I obviously own nothing and make no profit from this. It's just overwhelming fondness for the series and too much time on my hands that motivated this.
I've got this all outlined, several chapters already written. Not sure why I'm sharing that, since I'm likely just posting this for myself. But if anyone else stumbles upon this, I hope you enjoy. Although, the more I binge the series on YT I do see lots of us really do remember WMAC, and very fondly, too. :D Long live WMAC Masters.
Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or the faster man. But sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.
-Bruce Lee
The arena's packed. Fists pumping every which way, and there's jeering. Punching at nothing, yelling at everything. It's hard to tell who's on the throne.
The Battle Dome is coming down and it's dark. It's electricity, even if no one has touched the cage, yet.
Ninjas haven't been ordered into this battle, but they're rushing in, anyway. From all angles and with red sashes to match the banners hung up everywhere.
The mark of Jukido sits where the Dragon Star should be. Angry and spiny, it's a trophy nobody wants to win.
The man on the throne stands up. Then he looks down. There's a pop, a puff of smoke, and the moon and stars are inside.
Finally, Warlock speaks, "Jukido was once a part of the WMAC. Now... the WMAC will be a part of Jukido."
There's a saying about dreams... Well, there's lots of them. But what it boils down to is if a person works hard, perseveres, his dreams will come true. Only, that's the last thing Great Wolf wants right about now. Because they aren't just dreams anymore; he knows they never were. They're visions and they're getting worse. It isn't just happening when Jamie is asleep, either. When he snaps out of it, he's both disappointed and relieved to see the Inner Sanctum looking the way it does.
The chessboard's been cleared, the magazines are all stacked, and the monitors are dark. There's no games being played, no matches being broadcast. The stands are empty and the battle zones are all a ghost town, now.
The rotating platform has been torn apart.
It makes sense the council would want to scour every inch of the thing. The last time anybody saw the Dragon Star, within the WMAC, at least, was when Black Widow put it into the tri-chamber cyber cell before the ladies championship match. There was a time, not that long ago, when nobody could've ever imagined it wouldn't be exactly where it was supposed to be.
Everyone's been so focused on how Jukido stole the Dragon Star that they seem to be forgetting Jukido didn't just steal the Dragon Star. They left something in its place. A calling card, and the message is clear: they aren't done with the WMAC.
"So, what now?" Sophia asks. It's a fair question, and she's got every right to ask it. She should be celebrating the beginning of her championship reign. Instead, she's the face of the biggest scandal in WMAC history. Not for anything she's done—or at least, not for anything she's done wrong. It's just that it's her horrified reaction that comes to mind when everyone thinks of what happened. It's unshakable, the image of Chameleon reaching out, as the cyber cell was rising from the rotating platform and the mark of Jukido was rising up from it.
Turbo scoffs, "What now? We find Jukido and get the Dragon Star back." It's an equally fair reply on the surface. But the reality of a proposition like that sets a dangerous precedent. Turbo may have spoken the words with the utmost nonchalance, but what he's suggesting is heavy and beyond serious.
There's a sort of buzz—murmurs and mumbling—and a couple of people almost recoil. But there's no actual rebuttal, or response of any sort, until Machine speaks up, "Do you even hear yourself? Talking like we're gonna form some huge WMAC posse and go after Tracer and Warlock, like—"
"Like...?" Turbo interrupts. But he's only pretending to guess.
"Like we're no better than they are." It's obvious Machine is as offended and betrayed as anyone by Jukido's actions, but that he also couldn't disagree more with what Turbo has seemingly just proposed.
It was before his time at the WMAC, but Jamie knows the story of the injury Hakim fought back from to become the Machine. He knows about the lack of self-control that led to that injury and how serious Hakim is about never being so undisciplined ever again.
Turbo's grinning and he looks way too amused as he declares, "Oh, we're gonna have to be much better than they are."
Hakim's looking Turbo up and down, and there's a disdainful expression tugging at his lips. It's no smile or even a smirk; it's more like a tic. Like he's trying to conceal anger but can't decide on what he oughta hide it with. He eventually mutters, "Cheap shots, dirty fights. Not surprised you don't get it. You're supposed to be a master."
Gone is that too cool, laid-back, taunting demeanor of just a moment before, and Turbo has stepped forward and closed the space between himself and Machine. He's edgy, offended, insisting, "Hey, just because that Dragon Star is gone doesn't mean I've forgotten what it stands for."
"We all want to do something, alright. The right thing. It's obvious we aren't quite decided on what that is," Yin Yang interjects, not just with words, either. He actually steps up between Turbo and Machine. It's not the first time Richard has done that sort of thing, either. Not necessarily between the two of them, but he's good at defusing things—mainly, Turbo—and he's nothing if not clever. He was the brains behind the majority of Turbo and Star Warrior's contests, when they were going on about who was the best at... well, whatever suited Yin Yang's whims.
