Post by Dionysus on May 8, 2022 23:00:57 GMT -5
-For he will walk among us...and he will smite the evil from this earth.
"Mother Brain there’s no doubt about it! The Game Changers have recruited a new member: EA Blizzard!"
-For he who comes in our time of need...is not of mortal breed.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I regret to inform you that after the attack from the Game Changers, Dionysus will be UNABLE to compete tonight!"
-He is the Destroyer...the right hand of the Creator...
"I hate to say it, Mary, but there’s no denying the cohesiveness of the Game Changers. It may only be a matter of time before…"
-...and the one who brings fear...when there is no hope.
"WAIT A MINUTE! DIONYSUS! DIONYSUS IS BACK!!"
"Consider that a measured response to provocation."
The scene fades in, inside of a large canvas tent, the flickering light of flames outside the tent illuminating the walls. A smattering of weapons and equipment were spread across the ground, a large table with a map and figurines sat in the foreground. Dionysus stood behind this table, adorned in a fine suit, though this time it was black as opposed to his usual blue. His back was turned away from the camera, as he looked over his shoulder.
"This path began when I first held my prize...the piece of Courage that, to this day, still resides within my soul," He began, as he turned to face the table. He wore a crimson tie, which shined against the black shirt he had on as well. "A prize I had fought hard for. A prize that I, frankly, took pride in. And yet, in spite of this victory...there was a lone detractor...by the name of E. A. Blizzard."
"See, Mr. Blizzard was none too thrilled to see my rise to glory. A humble businessman, a philanthropist, holding a title that, by all rights, he should have for himself? Preposterous!" Dionysus exclaimed, gesturing his arms wide. "And so the challenge was made and accepted. I am not one to back down from a challenge, after all. And this challenge? To fight in flames. An inferno match, the first the company had ever seen. Now of course, I had assumed that Mr. Blizzard would treat this like any other match, by the books, with no help whatsoever."
"I was wrong."
Dionysus unbuttoned his suitcoat as he continued. "And so, with a large, pulsating asterisk next to the name, The Game Changers stole my prize. Note how I neglected to mention Mr. Blizzard's name. At this stage, you are only part of the collective." Having removed the jacket, he motioned off-camera to a trio of attendants. "My muses. Pardon them as I address you all properly." He handed his suitcoat to one of the attendants, who bowed graciously before turning away.
Dionysus loosened his tie. "When history shines its eye on events, we look to the pivotal moment. Especially when it comes to warfare." Dionysus removed the tie from around his neck, handing it over to one of the attendants before reaching back up to his collar. "That interference was the beginning of the end for The Game Changers. Sure, their short few months of terror would prove to be an annoyance within the fiber that is Level Up, but it would take the collective efforts of a select few to stem the tide."
"Centurion."
"Paul Freedom."
"Eli Goode."
"Brody Adams."
"And of course, yours truly."
As each name was spoken, he undid a button. "These five souls would unite together, put aside whatever differences they had, to form a tentative alliance. The goal? To eliminate, nay, destroy The Game Changers." Finally undoing each cuff button, he slid the dress shirt off his body, handing it over to the attendant holding the tie. This one also bowed graciously and stepped away. Dionysus's chest laid bare, he walked up to the table, placing a hand on either side.
"See, there is a side to me that some have seen before, but not many. I consider myself an amateur tactician, a student of war, an observer of history." Dionysus moved his hand to a group of four figures, moving them toward the middle of the table. "These four? This is the collective power of The Game Changers. Four men, either holding gold or pursuing it, riding out like the Khans before them, conquering divisions and striking fear into the lands." With his other hand, Dionysus slid over four other figures, distinct from the four shown before. "And these four were the group prior to EXP that pledged to stand against them. Coordinated tactics and unit cohesion gave The Game Changers an edge...but just like in any war, the numbers can be an overwhelming advantage."
Dionysus reached under the table, and with a grunt, heaved a helmet on top of the table, scattering several other figurines to the corners of the tent. "Pay the size difference no mind; I ran out of other figurines."
Dionysus stood upright as the attendants returned holding a pair of gauntlets and a cuirass. He held his arms outward, in a T-pose, as two attendants each took a half of the cuirass and assisted him into it. "So the strategy is quite simple. In dire need of back-up, Tact has reached out to Mac Bane. It seems that my surprise return has left them discombobulated. To think, their best chance of winning, in the hands of an outsider? An outsider of which they must now rely on to carry their own weight? Mac isn't a deciding factor, nor a difference maker; simply a body to shore up the numbers."
