Home 7: Stage Setter

It was about the middle of the day in Nick Solem's room. He had the blinds shut and his wall phone disconnected. His room was checked for taps by he and Conza earlier. The room was cleaned up as best as Nick could. All of his chocolate bars were stuffed into the corner in a few 10-foot high stacks. The air conditioner had done its work in keeping them from melting in the summer's final heat. Nick had set up a meeting that he had been planning for since he got suspicious...Well, more suspicious than his normal and erratic self.

Since Jay lived just across the hall, he had already shown up. He sat at a large round table that Nick put in the middle of his room. He balances himself on the chair's back two legs, his knee on the side of the table. "What you bring me here for, Solem?"

"Just wait. I want everyone to show up before--"

A knock on the door quieted him. Nick walks past Jay to open the door to his rather small apartment at the AFW Tension Complex. Behind the door was someone that all three of the boys were familiar with. Juniper Nayle. The redhead stood in the doorway with a wide grin. "Hey there, pup,cat and mouse." She takes a few steps inside, closing the door behind her. "Whats going on?" She asks, sitting down at the table, next to Jay.

"I asked, but he ain't telling." Jay scoffed, rolling his eyes. Nick put a hand on the back of the chair and pushed if forward, making Jay's chair land on all four legs. "Ugh! ...Rude. We're all here now, so talk."

"I'm waiting for one more. Anampo should be here shortly." Nick assured Jay.

Hearing that name wiped the smirk right off Juniper's face. "Uh...Anampo? Like, Ryan Knight's girlfriend, Anampo?" The redhead had never really met the rabbit. She was going to once, but Anampo was busy training with Ryan for some sort of fight. Juniper, during her first match with Ryan, had kissed him. She did so knowing that he and Anampo were an item. It was a shock-wave to the audience in attendance. "I don't think its a good idea to have me and her here at the same time, Nick."

"Have you two not reconciled?"

Jay rolled his eyes. "Oh boy."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Juniper swallowed nervously. Nick walked to the door. "Well, you're gonna have to do it now before we go any further."




".....So, yeah. I-I'm the one that uh..." Juniper scratches the back of her head. "You know, did that and stuff."

The rabbit girl did not look pleased. She had her arms crossed. Both Jay and Nick kept a bit of distance from the girls, the round table between them.

Juniper offered a hand. "So, like...I'm sorry?"

Swiftly, Anampo pushed Juniper into the wall. It made the three boys in the room literally jump up in chock and they got ready to hold the two back. Anampo's one hand was on Juniper's chest while the other one wrapped itself around her neck, choking and constricting the redhead. "I-If you ever do something like that again...I'll...I'll....." She sighs and backed off of Juniper. "I accept your apology." Her eyes trace down to the floor.

"Now" Nick states. "We can get started."




They all sat at the round table, the five of them.

"I assume you all did what I told you? You wrote a note to someone you care for and noted it that you are going on a dangerous travel? In an envelope?" Nick looked around. Jay, Juniper and Anampo presented him those very letters. Juniper had two; one for her parents and one for Clyde. Anampo had one for Ryan. Jay had one addressed to his mothers and one for Lina. That last one garnered a look from Nick. "Uh...Lina?"

"Yeah." Jay crossed his arms. "You got a problem with it? I'm sure me and her will kick your ass."

"Alright then..." He handed the letters to Conza. "Conza is going to mail some of those. He'll hand-deliver the ones for Clyde, Ryan and...Lina."

With that, Conza left the room to do just that. Nick nods and looks at the three before him. "I need your help. I have a suspicious feeling about a group called The 7. Maybe you have heard of them. I have reason to believe that something is wrong...Something, evil is going on. And their Boss holds that answer."

"Well duh, who else is gonna hold it? That dog lady you lost to or that large rodeo clown Conza lost to?" Jay laughs.

Nick frowns, glaring at Jay. It shut the cat's laughter up. "Now, I want to find them. And I don't want to take any longer. I want to find where they are headquartered and get my answers."

"How do you plan to do that?" Juniper asks.

"Hours of online research has led me to an abandoned complex. An old factory and warehouse. This is my best guess as to where they could be hiding. I have gathered you all for a reason. Jay and Juniper, you are both very strong. In your own ways, too. Very different fighting styles. And Anampo, I need someone with a cool head." Nick slapped his hand on the table. "If we are ready to go, then we will take Juniper's van."

"Bus!" She corrected.

The four of them got up and began to leave Nick's apartment. Nick ran back to grab several chocolate bars before locking the room behind himself.

Clyde Gastin was home in Kyoto, sitting on his porch listening to "Big Empty" by Stone Temple Pilots as he watched the cloud go by contemplating his life and thinking about his crazy life, the fact he was champion and telling himself that he had the capacity to be happy. He was a success now, he should be happy. It's all he told himself.

"...I wonder If should finish school." He said aloud as he imagined doing it, going to an online college. He never dreamed he could.

