pod-like encasement, while a blend of pure oxygen and aromas of proprietary extracts and essences filled the space. The intended effect was rejuvenation and recovery for the passenger, which was almost always a wrestler or talent management. Larry inhaled and continued his contemplation over what he could do to create a successful environment for both himself and his associates. An indeterminable period of time passed before he felt a shuddering of the cabin around him, and some diagnostic messages projected onto the shell, which contained an interface for such occasions as this, which necessitated disturbing the passengers.






Larry’s eyes went wide as he realized the plane around him was coming apart due to the breach. Strangely, due to his seat’s controls automatically engaged safeguards, his seat had now gone from that fashioned for recovery to the seat of an evacuation pod. An additional metallic alloy shell came around the previous glass one, which shed back into the floor. Behind him in the seat, a pack ejected that had a parachute and he was notified that his seat had under the cushion an emergency rations pack. He had known that already – don’t ignore the pre-flight videos, kids.



“This is fucking insane. Cindy is not going to appreciate my career putting me in this situation,” Larry thought even as he realized his thoughts may be skipping around a bit frantically. He understood he needed to get to a place of focus, that would allow him to make some decisions, but the rejuvenating aromatherapy had thrown him off a bit. Also, his wife, Cindy, was not exactly thrilled to begin with that Larry hadn’t allowed the rest of them to accompany him on this trip to Hawaii. He didn’t want additional distractions ahead of this show, though. It was the beginning of something bigger than they realized, along with most of Level Up. Ugh, his mind was racing and…



The next thing he knew, his pod had released from its tethers and been sucked out of the plane, through whatever hull breach had occurred. Somewhere in his mind, Larry still felt anxiety about the prospect of explaining this all to his wife, but he now looked upon the kaleidoscopic colors dissipating to reveal heavy fog forming through a viewing window that opened up within the metallic shell of his pod. He watched with a mix of horror and defiance as he hurtled downwards, and misty condensation forming on the window. “Clouds,” Larry realized the source, “I’m puncturing them and the mist is forming like rain on a windshield,” he somewhat marveled at the idea he was literally soaring through clouds. Unfortunately, he also had to balance that wondrous thought with another – that it wasn’t to his untimely end.



Fortunately, Larry felt a curbing of speed, and confirmed as much from an interface that appeared on the armrest of his seat, which spat out various data metrics. “Looks like this thing was equipped with some sort of parachute, or the equivalent of,” he thought as a small bit of relief poked through his dread and the pounding beats his heart was sending through his chest. “It looks like a trajectory was calculated, too. There’s some type of land this thing is on track to land near,” he identified through a quick scan of the data rolling through the screen. He let out a heavy breath, “Let’s hope it’s accurate.”



What felt like hours later, but was probably minutes, Larry found that it was true. He had landed in the water near a shoreline, and managed to get onto it with limited difficulty. Duffel bag slung over his back, he made his way towards the woods nearby, only to find a stunningly familiar face waiting for him. “What the hell is this?” he muttered.



The blue-and-orange costumed and masked visage of Fanatic stood waving to Larry. “You did indeed make it here … most pleasing,” Fanatic said in his calm and collected voice. “Come, I have been instructed to lead you with haste,” he motioned for Larry to follow.



“WHOA!” Larry put out his hands and suddenly felt a rush of exasperation. “You?! The last I saw of you, I was talking to a projection of my supposed-to-be-dead brother, and you acting as some proxy. What the hell is going on?!” Larry felt his face heating up, and for good reason. “Were you EXPECTING me?? Did you, by some in-fucking-sane scheme, manage to send down a goddamned plane just to get me here? What is going on!” Larry shouted in the face of Fanatic, throwing his hands around as if he was going crazy. He had certainly felt it, every time he ran into this dude over the past year.



“My apologies for the abruptness, Larry Tact. Trust that we have done nobody harm, and simply needed to … take some liberties and adjust your course. In due time, you will understand. Please, follow me,” Fanatic recited as if he expected the outburst.



