Dressed in a black and black suit, shirt, and tie ensemble, Antonio Ricci seems dressed to impress. It’s not so much that he was trying to impress anyone, in fact, he had just completed his first night of parent/teacher conferences. He found it amazing that the parents who knew of his second career in professional wrestling thought that “The Omega Weapon” thought that the man they called “Dr. Ricci” could ever be anything like the character he portrayed. Aside from Sienna Martin’s mother, whom Ricci has been having a tryst with since the year before while he was student teaching Sienna’s sister Amber last year, none of the parents would suspect that Ricci was anything more than an abnormally tall teacher, far better suited for teaching high school gym than fourth grade social studies. Even Ms. Martin had no idea about the man that Antonio Ricci was, as he had broken things off with Michelle before ever laying eyes on his one ethical discretion..

Having come directly from his class room at Raymond E. Voorhees Elementary School a few miles away in Old Bridge, his evening plans were a little different than they had been talking to all of the mothers and fathers of his students. Leaning against the black backing of his chair, the metal seems to blend in with his shirt, creating the illusion of the Ricci isn’t leaning on anything at all.

“Ah, Dr. Ricci!” the server comes over, smiling. Great tips tend to lead to great service, and Ricci was well known by the staff for rewarding the staff for a job well done. The other intended effect was showing itself as well. The staff talked to him as though Ricci was their better, which Antonio fully believed he was. “Will Ms. Greco be joining us this evening?”

“No. She and I haven’t been together for quite some time.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I know with your concussion and recovery…”

Ricci puts his hand up, but smiles as he does. Somehow, this almost makes the interruption seem polite.

“Think nothing of it. When I’ve been DoorDashing everything for the past year, I wouldn’t expect you all to keep abreast of my affairs. We actually separated a year ago today, come to think of it.”

“Uh… Happy anniversary?” the server stammers. She smiles politely as she uses her finger to slide her blonde bangs out of her face. The smile is one of both good manners and awkwardness. “So, what can I get for you today?”

“Well, right now I am still awaiting a guest, so I will start with a glass of Chianti Classico while I wait.”

“Of course. I’ll have that right out to you.”

“Thank you,” Antonio says as he looks at the server’s name tag, “Jennifer.”

Not bothering to look at the menu, Ricci knows what he wants. While he would rather be in New York City, at his favorite eatery in Little Italy, Positano’s, here he was, sitting in Piscataway, New Jersey. Ricci looks down at his phone. It was rude to make him wait after all, he was Christ in the Garden of Endless Breadsticks

Generally speaking, there are two famous olive gardens. The first of which is the famed Garden of Gethsemane. The famed garden where Jesus Christ supposedly prayed the night before his betrayal and crucifixion. The garden where he supposedly felt every sin known to man; Lust, Gluttony, Greed. Veganism, Sloth, Wrath… you get the gist of it. The famed garden depicted by Paul Gauguin in his work “Christ in the Garden of Olives “ The other famed olive garden is the fictional hills of Tuscany that the Darden Restaurants would have you believe that their entire chain, including the one that Antonio Ricci currently occupies, is based upon.

As Ricci places his phone down, a young woman, who seems to be almost twenty, walks down the short hallway with a commanding presence. Though she is dressed in black from head to toe like every visible employee in the building, her black blazer, flowing dress, and wide brimmed hat forces your eyes to catch her. Black is an interesting color, in and of itself. The color black is mysterious, powerful, elegant, and sophisticated. At the same time, it evokes emotions such as sadness and anger. With the woman’s blonde hair serving as a stark contrast, you could describe her look as “Stevie Nicks chic.” She spots Antonio and gives a nod of acknowledgement, which he returns to her. A few moments later, she pulls out the seat across from Ricci and sits down.

“It’s been a long time. How have you been? I’m sorry to hear about your father.”

“Cut the bullshit, Tony,” she interjects.

“I’m pretty sure that someone’s already using that gimmick.”

“You’re not funny. I dragged my ass all the way up here from Baltimore and you’re going to sit here and give me fake pleasantries? Cut to the chase, Ricci.”

“Fine, fine. But, I’m ordering food first. I’m starving.”

“I’m surprised you hadn’t ordered already.”

“I’m hurt,” Ricci says, placing his hand over his heart. He doesn’t even try to hide the false sincerity. “Wounded, even. You may not like my approach, but I do have a sense of basic civility.”

