Welcome to chapter 11 of 9AM In Italy everyone! Things are really about to get heated up now and tensions are taken to the next level! Enjoy reading, leave a review, and happy holidays!
Chapter 11: That Sinking Feeling
Crash landing in a field just outside the downtown city of Milano, the Rock sat immediately back up, intent on trekking his way back to the city. With no other place to turn to, exactly what was the Great One supposed to do? He had been ousted by his own family and village, and it wasn't just a select group of people either. It was all of them collectively as one union; the People's Union and they felt it was high time he go too.
The Rock couldn't blame them really. After all, how many times did they run into danger with him in charge leading the way? Too many times to count, by his measure. "They'll be better off without me anyway. From now on, the Rock says he's all about himself, doing whatever the blue hell the Rock wants to do first," he said to himself.
It wasn't selfishness at all to him. He was just looking out for himself; pretty much what he should have been doing instead since day one unlike what his grandfather and father had taught him. Those lessons were very far in the back of his mind by now. The Rock had to set a new standard for himself now. With great power came the great responsibility to lay the smackdown on anybody who got in his way.
Upon reaching the town's entrance, the Rock passed by a beggar who slyly and precisely tried to pickpocket the Great One as he 'accidentally' bumped into him, before regaining his balance and speed walking the other way. Rock immediately stopped in place and patted his pockets, seeing that his large sum of coins were no longer there.
"Hey, you bring your monkey ass back here with the Rock's gold!" he shouted, and the beggar started to pick up the speed, hustling as fast as he could. Unfortunately for him, the Rock was younger, faster, and stronger, so he caught the beggar with ease.
Spinning him around, the Rock proceeded to give the beggar three Rock Bottoms in a row, before snatching the bag back and stuffing it in his pocket for safe keeping. He turned his attention back to the sprawled out beggar, a dark scowl on his face. "Who in the blue hell do you think you are jabroni?" he questioned.
The beggar opened his mouth to speak, but as per usual, was cut off in an instant. "It doesn't matter who you think you are!" he shouted, punching him in the face and commanding him to stay down. The beggar rubbed his jaw. "Please sir, could you lend me some coin? My family has suffered greatly from the war as have many others," he begged, the Rock studying his face and words. He could sense truth and sincerity in them, but the fact that he attempted to steal the coins in the first place peeved him even more.
"Sucks for you then. That's pretty damn bad. Maybe next time you should tell your prime minister or whoever the blue hell is in charge not to go to war. Your country was probably better off under another country's control anyway," he said laughing to himself.
"Please good sir, you must help us! We do not know how much longer we can last! The people are weak, the children hunger for food! Are you not a man of the people?!" the beggar proclaimed. The Rock looked his way one last time, raising an eyebrow. Sighing to himself, he offered the beggar a hand. "You're right sir. The Rock was raised to be a man of the people, not a jabroni." The beggar offered up his best smile as he took the Rock's hand and got back to his feet, only to receive another Rock Bottom for his trouble.
"Don't you ever try and steal from the Rock again, or you'll be sorry! If you smell what the Rock is cooking!" he shouted, finally turning away and heading back through the town entrance. He earned stares from the local townees and tourists that were heading in different directions, but the Great One didn't allow the looks to bother him. After all, it was just simple jealousy and he quite frankly had no time for bullshit such as jealousy.
As he made his way into the suburban portions of Milano, the Rock was taken by surprise as the smell of fire and smoldering ashes that polluted the air and his senses. Using sensory imagery, the Rock tapped into his vision, allowing him to see the last few moments that transpired prior to this suburbia being blown to hell.
The Rock saw Layla arriving at the home of the Mendillo family, and how Aaliyah made fun of her before leaving. That made him smirk; Layla pretty much irked him as well so Aaliyah did him a favor there. He watched as Layla left the house, with a smirk on her face and blood on her hands. "That can't be right; please tell she didn't do what I think she just did..." he whispered to himself.
Speeding up the imagery process, he saw Arianna and Eve come a couple of hours later, going inside the house. He was honestly surprised that Ari had decided to go back and see her family. His assumption was pretty much well, she wouldn't like what she saw inside, and precisely three seconds later, his assumption was right on the money.
He couldn't believe Layla had actually struck the nerve to go out and kill somebody's family like that. What was the purpose? What was she accomplishing by doing that? Was there a bigger plan being put in motion by the evil Western witch he was unaware of? Either way, revenge was going to be some type of motivation going forward. Ari needed some vindication. He may have turned his back on the people, but he wasn't about to turn his back on someone he had come to love.
