Post by joss on Nov 4, 2024 20:35:53 GMT -8
Watching the brutal end of the impromptu tag title match unfold backstage on a TV screen with some others, Ray and Kenny Dougie aka The Last Airbenders aka the only members of The Southie Syndicate who weren’t in the ring alongside their faction mates exchanged a heavy look, still looking weary from their match not too long before this.
It was hard to watch their fellow members celebrate the new titleholders as if they’d all won together. But not only that, Ray’s gaze was fixed on Boston’s Finest, a grim look on his face. Kenny on the other hand gave a slight grin, clearly amused by the whole spectacle. But when he glanced over at his older brother, his expression flickered with conflict and leaned towards him.
Not wanting to be heard by the others around them also watching the screen, Kenny murmured, “What you thinkin’, man? We’re supposed to be hyped right now. Papa Callaghan’s got the whole crew pumped.”
Bent over slightly with hands on his knees, Ray shook his head, his eyes still glued to the screen. “Naw man, this doesn’t sit right. Maybe they asked for it but still, not even letting ‘em breathe for a second? And we just let ‘em get jumped.”
His jaw tensed even more when the show feed cut to a shot of Summer’s face looking on in despair.
Kenny sighed. “I mean… yeah, they fought hard. But this is the biz, right? You know Nate’s all about making The Southie Syndicate the top dogs. Plus,” he paused, casting another glance around to make sure no one’s trying to listen in before lowering his voice even more, “Syndicate is literally in the name. Dude probably works for the mob or somethin’.”
His eyes widened a little as he tried to keep it subtle. Ray’s frustration only simmered further, clenching his fists.
“Top dogs by throwing them into a rematch they couldn’t even fight fresh in? Look, you know I’m not too concerned with all this faction stuff, we take any opportunity we can get. But this? I don’t know, feels like Nathan’s cookin’ up somethin’ and left us out for some reason. They’re all out there while we’re back here.”
Ray said, shaking his head, as the screen returned to a final shot of Ruby and Jade holding their titles high alongside Charli and Kian raising their arms in solidarity.
“Is there even a place for us?”
Ray didn’t end up sleeping much that night, the events of the show kept playing in his mind which only brought back feelings of frustration he’d been having since he stepped foot in the Southie Syndicate House. Kenny had rubbed off a few people in the Crucible Academy the wrong way, including and especially Nathan and Charli. His younger brother was always too playful for his own good and Ray tried to put out the small fires he caused by finally hopping onto Twitter and taking over their shared account. It wasn’t something he thought to do initially, hence why they didn’t have separate accounts to use from, but he didn’t want to cause further trouble.
They did join the Academy for a reason. Having been trained for a year but without any support from their previous trainer who couldn’t take them seriously, Ray still felt the sting of being left out of the picture of ever getting booked to advance in their wrestling journey back then. So when Nathan picked him and his brother, he was grateful for it and didn’t want to waste the opportunity. But since the Sorting Ceremony, Nathan’s demeanor completely flipped a 180 as he told Charli in a tweet that he was “forced to take the chuckle brothers”. He had no idea until much later when he started using the account and just scrolled through the timeline out of boredom and mild curiosity. Kenny had responded to it (which Nathan didn’t reply to) and didn’t even tell him. Then during training too, Ray did notice the favouritism seeping through. Or at least that’s what it looked like in his eyes.
Normally Kenny’s the one who couldn’t keep his mouth shut but this time it was Ray and after the social media callout from Kian asking the brothers to stand with the rest of their faction and then seeing whatever that was between Nathan and Charli caught on camera, he had had enough. So he pulled his phone out to call out all their behaviours.
And that finally caught Nathan’s attention: “My office. Now.”
But by that time, he had already gone to start preparing lunch for Summer and Bella, a bet they made if they lost to them which he had full intention to follow through. Cooking had become his therapy in the last year and he was starting to feel better. Well until this moment where Kenny rushed over, a panicky look on his face, showing him Nathan’s message on his phone. He didn’t even realize Kenny had snuck away to use his phone when he was supposed to be helping him chop up those onions that were still untouched on the counter.
“What did you do, Ray?”
He almost slammed the knife down as he took a deep breath. Then he motioned for his younger brother to go meet Nathan together.
