Post by Smart on Oct 29, 2014 21:06:10 GMT
”Ten more.”
Michael Smart sounds calm and detached, a stark contrast to struggle and anguish in his cousin's groans. Michael Smart, the hood of his black hoodie raised up to cover most of his head, is sitting on the back of his shirtless cousin. Daniel Smart is doing push-ups, having to exert a ton of effort with every single one due to the weight on his back.
”Good, that's it. Five... six... seven... that one wasn't all the way down, do another one... eight... nine...”
The last push-up seems to take an eternity, Daniel gritting his teeth as he tries to lift himself off the ground. His entire body starts shaking. Daniel releases a loud scream, finally finishing the last push-up before collapsing on the ground. Michael casually gets to his feet.
”Well done, you've earned a ten minute break. Catch your breath, drink some water. After that... meet me in the ring.”
Daniel is too exhausted to respond, laying on his stomach and breathing heavily for a couple minutes. Michael leaves the room, leaving Daniel to his own devices. Daniel eventually gets to his feet, walking over to a water bottle, opening it and downing the entire bottle without stopping to take a breath. Swiping sweat off his forehead, Daniel throws the bottle down and leaves the room to find his cousin.
Outside the room is a dimly lit hallway, doors on both sides of the hallway. Daniel heads down the hallway, passing closed doors as he makes his way to the end of the hallway. Waiting for him is an open door, which Daniel passes through. On the other side of the door is a hall, a wrestling ring lying in the middle of it. Daniel scans the room with his eyes, before they settle on his cousin, who is sitting on a bench, putting on wrestling boots. Michael raises his head once he notices Daniel's entrance.
”You're early. Good.”
Michael stands up and takes off his hoodie, laying it down on the bench. Now in his wrestling gear, Michael slides into the ring and starts running the ropes. Daniel quietly walks up to the ring and gets up on the ring apron. Michael stops running.
”Get in the ring. You have one goal: don't get hit in the face.”
Without a word, Daniel gets into the ring. The two cousins start circling each other, carefully watching the other's every movement. Michael takes a quick step forward, causing Daniel to get his hands up, but Michael backs off and starts circling his cousin again. Out of nowhere, Michael rushes his cousin and tries to punch him in the face. Daniel blocks Michael's right hand and ducks under his left one before backing off.
Suddenly loud music starts blasting from behind Daniel. Daniel turns to look for the source. Once he turns back, Michael throws a right hand right in his face, knocking Daniel down. Daniel lays on the floor, stunned. Michael stands over him, looking down at his dazed cousin.
”Here's your lesson: Never get distracted. That's what got you beat in your last match.”
Michael extends his hand to Daniel, trying to help him up, but Daniel slaps the hand away and sits up on his own, glaring at his cousin and trainer.
”That's not what got me beat. You got me beat. You got involved in my match.”
Michael blinks.
”And?”
”I don't want that. I want you to train me. I want you to mentor me. I don't want you to cheat for me.”
”I had to cheat for you because you won't cheat for yourself. We've gone back and forth on this plenty of times: You don't want to what's necessary to get the win. You're finally getting more aggressive, you're finally getting more ruthless, but you're still not getting it.
Daniel gets to his feet and gets in his cousin's face.
”No, you're the one not getting it. I agreed to learn from you, but I didn't agree to become you. You have a lot to teach me, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to agree with your every teaching.”
While there's anger in Daniel's face, Michael's expression stays calm.
”This anger... you should tap into it more. It will help you see things my way.”
Frustrated, Daniel backs off and lets out a loud scream. Daniel turns his back on his cousin and goes to leave the ring, only to get interrupted by Michael's voice.
”You think you can beat KONSTANTINE on your own? I don't think so. Not the way you are.”
Daniel stands still, his head down as Michael keeps talking.
”KONSTANTINE is everything you are not. He doesn't care about other people. He doesn't worry about needlessly hurting others, he revels in it. He doesn't care about earning anything, he takes what he wants any way he can get it. He certainly doesn't care about the stupid rules, he's more than willing to break them to get the job done.”
”Funny, he reminds me of someone I know.”
Michael glares at his trainee for a moment, a grin slowly creeping onto his face.
”Exactly. He reminds me a lot of myself. That's exactly why you need me. You can't beat KONSTANTINE with your outdated boy scout routine. You need to fight fire with fire. If you're still not ready to follow my lessons all the way, if you're still not ready to get your hands dirty... well, that's what you have me for.”
Michael extends his hand toward Daniel. Daniel turns his head to take a look at the hand.
”I can do your dirty work for you. You don't have to do anything. You don't even have to watch. Pretend you don't notice, pretend I'm doing it all on my own. Just let me do what needs to be done. What do you say?”
Daniel stares at Michael's hand for a painfully long time. Eventually, Daniel turns around and takes a step closer to his cousin. Daniel takes a look at his own hand, which is currently trembling. Slowly, he lifts his hand up and brings it up to Michael's hand, only to quickly pull it away. Michael looks confused.
”Is that a yes?”
Daniel turns his back on his cousin once again, his head slinking down.
”It's not a no.”
Daniel quickly leaves the ring and heads out of the room. Michael looks on as his cousin leaves the room, a wide, satisfied smile on his face. Michael opens his mouth, his words coming out as a whisper.
