The Bien Part
Oct 21, 2023 16:58:03 GMT
Post by Persona Non Grata on Oct 21, 2023 16:58:03 GMT
TRIV wakes up to the smell of bacon and eggs frying and the faint notes of tejano music. It takes him a few minutes to remember where he is and why he's here.
The contrast between the apartment he lays awake in now and the locker room he groggily came to in before are apparent. It was the same man currently singing along to the radio that sat cross legged on that dingy floor in Guadalajara. After TRIV scurried to his feet and his attempt at a kick got caught, Pedro Gonzales looked him square in the eye and asked him one simple question.
"De verdad crees que estás a salvo aquí en México?"
The question stunned TRIV. If you were to ask him what he was expecting from Los Rebeldes del Bien, something like that wouldn't be on the table. Pedro smiled a bit as he let go of the masked man's leg. Under the lone bare lightbulb that lit the locker room, El Jefe said something that initially made his blood run cold.
"We–" Pedro nodded to Persona Non Grata who blocked the door. "--knew who you were the moment we saw you."
PNG nodded as TRIV turned pale. The fact that anybody had a clue after all he went through to hide everything made his stomach do so many flips, it could've debuted as a luchador in its own right. Pedro placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Tranqilio! Don't worry, güey! We won't reveal your little secret. That's exactly why we wanted to talk to you alone. Granted, it would've been better if it wasn't like this." Then came a casual shrug. "But given our reputations, knocking you out was our best shot at getting you without interference. Los Rebeldes knows a few things about sacrifice and risk. You may have heard rumors of some of the things my hermano had to do to get his mask and namesake. Me? I did what I had to do to survive. And Mestizo…"
The name hung in the air for a moment.
"Well, he's in jail which should tell you a little something about him. The point is while we may not know every single thing you've had to do to avoid what happened to–" There was a pause as he tried to say this delicately. "--who came before you, we know you're cut from the same cloth. It was a risk for you to be in that ring, let alone against us."
That was when Pedro Gonzales offered TRIV a deal. TRIV was to become the young boy of Los Rebeldes. He would carry the bags and do the grunt work that neither Pedro nor PNG would want to do. In exchange, TRIV can leave Mexico, start fresh (more or less), and possibly…
"Of course, nothing is guaranteed, amigo. But we have to take any leverage we can, eh?"
After hearing this offer, all TRIV could ask is "why?"
Pedro grinned in response. "The full name is Los Rebeldes del Bien. Consider this the Bien part."
That's how TRIV ended up in Los Angeles, his back sticking to a faux-leather couch and his eyes glued to the landlord white ceiling. He doesn't know how they managed to convince the building manager to let him stay with them and he wasn't planning on asking. As he prys himself off of his impromptu bed, the voice behind him stops singing.
"Heeeey. Buenos días! Make sure he's up. I hope you like eggs and bacon."
TRIV manages a good morning in response and begins the day by knocking on PNG's bedroom door. It opens for him, revealing the groggy countenance of Los Rebeldes' Heavy.
So he has a face.
TRIV humbly gives a slight bow. "Lo siento, señor. Tengo que ir al baño."
Persona Non Grata sighs and steps aside for this new…er, member(?) to pass through. He watches as the young boy nearly trips on the empty dog bed on his way to their bathroom. Sharing said bathroom and his impromptu mask clothesline is going to be a hassle. But they'll adjust.
Fate brought them together, after all.
The contrast between the apartment he lays awake in now and the locker room he groggily came to in before are apparent. It was the same man currently singing along to the radio that sat cross legged on that dingy floor in Guadalajara. After TRIV scurried to his feet and his attempt at a kick got caught, Pedro Gonzales looked him square in the eye and asked him one simple question.
"De verdad crees que estás a salvo aquí en México?"
The question stunned TRIV. If you were to ask him what he was expecting from Los Rebeldes del Bien, something like that wouldn't be on the table. Pedro smiled a bit as he let go of the masked man's leg. Under the lone bare lightbulb that lit the locker room, El Jefe said something that initially made his blood run cold.
"We–" Pedro nodded to Persona Non Grata who blocked the door. "--knew who you were the moment we saw you."
PNG nodded as TRIV turned pale. The fact that anybody had a clue after all he went through to hide everything made his stomach do so many flips, it could've debuted as a luchador in its own right. Pedro placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Tranqilio! Don't worry, güey! We won't reveal your little secret. That's exactly why we wanted to talk to you alone. Granted, it would've been better if it wasn't like this." Then came a casual shrug. "But given our reputations, knocking you out was our best shot at getting you without interference. Los Rebeldes knows a few things about sacrifice and risk. You may have heard rumors of some of the things my hermano had to do to get his mask and namesake. Me? I did what I had to do to survive. And Mestizo…"
The name hung in the air for a moment.
"Well, he's in jail which should tell you a little something about him. The point is while we may not know every single thing you've had to do to avoid what happened to–" There was a pause as he tried to say this delicately. "--who came before you, we know you're cut from the same cloth. It was a risk for you to be in that ring, let alone against us."
That was when Pedro Gonzales offered TRIV a deal. TRIV was to become the young boy of Los Rebeldes. He would carry the bags and do the grunt work that neither Pedro nor PNG would want to do. In exchange, TRIV can leave Mexico, start fresh (more or less), and possibly…
"Of course, nothing is guaranteed, amigo. But we have to take any leverage we can, eh?"
After hearing this offer, all TRIV could ask is "why?"
Pedro grinned in response. "The full name is Los Rebeldes del Bien. Consider this the Bien part."
That's how TRIV ended up in Los Angeles, his back sticking to a faux-leather couch and his eyes glued to the landlord white ceiling. He doesn't know how they managed to convince the building manager to let him stay with them and he wasn't planning on asking. As he prys himself off of his impromptu bed, the voice behind him stops singing.
"Heeeey. Buenos días! Make sure he's up. I hope you like eggs and bacon."
TRIV manages a good morning in response and begins the day by knocking on PNG's bedroom door. It opens for him, revealing the groggy countenance of Los Rebeldes' Heavy.
So he has a face.
TRIV humbly gives a slight bow. "Lo siento, señor. Tengo que ir al baño."
Persona Non Grata sighs and steps aside for this new…er, member(?) to pass through. He watches as the young boy nearly trips on the empty dog bed on his way to their bathroom. Sharing said bathroom and his impromptu mask clothesline is going to be a hassle. But they'll adjust.
Fate brought them together, after all.