Little Chop(per) of Horrors

[OrochiGeese]

*It is September of 2023. We're in a location so remote that this narrator can't even locate it on his GPS. We're at an altitude so high that I'm getting a nosebleed just thinking about it. And we're in a wind storm so intense that an entire sentence just got blown off of my computer. Word fragments fall into the abyss below.

(If you're on the ground and get hit by a dangling participle, you have my sympathy)

All that is certain is the sight of a military grade helicopter struggling against the storm. On at least three occasions, the wind almost blows it into the very mountain that it gingerly uses as a guide to climb to a higher altitude. Finally, the chopper settles onto a small cliff. Two men, tethered to the vehicle, quickly secure the helicopter to the cliff with an assortment of ropes, pulleys, levers, and seven herbs and spices.

One person slowly emerges from the helicopter and is slowly and securely guided by the others to a cave in the mountain. Despite the sub-zero temperatures outside, the inside of the cavern is surprisingly warm. There is an array of lit torches on the walls and three large fire pits in the middle. Sitting next to each firepit is a man deep in meditation.

The helicopter passenger throws removes their hood and goggles before looking at the men and smirking.*

"I love what you've done with the place."

*The dripping sarcasm can only belong to Ruby Moreno.  This realization manages to abruptly rouse two out of the three men out of their meditative states.  Joachim and Jang Bae immediately get into battle stances.*

[Ruby:] "Please, if I was a threat, guns would have been drawn before my mouth even opened."

[Joachim:] "Forgive us if we have reason to doubt your veracity."

[Jang Bae:] "If we even need forgiveness for that, brother."

[Joachim:] "Brother Clyde, can you read her?"

*The third man had gradually transitioned out of a meditative state and slowly stands up.*

[Ruby:] "Yes, Clyde and please make it quick. Tell them why you all should hear me out."

*After a few seconds of studying her face, Mr. Clyde sighs and turns to the other two.*

[Clyde:] "I know her facial and visual cues. She doesn't mean us harm."

[Ruby:] "I truly do not.  Moreover, I'm not a fool.  We almost fell to our deaths three times just to get here. Even if I somehow wanted revenge on all of you, I wouldn't risk my own life to get it."

[Jang:] "Yeah, it's definitely a relief to hear that you've reflected enough on revenge to make that calculation."

[Ruby:] "Cute."

[Clyde:] "So, what reason does mark this occasion?"

[Jang:] "Yeah, is everything okay with Alicia and Thunder?"

[Ruby:] "Alicia is hunting vampires and Thunder Strike is Colonel Columbia."

[Jang:] "Do you mean Captain A-"

[Ruby:] "I certainly do not."

[Jang:] "Well, I'm not sure if this is concerning or not."

[Ruby:] "You'd certainly be forgiven for that given their proclivities. But my reasons for being here relate to the safety of the allies of everyone in this room, not just yours."

[Clyde:] "What is the nature of the emergency?"

[Ruby:] "The entirety of the UBL and OG-Joshi rosters have been held hostage for months."

[Clyde:] "Gauntlet?"

[Ruby:] "I can't completely rule out their influence but the main culprit is Cosmic K*I*D."

[Joachim:] "Now I know this is a trick. There is no way that buffoon could do what you have claimed."

[Ruby:] "Again, brother Joachim, I would not risk my very life for a scheme. I'm here because my family and friends are in danger too. Rose and Megan are both among the hostages. Also, I suspect that something even bigger is at play here. K*I*D seems like a useful idiot to hide behind."

[Jang:] "And how long have you known about this?"

[Ruby:] "Since June."

[Joachim:] "Then why is this the first time we are hearing about this?"

*Ruby's voice and gaze drops.*

[Ruby:] "They took me too."

*All three men seem surprised, even Clyde.*

[Ruby:] "I went to the Arena to confront K*I*D and force him to free Rose and Megan.  He refused, but I mistakenly thought I had established the upper hand to guarantee safe harbor to leave. I don't know exactly how or when it happened, but I lost my memory shortly after I left Jean's office. The next thing I remember, which was two months later, someone in disguise helped me escape the arena. I gained my free will back shortly afterward and found my team.  We have spent the last month tracking you down and commissioning this trip.  I assure you, not a second was wasted."

[Jang:] "Whoa whoa, circle back to get us on track.  You lost your free will?"

[Ruby:] "K*I*D keeps them hostage through some sort of mind control.  Everyone has been completely manipulated into displaying ironic or exaggerated versions of their personality traits while wrestling. That's why I said Alicia was hunting vampires and Thunder Strike was living his best vigilante patriotic life."

[Jang:] "And you?"

*Ruby expresses an emotion we rarely see: complete humiliation.*

[Clyde:] "It's not necessary."

[Ruby:] "Look, I've done some bad things to all three of you so if you get a laugh at my expense here, fine."

[Joachim:] "You should know me well enough to realize I have no interest in that."

[Jang:] "I mean...I don't either, of course, I'm a good...I'm a good person. But can we get an idea of what the others are dealing with? Please?"

[Ruby:] "Fine. I was ... Rube Moreno - country bumpkin."

[Jang:] "Harsh."

[Ruby:] "My catchphrase was 'face the fate of my flannel flame."

*Jang stifles a laugh but turns serious right after.*

[Jang:] "Has anyone been hurt?

[Ruby:] "Not originally, but things took a catastrophic turn for the worse after I left."

[Clyde:] "How do you know that?"

[Ruby:] "The same reason I knew what happened before I arrived and while I was there despite losing my memory."

[Jang:] "You still have the arena bugged, don't you?"

[Ruby:] "Well..."

[Jang:] "I don't feel so bad about laughing at Rube Moreno now."

[Clyde:] "You said you would leave us all alone."

[Ruby:] "And I did. I have not done anything to violate our deal or the sale of OG-Joshi to Jean. I spied cause I cared."

[Jang:] "Worse Hallmark card greeting I ever heard."

[Ruby:] "I knew there were plenty of threats to OG-Joshi still on the board. I couldn't let them endanger Rose or Megan...or anyone else. Look, I respect the wrestlers of OG-Joshi and UBL.  It took me a while to get to that point but I was certainly not about to take myself out of the equation once I was invested for the right reasons. I don't regret keeping hidden surveillance to keep an extra eye on everyone, especially given the 'gap year' backpacking trip that you all felt compelled to take.  Answer me this: do you think anyone would have tried this when you were still there?"

[Clyde:] "No."

[Ruby:]  "Exactly.  And my emotional and monetary investment is the only reason why we have a chance to stop this now, because I have just about everything that occurred in that arena on tape. The only question left is whether you consider my actions so morally compromised that you refuse to avail yourself of the necessary information?"

[Clyde:] "I do not. But I question the wisdom of sitting here to watch it when we can just return home."

[Ruby:] "It's a moot point. The storm has gotten stronger. We won't be able to leave now anyway, so let's use the time to get on the same page as to what the true nature of the threat is."

[Clyde:] "Fine, no more delays. We need to see it now."

[Ruby:] "Clyde, as a courtesy for your patience with me, I want to warn you about this footage."

[Clyde:] "I've already feared the worst."

*Ruby pauses then slowly shakes her head with sullen eyes.*

[Ruby:] "No...you really haven't."

*A few men bring in high end audiovisual equipment.  The storm lasts for another 36 hours: almost all of which are spent watching the video surveillance that Ruby had taken: including the events that were recorded and publicly distributed by K*I*D. Once the footage is over, the four rush into the helicopter, all rendered speechless.*