presents the first Reinhardt twins story:
UOW Command Center, Mexico City, Mexico:
Allen Anderson sat at his desk, if looks could kill, it would be safe to assume that Kronin and Kara would be two piles of dust and ash on the floor. In front of the two German athletes sat a piece of paper. It was a UOW contract. Allen Anderson leaned forward slightly and looked at the two across the desk from him. “I see the problem now, you believe this is a negotiation. It isn’t. There are two options here and only two. Option 1. Your sister signs this contract, very reasonable pay given her age and her complete and utter lack of combat sport experience, and begins competing as the company sees fit, or, and this would be Option 2, I will have her arrested right here and now for trespassing, assault, and any other charges our legal team can think of. Since you two are such big proponents of law and order, I’m sure you understand my position and will do the right thing.”
Kronin turned and glared at his sister. Her actions were understandable, but they had placed the twins at a disadvantage and Kronin hated giving up tactical advantages to his opponents. Nevertheless, Kronin decided he wasn’t going down without a fight. “And what guarantee do I have that you won’t do to her what you tried, and failed, to do to Valora Salinas?” Allen Anderson clenched his fist and narrowed his eyes at the mention of that name but quickly regained his composure. “Failed? Last time I checked, she had a broken arm and was out of commission for some time. Has that changed?” Kronin shook his head and Anderson nodded. “Then you might be wise to think about who you want to make an enemy of. We should all learn from Valora’s poor choices. Now, onto your question. I give you no assurances. If I want her to march out there waving the American Flag and singing McStrump’s praises.. She will do just that. Because she wouldn’t want me to sue her for breach of contract. On the other hand, I don’t see a need to do anything special to you or your sister. The two of you are intelligent and reasonable people. Ms. Salinas, not so much.”
Kara chimed in here. “The fact that we’re white and European helps too, I suppose, yes?” Anderson shrugs. “Our audience has their preferences like any. Shall I play for you all the racist slurs non-Mexican athletes have had to suffer through since we came to this God forsaken country? Go to Japan as a non-Japanese wrestler, tell me what kind of welcome you can expect. Fans prefer champions who look like them. If and when we do a show in Germany, I would expect you two to be the most popular fighters.” Kara nods. “Point made.” Anderson nods. “Let’s not continue this dance any longer. I’m sure you two will sign. So sure, in fact, I set up a tag team match for the next show. You two vs. Dillenger and Rage.”
Kronin looked over at Kara, gauging her reaction to this. Most people would have seen her stoic expression as unreadable, but he knew his twin. There were nerves, obviously. But she was also radiating that fierce determination that both she and he shared. In that moment, Kronin wondered if Anderson was aware of the enemy he was making. Then again, his rivalry with Valora indicated that he was a man who didn’t care what he had to do. As he thought about everything, he was interrupted by Cassandra bringing up an image of Kara and highlighting her vitals. Kronin blinked in surprise, only barely remembering to use the private channel between him and Cassandra before he spoke. “You can do that?!” Cassandra nods. “You were worried about Kara’s state. Her vitals indicate she is feeling some anxiety, based on the hormone and chemical levels in her blood, her heart rate, breathing rate etc.” Kronin decided now was as good a time as any to test his new companion and nodded. “Allen Anderson. Whatcha got?”
Cassandra took a few seconds and “Mr. Anderson is suffering pain and discomfort from his crippled leg.” Kronin notes this for later. “I see. So he is’t faking or using the cane for stagecraft.”’ Cassandra nods. “Correct. He needs the cane. Further, he is remarkably calm. Possibly any painkiller he is taking would help with that, but could also be a high amount of training or discipline, much the same as both you and Kara can control your breathing and heart rate to better shoot.” Anderson looked at the two people sitting across from him and then turned back to Kara. “This really shouldn’t be a hard decision.”
Kronin had to keep his attention on the conversation happening in reality as well, another skill that took some getting used to. Kara drummed her fingers on the desk, looking at Allen Anderson and nods. “Indeed? I’m giving up a measure of freedom anyways. Still, I was considering trying this route anyways and as a contracted wrestler, I can better help my brother and my allies as well.” Allen Anderson nods. “Indeed. However, you are also giving up the protection you enjoyed as a non-combatant.” Kara shrugs and reaches for the pen and reads through the contract one more time. Allen Anderson leaned back in his seat, a giant smile on his face. Kara signed her name and narrowed her eyes. “I wouldn’t be so smug, if I were you, Mr. Anderson. What you see as a victory today.” Kara cuts herself off and Kronin picks up, finishing his twin’s sentence. “Will soon be revealed to be a mistake. We’re going to enjoy watching your plans die, Mr. Anderson.”
If Allen Anderson was intimidated or unnerved by the twins’ display, he didn’t show it. “Perhaps. Perhaps I’ll get the last laugh. Perhaps you, your sister, that insolent anarchist Abbigail, and that ungrateful drunkard Valora will all realize you want my plans to succeed, because my plans are the only things keeping all of you alive and breathing.” Kronin nods. “Indeed. 4 on 1 matches designed to injure athletes. You truly are merciful.” Anderson forced himself to stand and nodded. “A lesson needed to be taught. If anyone else had done what Valora did to me, they would be dead, so yes, I feel I am quite merciful. However, whatever soft spot I might have for Valora Salinas is not shared for you two, so I strongly suggest you stop pushing your luck.”
