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Freedom
Topic Started: Apr 13 2010, 06:46 AM (43 Views)
Joof
sVo Champion
[ *  *  *  *  *  * ]
The truth can be a bitter pill to swallow, no doubt.

People have different reactions to honesty. Some people appreciate it while others refuse to accept it, stating over and over again that it simply cannot be true.

All night, this is what Nathan Paradine attempted to tell himself as he lay in bed, the sound of Las Vegas echoing faintly outside his hotel room window. Maloney had to be lying! He'd been so deceitful, so untrustworthy thus far, there could be no way what he'd told him was true. It had to be a ploy, a bizarre way to try and turn him against Avery and cause him to lose focus on his upcoming match against "Beautiful" Bobby Dean next week.

But deep down, deep inside his gut, he knew Maloney had spoken the truth. His entire life had been a grand charade, little more than a "pet project" as Maloney had put it. He'd gone on living with grim determination despite his family, despite Emily, despite everything, and what did he have to show for it?

In those long, dark hours he assessed his life. Thirty-one, soon to be thirty-two, years of life. Eleven years had been spent wrestling. Three years in semi-retirement, living a typical life in the suburbs. Fourteen years with a family who he'd just discovered were only doing their job when they took him in and seven years with two parents who were long dead and buried, but who had also worked for The Company.

They were responsible for this. They had manipulated his life, trying to forge him into some kind of tool they could use for their own gain. He was a wrestler. He lived and breathed this crazy lifestyle. He didn't want to be involved with shady organizations and mysterious operatives.

He wanted to be free.

But freedom was going to come at a price.

---

Nathan Paradine sat in a private booth at one of Las Vegas's most exclusive restaurants, a half-empty mug of coffee sitting in front of him. It was the morning following Maloney's call, and he had woken to find a card slipped under his door with the name of this restaurant printed onto it along with a time to be there. He'd arrived at just before ten-thirty to discover the establishment full of patrons enjoying breakfast and conversation, however the maître d’ had directed him towards this table tucked away at the very back of the room and hidden by a large potted plant. He'd ordered coffee and a breakfast special, still curious as to who he would be meeting. Avery? Maloney? Some other Company representative? Or maybe even somebody different, unrelated to the events dictating his life at the moment?"

"I'm not waiting all day," Nathan grumbled as he checked his watch, noting that the time was now seven minutes past eleven. His eyes betrayed his annoyance, masked behind his ever-present sunglasses.

"You don't have to," answered Avery, sliding into the vacant chair opposite Nathan. He wasn't his usual perky self, Nathan noticed immediately. His brown hair was ruffled and out of place, dark patches had formed under his eyes and his neat, navy suit had been replaced by a ruffled white shirt and chocolate-brown pants. Avery managed a smile before speaking again, this time in a cheerier tone. "Sorry I'm late, something came up. I'm sure you know how it is."

"Of course. It's perfectly fine," Nathan answered, taking a sip from his mug of coffee. "Although I'm a little surprised that you decided to contact me in the manner that you did. I'm not used to you people arranging meetings, usually you just pop out of the blue no matter what I'm doing."

"There's something wrong..." said Avery, taking note of Nathan's cool tone. "What has happened? Has Maloney seen you!?"

"Of course, this has to be about Maloney," growled Nathan. "Yes, I've been in contact with him. He decided that it was high time I learnt the truth about my life, how I've been nothing more than a stupid, mindless experiment of The Company for my entire life! Why didn't you tell me the truth? About my parents, my adoptive parents, my sister, my career, even my wife... Everything has been organized by you people! What about last night, huh? Did The Company decide I was going to win the Battle Royal and demand that everyone lay down for me?"

Avery didn't answer. He opened the menu and spent several moment examining it with Nathan's anger built. Finally he looked up and spoke.

"I could really go for some eggs. Some bacon too, now that I think of it... Sausages and some French Toast could be lovely, what did you order?"

Nathan jaw dropped open and he grabbed the cuff of Avery's shirt, speaking in a furious whisper.

"Didn't you hear a single word I just said!? Maloney called me! He told me everything! Why didn't you tell me the truth, Avery? You're no better than Maloney, stringing me along for your own benefit. What if I say no for a change, huh? What if I refuse to co-operate?"

