Description: Beaten and broken the once proud Adon has become. Once again the rather strange Johann makes his presence known that there is some information that the beaten fighter might find very interesting. It seems the Devil's Tournament might get a bit more interesting.
Failure.
Adon lays on the hospital bed, his first waking thought. He could still hear the crowds in his head. Praising the winner. For a moment, only so long ago, Adon felt like he was on top of the world. The greatest world warrior. The true Emperor of Muay Thai. Groaning, he tries to move his jaw. The sharp pain told him that it was still, at least for now, broken. Everything felt like it was broken. Arms. Ribs. Spirit.
Loser.
The Emperor also noticed that, as he tried to raise his hands, he was strapped down. To keep him in place? Or to keep an enranged wildcat down, to protect the nurses. His reputation had proceeded him. The visions of the room begin to swirl in. THe beeping of the EKG. The greenish-white walls. The sharp scent of bleach. The empty tables, set aside for gifts, for presents. But Adon knew there was nothing for him. There was nothing for washed-up kings in the world, except lonely, desperate fantasies of lost power. Adon had nothing in his heart now, no rage.
Just defeat.
No visitors and no one seemingly nearby. It is quiet aside from the beeping. It is like they just put him in the room and forgotten about him. The boisterous fighter looking like a shell of his former self as he lays there. Of course when a man is at his weakest is when it is a perfect time to strike. To comfort and console. To gain their trust and in the end perhaps gain so much more. Adon is not a smart man by any means, but under proper control he could be useful. If Johann could make that dumb sack of muscle Abobo work for him he could easily get Adon to do some dirty deeds. He just has to pick the right time to bring him in.
Now is not yet the time, but perhaps something can be said to help Adon. To restore that fire he needs before he might do something rash and change his outlook on life. He may even hear the sound of footsteps coming closer. Finally someone to see him? As Adon's vision starts to fully recover it is once again the red haired man that talked him into joining this tournament. A man he could easily blame for all what is going on. Is here to tease and rub it in his face. He just seems to have a calm look about him as he looks down at the fallen fighter. He is once again dressed in a fine suit and wearing leather gloves as he moves to take a seat where he remains silent for some time.
"Fools, all of them. No one here to cheer a man that has been cheated. Where they should shower you with adoration and gifts for being so brave they ignore you. People really are a vicious lot, aren't they?" he asks finally as he sits back in his chair and just stares towards Adon, that sly smile playing across his features. "Even worse the organizers have been against you all along."
Of course Johann would be showing up.
Adon is nothing but a dying heap of embers When his vision focuses, he sees the red-haired benefactor. Another reflect of failure. Failure to learn anything meaningful about Akuma. Groaning, he tries to rise up... but remains strapped down. Helpless to the stranger, he simply lies there. Listening. When his honeyed words seep into the Emperor's mind, he finally responds.
"Of course they were."
"First Ryu, the Sagat? It is obvious what they wanted. But it was what I wanted." Funny how he doesn't bring up Aranha. Looking away from Johann, he snaps out, still weak from the fight.
"What do you want."
There is a look of amusement on his face as he just quietly listens and watches. He seems to be taking his sweet time in giving any sort of response. Perhaps it was better to have had an empty room than to have to share it with a man like this. "Help you get revenge of course. It is the proper retribution." that smile of his becomes more sinister as lightly steeples his fingers and remains relaxed back in his seat. For being dressed so formal his posture is very much a lazy one. "You haven't been the only busy be since this has started."
He hmms a bit and tilts his head. "So I managed to make a friend among the organization that has decided to hold this tournament. Interesting things have started to be leaked to me." he explains. Really he doubts Adon cares, but at the same time something said may cause a spark inside the broken fighter. Much like Amy he is so fragile now so he should be careful. Not that he is worried for his own safety. More so if Adon is crazy enough to try and break free from his bed to attack. "It seems our dear friend Akuma isn't involved at all."