“No fucking way!” Larry continued to shout. “What the – why should I trust you?”



“Please, Larry … Lazarus has anticipated this meeting for quite some time,” Fanatic explained as he waved motioned again for his guest to follow.



Larry’s mind was exploding on the inside, and he only blinked a couple times to register the chaos that unfolded within him. He also felt as if he was drawing off the aromatherapy again, or maybe his mind was shutting down and he was having a nervous breakdown? Either way, he obliged the mysterious masked traveler and felt his feet moving him along to follow. Not far from the shoreline, the path in the woods led to a clearing and large field. In it, a bunch of construction was in progress. It almost looked like some sort of complex was being created, with shells of differing structures going up. It was tough to take in all of it, confusing to be sure, but Larry was brought to a particular stage where a man dressed in a white suit stood with his arms open. He motioned enthusiastically for Fanatic to bring Larry closer, and they took steps up to the stage. The man had blonde hair similar to Larry’s, his eyes a vibrant green and his face had a wide grin on it. He walked up and placed his hands on Larry’s shoulders, nodding slowly as he examined him.



“Yes, it’s finally the time. We are finally… reunited, my brother!” Lazarus Tact embraced Larry deeply, and gave a few firm pats on the back before he stepped back and clapped his hands together. “I’m sorry that we don’t have as much time as I’d like, but well, you do have a flight to complete, and all that,” he laughed jovially.



Larry felt as if his responses were dulled, along with his emotions. It was vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. “What flight? You took us down and brought me here,” he managed, trying to piece it together as we stood there.



“Oh, that bit with the plane? No, that’s just my personal flare for the dramatic, you see,” Lazarus laughed again as he slapped Larry on the arm. “You know I’ve always had a wild imagination. No, you’re actually very much still on the Kayfabe Airlines flight! It’s just that I had the strength and dosing of the aromatherapy in your pod bumped up… well, quite a bit, I’d say. How much, Fanatic?” he looked at his own associate.



“We increased by 150% I believe … per your request,” Fanatic responded.



“Ah! I seem to get a little ambitious with my calculations on these things. Don’t worry, Larry,” he said, turning back towards the elder Tact, “It won’t do you any harm. If anything, it’ll make you feel incredibly relaxed and rejuvenated when you’re back, like a good night’s rest.”



“The hospital,” Larry answered his own question. “You were at the hospital, after The Last Of Us, and my match with Lord Raab. You were the one who adjusted my morphine, too.”



“I was, that’s correct,” Lazarus nodded. “You know, it feels like so long ago, I’d almost forgotten,” he laughed heartily.



Larry wasn’t able to find the humor, but he pressed on, mainly due to the dulled effect he was experiencing, “Sorry I’m not getting the fun of it all. You seem to have developed a knack for intruding on substances people are being given, and myself in particular. Do you think this is okay?” he mustered as much indignation as he could.



Lazarus shook his head, holding a hand palm-side out. “Larry, please don’t take personal affront. Under the circumstances, it was the easiest and most logical way of setting us this meeting between us. And now, look! Here we are, the two of us, meeting again. It’s a joyous moment, let’s not spoil it with thoughts of petty infractions upon our egos.”



That stung Larry somewhere, alright, but he had something that nagged at him more than continuing this back-and-forth. “How did you get access to the Kayfabe Airlines system?”



“Oh, that? I would love to tell you that I had someone like, what’s that fellow’s name again… the hacker…?” he looked towards Fanatic while a hand scratching his clean-shaven face.



“Cypher, sir,” Fanatic replied.



“Yes! I wish I could have told you that I commissioned Cypher to do it, but that wasn’t necessary. As a matter of fact, it’s a much simpler explanation. Let me ask you, Larry, do you remember the dream analysis that we conducted with you, in the Land?”



“How the hell would I forget that?” Larry said, although it sounded more robotic than outraged, which is where he meant to come down with his evocation. “You took my dreams and injected some visions, even fake memories into. You toyed around inside my own head. I still don’t know how you managed to do it, but that wasn’t exactly the best way of reintroducing yourself, either. I’m no one’s guinea pig,” Larry felt himself taking a couple of deep breaths, and as he exhaled each one, he felt a calm wash over him anew.



