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"The winner and NEW OMNIVERSAL CHAMPION DOOMSMITH!!!!!"
NO! Where am I? Oh yeah I fell asleep in this alley. It has been six months since I lost my Omniversal title. Six months since my world changed.
"Ransom you can't do this. You need to release this album. You signed a contract with the record company. They gave you a very large advance payment."
"Fine give em a blank check. Money doesn't matter, the album doesn't matter, the movies don't matter."
"But what about your chain of Ransom Fortune "Burger Buffet Bonanza restaurants? We need you to do promotion and oversee the new menu."
"Let somebody else do it I'm gone."
I walked out of Fortune Tower that day without a penny in my pocket I traveled all over America. It was not what I intended but I ended up helping people. In Detroit I prevented the closing of a auto factory by helping them cut down on expenses without losing employees. In Texas I saved a kid from being beat to death by a mob. In Alabama I saved a farm from being foreclosed on by finding a legal loophole.
Eventually I felt the need to leave North America and ended up in Asia. I shut down a sweat shop in Taiwan and a child porn ring in Thailand. It was run by a local kickboxing champion. But no matter how many people I help. The dreams still come once my eyes shut. The metal gauntlet hits me in the face and I see a nightmare in green and black holding what I dedicated my life to.
So I said farewell to the kids after making sure they were in proper homes. It was time for me to return to my roots. It was time to find Palisades Finale.
*****
Palisades Finale was the man who saved my life. I was working as a bank teller, a longshoreman, and a drummer in five local bands and I was miserable. I was playing a gig in Tampa with Vomit Horn. Not A packed house. The lead singer was sick so I took his place. I see this huge bald man with a multicolor goatee and a Hawaiian shirt staring a hole thru me. Next day at the bank he comes to my window to deposit a 10,000 dollar check. Finally I see him at the docks. I go confront him.
"Why are you following me pal?"
"Why? Why does the sun shout? Why does the moon hide? Why are you wasting your potential like this?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Daddy I felt your power all the way from Sacramento. It cried out to me baby. It was aching to be released. During my match with Manson Toros it almost knocked me off the tower of power. I knew if I did not find you I was never going to get any peace baby."
"Wait yeah I do know you. You're Palisades Finale. You were the WON heavyweight Champion for over a year. You beat Byrne Bernard in Maryland."
"Good baby you know me. That is half the battle daddy."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you are going to be Finale's protege."
Palisades trained me himself. He showed me proper weight training. He showed me how to pose. The posing was important it was how you defeat your opponent before the bell even rings. Most importantly he showed me how to unlock the power of me.
He brought in people to help with things. He brought in Dr.Jerry Glass to teach me submission wrestling. Mighty Mandril to teach me brawling. The Flying Maurice to teach me finesse. Even if I never became a high flyer it taught me how to deal with it.
Three years later I made my debut in that tiny TV studio in Nashville. Not my greatest match but I won when I made Tom Rourke submit to a bearhug. After that I wrestled everywhere. Palisades would get the main events and I would take the undercard. Things were great til I got the shot at the Arkansas Grand Prix champion the Masked Confederate. I came to the back after losing. Confederate put something in his mask and knocked me out with a headbutt. When I got to the back he was gone. I never saw him again.
I'm at the address now. This is just a tin shack in the ghetto. I must of gotten the wrong address. Before I can leave the door opens.
"Been a long time brother come on in and see the king in his castle."
****
"Why did you leave that night in Little Rock?"
"Baby my work was done. You had surpassed me. My power was bleeding out daddy?"
"What do you mean bleeding out?"
"Look brother there is only so much of this energy goin around you dig? Once you passed me by that was it for Finale. The stronger you became the weaker I got."
"Palisades that makes no sense."
"Brother why do you think i was doin that kung fu nonsense? Because
I could not be the Finale to every girl's dream and every man's nightmare. I had to use a short cut like a washed up pitcher using Vaseline on a knuckle ball."
"Yeah I dig brother."
"I know why you're here daddy. Even without cable, news travels fast. These kids in the housin projects told me all about it baby. That Doomsmith he defeated you overseas an took yo title."
"Yeah....."
"What do you think I can do for you?"
"I was thinking you could take me back to where I started. Train me again. WAVE won't give me a rematch. I can't speak with any of the directors. Doomsmith is destroying everything I worked for."
"Daddy I gave you everything I had. Look where I live!!!!" Look at my body? I was once cut from granite like Mikey Angel himself sculpted me but it is all gone brother!!! I have to use a cane to walk to my damn door. All my wrestlin memories were sold just to get a brother high."
"I'm sorry Palisades this was a mistake."
"No baby it was not a mistake. Because Palisades can give you one more thing. Look at me and look at yourself."
Palisades gets out of his old easy chair and slowly walks over to me.
"SLAP!!!!"
"Take that with you Ransom Fortune and get the hell away from me!!!!!"
I know what I need to do and I leave Sacramento that night. But not before I set up a trust fund for Palisades Finale.
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