11-01-2018, 08:10 AM
(This post was last modified: 09-16-2020, 05:01 AM by 37thchamber.)
On a training field somewhere in the midwest, Lennox Garnett enters a football training camp for youths. They have been playing against a larger group, a rival training camp, of sorts. He finds a group of the young players, who recognise him and their spirits rise.
"Mister Lennox! There are too many of them. What are we going to do?" One asks. With a cold, emotionless face, Lennox puts his mouthguard in, and lowers his visor...
In a penthouse apartment in Philadelphia, a young woman relaxes by the window, gazing out at the cityscape. An ostentatious Jamaican flag hangs on the wall opposite. The buzzer sounds.
"Miss Patricia," the concierge downstairs said. "There is an Antoine here to visit."
"Mek 'im pass tru." She waved a hand dismissively. She knew Antoine. Delacour. Used to play for the Hawks, now he was her husband's agent. A few moments passed before Antoine entered the apartment, and embraced her.
"Patricia, how are you?"
"Tings irie, mi nuh complain. Wha gwaan?"
"I er... I actually came to see Lennox. I thought he'd be here."
"Nah mon, Lennox nuh 'ere."
"When did you last see him?"
"A yesterday mi did see Lennox"
"Do you know where he is now?"
"Mi fi look like 'im madda? Mi naa know. But 'im did seh he a guh fi 'elp at one camp inna di midwes'. A wha gwaan?"
"Patricia, I need your help. He is in danger."
"Danger? A fi who? What kinda danger yuh fi chat 'bout?"
Antoine paused, knowing he was about to say something that could cause problems. "From himself," he sighed. "Patricia, Lennox has turned to the Dark Side."
Patricia laughed. "A foolishness yuh chat, Antoine. Wha' wrong wid yu?"
"I have seen security footage... of him... trucking younglings."
"Nah man! Nuh Lennox! 'Im would nevah..." Patricia shouted.
Antoine continued. "He was deceived by a lie... we all were. It appears that the Head Office is behind everything, including the draft! After the selection of Lennox, the Liberty made him their new apprentice."
"Mi nuh believe you. Mi cyaan..." She shook her head in disbelief.
"Patricia, I must find him."
"Yuh a guh cut 'im?"
"Maybe. He is a threat." He replied, walking toward the door. As he stepped out, he turned back one last time to say "I'm so sorry."
Patricia just sucked her teeth in response. "Galang, nuh mek mi ketch yu inna mi yaad again."
Antoine knew he couldn't find Lennox from such vague information, so he thought about where his protege might go after the training camps with the kids. Lennox hated long travel times, so he had probably flown wherever he went... but from which airport? Antoine racked his brains for a way to figure out where the return flight would be landing, and remembered that Lennox also loved flashy cars. He had a vanity plate, too. That was how he'd find him. He dialled a friend...
"Benny, it's Antoine. I need you to find something out for me..."
As expected, Antoine found the car. He waited for Lennox, at a distance, wondering where he'd go next. Lo and behold, the younger man arrived to reclaim his car before long, and set off... somewhere. Antoine followed. It was a route he was unfamiliar with, but eventually, Lennox pulled up at a football field somewhere in downtown Philly. A few guys were there practicing, but nobody he recognised.
'Why downtown?' Antoine wondered, silently. 'And who are these guys?'
He watched as Lennox got out of his car, grabbed a bag, and went into a changing block. Moments later he emerged, in pads, helmet and cleats.
'What the fuck...?' Antoine was only baffled further, as the group began to do some simple drills. He smiled despite himself, this was why he had wanted to represent Lennox in the first place. The work ethic, the commitment. He was a supreme competitor and a fantastic athlete, damn-near guaranteed to have success at the highest level. He waited, silently. Eventually, the session ended, and the other guys went to change. Lennox remained, running shuttles in full equipment. 'Of course, he's training himself to be as game-ready as possible' Antoined noted, internally. Once the others had left the area, and Lennox was alone, he decided. Now is time to move.
Walking down to the field, he called to his client, his protege, his friend. "Lennox! I've been looking all over for you!"