He lets that hang there for a few moments and he slowly rises back to his feet as he steps over closer to the bed. "Adon, they are making fools of everyone. Even more so you than anyone. Do you really want them to get away with that?"
Akuma wasn't involved?
The Emperor turns back over. Johann now had his attention. "So this entire Devil's Tournament... was nothing more than a fraud?" The Emperor hisses to himself. "Then why the charade? Who would be stupid enough to draw out the world warriors only to trick them? Rugal? Vega? Urien?! Did Geese survive another fall?" Adon was dropping the usual suspects for fake tournaments, it seems. Still, skeptism was on the wounded Emperor's face. Johann DID pay him... but Adon had failed. And now he was turning to him for a small favor? Adon wasn't stupid, and with his ego soundly destroyed, his pride was too weak to blind him. He asks Johann a piercing question, trying to tear into the heart of it.
"How do I know you aren't just tricking me? What proof do you have?"
It is true. What sort of proof could Johann offer? The man still has never even given Adon his name and yet he has given the man alot of money and even paid several people to show up as supporters for one of the fights. It just seems too much for even the most eccentric of men. "That is the main problem." he admits as he gives a helpless shrug. "While I have been able to find out it isn't Akuma I am not sure who it could be." He then seems amused by the names being listed off. "Oh I don't think Vega will be doing anything for awhile, do you?" he asks. Of course that still does leave several others as likely culprits.
He leans over and rests his hands on the bed as he brings his face very close to Adon's. Those eyes of his are piercing as he just stares for a few long moments. "Do you seriously think someone with power like Akuma would hold something like this? If he wants someone I am sure he would show up and challenge them. This is why I wanted you to enter. Granted I wanted you to win so we could find out who was behind it together, but now we will just have to make the organizers pay. Pay for making a fool out of you and making money from it." He straightens back up and adjusts his jacket some.
"If you don't want to believe me that is fine. I just feel like you have been wronged and what better way to get back at them than to ruin their own little tournament?" he asks and gives that wry smile once more. "You can reveal to the world that this was all a scam and you will come out looking great. The people will love you for it."
Devoid of proof, Adon should just say no.
But he couldn't resist the draw of the red-haired man.
Slowly and surely, the Emperor was beginning to get pulled into Johann's plotting. Opportunity was filling his head. Right now, Adon really felt like he had nothing. No fame. No glory. Just broken pieces of a lost tournament. But if the tournament was proven to be nothing but a fraud... then his losses... their victories could also be proven worthless. By the time Johann ceases his pitch, the broken Jaguar stammers out a response.
"I... I could."
Adon tries again to rise up, as if by instinct. "There were fools to insult me, and the others. But if I could prove thatwe were all tricked... I might be able to salvage what little public respect I have. Yes, stranger. But where would I begin? Where would the trail begin? Wouldn't you use a detective, preferably one suited to find watches, to get on this case?"
Adon was woefully oblivious of the fourth wall.
Ahh, and there it was. He knew it would be rather easy to draw him into it. He even manages to keep a straight face at the mention of a detective that has a fondness of finding watch thieves all for the sake of boobs. "Yes, we do need to find some sort of proof. I think I can handle that part. We don't need to find out who the big name is behind it all afterall. We just need to get the proper paperwork to show that this is all a way to scam fans and fighters for the sake of making profit." Yes, perhaps Sonia will have a job to do after he thinks things over.
He does seem to get something of an idea, though. He hmms and nods. "But perhaps there is something you can do. You have been wronged by them. Why not wrong them by ruining their matches?" he says while he looks at the straps that hold the fighter down. He looks to work at them and get them loosened so if Adon chooses he can finally sit up. Is it something safe to do? Probably not for Adon, but loosening a few straps isn't going to put Johann in any sort of danger. Adon is in his clutches again and he has no worries now.