”Daniel, I think you're starting to see things my way.”
Michael Smart sounds calm and detached, a stark contrast to struggle and anguish in his cousin's groans. Michael Smart, the hood of his black hoodie raised up to cover most of his head, is sitting on the back of his shirtless cousin. Daniel Smart is doing push-ups, having to exert a ton of effort with every single one due to the weight on his back.
”Good, that's it. Five... six... seven... that one wasn't all the way down, do another one... eight... nine...”
The last push-up seems to take an eternity, Daniel gritting his teeth as he tries to lift himself off the ground. His entire body starts shaking. Daniel releases a loud scream, finally finishing the last push-up before collapsing on the ground. Michael casually gets to his feet.
”Well done, you've earned a ten minute break. Catch your breath, drink some water. After that... meet me in the ring.”
Daniel is too exhausted to respond, laying on his stomach and breathing heavily for a couple minutes. Michael leaves the room, leaving Daniel to his own devices. Daniel eventually gets to his feet, walking over to a water bottle, opening it and downing the entire bottle without stopping to take a breath. Swiping sweat off his forehead, Daniel throws the bottle down and leaves the room to find his cousin.
Outside the room is a dimly lit hallway, doors on both sides of the hallway. Daniel heads down the hallway, passing closed doors as he makes his way to the end of the hallway. Waiting for him is an open door, which Daniel passes through. On the other side of the door is a hall, a wrestling ring lying in the middle of it. Daniel scans the room with his eyes, before they settle on his cousin, who is sitting on a bench, putting on wrestling boots. Michael raises his head once he notices Daniel's entrance.
”You're early. Good.”
Michael stands up and takes off his hoodie, laying it down on the bench. Now in his wrestling gear, Michael slides into the ring and starts running the ropes. Daniel quietly walks up to the ring and gets up on the ring apron. Michael stops running.
”Get in the ring. You have one goal: don't get hit in the face.”
Without a word, Daniel gets into the ring. The two cousins start circling each other, carefully watching the other's every movement. Michael takes a quick step forward, causing Daniel to get his hands up, but Michael backs off and starts circling his cousin again. Out of nowhere, Michael rushes his cousin and tries to punch him in the face. Daniel blocks Michael's right hand and ducks under his left one before backing off.
Suddenly loud music starts blasting from behind Daniel. Daniel turns to look for the source. Once he turns back, Michael throws a right hand right in his face, knocking Daniel down. Daniel lays on the floor, stunned. Michael stands over him, looking down at his dazed cousin.
”Here's your lesson: Never get distracted. That's what got you beat in your last match.”
Michael extends his hand to Daniel, trying to help him up, but Daniel slaps the hand away and sits up on his own, glaring at his cousin and trainer.
”That's not what got me beat. You got me beat. You got involved in my match.”
Michael blinks.
”And?”
”I don't want that. I want you to train me. I want you to mentor me. I don't want you to cheat for me.”
”I had to cheat for you because you won't cheat for yourself. We've gone back and forth on this plenty of times: You don't want to what's necessary to get the win. You're finally getting more aggressive, you're finally getting more ruthless, but you're still not getting it.
Daniel gets to his feet and gets in his cousin's face.
”No, you're the one not getting it. I agreed to learn from you, but I didn't agree to become you. You have a lot to teach me, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to agree with your every teaching.”
While there's anger in Daniel's face, Michael's expression stays calm.
”This anger... you should tap into it more. It will help you see things my way.”
Frustrated, Daniel backs off and lets out a loud scream. Daniel turns his back on his cousin and goes to leave the ring, only to get interrupted by Michael's voice.
”You think you can beat KONSTANTINE on your own? I don't think so. Not the way you are.”
Daniel stands still, his head down as Michael keeps talking.
”KONSTANTINE is everything you are not. He doesn't care about other people. He doesn't worry about needlessly hurting others, he revels in it. He doesn't care about earning anything, he takes what he wants any way he can get it. He certainly doesn't care about the stupid rules, he's more than willing to break them to get the job done.”
”Funny, he reminds me of someone I know.”
Michael glares at his trainee for a moment, a grin slowly creeping onto his face.
”Exactly. He reminds me a lot of myself. That's exactly why you need me. You can't beat KONSTANTINE with your outdated boy scout routine. You need to fight fire with fire. If you're still not ready to follow my lessons all the way, if you're still not ready to get your hands dirty... well, that's what you have me for.”
Michael extends his hand toward Daniel. Daniel turns his head to take a look at the hand.
”I can do your dirty work for you. You don't have to do anything. You don't even have to watch. Pretend you don't notice, pretend I'm doing it all on my own. Just let me do what needs to be done. What do you say?”
Daniel stares at Michael's hand for a painfully long time. Eventually, Daniel turns around and takes a step closer to his cousin. Daniel takes a look at his own hand, which is currently trembling. Slowly, he lifts his hand up and brings it up to Michael's hand, only to quickly pull it away. Michael looks confused.
”Is that a yes?”
Daniel turns his back on his cousin once again, his head slinking down.
”It's not a no.”
Daniel quickly leaves the ring and heads out of the room. Michael looks on as his cousin leaves the room, a wide, satisfied smile on his face. Michael opens his mouth, his words coming out as a whisper.
”Daniel, I think you're starting to see things my way.”
so quickly so sad!