Post by nathanieldixon on Oct 20, 2022 22:58:41 GMT -5
A business trip to New Orleans, Louisiana was not what Nathaniel expected.
He was sixteen years old and a sophomore at Point Loma Nazarene University.
It was not the university his father wanted him to attend, but…
Straight A’s, 4.0 GPA, the Honors Program, and International Engagement were sufficient.
His mother insisted on PLNU over San Diego State University.
After all, it was a Christian College. They were a Christian family.
However, Nathaniel was not fond of religion.
No one knew he was pansexual. Especially not his family.
His father would have him killed.
Hell, Arthur would probably dirty his hands and commit filicide.
Upon their arrival, Nathaniel and Arthur were greeted by a young man.
Dark hair, soft eyes, a gentle skin complexion…
“Good evenin’, Mr. Dixon.”
A Southern drawl. He bowed towards Arthur, then he regarded Nathaniel with a smile.
“Oh! This must be--”
“The boy, yes.”
His father’s coldness was inhuman.
Ashamed, Nathaniel lowered his head…
He wasn’t expecting the young man to reach out and enthusiastically shake his hand.
“It’s very nice t’meet ya, Nathaniel. My name’s Jack Williams, New Orleanian, and new recruit for the United States Army. I’m at your service.”
“My… service?”
Nathaniel was taken aback by this. Such politeness!
Arthur simply looked at them with a raised eyebrow.
“My family has served yours for generations. My grandparents served Mrs. Gianna Dixon. My parents served Mr. Arthur Dixon. Now I’ll be servin’ you!”
Jack was a kind soul. His Southern hospitality was genuine.
“C’mon, sirs. I’ll escort you to the Jackson Barracks.”
He smiled and moved on ahead to guide them.
They followed suit, though Nathaniel decided to walk next to Jack.
He felt more comfortable around his new friend than his own father.
The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
“Almost Heaven… West Virginia.
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River…
Life is old there, older than the trees.
Younger than the mountains, growin’ like a breeze.
To the place I belong!
West Virginia, mountain mama…
Take me home, country roads!”
Staten Island
July 25th, 2022
4:00 AM
I’m the man they call when things go wrong…
…and one way or another, I right those wrongs.
Y’see, the Williams Family has a military background within the U.S. Army. We’re army brats from the moment we leave our mama’s wombs. Three generations of the bloodline servin’ our country. It’s an honor. But there’s more to us that goes far beyond the surface.
We’re the protectors of the Dixon Mafia Family.
That’s right.
I’m a hitman.
Now that don’t mean fightin’ in the wars wasn’t important. They were priority one. The Dixon’s knew that. We were only summoned for emergencies. Somethin’s downright fucked? They gave us a ring. We’d take care of the rest. No hesitation. No mercy. No traces. In my servitude, I’d been called upon by my brother-in-law five times.
June 2007.
October 2010.
February 2012.
April 2015.
September 2018.
Well… now it’s six. Things had been calm for almost four years. New record for peace and quiet. Then again, Nathan’s professional wrestlin’ career is anythin’ but. Sure, he runs Dixon Corporate Enterprises. Head of the family n’ whatnot. But this is completely different. The man’s followin’ his real dream in that ring. I don’t blame him. Sure as hell don’t make his papa happy, but everyone else in the family’s okay with it. He’s genuinely good at tangoin’ inside of that squared circle and it gives him an outlet for violence n’ gore.
I’m gonna be honest. I was surprised when Nathan contacted me last night. Not with his smartphone but with the untraceable military-grade phone. An assassin tried to kill him at the Mark Hotel in NYC… and the craziest thing? He told me she was a rookie! ‘Course, that don’t take away from the reality that a professional assassin’s lookin’ for him now. I’m pretty sure he was thorough in coverin’ his tracks to Staten Island, but still…
“...Um, sir? We’re here.”
I blinked and glanced over at the female Lyft driver, stifling a chuckle. “Shoot, you’re right! Must’ve spaced out. I’m sorry ‘bout that, hon.”
“O-oh, no, it’s okay!” Aw, she was blushin’ a little. “Thank you for the tip.”