Knuckle up or shut up — a returning echo to his chamber of thoughts.
***
“Come in, morons.”
Ah there it was again. Apparently they were morons today. Ray was the first to enter Nathan’s office, his jaw tensed, and he came right to Nathan’s desk, a sort of quiet defiance in his demeanor. He held his ground, chin up, arms loosely crossed while his younger brother Kenny followed to stand next to him, fidgeting a little bit. Very unlike him who’s usually more of the joker of the two. Even Ray’s normally easygoing attitude wasn’t present at the moment. It was obvious who was the unhappy one about what went down at the show last night.
“You wanted to see us, sir?” Ray spoke up, his tone somewhat steady.
Nathan leaned back in his chair, a look of cool indifference on his face as he surveyed the Dougie brothers standing before him. His eyes narrowed, and he let the silence stretch just long enough to make both of them shift uncomfortably. Finally, he sat up, folding his hands on the desk in front of him, his tone calm but with a razor’s edge.
“Oh, so now it’s ‘sir,’ is it?” Nathan’s voice was mocking, his gaze moving from Ray’s defiant expression to Kenny’s uneasy stance. “Funny. That respect wasn’t exactly present last night when you two decided to run your mouths and label me an ‘old perv,’ was it?”
Kenny’s eyes bugged out at that, having had no idea of it. His cheeks puffed out too, laughter almost burst out of him but luckily he caught himself. Ray just flinched slightly, holding his ground without giving anything else away. Nathan stood up slowly, crossing around to the front of the desk to face them directly, the intensity in his eyes making it clear he wasn’t in the mood for their usual antics.
“You think you can come in here, crack jokes about me and Charli, and expect to walk out unscathed?” Nathan’s gaze zeroed in on Ray, whose posture stiffened further under the scrutiny. “Let me tell you something, boys. What happens between Charli and me is none of your damn business. She’s more than capable of making her own choices—choices that, frankly, are leagues beyond anything you two would understand.”
Nathan’s tone sharpened as he looked from Ray to Kenny. “I’ve seen the two of you act like clowns in that ring, jumping around for laughs and applause like it’s some kind of circus. But let me make one thing very clear: Charli and I? We’re not here for games. We’re here for results. And if you have a problem with that, then you’re welcome to step up and see how far that little attitude of yours gets you.”
He let his words sink in, a dangerous smile creeping onto his face. “So, if you’re here to apologize, I suggest you start. And if you’re not?” He took a step back, arms folded, waiting. “Then make it quick, because I don’t have time for boys who don’t know their place.” Nathan then pulled up his trusty barbed wire bat and placed it on Kenny’s shoulder.
Feeling the weight of the bat and its barbed wire digging into his shoulder through the sleeve of his shirt, Kenny swallowed hard and threw a nervous glance at his older brother as if asking for help. He didn’t dare move as he kept his breathing steady, clearly not wanting to accidentally set off Nathan.
Ray, catching the look in Kenny’s eyes, stepped in almost immediately. The defiance in his own eyes flickered but soon cooled down as he raised his hands slightly as if to surrender.
“I was the one who said those things. That’s all me, not Kenny. But I just said what I saw and that’s what it looked like to me. You’re right, whatever you and Charli do is none of our business but when it was caught on camera like that, I can’t not question it because I need to know what we’re getting ourselves into here. We might play but like you, Charli and the others, we want results too and we do appreciate your guidance so far.”
Ray paused to look at Nathan warily, trying to gauge his reaction. He kept his voice calm but tight.
“So uh we get it. You want us in line, not out there to act like clowns in the ring. Got it. And I also apologize for what I said earlier about you.”
He wanted to say more, to hit back at how Nathan had never showed them any respect himself since day one, calling them names and all that. His frustration was still lingering in his features but seeing Kenny like that, he was willing to fall back. Sensing Ray’s restraint, Kenny nodded.
“Yeah boss, only play we do now is your way, okay?” Kenny added quietly, glancing at Nathan with a careful and respectful look.
Nathan let the weight of the barbed-wire bat rest on his shoulder as he looked at the brothers, his expression a mix of annoyance and a hint of reluctant respect at Ray’s honesty. He let the silence linger, his gaze shifting between the two of them as if measuring whether their apology was genuine.