Ricci raises his hand and Jennifer comes right over.

“Are you ready to order?”

“Please. I’ll have the Tour of Italy, with both the Zuppa Toscana and the salad, no olives, Thank you.”

“And for you?” Jennifer says, turning to Ricci’s guest.

“I’ll have the same, but with the minestrone, please. Thanks.”

“And to drink?”

“Just water.”

“I’ll be right back with the soup and salad in a few moments,” Jennifer says cheerfully as she turns to put the order in.

The two sharing the table wait until they both deem that Jennifer is a safe distance away before Ricci decides to resume the conversation. Before he can speak, his guest is all over him.

“I’m going to ask again. Why did you drag my ass up here from Baltimore?”

“Because contrary to what you may believe, I respected your father. I need help and I think you are just the person to do it, Chloe.”

Chloe Hawkhurst, second generation wrestler who had been in training since she was 9 years old. She lost her father over the summer and out of her love for him, she had decided to carry on his legacy. Her father, “The Demon of Sobriety” Dorian Hawkhurst, was known by that moniker due to his struggles with alcoholism in the past. Chloe had been given the nickname of “The Minidemon,” not because she was Dorian’s daughter, but because she was known for having more than a little bit of an anger problem. In fact, one of her prized possessions, Lync, was a cast iron frying pan that she had smashed the now departed Jace Valentine in the face with so hard, it was still stained with his blood. For those playing the home game, his death was completely unrelated to that incident.

“Oh, you don’t say. Tell me why I should give you the time of day?”

“In the book series ‘Legend of Drizzt’, the dark elf Drizzt is one of the greatest swordsmen in the world. He has achieved this level of skill because he fights with passion, and will only fight if he truly believes in the cause. In many ways, I found he compared favorably to your father.

Chloe simply nods at this. There would be no argument as to Dorian’s reputation.

“The other side of the proverbial coin was the assassin Artemis Entrerri. Able to match him almost exactly whenever they dueled, Entrerri achieved his skill at arms by becoming an emotionless, single-minded killer. Entrerri feels that his method is better. If it is not, it means that he gave up his humanity for nothing. Because of this, Entrerri jumps at any chance to fight Drizzt.”

“And you and Pops were rivals. I get it. Can you stop with this wannabe Jesus parable bullshit and cut to the chase, please?”

“I’m getting there. Several times during their fights, the two duelists were interrupted by other enemies. On each such occasion, Entrerri and Drizzt teamed up, because neither could stand for the other to die without determining the better swordsman. Alas, if I am the Entrerri in this, then that is exactly what has happened. That is also why I summoned, rather, asked you here. If nothing else, I knew the respect for your father would bring you here.”

“I don’t care if you’re buying dinner. I’m not sleeping with you.”

“Well, my dear. That may have been the most random thing I’ve heard all day. Besides, you’re like, twelve.”

“I’m nineteen. Thank you very much,” she protests, leaning back in her chair and leering at Ricci. “So you dragged me up here to tell me tales about my father? Tales that I was there and lived first hand? Thanks for wasting my time. If it’s not that, then what’s with all the flattery?”

“What I am proposing, Chloe, is a partnership.”

“I already told you…”

Now, it was Chloe’s turn to be interrupted.

“Not like that. What I want to propose is that you come work with me in Level Up Wrestling. I am a lone wolf and it’s a cooperative game over there. While your father and I were philosophically opposed, I believe that you and I can do great things together. I’ve seen how you handle yourself. You’ve never been averse to drawing outside the lines, so to speak. You will go to the same extremes I will, which I appreciate. I don’t trust many people, Chloe. I’m not sure I even trust you. However, you are one of the few people in this industry that I respect.”

“You couldn’t have just sent that over Twitter?”

“No,” Ricci says matter of factly. “I knew that you would need to read me to even consider it. I wanted you to see my sincerity. I don’t want anything from you but your support in the arena because I know that at least you understand me. No games. No bullshit. I just want you to watch my back.”

“I’ll shoot you a fair one. I’m interested, but I’m not giving you an answer tonight.” Chloe picks up her fork and points it at Ricci, which is someone ominous when you consider that their salad has yet to arrive. “You can’t just expect me to be like ‘Oh, you thought my old man was okay? Cool.’ That’s not going to happen.”

Ricci crosses his arms and smirks.

