Post by EAB on Sept 16, 2021 15:16:02 GMT -5
//Off Camera//
“Education”
~1~
A group of children, close-knit friends living in a quiet and peaceful suburbia were enjoying the last warm breezes of the summer at midway of September, schools had already started yet Timmy, Tommy and Tammy the three children of Ted Thomas. Were out on their bikes, riding around the neighborhood was safe, they would usually gather at the nearby playground or the forest at the end of the street, both offering them ample amounts of activities. But there was one house on this white picketed piece of paradise that every kid knew to pedal a bit faster on going past that one specific house with the old Packard out on the driveway. Where the mailbox read just one word that sent chills down the spines of passers by all throught the year:
Blizzard.
“Why can’t we go the other way?” Tammy asked, she was the youngest of the three but mom and dad had told him to stick close to her brothers so that they would look after her and bring her home safely.
“Because this is the fastest way through, I’m not taking a detour because of the bald ogre” Tommy the middle sibling said glancing over his shoulder at the house they had just passed and that Gray Packard.
Timmy the oldest hocked a loogie to the pavement and snarled.
“That fucker took my football, I saved up a long time to get the perfect ball and he took it from me, I’ll get him for taking it. You’ll see..”
Tammy gasped.
“Timmy! That’s a -- that’s a b-b-b- that’s a bad--”
The two brothers looked at each other watching their poor sister stammer was funny yet embarrassing one time Scotty Malkin had made fun of Tammy’s stammer and the two of them had beaten thim bloody after school for it, sure they got detention for it but dad had praised them for looking after each other.
“Sorry Tam, I’m just angry because Dad didn’t buy me a new one and old man Blitzkrieg can’t just take something that isn’t his..” Timmy grumbled then doing an eerily familiar imitation of the cold voice of their neighbor.
“Anything in my yard is mine, best to remember that pal..”
Tammy felt shivers down her spine just hearing her brother mock the older man. She bit her lip trying to be brave.
“The lady is nice though, one day during the summer it was really hot and I was flying kites with Katie. She gave us some lemonade with ice in it..it was really sweet. I think she’s pretty and nice..”
The two boys looked at each other again and smiled.
“Oh she’s nice alright” Tommy said winking at the older brother, few had been the time when they had snuck up to the woods to spy on Betty Blizzard working on her garden, putting up the laundry on the line and once even sunbathing..Tommy still thought about it at times when he couldn’t sleep. He could never understand what a dame like Betsy ever saw in a baldie like Blizzard, he had dreams of going over and asking her out..Betsy would go with him, drive him around in that packard and he’d bring back Timmy’s football too..Tommy would be the hero.
They kept pedaling towards the playground, not wanting to look over their shoulders just in case they were being watched.
~2~
“So are you in or out Tom?” Tommy felt the fire in his brother’s eyes the two of them sat at the swings watching Tammy spin around the climbing poles, she was flexible enough to be a gymnast and despite being such a baby sometimes Tammy had never been afraid of heights.
“That’s kinda dangerous Tim, Jackie says that if Baron Von Blitzkrieg catches you from his yard he’s boiling a soup of your bones.”
Timmy snorted.
“Yeah, sure, regular Freddy Krueger, I’ve heard those stories too. We used to tell the lower grades that if a cat or a dog roamed off and ended up in Baron Von Baldie’s yard he would burn it along with the trash”
He chuckled but Tommy didn’t laugh.
“Yeah? Who says he doesn’t do it?! What about Shep!”
Both boys knew their mixed breed mutt Shep a loveable family dog and guardian that used to follow them everywhere until a few summers ago he just disappeared. Timmy shook his head.
“Nah, he wouldn’t..I don’t think he would..if he did anything Dad would have..I’m sure dad would have..look it just isn’t true Shep went to a farm!”
Now it was Tommy’s turn to chuckle.
“Yeah that’s what everyone told to Tammy, but have you thought about how many dogs go to that farm There’s like 18 billion dogs and they’d have dog shit up to the rafters. We both know Shep would have never ran away but where the hell did he go then?”
Timmy hocked another loogie.