After undoing the straps he steps away and drops back down onto his seat. "Why not crash as many as you can? Who is going to stop you? Fans will boo at a ruined fight and want their money back and when things are revealed as a hoax you can be viewed as a man trying to stop the fighters from scamming people without knowing."
Had Adon learned nothing?
Well, he had learned something. As the title of Emperor became more and more defaced, he had less and less holding him back. He thinks on how all the other fighters thought of him. The cupcakes. All the cupcakes. All he would have to do is ruin the matches. But how? And who?
As the straps are loosened, Adon gingerly rises back up.
Rubbing his arms softly, he looks at Johann with blearly eyes. Every word hurt. But he still struggled. "You do know that they won't let me on. But... I am sure that isn't a problem for you." Adon knew that Johann was powerful enough to make it happen for the Emperor. "I will do this.... but I need... a favor from you."
"Have you seen that stupid cupcake crowd?"
A favor? Just what sort of trivial thing will Adon ask of him? It is something that will be simple he is sure, but the fact he might have to use some extra resources to appease the Muay Thai fighter is a bit bothersome. The things he does to recruit someone. It is almost like working for a college sports administration at times. Giving spoiled kids things for services. "Oh you getting in will not be a problem. Be sure of that." he says, but then he tilts his head as he just slowly nods. "I have. Some people have too much time on their hands."
He sits up a bit more in his seat as he leans on an armrest and puts his chin on a closed fist as he just idly watches Adon move. Quite a pathetic sight really. He will probably look this bad after each fight he has to interrupt too he thinks to himself. "Are you asking me to ban them? I can paper a crowd for you, but stopping people from bring baked goods to a fight is a bit silly." he tells him in case that is just what Adon wants. "Besides, would that crowd be there if they didn't know you were going to show up? You are going to be a surprise afterall."
Adon was a bit of a prima donna... and unlike his hulking counterpart, a great deal more unpredicable. The KOF was evidence of it; Adon was on the Shadaloo team, and yet, spent most of the tournament sulking in solitary. If Johann wanted Adon, he would have to learn how to cope with an egomanical Muay Thai Genius.
But the payoff might be worth it.
Adon felt pathetic, though ruining the others fights were up his ally. "No, no. I don't want them banned. They should be destroyed for what they did. But I can't do it myself. Quon.. Quon has taken upon himself to publically humilate me at every venue. I thought if I could stomp him into dust, it would frighten him... it instead only seemed to strength his resolve. Those cupcake people are clearly influence by them. I don't want them banned, no."
"I want them out of the picture."
So it is a bit more than he thought. He listens to the request and he hust idly drums the fingers of his free hand on the armrest before finally sitting up. "That is alot of people to have removed. I will consider what I could do." He certainly hopes that Adon doesn't want the cupcakes removed. That is even a strange request that the red haired man would find a bit too much. He can play a good game, but even the best talkers often have their limits.
He shakes his head as he rises to his feet. "Just interrupt those fights. I will find out more on who is behind this as much as I can. It is time for you to get your payback and make them realize it was a grave mistake for making you look like a fool." With that being said he starts to head out of the room. He pauses at the doorway and he then gives a another sly grin as he looks over his shoulder. "Now get your rest. You have alot of work to do now." There is a soft chuckle from him as he turns back away and soon all that is heard are fading footsteps that soon are gone as well.
Adon was tired. Being beaten by the two former world champions back to back took a lot of the Emperor. Laying back down, he just scowls at Johann. "Beat them up. Scatter them! I don't care. I want people to stop mocking me. I just want to be..." The Emperor yawns. "The best..." Shutting his eyes, he lays back, moaning. "I will ruin things... soon enough." Adon was laying down. Still broken. Still reflective. But a smirk forms on his face. He would be again, soon enough, but a world legend.
But he would have to begin by bringing everything down.
Log created on 20:06:34 05/10/2012 by Johann, and last modified on 23:05:57 05/10/2012.