Finally, he gave a slow nod, his voice low but firm.
“Good. Because I don’t care if you ‘play’, as long as you understand the line between playing and being fools. You want to question what you see? Fine, but you do that behind closed doors, and you do it with respect. Out there, I don’t need anyone second-guessing me, especially not over some rumors you two whipped up out of jealousy or boredom.”
He looked directly at Ray, his gaze hard. “You got potential, but you’re not gonna get anywhere acting like punks who think they know it all. I’ve put in the years, the fights, the bruises, and Charli? She was my number one pick for a reason. I’ll knock some sense into anyone who thinks they can question that, especially if it’s my own trainees.”
Nathan’s eyes narrowed as he leaned in a little closer, his tone icy. “This isn’t about falling in line to stroke my ego, boys. It’s about knowing your role, doing the work, and respecting those who paved the way for you to be here. I’ve seen enough rookies flame out because they couldn’t keep their mouths shut and just learn.”
Finally, he pulled the bat off his shoulder, pointing it slightly away from them as he spoke in a calmer, though no less intense, tone. “Now, if you’re ready to show me you’re serious, then good. But one more slip-up, one more show of disrespect, and I’ll make sure you both learn why this isn’t a game.”
He took a step back, giving them a long, scrutinizing look. “Get out there and prove to me I didn’t make a mistake letting you in here. I’m watching.”
“Yes, sir,” the brothers said in unison.
Kenny was more enthusiastic as he didn’t have much of an issue to begin with, plus he was eager to leave Nathan’s office after being threatened with the bat. No doubt feeling like his kid self again hauled to the principal’s office except this was worse.
Ray though was not, keeping his shoulders square in muted defiance. But he chose to do as he was told, at least for now, and turned to make his exit. Kenny quickly followed him, rubbing the spot on his shoulder where he could still feel the bat.
Outside Nathan’s office, Kenny closed the door behind them and let out a long exhale. That’s when they spotted Brendan Callaghan who apparently had been watching from a distance, his arms folded over his chest and an uncharacteristically serious look on his face. It seemed like he was disappointed in them but they couldn’t tell as he just shook his head before slipping away without approaching them.
The two brothers exchanged a heavy look without another word. Ray sighed and just trudged back to the house kitchen to continue making the lunch he was prepping earlier for Summer and Bella.
Shut up, it was.
It was hard to watch their fellow members celebrate the new titleholders as if they’d all won together. But not only that, Ray’s gaze was fixed on Boston’s Finest, a grim look on his face. Kenny on the other hand gave a slight grin, clearly amused by the whole spectacle. But when he glanced over at his older brother, his expression flickered with conflict and leaned towards him.
Not wanting to be heard by the others around them also watching the screen, Kenny murmured, “What you thinkin’, man? We’re supposed to be hyped right now. Papa Callaghan’s got the whole crew pumped.”
Bent over slightly with hands on his knees, Ray shook his head, his eyes still glued to the screen. “Naw man, this doesn’t sit right. Maybe they asked for it but still, not even letting ‘em breathe for a second? And we just let ‘em get jumped.”
His jaw tensed even more when the show feed cut to a shot of Summer’s face looking on in despair.
Kenny sighed. “I mean… yeah, they fought hard. But this is the biz, right? You know Nate’s all about making The Southie Syndicate the top dogs. Plus,” he paused, casting another glance around to make sure no one’s trying to listen in before lowering his voice even more, “Syndicate is literally in the name. Dude probably works for the mob or somethin’.”
His eyes widened a little as he tried to keep it subtle. Ray’s frustration only simmered further, clenching his fists.
“Top dogs by throwing them into a rematch they couldn’t even fight fresh in? Look, you know I’m not too concerned with all this faction stuff, we take any opportunity we can get. But this? I don’t know, feels like Nathan’s cookin’ up somethin’ and left us out for some reason. They’re all out there while we’re back here.”
Ray said, shaking his head, as the screen returned to a final shot of Ruby and Jade holding their titles high alongside Charli and Kian raising their arms in solidarity.
“Is there even a place for us?”