“Fuckin’ Baron..I’ll get him good, are you in or out Tom?”
His brother nodded.
“Yeah, sure. We’ll do it together, for Shep?”
Timmy wiped a gleaming tear from the corner of his eye.
“For Shep.”
****
Later that night Emmanuel Armitage Blizzard was sitting at home, brooding after his dinner. Dusk had already settled outside and he sat there without his coat and tie, plain white shirt, dark slacks and shoes suspenders holding up the slacks supported on his broad shoulders. He had a pain, like a dull yet throbbing tooth ache gnawing at his cheek. Or a skull splitting headache just outside of one’s reach. The loss at Devil May Cry was not something that had settled well, he should have won that one, he knew it full well and so did anyone with a pair of eyes and more than two brain cells to rub together inside their empty skulls. Yet the situation was what it was, result was final but there was no form of comfort, no words of courage anyone could have said that would have gotten him to see different, to feel different or believe different. He knew his worth, he knew what he could do for LEVEL UP and if they didn’t appreciate him, if they didn’t value him for all that he had, maybe he should just file this as a failed experiment and move on to elsewhere where his vision, his sacrifices, his selfless efforts would be appreciated at their true value and--
What the hell was that?
He got up, perked up his hearing.
Someone was outside.
Normal sensible people have probably checked the situation, maybe even took precautions but with the state he was in E.A Blizzard got up and barged outside, the door flew open at his wake and collided with something, He stopped over the threshold to the porch narrowly avoidin something disgusting… what looked like fecal matter of some kind. What he saw on the tiled path to the porch was a hooded figure scampering to it’s feet, without a warning, without thinking, without blinking he hoisted up his foot and kicked the figure with a howl as it went down. Spasming on the lawn. Then he saw something, a flare of light near where his packard was.
A snarl
“Son of a--”
With surprising speed for a man his size he made it to the driveway and the flickering light hearing hisses and cusses
“Light you stupid fucking piece of--”
That’s how far the figure got before EAB tackled them down with his mass.
“GET OFF ME!”
The figure hollered as the big man’s hand clutched to their throat. He lumbered to his feet hoisting the figure up, feeling a pair of hands grabbing his arm watching the legs flail in air.
“TOMMY-GAH!”
Without mercy he slammed the figure on the asphalt, a unforgiving thud. A holler as the big man snarled.
“You shouldn’t have done this you stupid son of a..”
He yanks the hood back and sees the frightened face of the figure in the security light of the garage.
“..Timothy Thomas, haven’t your parents told you about not playing with fire?”
He heard the boy gag and cough, glnacing down he saw the rag and what looked like a lighter.
“I’ll teach you not to play with fire, pal..you are going to learn a valuable lesson.”
Planting Timothy down on his keister on the asphalt EAB snatched up the rag forcing the boy’s mouth open.
“TOMMY GET DA-MFFFFF!”
it was all Timothy managed to yell out before the rag went to his mouth. EAB, stuck it in tight, clenching the jaw shut with one hand, the other one reaching the lighter. He heard the distancing footsteps stumbling down the road.
“Oh bringing your poor brother Thomas along with you huh? If you want to be a big man Timothy, you should learn to handle things like one, not mess others into your little schemes, brothers, fathers..or anyone else.”
He flickered with the lighter a bit. His cold voice was the only thing heard besides the scratching of the rock trying to sparkle a flame.
“Now the thing about playing with fire Timothy..you should at least get some decent equipment..if you plan on lighting up a rag it should be soaked in a fluid that helps it burn..of course if you HAD known that much..you’d get a foul taste in your throat about now..and we might not even be having this discussion of ours.. Second and the most important thing about playing with fire you should learn is..that once you play with fire.”
The flame finally lights up.
“..be prepared to get burned.”
The rag starts to singe and fires up, Timothy is yelling hollering louder but his screams are muffled by the cloth as EAB held him still shushing him up.
“..shhhs there Little Timothy, you wanted to play with fire, come here to burn my car, on my property. I told you that anything and everything that’s in my yard..belongs to me, didn’t I? Well you are here now and I’m sure you understand that you belong to me now, pal.”
