Post by Leo on Jan 15, 2024 22:26:21 GMT -5
The sounds of a roaring crowd bounce off cement walls. A strong, confident figure leans against one of the life-infused walls. The noise dies. He lowers his head. He waits. He waits. It becomes eerily silent. The calm before the storm.
And then a loud ‘bang’ followed by a huge roar! The walls seem to shake.
The man raises his head and smiles, visibly intoxicated by the atmosphere.
“Mr. Levitt!” a voice calls, grabbing his attention. He breaks from his fixation and nods in the voice’s direction.
“He’s here.”
Travis Levitt, pro wrestling star and TRIAD hopeful, nods and steps forward, following a skinny, assertive man wearing a shirt with the TRIAD logo.
He leads Travis into a backstage room.
Four large security guards sporting shirts with a lion and the letter ‘L’ surround a metal object that can best be described as a futuristic, upright coffin. Travis wears a look of confusion.
“The Leo is inside,” the TRIAD employee nods, motioning toward the security team. They unlock the upper side of this futuristic coffin and open the head of it revealing Leo!
He’s resting comfortably inside. A large cloud of smoke releases as Leo’s eyes open and he smiles, looking over at Travis.
“Like it?” he asks, smiling. All that’s visible is his head. The rest of his body is enclosed in the futuristic coffin. “It’s a portable cryo chamber. I’m using it to maintain my focus and awareness for these upcoming Trials. It’s very expensive and not for everybody if you are curious about trying it.”
Travis takes a step closer, head tilted to look the chamber over and then back at Leo, a small wry smile crossing his lips as he stares at Leo. “I think I’m good. How’s it working for you though? Getting a lot of sleep in?”
“Like a baby!” he announces, proudly before doing a double take. “Except for pissing my pants. I’ve never done that. Never ever…” A bit of an awkward silence follows, “Soo…I just thought I’d let you know, in case you were thinking about breathing fire…this cryo chamber should protect me.”
There’s a beat. Travis looks both confused and doubtful regarding Leo’s statement. Leo picks up on it and looks to his bodyguards, “Right? This will protect me from a fire-breathing dragon?”
The bodyguard sighs and looks down at Leo, “Your safety in the event of a fire-breathing dragon cannot be guaranteed by the cryo chamber, majesty.”
“Shit.” Leo shifts around, uncomfortably, “Can’t trust anything these days, can you?” He sighs and refocuses, “Ah well, just don’t breathe any fire on me, okay my guy?”
“Well, I don’t really breathe fire Leo,” Travis says with a small smile, hand reaching up to tease his jaw briefly, eyes flickering over the cryo chamber Leo is in, and then at the suffering bodyguard with a wry smile. “I mean, find me after some Indian, it might smell like I do but…..”
Travis shrugs gently and then leans slightly forward with his eyes watching Leo. “But, I can’t help but notice you’re trapped in a cryo chamber. Perfectly unable to duck. And I do spit a mean fireball, so….” Travis stares for just a moment longer but then smiles and leans back, taking a step away with a chuckle. “Don’t worry though Leo. I save those for people that piss me off.”
“Well,” Leo laughs nervously, “it’s a good thing we’re bros, right?” He tries to dap Levitt up but his arms are restrained by the chamber so he struggles around for a bit before turning to his bodyguard. The bodyguard sighs and extends a fist to dap Travis. “Bros before hos, my man!” Leo exclaims.
“Accept the dap and I’ll move you up my draft board, Traverino. I’ve got my eye on you…that’s why I’m here. Most of these enlisters are familiar…but you, totally unknown. Like Alexander Raven in the Bravery Trials. You might be the ‘ace in the hole’ your boy is looking for…”
Travis looks at the fist from the bodyguard, his eyes glancing over at Leo and then at the bodyguard. He can’t help but meet the bodyguard's eyes with a sympathetic look. “Questioning how much this job is worth it some days, huh?”
Travis reaches out to dap his fist with the bodyguards and then turns his gaze back to Leo. “I’m glad you reached out. These trials sound like they're going to be dangerous, but I’m looking forward to it. And if I can help some team get the win, all the better.”
Travis pauses for a moment as he watches Leo squirm a little and tilts his head slightly. “And maybe I’m unknown for now, but that won’t last. Whatever team drafts me is definitely getting a boost. Because this….” Travis waves around him at the arena they are in, the din of the crowd quieter but still just hearable over the hum of the cryo chamber.
“This is my world. Wrestling is my life. I love getting between those ropes or just finding a new fight. That's what I’m looking forward to most in the Wit Trial. Testing myself against all the other people who sign up. And showing them all what happens when you face The Dragon.”