Jamie can't help wondering if a part of Richard wasn't just messing with the both of them, seeing how much ridiculous stuff he could get them to do in the name of pride, while he sat back and enjoyed the show. He's not hanging anyone upside-down right now, though. Instead, it feels like everyone's world has been turned around, and they've all been hung out to dry.
Richard just plain wants the infighting to stop. He's not the only one. He adds, "Okay, so, maybe we don't exactly agree on what the right thing is, yet. One thing's for certain: we're all masters."
Wizard's voice is hardly more than a whisper but he commands the whole room when he says, "So are my brother and Tracer."
Jamie's not quite sure what Wizard's getting at; he hasn't had a vision about him. Yet. He's hoping no news is good news. He trusts Wizard, though. Then again, there was a time—a very long period of time, too—when he trusted Warlock.
It's just so disheartening to think someone who earned his place as a master, who overcame the ugliness of his past, still questions if he belongs. Wizard has more than paid his dues in the very short time he's been with the WMAC. Meanwhile, his brother swindled the whole roster and beat him within an inch of his life. Wherever Larry is, no doubt he's real pleased with how he pulled the wool over everyone's eyes for so long.
Jamie forces Wizard to look him in the eyes as he speaks, "No, they're Jukido."
"They're both and so am I. Or, I have been," Wizard insists. His jaw is tight and his eyes are dark. "I'm not Jukido anymore, but you should all understand what it means that I once was. I couldn't be ex-Jukido if I was never just plain Jukido. I did bad things, even if I was just a kid when I pledged loyalty to them."
"What kind of things?" Princess asks. Mer-Mer was among the first to admit she didn't know a thing about Wizard after he joined up. When everyone else was sharing rumors about him, and ridiculous ones, at that, she just plain admitted she didn't know—that nobody really did—and didn't say a single word more.
It speaks to the sort of quiet class Princess has always had. She didn't outright say everyone else should probably stop spouting nonsense about Wizard, Jamie included, but she didn't have to. Everyone shut up after that.
Then again, that was about when Warlock showed up and dropped the bomb that he and Wizard were estranged brothers and cast doubt on Wizard's credibility by revealing he was Jukido.
Now, it seems Wizard himself wants everyone to know what that means.
"I stole things. Destroyed property. Beat people up. For stupid reasons. For no reason," Wizard confesses. "My brother isn't just a sore loser throwing a tantrum, and Tracer isn't just some guy who gets way too wound up over what you call him. And it should go without saying that Jukido isn't just a schoolyard gang."
"It isn't just a martial arts discipline, either." Much like Princess, Star Warrior has never been one to say a lot, but when he does open his mouth, it's important.
Ho-Young never said more than that he wasn't the man behind the mask, that he wasn't the ninja behind the sabotage of his brother and Machine's championship match. Jamie's never quite understood why Ho-Young hid the truth, especially when it turns out that truth included his alibi. But Johnny immediately took him at his word and Jamie took Johnny at his.
It sparks a certain pride inside of him, over the way Johnny had Ho-Young's back, with no hesitation. It's why they're best friends. It's why that too-short-yet-way-too-long time in his life when they weren't hurt so bad.
"No, that would require some actual discipline," Ho-Sung mutters. The whole roster has fallen victim to Jukido's humiliation and deceit, but few of them so publicly as Superstar.
It goes without saying that Ho-Sung has become quieter, more subdued since that fight. Since losing the title to Machine, for real. Jamie's got a feeling it goes deeper than his pride taking a knock, though. The seed was never watered, but it was planted that his own brother could've wanted to ruin his Dragon Star defense match. It's obviously never been dug up, either. Just left in the dirt. Buried. To rot, or at the very least, harden.
Now Cyclone's saying something in Japanese and Jamie wishes like everything that he could understand. At least as much as he wishes he already spoke Japanese, back when they were rollerblading on the beach the day Yuji broke his leg. But sometimes, things just get going so fast, get so out of control, no amount of yelling or flailing is gonna put the brakes on anything.
Understanding, though, that will. And Jamie still doesn't understand, all because he's never taken the time to learn.
Bam offers a much needed translation, "He says, 'Don't forget that Jukido was once formally recognized by the WMAC'."
It's no secret that Willie dodged an accusation himself, when the Masked Ninja reared his ugly head. He said where he was in no uncertain terms: with his son. There was something more important than a title match, to him. He immediately reminded everyone what it was, proved where he was, and they all dropped it.
"But they were banned for refusing to follow the code of the Dragon Star," Christine points out.
It's just such a weird thing to think of any master doing—disrespecting the Dragon Star. Living by it has enriched Jamie's life; he's confident everyone else currently here feels the same. Christine's proof of that. Lady Lightning is a former Dragon Star champion, who just recently challenged for the title a second time, and would be starting her 3rd degree belt now if competition wasn't shut down.
"Yeah, we know Jukido was banned, but do we know exactly what they did?" Johnny's asking. He's thoughtful, but there's something else. A sort of something that comes from experience. Well, he's seen firsthand what Jukido got away with. He stopped it from being worse. He's asking because he wants to know if his experience matches up with what's in the records.
