Post by C̸̣̠̑̊ŗ̸̙̔͠u̵̗̾̾Z̴̗̺̿̀e̷̛͓͕̕ on Jul 19, 2022 3:51:55 GMT
The Clinical Coup
Jason Cruze, the man better known as CruZe (don't forget the capital Z!) to the wrestling world, sat in boredom, staring at the only thing the could remotely hold anyone’s interest in a nondescript white, clinic room. His blue eyes gazed blankly at what was no doubt a re-print of a piece of artwork depicting the ocean with a single sail defying the beautiful azure sky in the background. He turned his gaze from the painting to a reflex hammer hanging on the wall. Despite knowing what the outcome would be, Jason grabbed it and began bouncing the tip off of his uncovered, metallic knee joint.
He was abruptly interrupted by a knock at the door, and subsequently, the door swinging open. Cruze tried in vein to hide the reflex instrument as an older man in a white coat with glasses on and a salt and pepper goatee made himself known.
“It’s great to see you again, Jason,” he said with a very matter-of-fact tone before walking up to Jason, reaching behind his back and taking the reflex hammer.
“Yo, Doc,” Cruze responded with goofy smile on his face as the doctor placed the reflex hammer back on the wall from which it was initially hanging.
As the doctor turned back to his patient, his attention immediately moved to Jason’s mostly uncovered legs save for the very end of the hospital gown he wore. His legs consisted mostly of various metal bells and whistle which surprisingly gave them a very realistic form. In fact, once the synthetic skin was reapplied, even the best physician would have a tough time telling the difference between his legs and the legs of someone who hadn’t lost theirs in a motorcycle accident.
The doctor stepped forward, reaching his hands out to Jason’s robotic limbs. “Well, let’s have a look,” the doctor said after wetting his lips with his tongue. He took a seat at a stool in front of the clinic bed Jason was relaxing on. “Have you been experiencing any pain at all?”
“While working out?” Cruze asked.
“While doing anything, really,” Jason’s doctor corrected.
Jason shrugged, nonchalantly. “Not really, but this won’t exactly be the first time I’ve wrestled with these legs.”
The doctor’s eyes rose behind his corrective lenses as if he was studying Cruze’s face. “And this wouldn’t be the first time I’ve recommended that you not wrestle because you have these electronic prosthetic legs,” the doctor almost scolded Jason. He then added, “These are still experimental, Jason, so they aren’t necessarily meant for the type of abuse that you put them through.”
“Look, Doc,” Cruze interjected, “I am a professional wrestler. I always have been, and I always will be until my body won’t let me anymore…”
This time the doctor interjected before Jason could even finish what he had to say, “if it weren’t for these legs, you wouldn’t be able to walk let alone kick someone.”
“Look, good money was paid for these legs so I’ll do whatever I want with ‘em,” Cruze defied. “Besides, look at it this way,” Jason said, suddenly on his high horse, “you can find out exactly what the limit of these bad boys are.” There was a toothy grin present on Cruze’s face. Jason had specifically left out the part that his first match in the company he had just signed the dotted line with would be a battle royal. This presented a bit of an issue, obviously, with the unpredictable nature of the match type. There would be a lot of potential for blind-sided attacks and other situations that might be bad for his legs, but Cruze wanted to be champion. Who doesn’t?
The doctor wasn’t quite so amused with his patient’s carefree attitude, and that was evident by the dark lines on his face as he pursed his lips. The lines made him appear older somehow. “What do I know, I’m just a doctor,” Doc retorted dryly in cliché, “Now back to my question that you didn’t quite answer. ‘Not really’ means to me that you may have been experiencing pain,, but you’re not really opening up about it. So, Have you,” he asked again with more pressure this time.
“Here and there when it gets cold, but that’s what I get for having metal prosthetic, right?”
In response, the doctor just nods quietly then adds, “Just make sure you don’t use them in high temperature situations. The cooling system on these leave a little to be desired so maybe stay away from motorcycles for now until we can come up with something better, but otherwise you should be fine. They can even withstand heavy impacts as I’m sure you’re already aware given the nature of what you do with them by your own choosing, but remember your investor probably doesn’t want to continually buy new parts for your legs so ensure that they are as protected as well as can be.”
“Will do, Doc.”