He continued watching as Ari completely let her emotions loose, and with no type of control over them, her powers went insane and out of control, completely obliterating one-fourth of Milano. "That girl is going to kill somebody. Oh wait..." the Rock paused, silently thinking to himself. Maybe it was best if she was allowed some time to recuperate. Best not to disturb someone who was bordering on the brink of craziness and mental instability.
He pulled back on his leather jacket and put on some shades as he began to feel some chills coming on. He exited the imagery mode, making a mental note to find Ari whenever he could, because there was a sinking feeling that there would be some type of repercussions for these actions.
The Bottom
The Great One opened up the door to the nightly bar, intent on having a couple of rounds with some good friends he had happened to make there. After all, he was going to need some temporary quarters to stay until he could get his living situation fixed up and accorded. Being friends with the bar owner Mark Henry definitely came in handy during times such as these.
"Mark, what's good man?" the Great One asked, grabbing a stool at the front counter, tipping a couple of gold coin the big man's way. "The usual please," he requested.
"Coming right up Dwayne. To answer your question from before, nothing at all these days actually," he said somberly. The Rock raised an eyebrow. "Why is that? I'm pretty sure business is going good for you right?" he asked. Henry shook his head. "It's not even business man. It's really more of what's going on outside these doors," he said.
"Care to clarify?" the Rock asked, curiosity beginning to peak. Mark shook his head slowly before deciding to give Rock the news. It sucked to be the bearer of bad news all the time.
"Your little girlfriend...there's a hunt going on for her. A bounty if you will," he said, and as if on cue the Rock dropped his glass. "Bounty? What in the blue hell for?"
"Man open your eyes! Did you not see that destruction she did on the Eastern Village side? That's gonna take some time to rebuild!" Mark shouted. Calming himself once more, his voice took on a more serious tone. "Some bodies gonna get their ass kicked."
"Well, it's sure not gonna be hers, not if I have anything to say about it. It's gonna be boots to asses!" the Rock said. It didn't matter what kind of challenge was thrown the Rock's way; he had an unmatched willpower to see a task through to the end no matter the difficulty.
As the Great One got up from his stool, the doors to the Bottom opened A short astute woman with an overbearing hood over head walked in, rather hurriedly. Normally not one to jump to conclusions, this situation sort of sparked the Great One to do so.
"Hey Layla, you stupid kung pao bitch! The Rock says-" he started off, but his comments trailed off when he got a good look at the hooded character's eyes.
"Ari?!" he and Mark said at the same time, shocked at the same time. The harbinger rolled her eyes at the stares of both men as she grabbed a stool and sat at the counter, beginning to down whatever types of liquor she saw fit.
"Whoa whoa whoa hold on chugga choo choo! The Rock says you need to slow down lightweight!" he heftily chuckled, until the young Italian tossed him a grim glare.
"The Ari says shut the fuck up. I'll drink whatever the hell I want to drink," she hissed, before going back to her activities.
The Rock tossed Mark Henry a surprised but dumbfounded look, but the bar owner shrugged. 'Comfort her,' he mouthed, nudging his head in the direction of Ari. Clearly that girl required some much needed solace right now.
Sighing, the Brahma Bull pulled his seat up next to the harbinger's, thinking about what to say. His thought process was quite simple with women in the past; don't think, just talk. That clearly wasn't going to work here, so what exactly was he supposed to say? I know what you're going through, and I know it's a tough mountain to climb, but everything will be okay in the end? That was usually the type of journey a human being went through in their lifetime. Then again, they weren't exactly normal human beings.
"Ari, look I know what you're going through-" he started, and immediately like a horse carriage at a 4-way intersection, he was cut off by a swerve.
"You do? Oh please do tell me Rocky, what am I going through? Clearly I don't understand it, nor do I give two fucks about it!" she yelled, but the Rock didn't back down. It was going to take much more than a screaming 21 year old to make him back down.
"I'll let that slide because of what you're going through. Calm down Arianna, I'm just here to help you out," he said in a calmer voice, but that didn't freeze the franticness that was flowing through Ari's veins.
"Help me out? How would you do that Dwayne? Let's see...you could always separate me from my family. But then, I'd have a frantic panic attack and just burn everything down to the ground. You know, just like my home village?" she sardonically replied, taking a couple of sips of some dirty rum.
