Post by James Nightingale on May 13, 2020 11:54:40 GMT -5
Atonement, the action of making amends for a wrong or an injury caused.
May 11th, Boise, Idaho
The sun had set, and dusk had settled over Boise. A large Harley Davidson cruised along the long road, the roar of its engine deafening. It’s rider, James Nightingale, was on the road to redemption, his destination, Alpha Pro Wrestling (APW).
James Nightingale was coming to APW with a certain amount of buzz surrounding him. He was a former top young prospect in the United Kingdom, quickly gaining worldwide recognition. However his life took him down a different road, his girlfriend fell pregnant, and with the British independent scene of the early 2000’s not being the profitable haven for wrestling that it is today, James walked away. He took up the more stable job of becoming a nurse, a career that he prospered in. Life went on without wrestling, he got married and went on to have two children with his wife. But just when life was going well, he struck a massive pothole in his life’s road.
A beloved patient, Robert, a patient James considered to be a friend, hung himself whilst in his care. Slowly James’s mental health would quickly deteriorate, and he would soon start hearing the voices of a woman, Florence Nightingale, “The Matriarch” of modern nursing. But Florence wasn’t the kind and caring icon that she had been made out to be, no. She was evil, manipulative, destructive, she prayed on James’s fragile mind, quickly stripping him away of all that was good and replaced it with anger, hate and the thirst for delivering pain.
He left his family without saying a word, returning to the world of professional wrestling in order to satisfy his new “urges”. Under “The Matriarch’s” tutilage, James travelled around the world, finishing his training, honing his craft in delivering pain and torture. He would take on “The Matriarch’s” name, Nightingale, as his own in tribute to her, and she bestowed him with the moniker “The Angel of Death”, a term often given to serial killer nurses known to have killed their own patient’s.
Bringing his “Eradication Campaign” to the United States, Nightingale quickly made a name for himself, battling top names like Corey Black, Zombie McMorris, Odin Balfore and Sam Kidsgrove as he caused pain and suffering upon those he shared a ring with. Choking out non-wrestler women, gouging out eyes, curb-stomping men into glass and stabbing someone in the neck with a syringe full of insulin, there was no depth Nightingale wouldn’t sink to feed his blood lust.
“That was then, I’m a different man now, I managed to remove that mad bitch from my head. For the first time in a long time I am in charge of my own path.”
Nightingale pulls back on his throttle, his motorbike increases in speed as he continues his journey to the Taco Bell Arena, his trench coat trailing behind him through the heavy winds.
“Over the last few years I have performed some truly horrific acts of violence, the blood on my hands will never be able to be washed away. Most men in my situation would simply tuck tail and return to their family, and plead to be forgiven for their shortcomings. There is no way I can return to my family, at least not yet. I must atone for my sins.”
The Taco Bell Arena can now be seen in the distance as Nightingale marches towards his destination.
“I will continue to fight, it is the one thing I am good at. “The Matriarch” might have been a mad bitch, but she did provide me with the tools needed to succeed in this profession. I have fought all across this planet, from the dojos of Japan, to the sweaty, cockroach-infested arena’s of Mexico.”
Nightingale arrives at the arena, he doesn’t stop at the security gate, he goes straight through leaving an overweight security guard trying to chase after him. He enters the underground parking facility, the roar of his bike deafening as it echoes throughout the contained space. He parks up his bike and disembarks, walking towards the entranceway with confidence and purpose.
“I may have performed heinous acts of violence at my former promotion, I’m not going to lie that may well continue here in APW. But the difference? I’m in charge of my own path, I am too ashamed to return to my family, at least not before I atone for my previous past actions. I am still “The Angel of Death”, however death no longer comes just to the weak, it’s coming to those who deserve it. I will continue to be known as “Nightingale”, I have already brought enough shame upon my family, desecrating their name would only be a further kick in the balls to them. I will keep the name “Nightingale” as a reminder of how far I have fallen, and as motivation for how far along the road I need to travel to atone for my sins.”
Nightingale walks through the entrance, ready to make his first appearance in APW.
He would go on to answer Mason Anderson’s open challenge, and would quickly and dominantly show why he is not to be taken lightly in APW.
Irina Ivanova's Office - Shortly after the Mason Anderson incident.
Irina Ivanova walks into her office on her mobile phone, it’s pitch black.
“God sakes where did you find him? He clearly wasn’t “The Next Big Deal” was he!”, she sternly says.
She walks over to her desk and puts down some paperwork whilst listening to her caller try to make excuses for Anderson’s performance in the ring.
“Look, I just don’t want a lawsuit ok. The poor son of a bitch got massacred out there. Who the hell let a maniac like Nightingale in the arena in the first place. Did Dante arrange for him to appear tonight? Because I didn’t sign off on it!”, Irina asks abruptly.