The meeting ended there and a few minutes later, the twins walked out of the building, Kara turning to Kronin with a shrug. “Well, that went better than it could have,” Kronin nods. “And yet, about as I expected it to go. Though I admit I was surprised your first match is a tag team match, I would have thought Andersen would use you as a wrestler to punish you .” Further conversation came to an abrupt end as Kara’s iwatch beeped and Kara checked her watch to get her message. She looked up at Kronin with a serious face and nodded. “Meeting ended just in time. Time for my afternoon run. Join me?” Kronin, picking up on the hidden meaning to his sister’s statement and invitation, nodded and the two broke into a very controlled pace steady jog. As they ran, Kronin spoke in a whisper under his breath. “Cassandra. Check the net, give me an update on any relevant news.” A few seconds later, Kara’s iphone alerted her to a call, the name Cassandra appearing on the phone. Kara raised an eyebrow, answering the phone and Cassandra spoke to her. “I’m calling to link us all together. I’m detecting you have a bluetooth device. I would like your permission to access it.”
Kara, who was talking as if she wasn’t jogging at the measured pace she was taught, nodded. “How do I give you access to it?” A second later, the bluetooth activated and Cassandra spoke. “I can let myself in. I just wished to get your permission first.” Kara turns to, speaking in German. “Your friend takes the initiative, I see.” Kronin smiles a bit as he nods. “Imagine that in your head 24/7.” Cassandra speaks in German effortlessly as she replies to both. “I do not talk 24/7. Just for clarification. Still I admit being paired with another being takes some getting used to.” Kara nods. “I imagine. What’s it like being human?” Cassandra is silent for a moment. “I am not human. I am still me. However the chance to experience human sensations. To see how organic life interacts with the physical world is truly a unique experience that I am enjoying immensely.” Kara and Kronin round a corner now a few minutes into the round. Kara counting out “Vier.” She glances at Kronin who nods and she speaks quieter in German. “You notice our followers, Cassandra?” Cassandra replies. “Indeed. 2 men. Approximately 10 meters behind you. I am hacking into their phones now.” Kara blinks. “You can do that?” Cassandra replies dryly. “One of them forgot to close his social media account before they followed you. I’m in. Accessing email, looking for information… oh dear.”
Kronin nearly came to a dead stop at hearing that, but he and Kara kept on running as he spoke. “Talk to me, Cassie… what’s up?” Cassandra sighs. “I asked you not to call me that. These two are really amatuer. I’m sending you the information I acquired from them.” Both Kronin and Kara checked their watches, making as if checking their vitals as they ran. In reality they were reading intel pulled off of their pursuers phone. Kara and Kronin looked at each other and Kara spoke. “This is an act of war.” Kronin nods. “I do not believe McStrump cares anymore. Cassandra. Our babysitters.” “American, given the style of English they use.” The twins kept jogging, extending the run and looking to tire their pursuers out a bit. Kara spoke first as they rounded a corner. “Not government. The FBI, NSA and CIA at least know how to tail someone.” Kronin nodded, pausing to tie his shoe… and pick up a small rock he noticed in the street, slipping it into his pocket in case he needed it later. Continuing the run, both twins saw their spot and turned. The pursuers rounded the corner about 45 seconds or so later and paused, letting out tired breaths. “God dammit! We lost them! How the hell do we lose two people jogging?!” A few minutes later, the pair have left, using their phones to call in help. Kronin and Kara appear from their hiding spaces, Kara looking at her brother. “We could have taken them.”
Kronin nodded. “Of course we could. That’s not the point. Now they have two Germans that just disappeared into thin air. We could be anywhere. Now they have to calculate the unknown variables. Fear what they don’t know. Besides, the information we got from them is much more important.” Kara thought about this for a moment and looked at her brother. “So the hunters are the hunted then?” Kronin nods. “Exactly. We’ve got our info. Send it back home. We’ll see what our intel agencies have on them, and the fact that we have their images is useful too. We can make their careers very hard to continue.”
Havana, Cuba. The next day:
Kronin and Kara get out of the taxi and gather up their bags, and walk into the hotel. Kara smirks looking at Kronin as they enter. “Like being back in East Germany.” Kronin nods. “Well, except this time we’ll actually have enough of those ‘little things’ like toothpaste, toilet paper and such.” Kara smirks as they enter and check in. As they walk towards their room, Kronin gets input from Cassandra, whose curiosity has run away with her at this point. “Your statement implies that at one time these things were lacking?” Kronin switched to his private channel with her and replied. “Communist Block countries were forbidden from trade with the West. Who also refused to trade with us. Limited trade was meant to force reliance on each other, which would in turn help our industrial sections.. But if you can’t keep up with the demand… you soon find yourself rationing the supply, and the downside to rationing is that no one ever gets enough.” This was followed by a few seconds of silence before the twins entered their rooms, Kara meeting Kronin in his shortly after settling in. “So a game plan for what comes next?”
Kronin looked out the window, taking in the sights of Cuba. “First, we make sure to get word back home that McStrump is pissed off that Europe and the Free World are turning to Germany for leadership. Then we see what comes of the split of one of our main rivals, Sato and Dresden. You and I both know they won’t just simply let her go no harm, no foul. Communists don’t think like that.” Kronin looks back outside for a moment before turning back to his twin. “Then we focus on our first match. Lucky for us, you’re not the only rookie in the match. I think we should try to arrange it so that you face off against Dillinger as much as possible. Your speed and agility match up better against him. However, it’s a tag match. We should both be ready to face either member of their team..” Kara nods. “We also have the advantage that no one knows about your ‘enhancements’ yet.” Kronin nods. “Yeah but.. It’s only a matter of time until people start asking questions about my amazing and borderline miraculous recovery. For the moment, my physical conditioning is a sufficient response but I will have to start working on a better cover. At the moment, we have the advantage and that should give us an edge in the upcoming match.”
Kara is silent for a moment as she sits down. “I think we have a plan. Or the beginnings of one at least.”