No response.
"Come on man, we need to talk."
No response. Lennox continued his shuttles.
"You mad?"
This time, he got a reaction. Lennox pulled up at the end of a shuttle and walked over. "Nah, not mad. Wha' yu want, mon?"
"To talk."
"Den taak nuh?"
"Look, I think the Philly situation is becoming a problem."
"Problem fi who?"
"Everyone. I mean, you're so far behind other rookies you're probably not going to get much of a look in Defensive Rookie voting, and that contract, it-"
"Nuh matter. If we fi reach playoffs, i get a chaance fi win titles. Mi nuh care 'bout defensive rookie when mi can get championship ring, mon."
"Here?" Antoine scoffed.
"Why not 'ere? We just beat the champions, but yuh feel seh we cyaan win ring?"
"Listen to yourself, Lennox. You have allowed the Philadelphians to twist your mind, until now, until now you've seen the truth of the situation. This team is still a few years away from being a serious contender, and you know it!"
"Don't lecture me, Antoine! Mi nuh swallow lie. Unu Hawk man fi chat bare lies and fuckery. Mi nuh fear di process. I-an-I truss di process. Di process fi bring wins an' optimism to mi new squad."
"Your new squad?" Antoine raised an eyebrow.
"Nuh mek me bruk up yu hip an' ankle, ol' man. Nuh mek mi tear up contrac' cah yu cyaan get paas yuh bias an' ting."
"Lennox, my allegiance is to Baltimore. You know. Caw caw... you... you know this."
Lennox sucked his teeth. "Well... If yu nuh wid me, yu fi mi enemy."
Antoine stopped, realising that Lennox was perhaps too far gone. Perhaps he had been consumed by this "process", and there was no reasoning with him anymore. "Only the Liberty deal in absolutes, Lennox." He said, walking toward the spare helmets on a bench nearby.
"Man fi do what man haffi do." Lennox shrugged.
Antoine put the helmet on. "You can try."
Lennox lowered his visor. "Eedyat."
"You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Liberty, not join them! Bring glory to the Hawks... not leave them in defeat!" Antoine shouted.
"Suck yuh madda, pussyhole!"
The two clashed.
"Mister Lennox! There are too many of them. What are we going to do?" One asks. With a cold, emotionless face, Lennox puts his mouthguard in, and lowers his visor...
* * * * *
In a penthouse apartment in Philadelphia, a young woman relaxes by the window, gazing out at the cityscape. An ostentatious Jamaican flag hangs on the wall opposite. The buzzer sounds.
"Miss Patricia," the concierge downstairs said. "There is an Antoine here to visit."
"Mek 'im pass tru." She waved a hand dismissively. She knew Antoine. Delacour. Used to play for the Hawks, now he was her husband's agent. A few moments passed before Antoine entered the apartment, and embraced her.
"Patricia, how are you?"
"Tings irie, mi nuh complain. Wha gwaan?"
"I er... I actually came to see Lennox. I thought he'd be here."
"Nah mon, Lennox nuh 'ere."
"When did you last see him?"
"A yesterday mi did see Lennox"
"Do you know where he is now?"
"Mi fi look like 'im madda? Mi naa know. But 'im did seh he a guh fi 'elp at one camp inna di midwes'. A wha gwaan?"
"Patricia, I need your help. He is in danger."
"Danger? A fi who? What kinda danger yuh fi chat 'bout?"
Antoine paused, knowing he was about to say something that could cause problems. "From himself," he sighed. "Patricia, Lennox has turned to the Dark Side."
Patricia laughed. "A foolishness yuh chat, Antoine. Wha' wrong wid yu?"
"I have seen security footage... of him... trucking younglings."
"Nah man! Nuh Lennox! 'Im would nevah..." Patricia shouted.
Antoine continued. "He was deceived by a lie... we all were. It appears that the Head Office is behind everything, including the draft! After the selection of Lennox, the Liberty made him their new apprentice."
"Mi nuh believe you. Mi cyaan..." She shook her head in disbelief.
"Patricia, I must find him."