What the hell were they doing to him?



“Yes, but in fact, we were unlocking your potential. We did do a little bit of exploration within your mind, needing to establish certain baselines, identify where we needed to focus on… well, it’s all a bit technical. Even I’m still learning about it all, it’s truly a continuous process, and I’ve been at it for, what? Twenty years? Something like that. Fact of the matter is, this is a new technology we are engineering,” Lazarus conveyed gleefully, and looked around, “Much like this little offshoot project. We are going to create a full experience out of people’s dreams, Larry, and you’ve been an integral part of it. Don’t worry, once we have things up and running, I’m going to bring you in. We’ll get you setup with shares and dividend payouts. You’re going to love it, and the best part? You don’t have to lift a finger. We have everything we need already, and your part is merely to watch as I make us all proud,” Lazarus nodded. “To your question, of course, it all ties together. The base system we used to extract data from memories? It’s grounded in interdimensional engineering and technology. Kayfabe Airlines uses the same technology, and theirs is one we improved upon for the purposes of this endeavor. However, we did need to access the Kayfabe tech in order to make ours a reality.”



“You’re getting pretty far in the weeds for me, here, Lazarus,” Larry shook his head, feeling conflicted about standing there with all of this coming out, while at the same time he felt as cool about it as anything he had ever done.



“Yes, sorry about that. I get quite enthused explaining the concept to someone who can understand, which I know you can. I do have my penchant for indulging passions, as you know. Anyway, the point is that I needed the KA tech, and so I invested in the company during its infancy, when I first learned of it’s inception. This was well before they were flying planes and other transport. Back when they were still developing the technology, Fanatic here managed to catch wind of it, and I decided to invest. It’s not so different from how you boosted your wealth off of the dot com boom, Larry. We both managed to pick the correct horses to saddle onto, and then dismounted at the right times, too. Both are equally important, wouldn’t you say? The rest, as they say, is history. Kayfabe is a thriving business, and I was able to cultivate what they first introduced to me, and create a vast new transportation system. I figured, why not have wrestlers be a case test group for it? Have my big bro benefit a bit from our burgeoning tech developments. I’m glad it’s been working out, but why did you think you kept getting upgraded to our most premium flight class group each time you used KA?” he grinned and winked.



“I… guess I just thought it was a flight lottery, or something. I’ve been a little busy to consider these things, Lazarus—”



“Hey,” Lazarus clapped Larry on the shoulder again, and they locked eyes. “You call me Laz, don’t you? That’s what I want you to do. Nothing’s really changed, Larry. We’re still getting after what we pursue, and capitalizing on being the best at what we do, no?” he affirmed, moving his arm back to his side. “I do wish we had more time, but those flights are quite efficient and I believe you’re going to get the old, ‘Prepare for landing’ message soon.”



Larry wasn’t sure how he was going to mentally deal with being jerked around again. “So you’re saying that all of this,” he motioned around, “Is in my head right now? I’m seriously not on some random island, with you two?”



“You’re not, brother. Let’s call this your very own Super Adventure,” he laughed again, and Larry remembered how his younger brother played pranks on him and their parents more often than he’d necessarily liked, back in the day, too. This was the nature of his adult version of it, not that it made him feel any better about it.



“This is like the shit you used to pull, taken to another level,” Larry noted, a little too happily, “I feel like you could have been behind that purple mist from a few weeks ago, too, if I hadn’t known exactly who did that to me. Or the truffles – wait, you didn’t send me those drug laced chocolate truffles, did you?”



“No, Larry, I would never do something like that,” Laz said, although Larry found it tough to believe he wouldn’t. “I honestly understand your reservations to believe that, but trust that I would not do something if I didn’t know it would be self-contained, like the dreams and this meeting,” he continued.



Larry could see he had a point there, these were all isolated incidents as opposed to what had happened to him in the ‘real’ world. “Can we meet without all this smoke and mirrors crap?” he asked.



