001: Una Introducción Formal

Posts : 2 Join date : 2022-08-31

He strikes a match and lights a cigar, one of the last ones from his most recent trip to his homeland. As he takes the fist puff and takes a look around his private study. Antique ebony furniture decorates the room, from the desk in front of him to the curio across the room from him. He sits back in the black leather chair and just looks at the multiple championship belts that tell of a storied career that rests on said curio. He takes a sigh and ashes the cigar before he begins to speak.

“I had thought that this last attempt at a retirement, albeit forced… would be the one that would stick.” He looks down at a picture framed and sitting on his desk: a photo of both him and a beautiful red-headed woman, both happy and in love. “Maybe next time, eh?”

He asks towards the photo with a soft laugh and another sigh.

“But the truth is, no matter how much I wanted to finally rest, a part of me would always long to return to the ring. What can I say, this business is an enchantress… and I will never be able to resist her siren song. And now, it seems that Fate herself has decided to allow me to sit at the table once again to be dealt a new hand.”

He says, leaning back and taking another puff from his cigar. He lets his hand droop next to him before he exhales slowly, letting the smoke creep from his mouth as he resumes.

“Forgive me mi ángel for once again delaying my promise…”

The man says, trailing off however almost as soon as we have silence, he begins to speak once more.

“Fate is a fickle mistress, she will always find a way to make your journey into the loving arms of her sister Death both difficult and surprising. But, with enough charm and tact, you can navigate the threads she laid out for you, and manipulate them to better suit your purposes. It is not a coincidence that Matt Miles offered me a contract to join APEX Wrestling, the same day that my doctor was convinced that I was cleared to compete once again. Fate demanded my boots be laced once again, and I simply expedited the process, so to speak.” He pauses. “It is interesting however, that the APEX World Championship now finds itself in a state of limbo… but I am not going to speculate on the reason behind it, nor am I going to give away what I intend for the future. What I am going to do, besides enjoy this fine cigar, is properly introduce myself to not only APEX Wrestling as a whole, but to the woman who will stand across the ring from me in my debut match.”

He says taking another puff from the cigar before he leans forwards and places it on a silver stand over a matching ashtray.

“I am Rafael Barrera.”

His voice is warm, yet sinister in tone, and we can see the decades of experience as well as the confidence that it allows reflecting back at us in his piercing eyes.

“Even if you do not see it, my influence spans far and wide across this industry. I have interwoven myself into the fates of many promotions, and anywhere that I have not found fealty, I have ways of keeping them under my watchful eye. I am always within reach of the pulse of this industry, and now… Fate has demanded that I once again take and control it. After all, as they say… The Devil is always watching, always scheming… and now he has turned his gaze towards you, Bianca.” He says, addressing his upcoming opponent. “Mis disculpas Bianca, I am sure a woman of your caliber has much more pressing things to tend to, than to have your time wasted by the ramblings of an old man. After all, you are The Top Tier, so I am apt to believe that in order to maintain that self-given, barely earned epithet… you must be a very busy woman. However, I do not care. You will humor me, because you are standing in the way of what I desire; and what that is, Bianca, is something far beyond what a pathetically overconfident child like you are capable of giving me. Not in your current state, anyway.”

He pauses for a second, before holding up his free hand.

“Do not twist my words, as a discredit Acere because that is far from my intention. Trust me, mija I have an uncanny eye for scouting the best and brightest talents from around the world, and I would be a fool to not admit that you are one of the most gifted young woman that I have ever had the pleasure of seeing compete; and I am well aware of the accomplishments that you have achieved in the past. You are a former world champion, after all. But your past achievements weigh just as much as the failings of your past.” He pauses, looking first at the championships across from him, before turning once more to the photo. Shaking his head, Rafael continues. “And I hope, that as someone of your purported caliber, that you would understand this…” He pauses for a second and shakes his head. “But I do not think you do, and where you stand here in APEX proves it, at least to me. Twice now, you have failed to find yourself at where you rightfully believe you deserve to be. And it is a shame, because you should be preparing to compete against Havoc’s juggernaut Judith, not finding your footing for the third time. You claim to have spent the time away from the ring rebuilding yourself, but if you have nothing to show for it then how can you truly say that you are a different woman than you were before? Your potential is boundless, beyond what you can even comprehend Bianca. It does not take a genius to see that. But you have so much left to learn, things you should already know if you truly desire to be at the pinnacle of this industry. Some of which, you should have already learned from the men and women who trained and acted as your mentor.” He lets out an exasperated sigh. “I would take you under my wing and teach you better… but I have decided I am done trying to play teacher. And let’s be honest Acere… we both know you would not respect me enough to listen anyway.”

He shrugs his shoulders.

“And why should you? Why should you listen to an old man from a bygone era, eh? How could anything I tell you help you attain what you desire most? Bianca, I have been among el primer nivel de la lucha libre since you were still wearing a school uniform.” He says with the utmost confidence in his tone, confidence that comes from over two decades of competition. He goes to continue preaching, but stops himself. He lowers his head to the side and snickers before speaking again. “But again, I realize that I might as well be speaking with the dead shouldn’t I, Bianca? At least they have the courtesy of listening… you do not care of the opinions of others, it is beneath your status… and yet here I am trying to.. Whatever you want to consider everything before this…formality, a warning… it doesn’t matter. So, let me conclude with this… You are going to fail, Bianca. Just like you failed to achieve the Next Level Championship match, just like you did when you were outclassed by Arata, to fail to claim the Sovereign Cup. Because you are unable to walk the fine thin line between pride and overconfidence. You are unable to control and manipulate this business in the way that is required of someone who claims to be what you claim to be, and as thus you will continue to waste your boundless potential. That is why you cannot give me what I am here to truly attain.” Rafael lets out a harsh, pitying laugh towards Bianca. “You are not worthy of granting it to me… so I must and will defeat you on Sunday so I can move on to find the one who is.”

Rafael leans forwards and continues.

“As I have stated, I am an old man, especially when it comes to this business, and in my first match in almost a year, I am going to humiliate you Bianca. In our match I promise you Acere, you are going to question everything that you have done to rebuild, and reinvent yourself. And when you finally have that answer, it will be too late. Because you will have become the first in APEX Wrestling to feel the warm, loving embrace of Santa Muerte.”

Rafael stands up and leaves his personal study as we fade.