Bringing his face close to Timothy’s he saw the fear in the boys eyes, those dilated pupils going wider the further the rag burned, Blizzard heard a trickle and looked down..the poor boy had lost the control of his bladder. Blizzard frowned with disgust.
“What’s this? Are you scared now boy? Where’s the big man who wanted to come here and put me and my wife in danger to destroy my property? HUH? Where’s that big man now Timothy!?”
He leaned in close and whispered to the boy’s ear.
“You know I could just throw you into that trunk, drive you far out of here..find you a hole and leave you there..let you burn just like you wanted to burn that classic automobile..you would never be found? Oh anyone seen Little Timothy? No..he just disappeared. Wouldn’t even be the first member of the Thomas clan who came pissing on my property and paid for it either..”
He kept Tim off the ground just enough that his feet couldn’t reach, watching the limbs flail in vain he cackled a sadistic laughter watching the rag burn up closer and closer to Timothy’s face. Then just in the nick of time Blizzard yanks the rag from the boy’s mouth and drops it to the puddle of urine where it hissed for a bit..
He put the boy down.
“Did we learn a lesson tonight here Timothy?”
“Y-yes.”
“Yes, sir…”
“Y-y-yes sir.”
“Yes Sir Mr Blizzard?”
“YES SIR MISTER BLIZZARD”
He nodded at the humiliated boy.
“That’s a good boy, now take off that hoodie..”
“What?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself Timothy!”
Scared and quivering the boy took off his hoodie watching Blizzard.
“Now wipe the mess you made..”
Timothy whimpered.
“C-can I get some paper? I’ll clean it sir I just..”
“Use that hoodie..it’s yours isn’t it? So is the mess. Or did you expect ME to provide YOU something I paid for to clean YOUR mess up with?”
Timothy knelt down starting to wipe up the puddle of his own fluids to the hoodie he rubbed it up long enough to start breaking a sweat in the chilly evening before looking up to EAB.
“I suppose that’ll do...now..”
He grabs the boy by the scruff of his neck and drags him to the porch as he hollers.
“Clean that up now..”
Timothy glanced the fecal matter then at Blizzard
“That’s shit..”
“No shit?”
Timothy sniffled.
“I can’t..I won’t clean shit up with my hoodie..”
Blizzard glared at him, his voice without emotions.
“I don’t care if you wipe it to that hoodie or eat it..as long as that shit dissapears from my porch, choice is yours pal. I don’t care about the method but results..would you rather chow it down?”
“....”
“..well? It won’t clean itself..”
Whining Timothy Thomas used his hoodie to wrap up the fecal mess and got up holding his hoodie..
“M-may I go now sir?”
EAB nodded.
“Of course, it’s a free country..get going”
Holding his hoodie the boy headed down the driveway when Blizzard turned to him.
“Hold it..”
The boy turned to him, his face soaked with tears already, eyes red and puffy from the crying.
“It’s getting cold out Timothy, better put on that hoodie. I’d hate for you to catch a cold and miss school..education is important these days, invaluable even.”
“..but my…”
“Put it on pal. Or need me to help you with it?”
“N-no..”
“Do it.”
With a whine the poor juvenile delinquent put the soaked and mucky hoodie on.
“Good now zip it up all the way and make sure to pull the hood up. That’s how you came to my yard, that should be how you leave..”
Now even Timothy knew not to hesitate and went his way running. Blizzard stood at his porch watching the poor boy run home.
..he actually felt better now, his aches were gone.
Must have been the fresh autumn air.
~3~
“Hey! Hey you! Blizzard! I’m talking to you!”
He turned to look over and saw a man in a tracksuit who was stomping his way across the neatly cut grass instead of the tiled pathways Blizzard had set up. Blizzard frowned at this lack of navigating or manners.
“There are tiles for reason Mr. Thomas, you should not barge in uninvited to someone else’s property and lose all of your manners.”