Olympus steps up. "What didn't they do is more like it."
It's not surprising he's got an answer and it's not surprising that's what it is. Everyone's had suspicions about something or other—someone or other—since the Masked Ninja. But Herb was the one who dug in the archives and finally put all the pieces together. Put Tracer and Warlock together. Put Warlock on the rotating platform well before his own Dragon Star match, then put one of their buddies up on the platform during his title shot. Put several of their buddies inside the Battle Dome with Wizard, after hours, and thank goodness Johnny was there to help even the odds.
Herb continues, "They broke just about every rule in the book. Big time. Wasn't just a few infractions here or there. The kind of mistake someone on the up-and-up learns from and never makes again."
"Maybe because they weren't mistakes." Red Dragon doesn't sound like he's guessing. It's experience and disappointment in his tone. Just because he won his title defense match against Warlock doesn't mean it was fair. Chris had to withstand a double-team to do so, and nobody, including him, even knew it was happening, at the time.
Herb agrees, "Exactly."
"Broke the rules how?" It's Kid that asks. He's as curious as anyone. He's just got fewer matches under his belt than most anybody else. It's gotta be unsettling that Warlock is among his opponents since being promoted to master status. That they squared off the very day Larry arranged to have Wizard attacked inside the Battle Dome.
Looking back, there was just something real relentless about Larry in that fight, though, for as evenly matched as he and Kid were. Not to mention, something impatient and petulant and unsportsmanlike about him after he got the win, too.
Most people probably didn't notice—Jamie sure didn't—or they all just dismissed it as him being anxious to face Wizard in the finals. The truth was, his mask was slipping. His well-crafted, well-worn façade was beginning to crack.
"It was exactly like what we've been witnessing. Jukido practitioners were caught injuring opponents with illegal moves during matches. Suspected of attacking rivals outside of competition. Several of their competitors even tested positive for banned substances." Herb pauses and sighs. He somehow sounds both offhand and disappointed, adding, "It took the council a long time to weed them all out. As it turns out, they didn't."
Maybe the council just didn't close the door tightly enough after giving them the boot the first time.
There's a heavy, sinking feeling inside of Jamie. Something that's both falling and stuck, at the same time. Solid, like a stone, but it tingles, too. It's the sort of thing that can't dissolve without eating away at whatever's around it on the way down.
Johnny looks to Wizard, "What do you think? You know them better than anyone else."
Wizard inhales, holds it a minute. He's thinking. But it seems like he's thinking more about how to say what he's gonna say than on what he's gonna say. He exhales and answers, "Pretending Jukido isn't a threat won't work. I already made that mistake."
"So, you're saying we should fight?" Of course it's Turbo who asks. Although, he doesn't look or sound like his usual impulsive self. There's something reserved and serious and contemplative about him. Somehow, it's more unnerving than when he's hot under the collar and just itching to fight. Well, there's a reason he won the Dragon Star, defended it twice, and has six Ki symbols on his second degree belt, now. He's a smart, tough competitor, and he's definitely not all talk, even if he does have a gigantic mouth.
"I'll never attack anyone out of anger, or for revenge," Wizard says, seriously. He shifts his weight. But it's not out of awkwardness, and he's not trying to delay or deny anything, either. It's for balance. A necessary adjustment. "But I will defend everyone here. If it wasn't for Tiger Claw being there to defend me, I wouldn't be able to make that choice. It's up to the rest of you to decide what you think is right."
Jamie's not sure what anyone else's decision is going to be, or even what his own is, to be honest.
It all sort of feels like knowing there's a time bomb that needs defusing, and while he can hear the ticking and see all the crossed wires, he really doesn't know how long until the countdown reaches zero. He can't do nothing, but cutting the wrong wires and blowing them all up is no better.
Jamie knows what he's seen is important; a person doesn't up and start having visions for no reason. He also knows his visions are only so good unless accompanied by action. Making a plan is nothing if a person doesn't actually work toward accomplishing it. Follow-through is everything.
Jamie also knows he's not the only one making plans.
Unless he and everyone else does something, he's gonna keep having this vision, just like with the last one, until it stops being a vision and becomes reality.
I plan to feature a different character as the "voice" of each chapter. Great Wolf is a good choice to kick things off y/y? :) And can I just vent about what trash it is that this site doesn't let you use slashes in your chapter titles? Because I wanted to list this as the Intro/Great Wolf POV. Ah, well.
Most chapters won't include so many characters at once. This was the intro, so (almost) everyone kinda needed to be there.
And PSA that Turbo is my absolute favorite character. I don't know what canon planned to do with him, but I always enjoyed the idea of a good guy who has trouble with his temper. It's a real, relatable weakness (of mine, TMI). I think it needs exploring, and I don't think he deserves dumping in camp bad guy because of it. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
Anyhoo, that's more than enough notes. Feedback is love, and I would definitely enjoy connecting (reconnecting, in some cases) with fellow WMAC fans.