Like millions of other eyes around the country, Yuri Ganiyeva’s eyes were glued to a television screen at the moment that the reformed Power Trip decided to throw Jennifer Stryfe off the video screen. He had watched, his face expressionless as the women fell five stories, impacting so hard with the stage that a crater was punched through the floor. He watched as stagehands and medical personnell surrounded the hole, all frantically beside themselves in trying to save the fallen woman. And he watched as the perpetrators, seven women who the announcers were disdainfully calling “The Power Trip” watched on laughing.
“Brilliant.” The voice of Augustus Briese echoed in his ear, and Yuri turned to regard his father. It wasn’t often that Augustus Briese smiled, but he was now as he watched the FFW Conviction PPV come to its conclusion. “It was a trap all along, and that woman was too stupid to realize it. The only thing they did wrong was not spring it sooner. That woman... Kaitlynn, I think. Anyone can see she’s too valuable to risk injuring in a match like that.”
“She wanted it, they said.” Yuri mumbled, his Ukranian accent making it so that Gus had to lean closer to fully understand him. “They both did. I’m sure that’s why they held off to give her a chance to destroy her on her own.”
Gus chuckled, and the room went silent, save for the horrified voices of the announcers as the medical unit continued their grisly work. Yuri found it telling that the cameras, which had minutes prior been soaking up every atrocity of the match like a sponge, seemed awfully reluctant to even point themselves in the general direction now.
“Are you jealous?” Gus asked. “Do you wish it had been you and your sister in that match? How sweet it would be to do all that, and then throw her fifty feet for one last, glorious final destruction?” He chuckled again. “Shame she’s too much of a coward to ever agree to that.”
“She wants nothing to do with me at all, it seems,” Yuri replied, wisely leaving out that he wasn’t entirely sure cowardice was the reason for Wendy’s determination to ignore him. To change the subject he nodded at the televison. “She was his sister, you know.”
“Who?” Gus snapped, suddenly annoyed.
“The one I’m facing, next. Supreme Machine. That girl was his sister.”
“And what of it?” Gus replied, yawning.
“Just saying, it could prove to be a distraction.” Yuri replied.
“Then he’s a fool,” Gus said simply. “But we knew that already. He actually wanted this match. Begged your sister for permission to test you, as if he’s capable of testing anything. He’s nothing more than an overgrown freak with a-”
“Don’t call him a freak,” Yuri mumbled, interrupting the Irishman.
Gus scoffed, and turned towards his son. “What did you just say?”
“He’s not a freak. He’s a large, troubled man with a split personality dis-”
“Sympathy, is it?” Gus abruptly stood up, incredulous. “You think this man would have any sympathy for you?”
Yuri shrugged. “I just don’t like freak.”
“Awww...” Gus replied, in mock sympathy. “Does it hurt your feelings? Is it because you’re a freak?” He smacked the back of Yuri’s head, goading him. “Do you not want to be called a freak, freak? Come on, freak! Answer me!”
“SHUT UP!”
With a burst of motion, Yuri grabbed Gus, and slammed him into the nearby wall, his hand around his father’s neck. To his surprise, Gus merely laughed back at him.
“Really? YOU DARE THREATEN ME?” the Irishman snarled, defiant even in his helpless situation. “You ungrateful BRAT! After all I’ve done for you!”
*
“Done for me?” Yuri snarled back. “You forced my mom out of the country, ignored me when I needed you most, and have done nothing but deride me. You’ve done-”
“Oh, go cry yourself to sleep,” Gus snarled. “Remember- YOU’RE the one who shoved Gayle in front of that truck, not me. I should have gone in for seven years on the conspiracy charge, while YOU taken the life sentence. But I kept my mouth shut, and didn’t throw you under the bus, no pun intended. You’d still be rotting away in prison if it weren’t for me, instead of moving to England afterwards and trying to ‘reinvent’ yourself. So if you’re going to pay for your freedom by MURDERING your father and going back to jail... go right the FUCK ahead!”
Yuri breathed heavily for several seconds, then with a snarl, released his father, and turned away. “Forgive me, father. I had no idea the depths of your generosity.”
Either Gus missed the sarcasm, or chose to ignore it. “Then you should start listening to me, Yuri. I know what’s best for you. And you can’t feel sorry for this Supreme Machine. You need to destroy him. You need to make him, and everyone else, know you.”
“They already know me,’ Yuri replied. “Just last week Nathan..”
“Nathan Thunder doesn’t FEAR you.” Gus replied. “He’s an insolent brat who came out and mocked you, and those idiots in the audience cheered him on. He’s nothing like his siblings. He’s a snivelling rat who will be crushed underfoot soon enough. But that’s not who you need to be focused on, my boy. Supreme Machine is your next victim.”
“Yes, Father.” Yuri responded quietly.
“Break him like you did that little Cajun brat. Drive him into the ground, and put him next to his sister,” Gus finally said, sitting back down and shutting off the television. He waved his son away. “Now go back to training. You’ve spent too long here wasting time with frivolty.”
“It’s past midnight!” Yuri protested, but paused when Gus turned his glare on him. “Yes, Father” he said again, turning to leave the room. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Gus watched his monstrous son leave, and shook his head disdainfully. “He’s as troublesome as his sister.” he muttered as the door closed.
“He’d best be careful he doesn’t end up sharing her fate.”
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