After the doctor concluded the check up, he applied the synthetic skin to Jason’s legs before he walked out to take on his other appointments. Jason, on the other hand, changed before setting up his next appointment with the receptionist and leaving the building. Out in the parking lot, he mounted his Hayabusa super bike, slipped on his helmet, and sped off into the distance. Nothing his physician could say would keep him from his daily adrenaline rush. Not even a motorcycle accident costing him both of his legs (and nearly his life) could do that. Eventually, they would find a way to put a better cooling system in his legs, but the wrestler’s love for riding motorcycles hadn’t caused him any trouble with the legs up to this point so he was unbothered by the doctor’s warnings.
The scene faded in from the WrestleVerse logo displaying “The Cybernetic” CruZe, one of the many entrants in the WrestleVerse World Championship Battle Royal. A fish in a sea of many, if you will. For a few brief moments, he stood there silently before beginning in a quieted tone.
“I’ve been through a lot of different types of matches. I’ve won a plethora of championships during my career in professional wrestling. I’ve been a tag team champion a few times. I held the SSWA Pure Championship. I represented 5BW as Trinity Wrestling’s Nomad Champion despite the fact that 5BW gives me no credit,” CruZe listed off with clear disdain on his face then added, “That’s the story of my career.”
“I get no credit for anything and I’m certainly never considered for the top title,” CruZe spat. “Through all of these accomplishments I have collected, there’s one thing I have never done: Reigned as THE champion,” said as he stood taller, reveling in the idea for a moment. “I’ve been wrestling in the main stream since I was 18-years-old, and yet I have no World title to show for it.” CruZe shook his head sullenly or was it in disgust? Anger mounting in his eyes his gaze rose to meet the camera once more answered that question. “I’m sick of that! I’m SICK of this idea that we need the biggest face in the company to hold a title!”
“In one of my first opportunities to be the man of a wrestling organization, my spot in the World Championship finals was given away because a bigger name was signed to the organization, and I was asked to give up my spot that I rightfully won. That won’t ever, EVER happen again because it wasn’t long after that I realized I should only look out for one man: Numero Uno,” CruZe exclaimed as his jabbed a thumb into his own chest. “Never again will I stand aside as someone else gets MY spot! That’s why I am the most dangerous man in the battle royal at Eternal 1. I have a lot of anger and pinned up aggression, and despite what the rest of the idiots in that match think, they don’t really want that title bad enough to go through the horrors I’m willing to put them through to win! To call myself the WrestleVerse World Champion!”
“In all reality, Danny Powers should just recognize my skill and talent and just hand me that WrestleVerse World title, but instead he figured he would book his first champion by making me go through who knows how many other scrubs by the time the show starts,” CruZe said while shaking his head. The idea of a battle royal clearly had him very upset. “These battle royals are unfair to everyone especially the title they are fought for because you never really know if the best man or woman will come out of it. There’s always a chance that some stupid idiot accidentally finds themself hoisting the gold at the end. But, not this time, because I WILL stack the odds in my favor!”
“Don’t believe me? Just wait until Eternal 1, you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about.”
“A top championship should always be held by the very best a company has to offer, and you will all soon recognize that I am that person. I may not be the strongest; Hell, I may not even be the fastest in the WrestleVerse locker room, but I will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that I AM the smartest and, ultimately, the very damn BEST! And, that’s why, in the end, all hope for anyone else in that battle royal will die as they fly over the top rope, and are forced to bear witness from the sideline to the crowning of a new king of professional wrestling!”
“And that’s exactly what will happen in the WrestleVerse at the very first episode of Eternal. I don’t care how large this battle royal for the WrestleVerse World title becomes. I don’t care how many bones or rules I have to break; I don’t care how many skulls I have to cave in with my feet, but my dry streak comes to an abrupt end as I glitch the system and become the King of the WrestleVerse!”
“And, WHEN that drought ends, I will lead WrestleVerse into prosperity for the rest of eternity,” CruZe proclaimed with his arm stretched out toward the sky.
As his arms lowered once more, his eyes leveled with the camera again and pointed a single finger at the lens, “You will all hail the glitch in the system as I, CruZe, reign as THE champion!”
A disturbing smirk on CruZe’s face is the last thing we would see as the scene faded to black.