“This is a business arrangement. I am going to be clear. I am looking for a Tiffany to my Chucky, a Jason to my Freddy, so to speak. We can be Level Up’s Billy Loomis and Stu Macher! What I plan to do during dinner is tell you why this will benefit the both of us. I don’t like you. You don’t like me. I get that. But, that doesn’t mean we can’t do business together.”

“Fine. After driving almost three hours I could use the meal. Besides, then you can write this off as a business expense.”

Chloe smirks as Ricci lets out a slight chuckle in spite of himself.

“See, we understand each other.”

“There is no competition when you are manifesting in your own lane.”

When we find Antonio Ricci later on, he is wearing a pair of black jeans and his new ALT+234 t-shirt, available at the Level Up shop for $24.99 plus shipping and handling. His long hair is tied back, leaving his face in plain view. Behind him is a fairly plain building with the upper floors encased in glass being supported by granite columns underneath.

“Sometimes the choice is made for us, and sometimes there is no choice. That’s the situation that you, Eli Goode, find yourself in. Because you will become the victim of what has come to be known as the “Ricci Effect.” Ricci throws a roundhouse kick, knocking a half full cup of soda from atop a nearby garbage can. The liquid flies everywhere, demonstrating the force of Ricci’s foot, even at half-speed. “Unlike the criminals tried within these walls, you are, as I said, a victim. You do not have a choice, you do not have control over what is going to happen to you. The only choice you have is whether or not you choose to fight back… and I certainly hope that you choose to fight back.”

“The Omega Weapon” stops to make certain that none of the soda landed on his pant leg or boot. He smirks as he realizes that they are clean. He continues to keep walking outside of the building.

“When I look at you, not just as you are now, but through the entirety of your career, the 2011 film Real Steel comes to mind. You don’t remind me of the main character, Charlie. Other than being small and annoying, you don’t remind me of…  what was the kid’s name?” Ricci snaps his fingers while trying to remember. “Max! That was it! Regardless, you don’t remind me of some child prodigy that was magically gifted with some sort of skill or ability. The one character, if you could call him that, that you do remind me of is that of Atom.”

“I am coming to the beautiful hamlet of Allentown,not to run a rampage through the entire city, but I am planning on taking a few names and leaving a few carcasses. I feel bad for Eli Goode. Well, partly because of his stupid name, but more importantly because, well … It’s gonna be painful. It’s gonna be ugly. There’s gonna be violence. There will be bloodshed. There will be a couple of parents sitting at home, crying for him, praying that their son is okay.”

“If one of you tech monkeys in the corporate office could manage to get a picture of that thing up on the screen, that would be great.”

As requested, the image appears on the screen for a few moments.

“This robot reminds me of you because it is designed to take a beating. You would not have the longevity that you do if you weren’t a tough son of a bitch. Throughout the movie the scrappy little sparring robot starts winning match after match even during times where it is outmatched in every possible way.Obviously it’s just a robot. But, throughout this movie Charlie and Max find a, I’m not sure what you call it,You can’t call it a heart. It’s a robot. It does not have one. I suppose you would say that they find resiliency in this robot. At the end of the movie, Charlie and Max have the audacity, the unmitigated gall, to challenge the World Champion Zeus”

“Well, we don’t have a World Champion here. What we do have is an Omega Champion. We have a man that stands head and shoulders over you in the physical sense, and dare I say, as I stand prepared for Triforce Heroes, that I am head and shoulders above everybody else in terms of power, wisdom, and courage. Much like Zeus did to Adam, I knocked you on your ass with the first shot. Check my Twitter, in case I knocked you so stupid you don’t remember. Better yet, I’m sure those tech monkeys that I talked about earlier can go ahead and throw in a clip of you getting what you deserve.”

“The problem for you is two fold. First of all, there are no rounds. There is no end to this fight until I knock you unconscious. There will be no point where you can stand up, claiming a moral victory because you were able to endure to the end. Second of all, this isn’t a movie. There is no script writer to pencil in the happy ending for you. There is only pain and suffering.”

Ricci walks along the front of the building past a series of granite columns designed to support  the glass encased floors above. As a person who values his privacy, Ricci never could understand the purpose of potentially exposing the activities of the courthouse staff, to potential prying eyes.