He winced, as one of the attendants tightened the cuirass around his waist. "Easy now; wouldn't want to make it hard for me to move or breathe, right?" Dionysus addressed to the attendant, who whispered a quiet apology as they continued the work. "I would say the same of Isaac and Drake, but they are Level Up fixtures in the multiplayer division. Sure, they haven't won the gloves, but they are very much on their way. Which makes the strategy against them simple; keep them separated, do not allow them to strike together, and let them work off of frustration rather than teamwork."
With the final buckle in place, the third attendant presented Dionysus with a wrist gauntlet, to which the Lord of the Vine held out his left arm. The attendant, sighing loudly, began to place and strap the gauntlet to his wrist. "So that leaves the other two. Mr. Blizzard in all his undeserved 'glory,' will no doubt want to continue to prove his usefulness to Mr. Tact in this match-up. Having first-hand experienced with the Business Brute, Mr. 401Gains will no doubt want to spend as much time as possible sucking up to his new boss. And what good CEO are you if you have someone pulling the strings above you, hmm? Aside from Mac, who again is a non-factor in my book, yours is quite possibly the simplest strategy on the planet. Wear you out. Strike at the legs. Chop down the tree. Then proceed to break the line...and a few bones in the process couldn't hurt either, now could it?"
When completed, the attendant presented the right gauntlet, and began to strap that in as well. "Which now leaves you, Mr. Tact. Oh, Larry, Larry, Larry, I know you assume you have my number, having gotten the better of me at most every turn we've had together, but battles are different from wars. See, I play a much longer game, especially for one with an ego the size of Olympus itself. Allow you to be lulled into a false sense of security, feint with strategic losses, then return out the gate at the precise moment you would not expect. It is why you had to delude yourself into thinking that your best option to match us was to seek aid outside of here, to put your faith in a mercenary bought on coin, not on loyalty. What kind of message does that send to your soldiers, Larry? A simple one: 'you can't get the job done, so this guy will do it for you.' A disappointment, really; anything to simply secure a victory in battle, rather than going to win a war."
Checking his fittings, Dionysus turned to the attendants, nodding in approval. "Thank you. Now, if you could fetch me my other gear, I would appreciate it." As they left, Dionysus stared daggers into the camera. "You've spent several weeks boasting about The Game Changers, your by the books IKEA-grade faction of guys who hasn't had a real challenge as a cohesive unit. Your tag specialists aren't even champions, you had to resort to helping your purchased asset into getting his belt, and you're going to sit here and say that these are the best Level Up has to offer? Need I remind you that you too did not hold a perfect record in the round robin? Only Ahmya had that distinction. And it eats at you. Oooooh, but does that eat at you. For me, it never mattered; strategic victories and losses to ensure I would get to where I need to be, remember? I had been cleared to compete at least one card ago; why else would I wait? Its simple, really; you don't like unexpected outcomes. And if you didn't like the surprise I gave you at EXP...then boy do I have a surprise for you."
Dionysus reached off-camera and pulled forward a bronze-colored shield, sliding an arm behind it to strap himself in. He held up the large shield, gesturing toward it with a free hand. "You recall I'm a fan of history, and what greater weapon of war is there than a hoplon? 24 inches in diameter, comprised of brass-plated steel...and kept in very good condition. It is my prized possession, a weapon I would carry with me often to the ring. Consider this my equalizer, my insurance, my...Big Fucking Gun, if you will. Now, the surprise isn't the shield itself. Oh no. The surprise is when and how it will be used. 'But how?!' you wonder, stumbling over your thoughts behind your two-dollar mustache. Well, if I told you how, it wouldn't be much of a secret, now would it?"
Dionysus lowered the shield, adjusting it along his arm to favor a more comfortable position. He then reached for the helmet with his free hand, tucking it under his arm. "Make no mistake. Interfering in my business will spell your end, Larry. The Game Changers are nothing more than an infection, with you as the source. Consider this the beginning of your cleansing. I have a proven record of dealing with groups of your kind, and my experience will only be matched by my fury. You stole from me. You've left me beaten and battered. But you cannot kill me. You cannot kill my spirit. Keep these words to heart, Larry. And to the rest of you. I am not here to win or lose this match." Dionysus slid the helmet onto his head, obscuring his eyes. Then quickly, with a swiftness that had yet to be seen, Dionysus brought the shield down onto the table, by its edge, splitting the table in two and sending all the pieces flying everywhere. He looked up, his eyes glowing a dangerous color of purple.
I am here to end you.