The scene opened up in Berkeley, California. The parking lot, back behind the Gilman apartments. Night time, near midnight, with a chilling breeze blowing through periodically.
From apartment #7, the door opened. A man walked out. He looked to be around the age of 19 or 20. He was dressed in a hooded Flip skateboards sweatshirt and loose fitting board pants. He closed the door behind him as he pulled the hood over his head, protecting his ears from the winds. His name was Matt Lee. Neighbor of Zero's, and the one man left in Berkeley who would even talk to Zero consistently. Call it, a mutual understanding.
He made the turn beside the apartments, making his way to the back parking lot. Something of interest had just came on the television. Something . . . that he had yet another question for. It seemed he always had a question for Zero. But, he was the only man who would come out and ask him, instead of sitting in a bar, spreading idle rumors.
He made his way to the parking lot. A hard gust of wind blew by, as he looked out at the vehicles. There, parked further back from the others. Secluded from the other vehicles. It's own parking spot. It was the '91 Blazier, Zero's companion on long drives, and his source of evasion from months ago.
Matt started making his way up to the Blazier. The inside light was on. Matt could make out a figure sitting inside. So, that's where Zero was. Not at his "residence," his apartment. Not at his "home," the Gilman alley. But instead, sitting out in his Blazier during the constantly increasing cold night.
Slowly, he made his way up to the Blazier. A cloud of smoke escaped over the partially opened door. Matt walked to it, turning, looking inside. Zero sat, his eyes closed, cigarette smoke rising slowly from the burning cigarette hanging in his left hand. Bad Religion's "Stranger Than Fiction" played on vehicle's CD player, turned slightly down, as Zero rested.
Not real sure on how to approach him, Matt took a slight swallow. Then, opening up the car door a little more, he spoke up . . .
" Hey, Zero, I thought I could catch you out here. Hey man, been a while since our paths have crossed. "
Matt
Zero didn't move at first. Just a slight twitch, his hand flicking the ashes off onto the pavement below. But then, his eyes slowly cracked open. Peering out of the side of his eyes, he saw Matt standing, hand propped on the door, body resting against the side of the vehicle. Without moving, Zero slowly responded . . .
" Matt . . . "
Zero
So, he was awake. Just . . . in one of those moods. But, there was that wonder, that surprise, that Matt had to ask. Was it really true?
" Sup man. Man, I haven't seen you around lately, ever since like two weeks ago, it seems . . . you know, that night. But man, I was watching U-62 for some reason tonight. Couldn't get to rest, I guess. But man, one of those CSWA promos aired again. I wasn't paying much attention to it, but man, they started talking about their next show . . . Primetime, in Grand Cayman . . . man, they said Zero was facing K-9?! I was like, what! What happened?! When did you start there, and already have matches?! "
Matt
Zero's eyes slowly opened up full. He reached over, turning the CD player off. He flicked away some more ash buildup, as he slowly, twisted his sitted position in his Blazier. Propping his knees on the door frame, taking a deep drag from his cigarette, he slowly started responding to Matt
" It was a long time coming. But, now, I am in CSWA. And, this Saturday, I fly out to Grand Cayman for my first match there. A little different, how things work here. But, a difference that I am sure I will be able to work around. "
Zero
Matt couldn't believe it. After so much chaos, destruction, and solitude, Zero had left the HEW, and joined the CSWA. But, how would it work out? Matt wasn't sure. He was still surprised of the news.
" So, who is this K-9 guy, anyway? I mean, first match there, you must know something about him, maybe? "
Matt
Zero's head slowly raised up, looking off into the sky. The clouds had passed through, allowing the moonlight to shine back down upon him. Slowly, taking a slight drag from his cigarette, then throwing the butt off into the dark lot, Zero responded.
" K-9 . . . Kevin Nine. His return to the CSWA, and he gets paired up with me.
Zero
" What I know about him . . . he says he's a man coming back from personal problems. Personal problems? Who knows more about personal problems that ME?! He doesn't know personal problems. My life has been a problem. From my very start, to what led up to this, to know, and with history repeating itself, even more to come. "
Matt listened to Zero talk. Definately, something was there. Something had turned inside of Zero's head. There was a motive behind what he said. But Matt couldn't quite figure it out.
Maybe, it would come, soon. But, when would he be leaving?
" So, the plane leaves out Saturday? Where is it going? "
Matt
Zero paused, thinking to himself.
" It leaves out Saturday, where I will arrive at the landing dock, to join up on the CSWA Ship. They're using that to tour the coastal cities that they are appearing at right now. And, it will be the first time for me to meet the people inside of the CSWA.
Zero
" How will things be? What can I expect? I can only expect what the patterm represents. More men, each full of the egos and pride that the wrestlers of today show. Each with their own built up emotions, centering around themselves.
" I'm not expecting to know everyone, or they know I. But, what I do know, I will spend a few days aboard it, in preperation for the match against K-9. "
Matt listened to Zero talk. He wasn't sounding like himself, but, at the same time, very similar to the man he had first met. Before, the people around him at the time had discovered the core . . . the center, that was able to dig at Zero. It seemed, to Matt, at least, that it was as if Zero had put up an even stronger wall now in the CSWA. NO ONE would be able to penetrate him this time.
Or so, that was how it seemed to Matt. Only time would be able to show for sure, though.
" Man, I got a feeling things will be different. I dunno, it just seems . . . different, there. But I guess you just have to take it one day at a time for now. The match with K-9. And, everything will go from there. "
Matt
Slowly, Zero's expression turned dark. Cold, that determinated look that Matt had seen in Zero before. As if, Zero was already thinking . . . the cycle spinning faster than anyone else realized what the immediate present held.
And slowly, stepping out of the Blazier, putting his hands into his pocket, Zero lowered his head. His eyes looked back up at Matt . . .
" Oh, things will go from there. In fact, things will go further past that, than anyone there is even expecting . . . "
Zero
What?! What was going to happen? Was this another one of Zero's half spoken thoughts, lingering on one line, while secluding the ending, leaving the question left into the air. Matt didn't know. What was Zero talking about? What was there?
" What? Something no one else knows . . . what are you talking about?! Zero? "
Matt
But Zero was already walking off. Off, into the darkness that encased the parking lot, leaving Matt standing beside his Blazier. Matt, the winds starting to get to him, but still, his wonder starting to question. What was it that Zero was talking about?
Slowly, as Zero walked off, Matt closed the door to the Blazier. And, starting his way back to the apartments, he couldn't help but think . . . things were back to the way they used to be.
midi: "Infected" by Bad Religion