"Yuh a guh cut 'im?"
"Maybe. He is a threat." He replied, walking toward the door. As he stepped out, he turned back one last time to say "I'm so sorry."
Patricia just sucked her teeth in response. "Galang, nuh mek mi ketch yu inna mi yaad again."
Antoine knew he couldn't find Lennox from such vague information, so he thought about where his protege might go after the training camps with the kids. Lennox hated long travel times, so he had probably flown wherever he went... but from which airport? Antoine racked his brains for a way to figure out where the return flight would be landing, and remembered that Lennox also loved flashy cars. He had a vanity plate, too. That was how he'd find him. He dialled a friend...
"Benny, it's Antoine. I need you to find something out for me..."
* * * * *
As expected, Antoine found the car. He waited for Lennox, at a distance, wondering where he'd go next. Lo and behold, the younger man arrived to reclaim his car before long, and set off... somewhere. Antoine followed. It was a route he was unfamiliar with, but eventually, Lennox pulled up at a football field somewhere in downtown Philly. A few guys were there practicing, but nobody he recognised.
'Why downtown?' Antoine wondered, silently. 'And who are these guys?'
He watched as Lennox got out of his car, grabbed a bag, and went into a changing block. Moments later he emerged, in pads, helmet and cleats.
'What the fuck...?' Antoine was only baffled further, as the group began to do some simple drills. He smiled despite himself, this was why he had wanted to represent Lennox in the first place. The work ethic, the commitment. He was a supreme competitor and a fantastic athlete, damn-near guaranteed to have success at the highest level. He waited, silently. Eventually, the session ended, and the other guys went to change. Lennox remained, running shuttles in full equipment. 'Of course, he's training himself to be as game-ready as possible' Antoined noted, internally. Once the others had left the area, and Lennox was alone, he decided. Now is time to move.
Walking down to the field, he called to his client, his protege, his friend. "Lennox! I've been looking all over for you!"
No response.
"Come on man, we need to talk."
No response. Lennox continued his shuttles.
"You mad?"
This time, he got a reaction. Lennox pulled up at the end of a shuttle and walked over. "Nah, not mad. Wha' yu want, mon?"
"To talk."
"Den taak nuh?"
"Look, I think the Philly situation is becoming a problem."
"Problem fi who?"
"Everyone. I mean, you're so far behind other rookies you're probably not going to get much of a look in Defensive Rookie voting, and that contract, it-"
"Nuh matter. If we fi reach playoffs, i get a chaance fi win titles. Mi nuh care 'bout defensive rookie when mi can get championship ring, mon."
"Here?" Antoine scoffed.
"Why not 'ere? We just beat the champions, but yuh feel seh we cyaan win ring?"
"Listen to yourself, Lennox. You have allowed the Philadelphians to twist your mind, until now, until now you've seen the truth of the situation. This team is still a few years away from being a serious contender, and you know it!"
"Don't lecture me, Antoine! Mi nuh swallow lie. Unu Hawk man fi chat bare lies and fuckery. Mi nuh fear di process. I-an-I truss di process. Di process fi bring wins an' optimism to mi new squad."
"Your new squad?" Antoine raised an eyebrow.
"Nuh mek me bruk up yu hip an' ankle, ol' man. Nuh mek mi tear up contrac' cah yu cyaan get paas yuh bias an' ting."
"Lennox, my allegiance is to Baltimore. You know. Caw caw... you... you know this."
Lennox sucked his teeth. "Well... If yu nuh wid me, yu fi mi enemy."
Antoine stopped, realising that Lennox was perhaps too far gone. Perhaps he had been consumed by this "process", and there was no reasoning with him anymore. "Only the Liberty deal in absolutes, Lennox." He said, walking toward the spare helmets on a bench nearby.
"Man fi do what man haffi do." Lennox shrugged.
Antoine put the helmet on. "You can try."
Lennox lowered his visor. "Eedyat."
"You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Liberty, not join them! Bring glory to the Hawks... not leave them in defeat!" Antoine shouted.
"Suck yuh madda, pussyhole!"
The two clashed.
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