The Strength of a Bro-nnection

by **krzy** Fri Aug 30, 2024 6:37 pm

Joseph Santos returns home to his modest apartment after a very fruitful visit to the Top Hat Polishing Clinic.

Upon his arrival, he notices an unexpected guest helping himself to a pot of cereal.

SANTOS:
There goes my dinner…

Suraci takes another bite.

SURACI:
Three handfuls of sugar, just like I taught you.

Santos rests his hat down, GENTLY, then crosses his arms.

How’d you get in here?

Suraci fishes a spare key, which Santos must have given him long ago, out of the pot and rests it down, GENTLY, on the small table in front of him.

I hope we’re past the yelling; my throat’s still a bit sore. Just wanted to give you the heads up that I’ve been called into action at Ascendance.

Same way you gave me that “heads up” about Val’s bargain.

Yeah, I noticed you didn’t listen to me about not listening to her.

Well, you’d know better than me how good she is as getting people to do what she wants.

The jab hit its mark. Suraci clenches his jaw and sets the pot down, GENTLY, on the floor between his feet.

You think she wanted you to win at Dead in Tokyo? She didn’t give a damn whether you won or lost, only the result mattered, that’s how it always is with her. I wanted you to win. I wanted you to beat Spade. I wanted you to go down as one of the greatest, and that’s exactly what you--

Go ahead, keep on telling me what you wanted, cause I apparently get no say in any of this.

This is what you wanted, you--

Not like this I didn’t wa--

Life ain’t a fairytale! It gets ugly, it gets rough, but you came out of it all on the other side better than you’ve ever been. So it wasn’t exactly the way you drew it up, but don’t you stand there and tell me that the moment you held that Global Championship in the air wasn’t the proudest damn moment of your life!

Of course it was!

And the proudest moment of mine is knowing I got to play a small role in getting you there.

Small? Do you know how many times I looked into the abyss? How many times I was at the brink not sure if I wanted to end this all or not? Then you came along and our run changed me for the better, gave me the kind of hope I never thought I’d feel -- and now here we are… about to fight at Ascendance.

Well, it’ll be your chance to beat some sense into me, buddy, cause as far as I’m concerned, what I gave up was a small price to pay.

Small… There you go trying to minimize your impact again. How long will you be paying that price, Suraci?

I don’t know…

And I’m supposed to live with that. Knowing Val will squeeze you dry until you’re a shell of yourself?!

I don’t know…

Well, here’s what I know: I’m gonna beat you, and whatever other four goons sends my way, because if I’m gonna go out, I’m gonna take as much of her godforsaken Arsenal as I can with me. So if that means you’re one of the five banned for life, so be it. That’s the small price I’ll pay to set you free.

Suraci chuckles as he rises from the couch.

Buddy, you don’t get it..I’m already free. I’m feeling the sun on my back, and I’ve never felt more alive! My very first day in NGCW, Spade warned me about the wolves that lurk in this business--a wolf would never do what I did, and Val will never make me into one.

Suraci walks over to the front door.

I know none of this played out how you wanted…but being your friend is the greatest honor of my life, and I’ll cherish that. Whatever happens after today won’t change that. We’ll both do what we have to do.

Hey.

Santos, tosses the spare key back at Suraci who catches it and tucks it into his pocket. Without another word, Suraci steps outside, and closes the door, GENTLY.