***
Ray didn’t end up sleeping much that night, the events of the show kept playing in his mind which only brought back feelings of frustration he’d been having since he stepped foot in the Southie Syndicate House. Kenny had rubbed off a few people in the Crucible Academy the wrong way, including and especially Nathan and Charli. His younger brother was always too playful for his own good and Ray tried to put out the small fires he caused by finally hopping onto Twitter and taking over their shared account. It wasn’t something he thought to do initially, hence why they didn’t have separate accounts to use from, but he didn’t want to cause further trouble.
They did join the Academy for a reason. Having been trained for a year but without any support from their previous trainer who couldn’t take them seriously, Ray still felt the sting of being left out of the picture of ever getting booked to advance in their wrestling journey back then. So when Nathan picked him and his brother, he was grateful for it and didn’t want to waste the opportunity. But since the Sorting Ceremony, Nathan’s demeanor completely flipped a 180 as he told Charli in a tweet that he was “forced to take the chuckle brothers”. He had no idea until much later when he started using the account and just scrolled through the timeline out of boredom and mild curiosity. Kenny had responded to it (which Nathan didn’t reply to) and didn’t even tell him. Then during training too, Ray did notice the favouritism seeping through. Or at least that’s what it looked like in his eyes.
Normally Kenny’s the one who couldn’t keep his mouth shut but this time it was Ray and after the social media callout from Kian asking the brothers to stand with the rest of their faction and then seeing whatever that was between Nathan and Charli caught on camera, he had had enough. So he pulled his phone out to call out all their behaviours.
And that finally caught Nathan’s attention: “My office. Now.”
But by that time, he had already gone to start preparing lunch for Summer and Bella, a bet they made if they lost to them which he had full intention to follow through. Cooking had become his therapy in the last year and he was starting to feel better. Well until this moment where Kenny rushed over, a panicky look on his face, showing him Nathan’s message on his phone. He didn’t even realize Kenny had snuck away to use his phone when he was supposed to be helping him chop up those onions that were still untouched on the counter.
“What did you do, Ray?”
He almost slammed the knife down as he took a deep breath. Then he motioned for his younger brother to go meet Nathan together.
Knuckle up or shut up — a returning echo to his chamber of thoughts.
***
“Come in, morons.”
Ah there it was again. Apparently they were morons today. Ray was the first to enter Nathan’s office, his jaw tensed, and he came right to Nathan’s desk, a sort of quiet defiance in his demeanor. He held his ground, chin up, arms loosely crossed while his younger brother Kenny followed to stand next to him, fidgeting a little bit. Very unlike him who’s usually more of the joker of the two. Even Ray’s normally easygoing attitude wasn’t present at the moment. It was obvious who was the unhappy one about what went down at the show last night.
“You wanted to see us, sir?” Ray spoke up, his tone somewhat steady.
Nathan leaned back in his chair, a look of cool indifference on his face as he surveyed the Dougie brothers standing before him. His eyes narrowed, and he let the silence stretch just long enough to make both of them shift uncomfortably. Finally, he sat up, folding his hands on the desk in front of him, his tone calm but with a razor’s edge.
“Oh, so now it’s ‘sir,’ is it?” Nathan’s voice was mocking, his gaze moving from Ray’s defiant expression to Kenny’s uneasy stance. “Funny. That respect wasn’t exactly present last night when you two decided to run your mouths and label me an ‘old perv,’ was it?”
Kenny’s eyes bugged out at that, having had no idea of it. His cheeks puffed out too, laughter almost burst out of him but luckily he caught himself. Ray just flinched slightly, holding his ground without giving anything else away. Nathan stood up slowly, crossing around to the front of the desk to face them directly, the intensity in his eyes making it clear he wasn’t in the mood for their usual antics.
“You think you can come in here, crack jokes about me and Charli, and expect to walk out unscathed?” Nathan’s gaze zeroed in on Ray, whose posture stiffened further under the scrutiny. “Let me tell you something, boys. What happens between Charli and me is none of your damn business. She’s more than capable of making her own choices—choices that, frankly, are leagues beyond anything you two would understand.”
Nathan’s tone sharpened as he looked from Ray to Kenny. “I’ve seen the two of you act like clowns in that ring, jumping around for laughs and applause like it’s some kind of circus. But let me make one thing very clear: Charli and I? We’re not here for games. We’re here for results. And if you have a problem with that, then you’re welcome to step up and see how far that little attitude of yours gets you.”