Ted Thomas was not in a good mood, you could tell that just by the shade of red on his face, he was a big man, built like an athlete but someone who had retired from active competition. “Manners?! Don’t you talk to me about manners, you son of a bitch! Should I threaten to have you eat shit instead?! Where the hell do you get off on threatening little kids, huh?!”
Blizzard didn’t smile, he didn’t even blink, when he responded.
“Do not take that tone with me. Mr. Thomas. I did not invite those hooligans to my property to try and vandalize my home or try to arson my vehicle, so if that’s all you have to say I suggest you..”
“Oh you suggest do you!? SUGGEST THIS MOTHERFUCKER!” Thomas pulled a revolver from his track jacket and pointed it at Blizzard, he had stopped stomping about and took his remaining paces very slowly sticking the gun just inches away from EA’s face.
“Listen to me Blizzard and listen good. If you ever come near me or my family again I’m calling the law on you..got that?” He was breathing heavy, spit flying from his mouth as Blizzard seemed rather unfazed by the firearm.
“Call the police? By all means Theodore, I can discuss some things with them about how your sons snuck up to my property uninvited to do god knows what..or their father, that would be you Teddy, threatening me what I can only assume to be a unlicensed firearm..or do you have a permit for that thing?”
“A what?! Fuck you and your permits you by the book son of a--GAAHHH!” Mr. Thomas couldn’t finish his argument when Blizzard grabbed his wrest, yanked it, cracked it and watched the firearm drop to the grass he landed a hook with his free hand to the abdomen of Mr. Thomas, before leaning down to grab the revolver. He took it by the barrel and unceremoniously hit Thomas to the bridge of the nose with the butt off the revolver. Breaking his nose Blood gushing from it over Thomas’s face.
“YOU BROKE MY NOSE..YOU SON OF A…”
Blizzard yanked on the broken wrist.
“I’ll keep breaking things if you insist on staying in my yard Mr. Thomas, Now looking at you I understand that as a father you are not much of an authoritarian which explains the lack of discipline or manners in your sons behaviour, however I won’t fault the sons for their father’s mistake. Should you ever show up here threatening me or mention anyone about this visit. I’ll get you thrown in jail and those sons of yours sent to institutions. Now do I need to break something else or do you understand?”
“YES!”
“Yes What?”
“YES I UNDERSTAND!”
Blizzard pushes Thomas down to the grass and nods.
“Get going...now”
He aimed the revolver at the fallen man who scampers down the road even faster than his eldest son had some nights before. Blizzard watched him go, then looked down at his shirt, saw the blood. Undid his shirt tossing it to the flames, weighing the revolver he stuck it down his pants. Maybe he would keep it for now..just in case.
At least the women in that family had the sense to mind their own goddamn business.
//On Camera//
The scene opens to something you may have seen before: a view of a large, skybox corporate office, straight out of the corporate mastermind villain’s base from a movie. This is no movie though, this is the reality, the environment to which the star of today’s scene, E.A. Blizzard is accustomed. The room is beautifully adorned with rare art pieces, a huge oak desk behind which sits the aforementioned man; the large city skyline through the huge windows behind him is not even enough to detract from the aura of the huge, imposing man sitting front and center. A woman, apparently a secretary, scurries out of shot with a sharp hand wave from the man, no words needed, a command of all around him. A command of you watching, as his steely eyes meet the camera, and he begins to talk; dominance and power integrated to every syllable of his speech.
EAB: Lately there’s been so much said about the events of DMC so I won’t bore you with the details. I am here without a championship which should say more than enough. Come EXP 13 I get a chance to face Larry Tact and Don Tirri for another championship shot this time against the POWER Championship. Talk is cheap and time is money, either one of these gentlemen would no doubt make a great champion yet neither one of them wants to make it easy for myself to get that prize. So three men go into a match only one leaves with a win and in the end only one of us will be able to win. Someone else has to lose and the third one, well could just consider themselves lucky to fight another day. By hook or by crook there will be a challenger at EXP 14 will it be the Finn the Tactful one or myself? Well you’ll just have to tune in and find out. Do not expect my loss to Miss Lockheart to make things any easier for either one of you, do not expect me to hold back or quit. See you soon.
