MDK vs La Hormiga Verde

[Alex Smiley]

Reminder:

- Word limit for Group Stage matches is 1500.
- 1 RP per wrestler per match.
- Deadline: December 9, 2018, at 11:59PM Pacific.

[LHV]

Dragon Demonico sighed. If there was only one way to describe him, it'd be "unremarkable and a huge doodoo face" (hi Steven thank you for allowing me to use him). But that was several years ago, and I guess he's appeared in other places since then, but that was then. And this is the present day. He's arrived back at his old apartment that he used whenever he was needed for TFWF, that as it turns out after all this time he still paid for. It was just so unremarkably cheap that he never noticed it on his bank statements and absolutely shit that he likely blocked its memory from his mind, but today he's finally taking time out of his schedule to clear it out.

It was the fourth key to open the door. It always was. His keychain had far too many keys and the first three never opened it. Someday he's gonna have to clear out his keychain, remove all the ones he no longer needs. But he might accidentally get rid of something useful, so it's something that requires his fully attention, and therefore something that he'll be doing some other time.

"Man, this place is a dump." he states out loud. But it's much cleaner than he thought it'd be, in all actuality. That's something to be rather concerned about, considering he hasn't been here in five years and there's really not a speck of dust anywhere. Arguably something to be more concerned about is the loud crash that occurred on the other side of the room, and the loud slamming of a closet door, which startles Demonico to the point where he could have pissed his pants. He didn't, but he could have.

"Who's there?!" he shouts, as he fumbles his way to the wall to flick the light switch. And there he saw him, peaking out from behind the door.

"Oh, hello there." the familiar mask of La Hormiga Verde waves to Dragon Demonico from behind the door, dropping the frying pan he was holding. "Thought you were a burglar, so tried to mask presence by hiding in the closet until you got close enough to-"

Demonico is taken really aback by all of this. "Verde... what the fuck?!" he finally manages to interrupt Verde's potentially endless speech. Because that's something Verde likes to do: talk.

"Didn't have access to a better weapon." Verde explains himself, as he steps out properly into the light so Demonico can get the full view of him. He's got his green mask, but the rest of his gear is red white and blue. And he's still wearing the TFWF European Championship around his waist. "Idea of a burglar was sprung upon me too quickly to properly react. Couldn't head to my room and get the baseball bat like you recommended me to use, so I had to use the frying pan for-"

"Nonono..." Demonico cuts off Verde again before the endless talk continued. "I meant... what are you doing here?" he asks. "The last I'd heard from you outside of the obvious-" When Verde completely annihilated Dragon Demonico on the final ever TFWF show and won the TFWF European championship! "You were living with Johnny Ratson-"

"Do not speak his name around these parts." Verde is immediate to cut him off. Johnny Ratson was the tag partner that Verde began teaming with following Demonico's betrayal of Verde, but hasn't been seen since the ending of TFWF either. He was also Steven's character! "Not after... the incident."

"The incident?"

"They were all so young..." he turns his head away from Demonico instantly, not even being able to look him in the eyes. Demonico realises he might be stepping into ground that he might not be so he's about to change the subject, but Verde is the one to switch it anyway. "And then without his house, and not enough information to return to the anthill with, I had nowhere else to go so I just came back here. I wasn't sure if it was something that would work, due to me only having a vague concept on the idea of "taxes" and what I believe you call "ree-ant"; but everything seems to have worked out for me so far. Nobody questioned why I was here."

That was not meant to come off like an ant joke.

Demonico really isn't sure what to make of this situation, but perhaps it's a blessing in disguise. For you see: Demonico actually felt very bad about his betrayal of La Hormiga Verde so he could receive a push up the card due to being actually good. They were best buddies! And instead, he let him hang out with a dude with rat in his name. Perhaps this would be the perfect time to apologise to him!

"Have you really been here this entire time?" Demonico has to question first. He knows the answer. It's too clean and this dude is too much of a fucking idiot to have done anything else. But he needs that verbal confirmation.

"No sir." he shakes his head. "Sometimes I go bowling too. Made a team, and-" so the answer is yes then. Demonico sighs.

"Right." Demonico has no interest in finding out about his bowling adventures, despite the fact they're surely pretty good. "Well, then I guess you'll know better than I do then. Where's all my stuff?"

"Where you left it." Verde confirms, as he walks to Demonico's room and showcases that: yes, all of his stuff is still here. And recently cleaned, too. "Did not want to disturb your things. Thought that if you ever showed up again that may have caused more problems. Did not want more problems. Just cleaned. Just wanted to reconcile. Already took your TFWF European championship, was hoping that would have been enough for things to go back the way they were anyway. Took your time showing up again though."