“You’re very welcome,” I smiled and casually waved with my left hand. It seemed like this was the first time she noticed my weddin’ ring because her lips were suddenly pouty.
She watched me open the front passenger door, step out, and close it behind me. When I tipped my fedora hat, she squealed a bit. “H-have a good day, s-sir!”
“You too, sweetie.” I bowed my head and watched her drive off carefully.
Phew… I turned to face the Holiday Inn Express my brother-in-law was stayin’ at. Ain’t no doubt in my mind when I believe he hasn’t slept. I made my way into the receptionist area and informed one of the employees that I was meetin’ up with Mr. Nathaniel Dixon. Just to be certain, they decided to call his room’s phone.
“...yes?”
“Ah, I’m sorry, Mr. Dixon. I know it’s a little early, but your brother-in-law is here to see you.”
“...let him go. I’ll unlock the door for him.”
“Yes sir.”
With that, I made my way to his room on the third floor. I knocked on the door in a peculiar way and stepped back. It took a moment, but I heard the sound of his footsteps and a soft click. I was swift to open the door, step inside, and close it behind me.
“Jesus Christ…”
The bandages were stained with blood.
For safety, I locked the door before I moved closer to Nathan. I carefully brought him into the bathroom and insisted he sit inside the bathtub. He gave me a look before complyin’, steppin’ into the tub with his left shoulder facin’ me. I helped him sit down and made sure he was “comfy”.
When I slowly unraveled the bloody bandages from around his left shoulder and under his arm, I didn’t have to look twice. “Yeah, that bullet’s lodged in there, alright.”
“A lucky shot from a small and vulgar Italian woman…” He shook his head. “I tried to extract it, but the pain… was too much.”
“Nate, y’know you ain’t trained t’do that.”
“I had to try…” He softly growled.
I grabbed the bullet-extractin’ tool he brought with him. It’s handy in emergencies. “Well, I’m here now. Try to steady yourself and bite down on this hand towel.” I retrieved one with my free hand and gave it to him. “Don’t want you bitin’ your tongue off.”
His silence was an answer. He raised the hand towel to his parting lips and bit down on it hard. Now, this was gonna suck, but… My proficiency with this tool allowed me to reach in deep, as carefully as possible, and clamp down on the bullet. His body slightly jerked, his knuckles white as his hands gripped the sides of the tub, and his painful groan was muffled.
The extraction process had to be slow. Bein’ careless would tear open the wound even further. Once I’ve completely relieved him of the 9mm round, I set it aside and checked the wound. “Far as I can tell, I don’t see any broken shards of metal, but…”
He spit out the hand towel and hissed. “We’ll have Gwendolyn and Dr. Wright examine it later. Perform a surgery if they have to…”
“Right.”
I was quick to clean the wound, makin’ sure Nathan bit down on the hand towel again before I applied the curing alcohol. He was hissin’ and mufflin’ curse words. Thankfully, I brought a hemostatic with me to stop the bleedin’. Soon after, I applied a fresh set of bandages.
Now the hand towel could stay out of his mouth. “...Her client might be a member of the Italian mob. They might be somebody else. I don’t know. She resisted the questioning.”
“Ya serious?” I raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t often a prisoner of his was able to fight the interrogation process. “Silence over the consequences of the one who hired her. They must be pretty damn scary t’ make her choose pain.”
A weak chuckle escaped him. “More terrifying than me…? I wonder.”
“Looks like yer finally gettin’ somewhere, Nathan…”
Believe me, that ain’t a good thing. Well… shit.
Chapter XI: Blood of Loyalty
“Back in black, I hit the sack.
I've been too long, I'm glad to be back!
Yes, I'm let loose from the noose,
That's kept me hanging about.
I'm just looking at the sky 'cause it's getting me high.
Forget the hearse, 'cause I'll never die!
I got nine lives, cat's eyes,
Abusing every one of them and running wild!
'Cause I'm back, yes I'm back!
Well, I'm back, yes I'm back!
Well, I'm back, back!
Well, I'm back in black…”
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To Ms. Sabrina Hartson.
(Supposedly) The Greatest of All Time.