Now that she has a free hand she turns on a light, revealing Nightingale sat in her chair looking at Irina. She doesn’t flinch despite the surprise appearance of a potentially dangerous threat to her.
“I’m going to call you back.”, she said quietly. She hangs up her phone and walks over to her drinks counter, she pours herself a vodka. “May I ask what the hell you are doing in my office. I ought to call the police after that heinous beating you gave to Mason Anderson”.
Nightingale stands up, “Do you know who I am? Have you seen what I am capable of Irina?”
“I do have CBS, and yes, I do know who you are, James Nightingale” she replies.
Nightingale smiles, “Good, so you know I am not someone who should be taken lightly”. He walks closer to Irina, “Don’t worry, I’m not the same Nightingale you’ve seen elsewhere.”
Irina takes another sip of her Vodka, “That’s a shame, because “The Angel of Death” would have been a great addition to the APW roster.”
Nightingale laughs to himself, “Don’t worry Irina, I am still “The Angel of Death”, let’s just say I’ve had a moment of clarity.”
Irina sarcastly replies, “A moment of clarity?”
“For too long I’ve been hell-bent on destruction, I had a desire to cause pain and suffering. I left my own family without saying a damn word at the request of a woman who died one hundred and nine years ago.” said Nightingale.
Irina laughs to herself, “I’m literally stood in my office with a fucking mad man.”
“The Matriarch was real and trust me she is not to be taken lightly. She made me perform some truly horrific acts of violence and cruelty. There is not enough water in the world which could wash the blood off my hands.” said Nightingale.
Irina finishes her vodka and leaves it on her desk, “So what do you want from me? You still haven’t answered me as to why you thought it would be a good idea to break into my office.”
“I want an opportunity, an opportunity to seek atonement for myself. APW is a fresh start for me. That showing out there earlier was an audition for you, to show you what I am all about, I know you liked what you witnessed.” replied Nightingale.
Irina smiles, “Yes James, I did like what I saw. That arsehole was doing my head in, “The Red Angel’ almost went down there herself to shut him up before you intervened.” She walks over to her desk and opens her draw, removing a file, she pulls out an APW contract. “I think you have potential Nightingale, and I see APW as the land of opportunities. You want to achieve atonement? I’d rather you achieved it here rather than on CBS.”
Nightingale smiles, “So we have an agreement?”
Irina fills out the relevant aspects of the contract and signs it, she then hands it to Nightingale. “Get a lawyer to look it over, once you're happy…”
Nightingale immediately signs the contract and hands her the paperwork.
“Ok then”, Irina says surprisingly. She offers out her hand to Nightingale, “Welcome to APW.”
Nightingale shakes her hand, “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you Irina.” He starts to walk to the exit of Irina’s office.
“Do you want to know now who you have next week?” Irina calls out.
Nightingale stops and turns his head slightly to Irina, “It won’t matter, the result will be the same.”
Irina laughs to herself again, “I love the confidence Nightingale, next week you debut on Monday Night Metal against two other debutants, Giggles!, and Sarah Lacklan. Let’s see which of the new recruits will get off to a hot start here in APW.”
Nightingale turns and leaves, “Awesome a clown and some religious nut, send me the whole roster, the result will be the same. It’s time to go to war, thank you, Irina.”
Nightingale finally leaves, Irina picks up her mobile and makes a call, “Adam, you will never guess who I just signed?”
May 13th, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nightingale sits in a bar, a double measure of Jack Daniels in his left hand, a cigarette in his right hand. He seems deep in thought as he takes a swig of his drink, followed by a long drag of his cigarette.
“Monday is the big night, my APW in-ring debut. Not just one but two opponents stand in my way of victory on the big night. Naturally I should be nervous, two opponents is no easy feat after all. But they would have seen what I did to that punk Mason, the beating he took at my hands. He spoke as if he was entitled, as if he deserved the world at his feet, he deserved nothing, nothing except the beating he received by myself. So, ask me again, do I fear my two opponents? NO! They have witnessed how dangerous I am. Go ask them if they fear me? Their answer will greatly differ to mine.”
Nightingale takes another drag of his cigarette, he pulls out his phone and opens up YouTube. He watches back Giggles segment on the APW YouTube channel from last week's Metal whilst he takes another sip of his drink whilst he thinks about his opponent.
“Where the fuck did they find you? I think they had run out of clowns when APW management went shopping at Clowns R’ US. You really are some creepy looking dude, how do you expect to make children happy looking like the love child of Marilyn Manson and Ronald McDonald? All jokes aside on your appearance, what kind of business do you have stepping into the ring with me, someone who is well versed in all the different wrestling disciplines. They don’t train the sort of holds that I use to inflict pain at clown school kid, making a balloon sword ain’t gonna be enough to take me down.”