Demonico looks into the room over Verde's shoulder. He nods, and places a hand on Verde's shoulder. "Thanks dude. Sorry things ended up the way they did."

Verde looks down to the championship title, completely blanking Demonico on a response. "Been waiting a while for TFWF to tell me when my first title defence is. Worried they may have forgotten about me. But they could also be holding off for a big event. How long did it take for you to get yours?"

Demonico was about to explain to La Hormiga Verde that TFWF was dead and then also the very concept of life and death, which would have been really good: however there is a 1500 word limit. So Demonico knew that that was for another promo. "You might wanna start looking for work elsewhere while you wait then. We had... open contracts."

"Oh." Verde says, not looking up. "Got this new gear for my first title defence. European colours. Got flag too. Wanted to make people prouder than you did."

Ouch! That one cuts deep. But more importantly, Demonico wants to explain to La Hormiga Verde that America is not Europe, but once again respects the 1500 word limit rule and realises once again that this is a story for another time. Way to go, Demonico! At least someone is keeping track of this.

Verde snaps his fingers to continue the promo in a different way. "Oh, but I am in that new game. I think. This came a week ago." Verde fumbles into the pocket of his wrestling gear which I guess he has, and pulls out an invitation.

Demonico just looks confused, taking the invite off of Verde and begins reading it through. It's an invitation alright, but not for a game. This was an invitation to the Super6 tournament. And it's technically for Demonico, since it's addressed to the owner of the apartment, not Verde. But...

"Oh wow, congratulations man." Demonico gives another pat on the shoulder of his twerp ant buddy. "But you uh... you see what this says, right?"

"Hm?" Verde questions, looking to the invitation once again.

"You're uh... you're meant to be in Japan for your group match. Like, right about now actually." Demonico is gonna let Verde have this because theoretically he should get out of this apartment as soon as possible and to be honest Demonico is completely fine with giving this a miss because he just read who's in Verde's group with him. Michael Thunder? Smitty? MDK??? He's fighting MDK first??? Oh shit. Okay yeah, this is something that he can miss. Maybe he can be in it next time.

"Oh, okay." Verde nods.

The two stand around.

"How do I get to Japan?" Verde finally asks.

MDK is a name that is synonymous with the Experts. He wants to manufacture his own identity once again. And he is likely going to beat the ever loving shit out of a poor little ant who doesn't even know how he's going to get to Japan. Should be fun!

[Adam Wrong]

The familiar tannoy and the constant hustle and bustle of Narita International Airport in Tokyo as a group of new arrivals make their way through customs and into the arrivals area of the heaving airport. Various people are greeting their loved ones, businessmen are shaking hands but it's one figure that stands out amongst them all is the man we are here to watch and the man who everybody at the Extreme Tournament is paying to see. A man with a bag over his shoulder and a haggard look of one who has been on a flight for the past fourteen hours. A man who is here with a point to prove and a man who the last time we encountered him was turning a corner spiritually, emotionally and morally and now we get to see him working for himself, in his comfort zone with his all new positive outlook...

M.D.K.: "Out of my way you fucking peasants..."

Never mind... He is bundling past the slow moving fellow passengers to make his way into the arrivals lounge. He narrows his eyes as he surveys the area for a sign with his name on it. He cannot see one for looking until there is a tap on his shoulder. He looks over his shoulder and then down at a diminutive Japanese gentleman in his late fifties who is holding up a sign with his name written in a western font as well as in kanji. M.D.K. looks down at the little man and snarls.

M.D.K.: "And who the fuck are you?"

Driver: "Hiroshi..."

M.D.K.: "And I take it that you are here to drive me to my hotel?"

Hiroshi: "Hiroshi."

M.D.K.: "And I gather the only word that you understand and can say in English is your name?"

The driver smiles and nods with a reply this time.

Hiroshi: "Hiroshi!"

M.D.K. sighs and shakes his head in a resigned manner as Hiroshi leads him to the car. He slumps into the back seat and lets out a huge, jet-lagged sigh as he looks to the rook of the car. The vehicle meanders its way through the Tokyo traffic as Hiroshi puts on a gaudy J-Pop playlist and jovially sings along to which M.D.K. can't help but smile as he watches the small Asian man bob up and down as he raps along. Suddenly, Hiroshi mutes the radio as his phone rings and M.D.K. listens in to the conversation with baffled amusement.

Hiroshi: "Hiroshi? Hiroshi... Hiro... Hiroshi... Shi!"

He hangs up and turns back to his passenger and nods before continuing the drive as M.D.K. pulls his phone from his pocket to see if the roaming has picked up on the Japanese signals yet. As he watches the screen, the signal kicks in and with it comes a flurry of notifications including a message from a number he hasn't heard from in a while. His inside voice at the Experts, Denise.