“The reason that I’m going to defeat you, Eli, are not the reasons that you are used to hearing. It has nothing to do with the fact that I have so many physical and mental advantages over you. No, no, no.The mistake that so many big men make when facing a smaller opponent is believing that their size alone will allow them to win their match. I just saw a man in another company defeat an opponent that was over a foot taller and at least a hundred pounds heavier than I am. Not only did he defeat this Behemoth, he did so handily. The reason that I expect to defeat you is because of the same reason the smaller man was dominant in his clash against a man who physically speaking was superior.  one thing that I learned competing and kickboxing as I grew up was that the thing that separates a good fighter from an elite fighter it’s not always technique. Dare I say, that ninety-five percent of the time the man who was the better fighter was the man who understood his opponent. If you know what strategy your opponent is going to employ against you, you will have an easier time than the Houston Astros did a few years back when they were stealing signs from their opponents.”

“Knowledge is a power that when applied properly is truly our greatest asset. That is why I am such a dangerous opponent. I do not merely study my opponents and one of them moves. That is only a foundation. If the only knowledge you have is that foundation, then the house of the ignorance you’ve built upon that foundation will fall around you, crushing you. What you need to do it’s take inventory of the weapon they possess. You need to not only look at how they use those weapons but why. You need to understand your opponent’s beliefs, background, and their position. Understanding where they are and what lengths they will go to is an immeasurable advantage. And that’s the thing, isn’t it, Eli? You have a long history, a pattern of behavior, that you’ve established. In fact, I’ve even seen what happens when you embrace the dark side. Well I was training for the sport, who ran the school showed us a match that you wrestled against him. It was a match that you lost. However, the only thing you lost was a match. you showed a different side of yourself. You gave him a hell of a match because you were able to surprise him and catch him off guard. He’s used you as an example of what can happen when you utilize the element of surprise. The problem here is that you have fallen back into your old ways. You’re still the same Eli good that has been plying his trade in this industry for years upon years. Though the way I prepare for each match  is predictable and methodical, the way I handle myself in each match it’s impossible to fully understand. In that ring I do not act. I react. I gauge the situation as it happens and that is why you are not able to predict what I will do. You, on the other hand, are an open book.”

Ricci makes his way to a nearby corner, taking a moment to look up at a black circular sign that says “Cafe Vida.” Instead of making his way inside, he casually leans against the gray concrete storefront.

“That is why I am comfortable letting you make the first move. In business one of the most important things you can do to be in a position of power is to be the one who sets the agenda. Maybe I shouldn’t be the one telling you this, but I am going to allow you to make that first move because I want you to think that you are the one setting the agenda, in a manner of speaking. What I have done in this company, from its very first match, is set my own personal agenda. I walked in as an untested rookie and I took our first Final Boss to her limit. I told the world at that moment that I planned to be the best wrestler this company has ever seen. I stepped up whenever there was an opportunity. When I was taken out by that concussion, I had wrestled more matches than the company had shows. My agenda is to be the best by beating the best. Maggie is gone. I sent Burt packing. I knocked EABlizzard stupid. My agenda was to prove I am the best. Now, my agenda is to prove that I am better than the best. That is why you are getting the opportunity at my Omega Championship. I will do that by taking down each and every original hearing level up one by one by one. First, I start with men and women like you. Then, I’m going to move forward and I am going to begin tearing down their legends. Allowing you to believe that you are setting the agenda for this match, is merely leading you into a trap. I tell you this not because I want to give you the keys to defeat me. I’m doing this because I want to see you at your best and your best is not good enough under normal circumstances.”

“Where you whine, piss, and moan about pain, I feel only sensation. I took what could have been a career-ending injury and I used it as a motivator. Where you would have seen a setback I saw an opportunity. You would not have had the patience to wait the length of time that I did to find out the identity of your attacker if it happened to you. So, Eli,I want you to heed my words. I want you not to hear my words, but to actually listen to my words. You are capable of so much more. I am going to show you what I am capable of. I am going to hurt you. I am going to enjoy what I do to you but we are in the throes of pain and agony. I am going to enjoy every moment of our match. Where you wince in pain, I thrive in the sensation of the moment. This loss, this pain that I’m going to inflict upon you at Triforce Heroes, this will help define your legacy if you are only willing to accept your fate as I have accepted mine. I left Level Up Wrestling as a contender and I returned as the Omega Champion. When I returned I told them I wanted to face the best. You are the best, but I see the potential for you to be. Come hither and try, operative word try, to fulfill that potential.”

Ricci pushes himself off of the wall, finally deciding to go into the restaurant, leaving the crew outside.