He takes another drag of his cigarette, then stubs it out in the ashtray.
“Your favourite clown and mine? What does that even mean. Are you your own favourite clown? If that’s the case then you don’t know a great deal about clowns. Are you your Daddy's favourite clown? He’s a creepy looking bastard too. The Ringmaster? Looks more like a child imprisoner to me. Did he lock you up in the basement for years? Did it warp your deranged little mind? Does it make you crave for the love and affection of others when really they will take one look at you and run for the hills.”
“You tower over me in height, you have a whopping nine inches on me. But the bigger they are the harder they fall. Although your tall Giggles, you're not packing much “size”. As well as being highly skilled in this profession, I also have exempelory knowledge of human anatomy and physiology. I know all the weak points of the body, it’s going to be fun taking you apart, limb by limb. Being a lanky fuck is going to be your downfall, I will chop your legs down, leaving you vulnerable and defenceless to my onslaught, I won’t be embarrassed by a clown on my debut and I’m determined to show the APW roster that I’m not to be taken lightly. Unfortunately Giggles that means there will be no playtime, we won’t be having oodles and oodles of fun, well at least you won't’ be. You will be begging your Daddy on the outside to drag your worthless sorry ass back to his basement where you can become his big little bitch again.”
Nightingale downs the rest of his drink and signals the bartender for another. He pulls out his cigarettes from inside his coat and lights up another. He also pulls out a photo of a woman and stares at it as the bartender brings him his refill.
“Sarah Lacklan, you do intrigue me. Your record is impressive, sixty-three singles wins compared to twenty-nine loses, that is respectable and something to pay attention to. The trouble is though Sarah, where did you win all those matches? You know the Unified Global Wrestling Coalition is the minor leagues yeah? This is Alpha Pro Wrestling, a national promotion where greats like Corey Black, Zombie McMorris and Frank Patrick Venable ply their trade, as well as myself, someone who is determined not to be outshone on his debut. It certainly is not some small regional promotion based out of Chicago like UGWC is”
“So you’ve decided to make the leap from the minors to the majors yeah, is your wife Kenzi coming with you? Or is she not quite up to APW standard? How will that dynamic work at home knowing you left her in the doldrums whilst you tried to ascend to the top of the mountain? It’s going to be ok though Sarah, because you’ve got a history of taking your ball and going home to “get your shit together” when the going gets tough. Trust me girl, it’s going to be tough on Monday night when I lay waste to you and Giggles, you will quickly be running back to Hollywood asking your wife to be your partner again in UGWC. Maybe you can get over the heartbreak of a debut defeat to “The Angel of Death” by going back after those Cooperative Titles with your Mrs again.”
He takes another drag from the cigarette, he places the photo down on the bar top and has another sip of his drink.
“What the hell is the Path of the Light Church? That sounds like another extremist cult following if I’ve ever heard it. Look at that stupid fucking robe, are those compulsory at your dead Daddy’s church. Was life there tough, Sarah. Did you turn your back on your family when you were old enough to care for yourself just like you’ve turned your back on your wife and joined APW? I get it though, you probably need the money yeah? Your wife’s fledgeling acting career will probably go no further than her appearing on PornHub therefore you’ve got to be the main breadwinner, and after all UGWC pays like shit so here you come crawling to APW.”
“But you see Sarah, yes this is the big leagues, and yes I’m sure the pay is good. But I’m not here for wealth and fame, I’m here for atonement. I have carried out some fairly dastardly acts of violence since I was relegated to the darkness, though I’m sure it dwarfs in comparison to what happened in your Daddy’s church. Regardless of that, I am on a mission to right the wrongs of my past, prove to the world that I am a changed man. Unfortunately for Giggles and yourself, and Mason last week, you're all in my way. You will all act as my signals of intent. I will use you all as a demonstration of what “The Angel of Death” is all about. I have already eradicated the cocky upstart, I will eradicate the creepy looking clown and I will eradicate the conflicted cultist who seems to think she is shit hot when truthly she’s a steaming pile of hot shit waiting to be scooped up in a bag and flung in the trash.”
Nightingale downs his drink and pushes away the glass, he takes a final drag of his cigarette and stubs it out and he scrunches up the picture of Sarah Lacklan and flings it in the trash can behind the bar. He stands and walks for the exit, his motorcycle awaiting him outside, his trenchcoat trailing him as he walks.
“APW, my name is James Nightingale, I am on a mission of atonement, I will fight my way through this roster until I have repented for my sins. I will not stop until all the bloodshed has been washed from my hands….”
“The Angel of Death is coming, PRAY FOR MERCY!!”