He let his words sink in, a dangerous smile creeping onto his face. “So, if you’re here to apologize, I suggest you start. And if you’re not?” He took a step back, arms folded, waiting. “Then make it quick, because I don’t have time for boys who don’t know their place.” Nathan then pulled up his trusty barbed wire bat and placed it on Kenny’s shoulder.
Feeling the weight of the bat and its barbed wire digging into his shoulder through the sleeve of his shirt, Kenny swallowed hard and threw a nervous glance at his older brother as if asking for help. He didn’t dare move as he kept his breathing steady, clearly not wanting to accidentally set off Nathan.
Ray, catching the look in Kenny’s eyes, stepped in almost immediately. The defiance in his own eyes flickered but soon cooled down as he raised his hands slightly as if to surrender.
“I was the one who said those things. That’s all me, not Kenny. But I just said what I saw and that’s what it looked like to me. You’re right, whatever you and Charli do is none of our business but when it was caught on camera like that, I can’t not question it because I need to know what we’re getting ourselves into here. We might play but like you, Charli and the others, we want results too and we do appreciate your guidance so far.”
Ray paused to look at Nathan warily, trying to gauge his reaction. He kept his voice calm but tight.
“So uh we get it. You want us in line, not out there to act like clowns in the ring. Got it. And I also apologize for what I said earlier about you.”
He wanted to say more, to hit back at how Nathan had never showed them any respect himself since day one, calling them names and all that. His frustration was still lingering in his features but seeing Kenny like that, he was willing to fall back. Sensing Ray’s restraint, Kenny nodded.
“Yeah boss, only play we do now is your way, okay?” Kenny added quietly, glancing at Nathan with a careful and respectful look.
Nathan let the weight of the barbed-wire bat rest on his shoulder as he looked at the brothers, his expression a mix of annoyance and a hint of reluctant respect at Ray’s honesty. He let the silence linger, his gaze shifting between the two of them as if measuring whether their apology was genuine.
Finally, he gave a slow nod, his voice low but firm.
“Good. Because I don’t care if you ‘play’, as long as you understand the line between playing and being fools. You want to question what you see? Fine, but you do that behind closed doors, and you do it with respect. Out there, I don’t need anyone second-guessing me, especially not over some rumors you two whipped up out of jealousy or boredom.”
He looked directly at Ray, his gaze hard. “You got potential, but you’re not gonna get anywhere acting like punks who think they know it all. I’ve put in the years, the fights, the bruises, and Charli? She was my number one pick for a reason. I’ll knock some sense into anyone who thinks they can question that, especially if it’s my own trainees.”
Nathan’s eyes narrowed as he leaned in a little closer, his tone icy. “This isn’t about falling in line to stroke my ego, boys. It’s about knowing your role, doing the work, and respecting those who paved the way for you to be here. I’ve seen enough rookies flame out because they couldn’t keep their mouths shut and just learn.”
Finally, he pulled the bat off his shoulder, pointing it slightly away from them as he spoke in a calmer, though no less intense, tone. “Now, if you’re ready to show me you’re serious, then good. But one more slip-up, one more show of disrespect, and I’ll make sure you both learn why this isn’t a game.”
He took a step back, giving them a long, scrutinizing look. “Get out there and prove to me I didn’t make a mistake letting you in here. I’m watching.”
“Yes, sir,” the brothers said in unison.
Kenny was more enthusiastic as he didn’t have much of an issue to begin with, plus he was eager to leave Nathan’s office after being threatened with the bat. No doubt feeling like his kid self again hauled to the principal’s office except this was worse.
Ray though was not, keeping his shoulders square in muted defiance. But he chose to do as he was told, at least for now, and turned to make his exit. Kenny quickly followed him, rubbing the spot on his shoulder where he could still feel the bat.
Outside Nathan’s office, Kenny closed the door behind them and let out a long exhale. That’s when they spotted Brendan Callaghan who apparently had been watching from a distance, his arms folded over his chest and an uncharacteristically serious look on his face. It seemed like he was disappointed in them but they couldn’t tell as he just shook his head before slipping away without approaching them.
The two brothers exchanged a heavy look without another word. Ray sighed and just trudged back to the house kitchen to continue making the lunch he was prepping earlier for Summer and Bella.
Shut up, it was.