It has been many months since the culmination of High Strangeness 2. The resulting damage from the unplanned explosion in the match between The Templars and Wild Arms against The Church of Damnation were widespread.
While the “Church” itself is no longer a threat, the winning team still took quite the beating. Thankfully, most of the damage was superficial. El Hijo Del Lariato and Hardass Hansen were released quickly after being tended to for cuts and bruises. Considering their now famous past of brawl-like matches, their bodies have really toughened up.
Richard Lionheart and Zachariah Zealot on the other hand needed some extra treatment for burns. The results show themselves as the scene opens up to a hospital hallway.
Richard Lionheart looks almost unrecognizable as his hair was a casualty of the burn treatment. He enters the room where Zealot is being held and sees him sitting up on his bed with a cowl covering his head. The only part of his face remotely visible is his lower half which shows the remnants of what used to be facial hair and a burn mark running down his right cheek.
Richard Lionheart: Come now, Zach. Your hair situation can't be worse than mine.
An irritated Zealot slowly removes his cowl to reveal his shortened hair as well as the rest of his partially burned face. Richard is taken back a bit as Zealot puts the cowl back on.
Richard: I stand corrected. There are ways to fix that though.
Zachariah Zealot: (puts on a smile) It’s simply the price of warfare, my friend. Vanity doesn’t get you anywhere in life. That much I know. What’s done is done.
Richard: Hardly. We still don’t know the culprit of that explosion. From what I gathered from the Wild Arms asking around, it wasn’t any of those damned fools that caused it. Outside of martyrdom, they would have no reason to get blown up with the rest of us.
Zealot: We don’t have time to really delve into that right now, Richard. It would just be another fruitless crusade with nothing to go off of.
Richard is taken back by Zealot’s words.
Richard: Fruitless? You don’t really mean…
Zealot: I meant what I said. With nothing to go off of, we are not in any state to continue fighting right now. We- aaargh!
The stress on Zealot’s face while arguing with Richard causes him to stop in a bit of pain. Richard notices this and rebuts.
Richard: I’m going to chalk this one up to your treatment. I’m sure you will think more differently with a clear head. Rest for now.
Richard exits the room as Zealot holds his face in pain. As the door shuts, Zealot glances up as if nothing happened and shakes his head.
Zealot: Once a hapless Templar, always a hapless Templar.
Zealot pulls out his cell phone and makes a call. The caller is audible enough to hear.
Zealot: I think it goes without saying that I did what you asked for. How’s the progress coming along?
Unknown caller: Nice to see that you are recovering. Rest assured your favor is close to being met. However, there is one last thing I need done.
Zealot: I hope it doesn’t involve fighting.
Unknown caller: On the contrary. I actually need you to recruit a few fighters for me to stop a horde of ungrateful competitors challenging the integrity of our family. I’m sure you are aware of the requirements needed on my end.
Zealot: True. I will need to make some moves though. I think I have two in mind that will work for you. Anything else?
Unknown caller: There is the matter of the elf….
Zealot suddenly realizes that he did not fulfill his promise to Alastair on protecting him from The Complex during his title match. He slams his fist on an end table in anger.
Zealot: Damn it! What happened to him?
Unknown caller: My sources have told me that he was seriously hurt by The Complex after his match. Safe to say he’s no longer the champion.
Zealot: This isn’t good.
Unknown caller: Here’s the deal though. He’s hurt bad right now, but I feel that he will be seeking revenge upon his recovery. I need you to do whatever you feel is necessary to thwart this act of vengeance.
Zealot: Alastair is a great ally of mine, surely he wouldn’t…
Unknown caller: Think of these tasks as vital to your request finally being fulfilled. I will not take no for an answer. Capiche?
Zealot is quite annoyed, but reluctantly agrees.
Zealot: Understood, I will do what it takes and you will get your help.
Unknown caller: Good. Lose this phone and await further instructions.
