Gabriel Tuck is lying on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance as Hehehe and Esmeralda von Krauss sit with him. The remaining EMT and Hahaha are riding up front.
Gabriel groans in pain. His ribs had been broken by Father Nathan’s heart punch. This was after they had been fractured by Steve Murdock in the match before. He coughs a bloody froth, representing that shards of ribcage had pierced his lungs and maybe more.
Gabriel Tuck - I thought that…my bones were unbreakable.
Esmeralda von Krauss - Oh, dahling. That was a side effect of my soul-fuelled blood. The ancient power that flows through my veins was in you for a time and your bones would not break. After a time though, the power wanes until you get a fresh dose.
Gabriel appears revulsed as he regards Esmeralda.
Gabriel Tuck - I drank your blood? Are you a vampire? Was I a ghoul?
Esmeralda laughs a little and contemplates lighting an Egyptian cigarette, but then notices that the oxygen supplies are inside the ambulance with her and changes her mind. Instead, she puts the cigarette back into a golden case and puts it back into a wristlet.
Esmeralda von Krauss - Since gods know when, Armand and I have been jailors of unspeakable evils. The souls that power the locks also power us to be able to keep us on as jailors forever. I passed some of that power onto you, just as the Kharnival corrupts the lost children who stray from their parents into monsters to continue to grow and change the show.
Gabriel Tuck tries to sit up, but scrunches his face up in unimaginable pain and lays back down.
Gabriel Tuck - And that blood can save me from surgery?
Esmeralda von Krauss - Yes, dahling. Of course it can!
Gabriel Tuck - Then, could you save my life?
Esmeralda looks down with a predatory smile. She knows that she has him. She places two fingers above Gabriel’s heart, causing him to sit as still as he can.
Esmeralda von Krauss - I could end it now. Kill you for your betrayal. You sided with Rob Riot against your adopted parents.
Gabriel Tuck - Then do it. If I’m of so little value, kill me and be done with it.
Esmerald sighs and withdraws her hand.
Esmeralda von Krauss - Become a valuable asset once again. You know that Rob Riot was only using you. Help Viktor Kriegson shame him in his match against Rob Riot. I’ll rejuvenate you as payment. Join the nKo, dahling. I think I would like you to tag up with Trelisa Perrault.
Gabriel seems to think things through. If he refuses and Esmeralda doesn’t just kill him out of spite, he would have to go through surgery to remove the bone shards and then deal with the damage. He could be out of the ring forever. Or…a simple sample of blood in exchange for humiliating a man who helped him.
Gabriel Tuck - No deal, Esmeralda. Rob Riot stands by me.
Esmeralda von Krauss - No. Rob Riot stands by Eddie Williams and Frank Windsor, even above Valora Salinas. It seems all of their contracts are coming to an end and they have refused to sign new contracts without…what did Valora call it? A fuckton of money. We have refused to pay them and they are leaving the company. Viktor Kriegson against Rob Riot is his final match with us. They have left you behind, dahling.
Gabriel Tuck - And their 4WW holdings?
Esmeralda von Krauss - They are done.
Gabriel frowns, gritting his teeth.
Gabriel Tuck - I’ll join with the nKo. I’ll help humiliate Rob Riot. I don’t believe he didn’t at least tell me what was up! I’ll do what it takes.
Esmeralda von Krauss - Good! Now this doesn’t taste the best, but it will heal you and grant you the power you were always meant to have since joining the Kharnival.
Esmeralda takes out a small ornate silver dagger and slices open the palm of her hand. She forms it into a fist and squeezes the hand over Gabriel’s mouth as a small stream of nearly black blood trickles out of her hand and into his mouth.
Within seconds, Gabriel lets out a roar of pain as bone fragments move back into place and are once again whole, and tears in organs are repaired. He lets out a sigh of relief as the pain fades into a general feeling of well-being.
Esmeralda leans in close with a smile.
Esmeralda von Krauss - You belong to me, now.
Gabriel feels his chest and shrugs.
Gabriel Tuck - I guess it’s nice to be wanted.
After arriving at the hospital, whole and healthy, and Esmeralda paying off EMTs to not press assault charges, Gabriel Tuck is in an Uber on his way back to the arena to get his motorcycle and his personal belongings. He is alone as Esmeralda and the twins ordered a limo to take them to the hotel where they are staying. The Uber driver, Steve, looks into the rearview mirror.
Steve - You’ve been quiet and a huge tipper. You own a business?
Gabriel Tuck - I do not. My boss…ordered the Uber. She’s a healthy tipper.
Steve - You know it. With this fare, I can take the next couple of months off easy.
Gabriel Tuck - Damn. She tipped that much?
Steve - She did. Why do you seem so glum with having such a rich boss?
Gabriel Tuck - Let me answer that with a riddle. You are on a train and there’s a switch coming up. If you keep going straight, you’ll demolish five people tied to the tracks. If you hit the switch, you’ll just demolish one. What do you choose?
Steve - I guess that I would choose the one over the five.
Gabriel Tuck - Working for Esmeralda and Armand von Krauss is realizing that the track will loop back to take all of those on the tracks so your choice doesn’t matter in the end.