“In due time, yes, Larry. I look forward to it, but we do both conduct busy schedules. I will say, it’s possible we can help each other, down the line. I think there is a chance that I can alleviate some of the stressors you have with Tact Enterprises, in particular. Sadly, that will have to be a discussion for another day. It was quite the treat to see you, brother. We must make some time on our calendars,” Laz raised a hand, “But when you’re me, you keep up with a great many passions. At least I can replicate some cool stuff for you, like this,” and with a smile, snapped his fingers.



Larry’s eyes shot open, and he shook his head, moving his hand around his face. He was in the pod, on the plane, and looked through the glass at the scant few other passengers in his premium flight group. They read a book, listened to music, and otherwise seemed unbothered by anything going on in the plane. Larry fumbled with the armrest control panel and ended his aromatherapy session, relived at the sight of the glass retracting. He took an exaggerated breath as he looked around again.



“That son of a… he Thanosed me!” Larry said under his breath. Although a part of him wanted to feel like he had been taken advantage of, yet again, and been made a fool of… he couldn’t resist a sensation of excitement and amazement at the fact that his brother was kicking around. “After all these years, he’s made something special, done something truly innovative and remarkable,” Larry thought.



He couldn’t help but feel pride towards his little brother, who had always been ambitious and the best of them.



“Ladies and gentleman, we’re going to go ahead and get started on our approach for ladning. It’s going to be about twenty to thirty more minutes, but we’ll make sure it’s a comfortable ride for you, as always, with Kayfabe Airlines,” a voice on the intercom spoke.



“That little fucker,” Larry said to himself with a chuckle. Then he realized the other passengers looking at him talking to himself, and scowled at them as he grabbed his Bose headphones.


Laz.

---

“Control.”



We open to a scene of Larry Tact, sitting on the balcony of a hotel in Hawaii. It’s sunny, the beach is just below, as he surveys all that is beneath him. Where does he look down upon them from? His throne, of course, transported – or a new one specially made – to this location. Who knows what the hotel staff think of it, and who cares! The Level Up Power Champion gets what he wants, where and when he wants it. The difference between this and the other throne is what surrounds it. Instead of skulls on pikes, we have tiki torches that have flames dancing from their tops, on either side of Larry as the drone cam films him from just inside the hotel, looking out on the balcony and beyond, below.



“Look at all of these people here, in sunny, damp Hawaii. Pedestrians and civilians scampering around, full of adrenaline and glee at the prospect of forgetting where they come from, and what burdens them in their home slum or mediocre lives. Perhaps they were gifted a trip here, or they saved up with their friends and family to have that ‘break the piggy bank’ moment of excitement that they’ve been building towards. They can now take that big trip to Hawaii and enjoy the vacation of their lives. Maybe they’ll go on a volcano walk, snorkeling, and take in some local food and drinks to celebrate each night.”



“For me? This is simply where I’m getting paid next Tuesday,” he smirks and waves a hand. “It’s nothing special, nothing but business. It’s where I need to go for Super Adventure Island, and handle the matters at hand. I don’t glamorize any of it, to be honest. I don’t need that rush, the thrill of a free vacation I can tether to my work. This is not a pleasure seeking adventure for the Game Changers. This is the culmination of the aftermath of DOOM, of War Games, when we will extract the fruits of our labor, and secure our position at the top of not only this show in Level Up history, but our collective place above the hot new upstarts and the stodgy old veterans, alike.”



“New, old, ambitious, bitter. It doesn’t matter where our opposition falls on the spectrum. Because we hold the things that they all seek, that they all fight to meet us and wrest from our grip…”



“Control. Influence. Power.”



He chuckles and shakes his head. “While Mister Blizzard and ISAAC handle other sectors of our affairs, I’ll be holding up my end, of course, in the Power division. Yes, now you finally get to hear your name, Kat Jones, come off my starmaking tongue. You can no longer deny it without sounding like a complete fool. When I say something, it happens.”