“Ya know,” Leo squirms like he’s trying to scratch something. He smiles, “Ah, there we go.” He sighs, “Where was I? Oh yea. You know…we let a dragon in once and he nearly torched the whole thing to the ground. We had a second dragon enlist and he fell short winning the Tribulations. What makes you the strongest of the three dragons?”
Travis considers the question for a moment, arms crossing over his chest before he smiles gently. “There are a lot of Dragons in wrestling, I’ll give you that. Some people just like the name. Some try to claim it as a superpower. I admit to using it more to describe what I’m like. I’m quiet unless provoked. I have an inner fire that can’t be quenched. And I also spit some mean fireballs.”
He grins at that, giving himself a small shrug as he does. “How that separates me from the others? I’m not sure. What I will say is, I know that I’m ready for this. I won’t fail. And the only people at risk of being burnt down, are those that doubt me or cross me.”
“Well, the only fireballs that go in or out of my mouth come from a delicious glass bottle. Maybe we’ll do a few at the Draft Party if ya know what I’m saying. If you can pledge yourself to The Leo then…well, you just might be Team Leo material.”
“Pledge?” Travis’s eyebrow arches as he watches Leo intently for a moment. Staring at the man for a moment before he shakes his head. “You were a Frat boy. Weren’t you? Some kind of Delta Ganna frat? Hazing newbies. Drinking and partying your way through college. Sounds like it must have been fun. College sounds like it must be one hell of a party.”
Travis grins as he speaks all this but suddenly his voice drops. “But I never did that. Because while others went to college, I wrestled. While others hit the books, I was breaking glass bottles over Joey NOX. While you were practicing the conga, I was studying the tapes, making sure I knew my opponents inside and out.”
Travis’s tone is building, his voice becoming filled with fire and emotion. “My point is simple, if you’re looking for someone to have fun with. Someone to pledge and act like this is a game, close your chamber up and move on. But if you want the best? If you want the man willing to fight, scratch, and claw for every inch in these trials, then take me. Draft me. And you won’t ever forget it.”
Travis pauses for a moment as the crowd noise increases, The Dragon looks towards the exit and then back at Leo with a calm smile again. “Seems like my people are calling me. I’ll see you at the draft party, Leo. Enjoy your chamber.” And with that, The Dragon heads for the door.
Leo smiles, “I guess we learned two things tonight. First, dragons do breathe fire. Second? This cryo chamber is FREEZING…quick, get your boy back to his limo so I can get out of here and warm up!” Hurriedly, they spin Leo around and wheel him through the backstage area, toward his limo.
And then a loud ‘bang’ followed by a huge roar! The walls seem to shake.
The man raises his head and smiles, visibly intoxicated by the atmosphere.
“Mr. Levitt!” a voice calls, grabbing his attention. He breaks from his fixation and nods in the voice’s direction.
“He’s here.”
Travis Levitt, pro wrestling star and TRIAD hopeful, nods and steps forward, following a skinny, assertive man wearing a shirt with the TRIAD logo.
He leads Travis into a backstage room.
Four large security guards sporting shirts with a lion and the letter ‘L’ surround a metal object that can best be described as a futuristic, upright coffin. Travis wears a look of confusion.
“The Leo is inside,” the TRIAD employee nods, motioning toward the security team. They unlock the upper side of this futuristic coffin and open the head of it revealing Leo!
He’s resting comfortably inside. A large cloud of smoke releases as Leo’s eyes open and he smiles, looking over at Travis.
“Like it?” he asks, smiling. All that’s visible is his head. The rest of his body is enclosed in the futuristic coffin. “It’s a portable cryo chamber. I’m using it to maintain my focus and awareness for these upcoming Trials. It’s very expensive and not for everybody if you are curious about trying it.”
Travis takes a step closer, head tilted to look the chamber over and then back at Leo, a small wry smile crossing his lips as he stares at Leo. “I think I’m good. How’s it working for you though? Getting a lot of sleep in?”
“Like a baby!” he announces, proudly before doing a double take. “Except for pissing my pants. I’ve never done that. Never ever…” A bit of an awkward silence follows, “Soo…I just thought I’d let you know, in case you were thinking about breathing fire…this cryo chamber should protect me.”
There’s a beat. Travis looks both confused and doubtful regarding Leo’s statement. Leo picks up on it and looks to his bodyguards, “Right? This will protect me from a fire-breathing dragon?”
The bodyguard sighs and looks down at Leo, “Your safety in the event of a fire-breathing dragon cannot be guaranteed by the cryo chamber, majesty.”
“Shit.” Leo shifts around, uncomfortably, “Can’t trust anything these days, can you?” He sighs and refocuses, “Ah well, just don’t breathe any fire on me, okay my guy?”