Steve - That’s horrific! Why kill all six?
Gabriel Tuck - They say that it’s a necessary sacrifice. A means to an end.
Steve - That’s horrible. I’m sorry that you have monsters for bosses.
Gabriel Tuck - I know. I can’t believe that after having a taste of freedom that I’ve gone back to them. I left them once, you know, and I took up arms against them. I had an ally, but he forgot me. He used me to make a point and then nothing. No support. I stood alone against the night. I brought him a new ally. One with financial backing that could have helped banish Armand forever, but he chose to ignore it. Now, he and his real allies are leaving the company. They wanted more money and were defeated by a simple no.
Gabriel slams his fist into his other hand.
Gabriel Tuck - I’m going to make him pay. I’m going to make him suffer for what he did.
Steve - Are we talking about this Armand guy?
Gabriel Tuck - No. We are talking about Rob Riot! His final match is against Viktor Kriegson and I’m going to make sure that he goes out on his back. It’s going to be a devastating loss that he slinks off into retirement with.
Steve - You are one vindictive dude. I dig it, man.
It isn’t much longer before they arrive at the arena and Gabriel gets out of the car and goes into the building. He is met at the door by Jeremiah Vastrix, who walks with him to the locker room where Gabriel’s street clothes and such are being stored.
Jeremiah Vastrix - I heard that you were hurt badly during the course of the match. How is it that you’re back?
Gabriel doesn’t even look at Jeremiah as he walks through the hallways on his way to the locker room.
Gabriel Tuck - I got better. Look, you need to split, man. Go back to Hong Kong.
Jeremiah Vastrix - Your next opponent is Eoin O’Rourke. Wait, you want me to go? I thought that we were friends?
Gabriel stops walking and turns to face Jeremiah.
Gabriel Tuck - Look. You were a means to an end. Rob Riot is leaving. There is no war left to have. You are alone. I am not your friend, so go away.
Jeremiah Vastrix - And if I don’t go?
Gabriel Tuck - Everyone has left. Security is just the on site security. Maybe what, two people? You won’t last against me. No one will come help you.
Jeremiah Vastrix - You saying that you’ll fight me? After you risked life and limb to save my life? I don’t believe it.
Gabriel places both hands against Jeremiah’s chest and shoves, slamming Jeremiah partly into the wall from pushing so hard. Gabriel blinks at the enhanced strength. He seems like he might want to say something, anything, to see if Jeremiah was alright, but his expression hardens.
Gabriel Tuck - Stay down. It’s for the best.
Gabriel begins walking again, heading for the locker room with a deliberate pace. Jeremiah pulls himself out of the drywall and brushes himself off.
Jeremiah Vastrix - Are you kidding me? Look here!
Jeremiah catches up with Gabriel and grabs him by the shoulder from behind. He spins Gabriel around and takes a wild swing for Gabriel’s jaw, but Gabriel ducks and sinks a hard right hand into Jeremiah’s midsection to double the taller man over. He grabs Jeremiah by the back of the head and sends him face-first into the wall, going through it again so that Jeremiah is in the wall to his head and shoulders.
Jeremiah struggles to get himself out of the wall and Gabriel watches him for a moment before dropkicking him in the back to send him deeper into the wall. A security guard arrives on the scene, breathless.
Security Guard - What’s…going…on…here?
Gabriel Tuck - This man attacked me. See that he exits the building.
Security Guard - I called the police. They’ll take him out in cuffs. Good job defending yourself against this monster.
Gabriel Tuck - Thanks. I’m going to take a shower and get my stuff. That alright?
Security Guard - Sure. I mean, everyone else is gone, but it should be alright. No one else should bug you.
Gabriel Tuck - Thank you.
Not long later, Gabriel is showered and with a towel around his waist as he walks to his locker and begins to get out his street clothing to get dressed. He gets out his set of PIE brass knuckles and turns them over in his hand while sitting down.
Gabriel Tuck - You know, Eoin. Our feud began when I used these brass knuckles to serve you up the PIE in the face because you were fucking with Troy Reynolds. You took offense at someone giving a fuck and getting into your business. We meet again. I just took down your wife not long ago. I guess it’s high time that I took you down too.
Gabriel slides the brass knuckles onto his right hand and throws a few practice punches in the air, imagining that he’s broken Rob Riot’s jaw with a punch.
Gabriel Tuck - I’m sure our upcoming match isn’t personal. You want to make an impact when coming back into the company and I’m heading toward getting into the Elite title division coming up at Lunar Warfare. Let’s make things interesting, Eoin.
Gabriel sets the brass knuckles down and the towel next to it so that he can begin getting dressed.
Gabriel Tuck - You beat me, fair and square in that ring, Eoin, you can have my spot against Kara Reinhardt in the Elite title madness match. I don’t think that you will beat me, but you can try.
Gabriel finishes dressing and packs his ring gear into his bag and heads out to the parking lot where his motorcycle is waiting for him. Jeremiah’s bike is gone as he would have expected.
Gabriel Tuck - Guess I’m the bad guy again. Welp, better make the most of it.
He puts away his bag and mounts up. The scene fades as he rides off into the distance.