“When I proclaimed the Game Changers would make a difference in Level Up, it came to pass.”



“When I said the Game Changers would claim gold in short order, and make our statement across the company, it was nothing but the humble reality that came true.”



“When I said the Game Changers would win War Games, it happened.”



“When I say that we have the largest share of control among any talents in Level Up, bar none and Final Boss be damned? Tell me I’m wrong. There’s simply no way of disputing what we’ve built, from our foundation upwards. Once ISAAC gets into that Skeleton Key match, the Final Boss Championship for that matter, will be within our grasp.”



“As far as you and I go, Kat? I’m going to give you exactly what you’ve asked for, a shot at payback. I’m going to open the door of retribution for you to walk through and claim at my expense. I’ll be waiting for you at Super Adventure Island, because I always knew you would come for me, sooner or later,” he gave a single, stiff nod of his head, his golden blonde hair straying around his face.



“But be careful what you wish for, Kat. Initially, you saw others come to me with the same ideas of retribution. Lord Raab wanted to defend your honor, and his own dignity, by stepping up to me and challenge for the Power title. While he did put a stout effort towards me, and certainly took a pound of flesh from me… I persevered. He couldn’t take this,” Larry holds up into the view of the camera the Power Championship, which he then drapes over his shoulder, “For all his rage and strength, he couldn’t ultimately crack the foundation that I stand upon. He couldn’t wrest control from me. He could not meet me at the bar I’ve raised this division to, and stopped me from influencing where this division has gone, since.”



He motions as if ticking off a box. “There was Ziggy Morgan, a man who is behind the times, but still shows great ability to keep up with his craft. He’s a fiery competitor, one who believed he could end the supposed ’tyranny’ that I’ve been overseeing in Level Up. Tact Facts, people! We are slowly but surely liberating Level Up, division by division, match by match, of the corrupt machinations of the Developer – aka Trent Steel! This guy is the tyrant, not me or the Game Changers. He’s a puppet master, and the latest puppets are you, Kat; Eli Goode; and Duncan Shepard,” he spat the names out.



“You feel as if you’re fighting the good fight, or chasing after retribution, or playing the part of hero? None of that could be true, because all you’re serving is as shields to Trent Steel and the dealings he wants to come to pass. The Game Changers are literally the only obstacles that have eluded his control, and wrested a piece of it for ourselves. That’s part of what makes the Power title so important: It isn’t a literal control, but it is symbolic, Kat. It’s a sign of our defiance over the mastermind of Level Up. It was a way to draw that maniac into the open, put him on the spot, in plain sight, to finally reveal who The Developer was.”



“But the true control? The true influence? It’s been cultivated just as I’ve said, over time and from the ground up. Those are the staunchest of campaigns to wage, after all. You bring together people forged through combat, bonded over the fires of oppression and injustices, as we were subjected to prior to banding together. This didn’t happen overnight, Kat. I didn’t rise up the ranks to become one of the perennial threats and top ranked wrestlers in Level Up in a… snap of the fingers,” he smirks, “Not at all. Is my name Duncan Shepard, or Eli Goode? No. I’m not one of the Developer’s favorites. But through our bonds, through facing trials and tribulations that hardened our resolve and allowed us to conquer the opposition, we have made ourselves more than the Power title. The Courage title. Hell, even the Final Boss title, while again, a powerful symbol, would not be bigger than the Game Changers.”



”We have ascended. We have made a mark. And I have been the spearhead. Unforatuntely, Kat, what that means is, while I will make you an even bigger star with our match at Level Up… while you may get some retribution on me… and while we may steal the show…”



“In the end, I will break you.”



“Because I starmake metaphorically and I starbreak, physically. Don’t worry, you’ll get more opportunities. You will be patted on the back afterwards, for enduring what I lay upon you. But you’ll also be patted on the back because everyone will have seen…”



“It was great, but not Tactilizing. And so, my control holds, and it will eventually submit to me… your Tactful Surrender. If it’s any consolation to you, Kat? I’ll bring it down on you by my own hands.”