*Welcome to Tokyo. I trust you are in the care of Hiroshi. I am waiting at your hotel for your next briefing. DC*

He shakes his head with a rueful smile. M.D.K. honestly thought he was done with all thins and here he is with a message that makes it perfectly clear that it's not over for him by a long shot and as the car continues its journey through the busy streets of the Japanese capital, he allows his overtired eyes to close for a moment as he tries to regain some of his drained energy. As he deeps into a brief rest, a voice pipes up from beside him causing him to jump out of his skin.

?: "Are you still pursuing this blind bid to re-align your moral compass?"

M.D.K. simply looks on at the figure in amazement.

?: "Look, you have made a butt-load of money from being a selfish asshole. What good is there from this bid to regain some moral fibre?"

M.D.K.: "I..."

?: "Do you think that it will endear yourself to anybody? Do you think that these powers that be give a shit about you? Do you think they care what you do?"

M.D.K.: "They need me more than I need them or this fucking tournament..."

?: "You think that huh? Well ask yourself this, why the hell do you think they put Michael Thunder in your group? If you are the be all and end all, why did they put you in there with that fucking fossil? Wake up..."

M.D.K.: "His eyes snap open and he stares ahead with a wide-eyed and dazed look as Hiroshi is looking back at him."

Hiroshi: "HIROSHI!"

The Japanese driver points eagerly at the building which he has pulled up alongside. M.D.K. opens the car door and looks up at the hotel complex. He looks impressed as Hiroshi hands M.D.K. his luggage and assists him up the pathway to the main entrance where an immaculately dressed man holds the door for him. He steps through the door and he goes to approach the front reception but Hiroshi raises a hand and shakes his head.

Hiroshi: "Nai..."

M.D.K.: "You can say other words?"

Hiroshi: "Hai."

M.D.K.: "Is it limited to Hai, Nai and your name?"

Hiroshi: "Hai."

M.D.K.: "This is gonna be a long fucking trip..."

?: "Mr Tenegra..."

Denise Crosby stands before M.D.K. in her standard grey pant-suit. She reaches out and firmly shakes his hand.

M.D.K.: "Always a pleasure to see you..."

Crosby: "Time is of the essence and I shall make this brief. The threats to the Experts are real... very real still and that is why we have kept you and your associates on notice. We need to ensure the desirable corners of this industry have the maximised opportunities to make it through this tournament and onto greater glory."

M.D.K.: "And which side of the fence do I sit in your eyes?"

Crosby: "I'm talking to you aren't I?"

M.D.K.: "That's not an answer..."

Crosby: "I don't consider it to be a question worth validating. We gave you Jack didn't we?"

M.D.K.: "Not what I wanted, not what I deserved."

Crosby: "Do you know the motto about cake and eating it Mr Tenegra? I suggest you learn its mantra in this tournament and quickly if you want to thrive here."

M.D.K.: "Or what? You simply swap me out of these cosy conversations for Michael Thunder?"

Crosby: "I don't make threats Mr Tenegra... I simply execute actions for the greater good."

He remains silent as she reaches into a bag and tosses a file at him.

Crosby: "Challenge one for you. La Hormiga Verde... He's aware of you... and understandably scared... Go have some fun with him..."

M.D.K.: "Flattery?"

Denise is already walking off as Hiroshi shuffles up with a smile on his face.

M.D.K.: "What?"

Hiroshi hands him a room key with one hand and a large gin and tonic with the other. M.D.K. looks down at both with an impressed look on his face.

M.D.K.: "Nicely done... you can stay around."

Hiroshi smiles... and says his name once more. M.D.K. takes a mouthful of gin and smiles at Hiroshi before the smile quickly fades into a familiar scowl.

M.D.K.: "Now piss off... I have work to do."

Hiroshi bows and scurries off as M.D.K. slumps onto a sofa and tilts his head at the camera and smiles in a patronising manner.

M.D.K.: "Hello little green ant... are you ready for this? Are you ready for the longest night of your life as you step into the ring with a man whose name is synonymous with this illustrious tournament? Are you ready for a man who has defeated the biggest and the best that this tournament has had to offer in the past? The man who has been anywhere and everywhere in this company in it's present and will be the True Expert in the very near future... Are you able to handle the man who has made the biggest and the best tap out, pass out or just fail to kick out? Ask yourself something Mr Verde... are you anything other than a warm up act to allow me to find my feet and test my range in this tournament once again? Ask your self little green ant... are you anything other than truly... and utterly... INFERIOR..."

He continues to drink his gin. M.D.K. glowers at the camera as it remains fixed on him.

M.D.K.: "Now piss off... I have work to do."

The feed cuts out.