The phone line goes dead. Zealot leaves the hospital and tosses the phone into a dumpster in the process of being lifted into a dump truck for disposal. The scene fades.
While the “Church” itself is no longer a threat, the winning team still took quite the beating. Thankfully, most of the damage was superficial. El Hijo Del Lariato and Hardass Hansen were released quickly after being tended to for cuts and bruises. Considering their now famous past of brawl-like matches, their bodies have really toughened up.
Richard Lionheart and Zachariah Zealot on the other hand needed some extra treatment for burns. The results show themselves as the scene opens up to a hospital hallway.
Richard Lionheart looks almost unrecognizable as his hair was a casualty of the burn treatment. He enters the room where Zealot is being held and sees him sitting up on his bed with a cowl covering his head. The only part of his face remotely visible is his lower half which shows the remnants of what used to be facial hair and a burn mark running down his right cheek.
Richard Lionheart: Come now, Zach. Your hair situation can't be worse than mine.
An irritated Zealot slowly removes his cowl to reveal his shortened hair as well as the rest of his partially burned face. Richard is taken back a bit as Zealot puts the cowl back on.
Richard: I stand corrected. There are ways to fix that though.
Zachariah Zealot: (puts on a smile) It’s simply the price of warfare, my friend. Vanity doesn’t get you anywhere in life. That much I know. What’s done is done.
Richard: Hardly. We still don’t know the culprit of that explosion. From what I gathered from the Wild Arms asking around, it wasn’t any of those damned fools that caused it. Outside of martyrdom, they would have no reason to get blown up with the rest of us.
Zealot: We don’t have time to really delve into that right now, Richard. It would just be another fruitless crusade with nothing to go off of.
Richard is taken back by Zealot’s words.
Richard: Fruitless? You don’t really mean…
Zealot: I meant what I said. With nothing to go off of, we are not in any state to continue fighting right now. We- aaargh!
The stress on Zealot’s face while arguing with Richard causes him to stop in a bit of pain. Richard notices this and rebuts.
Richard: I’m going to chalk this one up to your treatment. I’m sure you will think more differently with a clear head. Rest for now.
Richard exits the room as Zealot holds his face in pain. As the door shuts, Zealot glances up as if nothing happened and shakes his head.
Zealot: Once a hapless Templar, always a hapless Templar.
Zealot pulls out his cell phone and makes a call. The caller is audible enough to hear.
Zealot: I think it goes without saying that I did what you asked for. How’s the progress coming along?
Unknown caller: Nice to see that you are recovering. Rest assured your favor is close to being met. However, there is one last thing I need done.
Zealot: I hope it doesn’t involve fighting.
Unknown caller: On the contrary. I actually need you to recruit a few fighters for me to stop a horde of ungrateful competitors challenging the integrity of our family. I’m sure you are aware of the requirements needed on my end.
Zealot: True. I will need to make some moves though. I think I have two in mind that will work for you. Anything else?
Unknown caller: There is the matter of the elf….
Zealot suddenly realizes that he did not fulfill his promise to Alastair on protecting him from The Complex during his title match. He slams his fist on an end table in anger.
Zealot: Damn it! What happened to him?
Unknown caller: My sources have told me that he was seriously hurt by The Complex after his match. Safe to say he’s no longer the champion.
Zealot: This isn’t good.
Unknown caller: Here’s the deal though. He’s hurt bad right now, but I feel that he will be seeking revenge upon his recovery. I need you to do whatever you feel is necessary to thwart this act of vengeance.
Zealot: Alastair is a great ally of mine, surely he wouldn’t…
Unknown caller: Think of these tasks as vital to your request finally being fulfilled. I will not take no for an answer. Capiche?
Zealot is quite annoyed, but reluctantly agrees.
Zealot: Understood, I will do what it takes and you will get your help.
Unknown caller: Good. Lose this phone and await further instructions.
The phone line goes dead. Zealot leaves the hospital and tosses the phone into a dumpster in the process of being lifted into a dump truck for disposal. The scene fades.