Yes, I know…
I’m offering another Bioshock audio recording.
My apologies. That was not the intention. Originally, I was going to present an official promo with all of the visuals and audio. Unfortunately, a “technical error” completely wiped the video, and by that, I mean my six-year-old great-niece tripped over a cord and spilled RC Cola on the recording device. The poor girl started to cry, but I reassured her it was an accident.
Claire is sweet.
Just like her mother.
Naturally, her twin brother and my great-nephew checked on her. He surprised her with a display of flips and tricks. Truthfully, it was rather impressive. His high energy raised hers and soon they were both in good spirits. Eventually, we had to keep the sugary treats away from him. A little bundle of hyperactivity, that one.
Chris is wild.
Yes… just like his father. The bloody idiot.
But I digress. I’m getting a little carried away. Family is a matter of the heart, as I’m sure you understand, Ms. Hartson. Your son is your pride and joy. He shares the same name as my brother-in-law. Jack. They must be excited to watch us perform for the Tara Fenix Charity Event in Waikiki. A fantastic location for a charitable occasion.
It is beautiful here. The sun is beginning to set. I can smell the ocean breeze from the balcony. It reminds me of home. The beaches of Coronado; the beaches of Waikiki. White sand, clear blue waters, the blend of dusk colors in the sky… I’m truly enjoying this vacation. Of course, I’ll have to travel to Atlanta, Georgia for the Seventh Vanguard. I’ve just returned to HYBRID rEvolution. I have a lot to say.
Now then… Mrs. Docherty is a selfless person, isn’t she? To create a wrestling event for the sake of charity. Whatever the total of donations, I will match it. No, my intention isn’t to show off. It is simply because it is right and just. People often believe I’m a terrible human being, but time and time again I have proved them wrong. You see… despite my love for violence, I have a code of honor. Under normal circumstances, I will fight fair, especially if my family makes the request. If my opponent is respectful, so am I. However, if my opponent is the complete opposite…?
I respond in kind.
They suffer the consequences.
Ms. Hartson, my dear… you are a breath of fresh air. You’ve made the wise decision to acknowledge my skills and abilities. Such a rarity in this industry. When this match was announced, you were just as excited as I was. In some ways, we are alike. We offer respect when it is earned; we deliver pure agony when it is deserved. On one side of the coin, there is honor. On the other side, there is blood. A similar concept to the notorious Two-Face of DC Comics.
Your reputation precedes you. You’re an accomplished professional wrestler who has performed for a variety of companies. You’ve earned accolades and glory -- including the ZION World Heavyweight Championship.
It is commendable, admirable…
…and I must admit I’m a little envious.
Within ten years, my wrestling career has been inconsistent. As the Head of the Dixon Family, I am responsible for the safety and protection of my flesh and blood. Urgent family matters and emergencies would arise and I had to withdraw from the company I worked for. Sometimes I would leave because it did not feel like a home. On again, off again… and yet I’ve never won a single championship. The gold has eluded me for the last decade.
Many have targeted this… obvious flaw of mine. Some continue to do so. I can understand a rookie doing this. They’re new; they don’t know any better. But a veteran…? How pathetic. For them to place the crosshairs on such an easy target and squeeze the trigger is boring and predictable. I’ve come to expect it. I’ve learned to counter it. If they lose the match, if they lose to me, they look weak.
I, myself, have nothing to lose.
Of course, every defeat fuels me in different ways. A loss can be a great motivator. A loss can also be a source of anger. I will admit that losing every single opportunity at championship gold has made me… less than stable. Even though our match is a contribution to charity, it is a match I will fight for victory. If I am able to prove myself against a world-caliber wrestler such as yourself? I will gain recognition from our fellow wrestlers, our employers, and our fans. More people will acknowledge my wrestling attributes and talents.
So forgive me, Ms. Hartson, but I need this. I will fight you with everything I’ve got in order to secure the win. I won’t cheat… not unless you do so first. I doubt that will happen. You’re smart; you’re not going to incur my wrath. I wish you luck, dear.
The King is dead.
God bless the Queen.
Glory be to Your Lord of Charisma.
Chapter XI: End
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