Suddenly, to break the wondering mind of the Champion, A young man ran up to the porch. Conza panted heavily. "Dans quelle mesure je devais courir..." 9How far I had to run...) He stands in front of Clyde's porch. "Mister Champion Clyde? S-Sir?" I have brought to you a m-message." The small man says through his panting.

He reaches into a satchel he had by his side and handed the cowboy the letter Juniper wanted him to read. And so it read...

"Clyde. Dont use this letter as a coaster, please? Its kinda important. But then again its from me, so I'd be even more pissed if you didnt open it. Anyways, my legal guardian Nick Solem, wanted me to write this to you. He, me, Jay Zokaro 9You met him at your party?), and some other chick...We're going to go do something big. I don't know what.

But he wanted me to write this to someone I care about. I choose my parents...And you. He said there's a small chance we may not come back. So...Yeah. If I ain't bugging you then you know why. But I'm tough! I'll be safe...I think.

~Juniper"

Clyde raised his brow the moment he saw this little high school kid run up on his property and start speaking french to him out of the blue. "Are you sayin' 'surrender' or somethin?" Clyde asks before he is handed the message.

"Oh, thanks partner...Uh..." Clyde to just hand him some spare change before he opened the letter and read it. His eyes slowly going more and more wider as he read the damn thing.

He didn't know what was going on but Juniper's letter was very vague and a little scary. By the sounds of things her life or well-being seemed to be at stake! Clyde stood up and grabbed Conza.

"Say Kid! Where can I find Juniper? Have they left yet!?"

Conza frowns. He accepted the spare change, but felt a bit offended. Money wasn't really an issue to the modest man. Plus, he was not a child. Before Conza could leave to deliver his next letter, Clyde grabbed him.

"Ah!" He cries out. Regaining his composure, he slapped Clyde's hands, then slapped the Champion himself. "HEY! I am not a kid. I am an adult!" Though there wasn't time to explain, he wanted to know where Juniper was.

"Ah...They have not left yet. They are at the Tension apartments and dorms. They are taking her van, if you know what it looks like."

"Yeo-Ow!" Clyde winced as he was smacked twice, leaving him blinking in confusion as Conza just yelled at him. "B-But ya look so..." He tried to say before being told exactly where Juniper was!

"OKAY THANKS!!" He says before rushing back in the house!
"Just what in the world am I gettin' myself into?" He asks himself as he stuffs his clothes in a big along with his world title and everything else he felt he'd need for a trip. Even his wrestling attire!

He zipped his stuff and came out the house wearing long sleeve red and yellow flannel, jeans and his cowboy hat before rushing on foot for the Tension apartment at full speed where he spotted Juniper's bus.

Foolishly, he spread out his arms and stepped in front of the bus. "SSSSSTTTOOOPPP!"

The old red and white VW bus began to roll through the parking lot at a modest 10 miles an hour. Juniper sat in the driver's seat, with Jay as her passenger. In the center seat of the second row was Nick, leaning forward with one arm on either chair. And Anampo sat quietly in the third row of the red leather-colored seats.

"Uh, Nick?" Anampo said. "You should really put on your--"

"OH JEEZ!" Juniper slammed on the breaks. Nick went flying forward, slamming his head into the dashboard.

"Seat...Belt."

"Thanks." Nick groans, sitting back in his seat, rubbing his head. "Ten seconds TOO LATE!"

Jay leans forward. "Hey...I-is that...?"

Juniper jumped out of the bus. "Clyde! I almost turned you into a former champion! Though I was going pretty slow...But, wait! What...What are you doing here? Why'd you stop my bus?"

Clyde huffed, having no idea he just gave everyone whiplash. In fact, he thought he looked pretty cool, standing there with the wind kind of blowing and his hat tilted low enough to cover his eyes.

"'Cause!" He said, lifting his head up to show a wry grin. "I'm comin' with ya..."

Juniper stood there for a moment.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" She wrapped her arms around him. "I didnt think the power of writing would be so strong! I should do it more often!" She walks around to the right side of the bus. "Pops! Open up that door!"

Nick, one hand still holding his face, used his other hand to pull open the sliding door. "but, but...I already briefed. And who are you bringing with us? And--Oh, my God. A-Are you Clyde Gastin?"

"Pick your ridding buddy." Juniper says to Clyde, giving him a little shove.

All of Clyde's coolness just went out the door as Juniper hugged him tightly all of a sudden. "W-Woah! Juniper!" Clyde cried out, holding his hat and smiling nervously as Juniper gushed before getting him onto the hippy bus, leaving Clyde to see the rest of her crew.

"Howdy folks!" Clyde beamed with a grin before he heard Nick, leaving Clyde to proudly grin and lift his chin high. "I am! I'm yer AFW Tension World Champion! The Fastest Gun In The Land Of The Risin' Sun! HAHA!" Clyde said proudly before, thinking he could sit with Juniper but instead decided he'd take third row with the bunny girl so he could kick his feet up a little.

But before that. "So what's this all about Juniper? Whats the danger?"