“Well, I don’t really breathe fire Leo,” Travis says with a small smile, hand reaching up to tease his jaw briefly, eyes flickering over the cryo chamber Leo is in, and then at the suffering bodyguard with a wry smile. “I mean, find me after some Indian, it might smell like I do but…..”
Travis shrugs gently and then leans slightly forward with his eyes watching Leo. “But, I can’t help but notice you’re trapped in a cryo chamber. Perfectly unable to duck. And I do spit a mean fireball, so….” Travis stares for just a moment longer but then smiles and leans back, taking a step away with a chuckle. “Don’t worry though Leo. I save those for people that piss me off.”
“Well,” Leo laughs nervously, “it’s a good thing we’re bros, right?” He tries to dap Levitt up but his arms are restrained by the chamber so he struggles around for a bit before turning to his bodyguard. The bodyguard sighs and extends a fist to dap Travis. “Bros before hos, my man!” Leo exclaims.
“Accept the dap and I’ll move you up my draft board, Traverino. I’ve got my eye on you…that’s why I’m here. Most of these enlisters are familiar…but you, totally unknown. Like Alexander Raven in the Bravery Trials. You might be the ‘ace in the hole’ your boy is looking for…”
Travis looks at the fist from the bodyguard, his eyes glancing over at Leo and then at the bodyguard. He can’t help but meet the bodyguard's eyes with a sympathetic look. “Questioning how much this job is worth it some days, huh?”
Travis reaches out to dap his fist with the bodyguards and then turns his gaze back to Leo. “I’m glad you reached out. These trials sound like they're going to be dangerous, but I’m looking forward to it. And if I can help some team get the win, all the better.”
Travis pauses for a moment as he watches Leo squirm a little and tilts his head slightly. “And maybe I’m unknown for now, but that won’t last. Whatever team drafts me is definitely getting a boost. Because this….” Travis waves around him at the arena they are in, the din of the crowd quieter but still just hearable over the hum of the cryo chamber.
“This is my world. Wrestling is my life. I love getting between those ropes or just finding a new fight. That's what I’m looking forward to most in the Wit Trial. Testing myself against all the other people who sign up. And showing them all what happens when you face The Dragon.”
“Ya know,” Leo squirms like he’s trying to scratch something. He smiles, “Ah, there we go.” He sighs, “Where was I? Oh yea. You know…we let a dragon in once and he nearly torched the whole thing to the ground. We had a second dragon enlist and he fell short winning the Tribulations. What makes you the strongest of the three dragons?”
Travis considers the question for a moment, arms crossing over his chest before he smiles gently. “There are a lot of Dragons in wrestling, I’ll give you that. Some people just like the name. Some try to claim it as a superpower. I admit to using it more to describe what I’m like. I’m quiet unless provoked. I have an inner fire that can’t be quenched. And I also spit some mean fireballs.”
He grins at that, giving himself a small shrug as he does. “How that separates me from the others? I’m not sure. What I will say is, I know that I’m ready for this. I won’t fail. And the only people at risk of being burnt down, are those that doubt me or cross me.”
“Well, the only fireballs that go in or out of my mouth come from a delicious glass bottle. Maybe we’ll do a few at the Draft Party if ya know what I’m saying. If you can pledge yourself to The Leo then…well, you just might be Team Leo material.”
“Pledge?” Travis’s eyebrow arches as he watches Leo intently for a moment. Staring at the man for a moment before he shakes his head. “You were a Frat boy. Weren’t you? Some kind of Delta Ganna frat? Hazing newbies. Drinking and partying your way through college. Sounds like it must have been fun. College sounds like it must be one hell of a party.”
Travis grins as he speaks all this but suddenly his voice drops. “But I never did that. Because while others went to college, I wrestled. While others hit the books, I was breaking glass bottles over Joey NOX. While you were practicing the conga, I was studying the tapes, making sure I knew my opponents inside and out.”
Travis’s tone is building, his voice becoming filled with fire and emotion. “My point is simple, if you’re looking for someone to have fun with. Someone to pledge and act like this is a game, close your chamber up and move on. But if you want the best? If you want the man willing to fight, scratch, and claw for every inch in these trials, then take me. Draft me. And you won’t ever forget it.”
Travis pauses for a moment as the crowd noise increases, The Dragon looks towards the exit and then back at Leo with a calm smile again. “Seems like my people are calling me. I’ll see you at the draft party, Leo. Enjoy your chamber.” And with that, The Dragon heads for the door.
Leo smiles, “I guess we learned two things tonight. First, dragons do breathe fire. Second? This cryo chamber is FREEZING…quick, get your boy back to his limo so I can get out of here and warm up!” Hurriedly, they spin Leo around and wheel him through the backstage area, toward his limo.