"If you refuse to co-operate?" Avery smiled. "Nathan, I believe we've been over this. You don't have much of a choice in this matter and I am trying to make it as simple for you as I possibly can. Maloney needs to be apprehended and right now, you're my only link to him. That makes you valuable, valuable enough to negotiate your way out of employment. I'm so very close to him, Nathan. Now that I know he has called you, I'll be able to trace the call. I'll be able to narrow down my search." Grinning triumphantly, Avery leaned back in his chair. "As for Maloney's experiment... I was only thinking of your well-being. Something like that could very well push someone over the edge, if you get my drift."

"Don't lie to me," said Nathan bitterly. "You weren't thinking of my well-being at all. You thought I'd actually knock myself off if I found out the truth, and you couldn't afford to lose your link. Isn't that right, Avery?"

Avery frowned.

"I... Well, that is to say-" he stuttered, at a loss for words. Nathan shook his head and chuckled softly.

"Truth be told, I think I've always known that something was wrong with my life. That none of it was really... real." Nathan shrugged. "Now that I know the truth, I guess I've found what I've been looking for for so long. It was my liberty, Avery. I'm halfway there, and all I want is to be free. Is that so much to ask?"

"None of us are ever really free, Nathan." Avery sighed. "Not me. Not you. Not anyone. All I can offer you is the illusion of freedom."

Nathan was quiet for a moment, then-

"Well, it's better than nothing I suppose."

Both men sat in silence for a long while after that. Avery ordered his breakfast, Nathan's food arrived and they both ate without speaking, the only sound coming from the cutlery scraping on the plates and the various chewing and munching. Finally, as Avery watched Nathan scoop up a gobbet of egg yolk, he spoke again.

"So, you've got a big match lined up this week. Nathan Paradine versus Bobby Dean. I suppose you're looking to get some payback?"

"Payback?" Nathan asked, before wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Nah. I've kinda learnt to forgive and forget, you could say. Vengeance is just an endless cycle, a cycle that I'm keen to break."

"Then what is this situation you've found yourself in with Chris Bond? Isn't that vengeance, in a way?" Avery folded his arms over his chest as he waited for Nathan to reply.

"Well... Not how I see it. Bond and I entered in a gentlemen's agreement concerning our match at Resurrection, an agreement that he broke. Now, I was quite happy to accept that as a long and move on, but Chris couldn't resist picking at the scab and aggravating old wounds. Now, I'm a little bit annoyed. Bond can run over the rest of the roster as much as he wants, but he isn't going to run over me. I'm certain of that much! Now this week, a win over Bobby Dean will teach 'em both that I mean business. That, and I'll get a nice cash bonus."

"And Bond's locker room? I believe that the finger was pointed at you for that."

"Don't look at me! I'm not responsible, and I told the security guys that. I have no idea who is responsible, probably someone else Bond annoyed and now they're trying to pin it on me. Maybe that Weapon X character."

A shadow passed over Avery's face.

"Don't mention Weapon X," he warned. "Believe me, that's the last thing you want. X is very, very dangerous. You should stay away from The Company. I can only protect you to a certain extent."

"Pah. I don't need protection. Just focus on finding Maloney." Nathan knotted his hands together and sighed. "You know how you said I'm valuable? Valuable enough to negotiate? Well, I've got a demand to make."

"What is it?" asked Avery cautiously.

"I want to see Emily. If that's her real name." Nathan took a deep breath. "Maloney told me she was still alive. I'd like to see her, please. And talk to her."

"She's Blackmore, Nathan. She's the enemy here."

"I know, I know. I'm begging you, Avery. I need to... I need to ask her something important. Something I never got to ask her before." Nathan gulped. "Please, Avery..."

Avery stared at Nathan for a moment, then sighed.

"I'll see what I can do, Nathan. But this week, I want you to focus on beating Bobby Dean. Don't go looking for Maloney. Leave that to me. Alright? I'm asking for one more week. I'm so... damn close to getting him. Can you manage that?"

"I can manage that."

"Good."

Avery glanced into the bottom of his coffee mug and lifted it up in a toast.

"To success?" he offered. Nathan clinked his mug against Avery's, however he shook his head.

"To freedom, Avery. To freedom."
Edited by Joof, Apr 13 2010, 06:47 AM.
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