"Look, you're not in your right state of mind right now," the Rock said, raising an eyebrow at her dangerous new habit. "You could end up doing a whole lot more damage if you don't get in control of your emotions. Remember that day at the field?" he questioned.
Arianna immediately stopped drinking her rum and dispersed all over the place, giving the most sarcastic laugh in the history of sarcasm. "Do I remember? Of course I remember Rocky! It was the day you took advantage of an innocent young woman and stole her virginity! How could I not remember? Do you remember all the blood that-" Ari kept going, but stopped when the Rock yanked her stool from under her, smashing it against the ground in anger as electricity cackled from his eyes.
"Oh, a tad bit touchy if I do say so myself," she said standing up on her feet, and sizing up the Great One. "We did make an amazing tandem, I'll give you that. But honestly, you're not all you're cracked up to be," she said, her orbs darkening.
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"That's bullshit and you know it italiana. The Rock knows that you were just as willing in that activity as he was, and quite frankly he owned your candy ass," he said, pulling on his leather jacket and huffing.
"Oh, big buff guy aren't you? Then why don't you tell all these wonderful people in here how you stole me away from my arranged marriage just so you could have me all to yourself, hm?" she said, as some of the residents in the bar began to mutter, a hushed whisper amongst everybody.
"I'm gonna have to ask you to leave my bar," Mark interrupted in a demanding tone, before Ari turned her burning eyes towards him.
"I don't think I've quite had my fill yet. Quite frankly, you could use every single gold coin I've got to keep this place running. If you lose the Bottom, the only business you'll have left to take care of is your wife in bed, and I'm pretty sure you're way worse than Rocky here," she cackled, before Mark lost it. Luckily, the Rock held him back for Ari's sake. Or rather, Mark's sake.
"Don't brother. I got this man," the Rock said. "Look, you lost your family. Your village is forever burned to the ground, and there's nothing left now but the howling screams of your neighbors floating on the wisps of the wind. It's called loss, and it's something we all deal with! I've been kicked out of my own home, twice now! I lost my family, and it's something that still tears at me to this very day! You don't think I know what you're going through! I know a lot about you Arianna, more than you could ever think I know, and I'll tell you everything. We have to be strong to get through it all! I'll help you get your redemption. Please, come back to me," Rock said, opening his arms to her.
For a moment, Ari actually paused and looked her dangerous lover straight in the eyes. He was being so sincere, and so sweet...exactly what she wasn't looking for right now. Holding her hand up, dark telekinetic energy blasted out from her fingertips, sending the Great One flying across the room and right through the front door. All the denizens of citizens in the bar looked on shocked, as Ari's energy began to manipulate from her fingertips, helping her levitate in the air.
"I don't need you! I don't need your sympathy or pity! I don't need any of you!" she screamed, her dark energy turning a blood red. Dashing like lightning, she proceeded to obliterate some of the citizens as many of the other drinkers made their escape from the now burning bar.
Mark Henry stomped the ground, causing a mini-quake that sent Ari crashing into a wall. "Little girl, I'm gonna break your ass in half!" he yelled, making his way over to Ari, trapping her in a bearhug.
"Mark! Don't hurt her!" the Rock yelled out, but Mark was starting to go to town on her. "No Rock, this has to be done. I'm gonna put an end to her for all of us! It's the only way! You can't stop me!" he yelled, as he gave her a falling powerslam through a table. Mark wasn't exactly a supernatural being, but he more than made up for it with his otherwordly strength, and right now that was being put on display against the harbinger.
Ari tried to gather her bearings. She wasn't in her right mind right now, and she could feel the cold grip of death looming behind her, ready to take her to the world of hellfire and brimstone. That was what she had thought, until the Rock surprised her like he always did.
"Aaaghhh!" the strongman bellowed. Ari looked to see the Great One blasting a wave of red electricity, enough to knock out Henry. Taking a deep breath, she walked towards the door, where the Rock stood. The two looked at each other with an awkward silence, words not even being needed for this conversation. With a shake of his head, the Rock turned his back and walked away, quite possibly for the last time.
Well, now that was quite the way to end a chapter huh? Only time will tell how much time Ari and the Rock have before judgment comes to pass. With Layla now stirring the pot, a resurrection is on the way! Roman Reigns comes to town! Rock ventures off from Italy, but for what purposes? And what's next for the emo-feeling, quick-healing, all-powerful harbinger Ari? Stay tuned for more!