THE ASYLUM, II
OUTSIDE THE ARENA
“Have you ever spent time thinking about the things you’ve done?” [Hysteria asks.] “You’ve been a puppet for so long, you probably don’t know what it’s like to have an original thought. You’ve been spying on Errol Flint since the beginning, then you led Alex Reese to his grisly demise and followed Red River Jack too – twice. Do you really want to come after me, or is it the only thing you know how to do?”
[Mike grimaces.] “You killed my friend, you son of a bitch. He was trying to help you, Harrison. He was trying to find the man who killed your family. His actions brought Mortimer out of the woodwork. His actions brought you closure, not that you deserved it.” [Hysteria is silent for a moment.]“Get in the hole, Michael.”
[Lane thinks about it, shaking his head ‘no.] “If you want me in there, you come and put me in there!” [Silence.]“As you wish.”
[The sound of a large bolt being dragged across a metal surface screeches throughout the hollow room, causing an echo as it goes. When the door opens and light pours in, Mike Lane makes a run for it, leaping into the air with a giant Shadowkick that connects beautifully with the jaw of who he thought was Hysteria.] [Only he looks down, and it’s not.] [It’s the detective who shut down Old School Wrestling in Las Vegas!] [Lane scrambles over his body to the exit, wondering what the fuck just happened. He turns back to hear Hysteria laughing.]“You didn’t think I did this alone, did you? How else did I know you spoke with D’Ville?” [he admits through laughter.] “Run away, little puppy, run away. I’ll be seeing you at Casino Royal.”
[The Shadow reaches down and picks up his bosses’ gun, pulling it from his unconscious body. He runs back into the room, firing wildly into the darkness, screaming with every pull on the trigger. Bullets crash into a surface, a surface that Mike Lane hopes is Hysteria.] [Only when he goes to investigate – when he’s ran out of ammo, he stops in front of a plexiglass screen, realizing that The Mad Mastermind was never in the room with him at all.] [He drops the gun, taking a deep breath, before turning around and walking away.] [Casino Royal it is, then.]LUCAS WILLIAMS VS. THE SHARK
SINGLES MATCH
HELLO STEPHANIE
BACKSTAGE
“Hello, Stephanie.”
[The chilling words come from behind as she turns around as she reaches for her mace on her hip, almost instinctively. She calms herself as the hooded mask of Doubt barely peers from the dark cloak surrounding it.]“Damn… you scared the daylights out of me, Doubt.”
[Doubt steps out of the shadows and approaches. She takes a step back and raises her fist. Doubt stops and tilts its held slightly.]“I apologize if frightened you. You did summon me with that note after all.”
[Stephanie Rose eyes the emotion before crossing her arms.]“I did. Look, I’m sorry I didn’t make it to your party last week, but I was preparing for my first main event and against Red River Jack. Plus the way that Smiley acted, there wa-”
[The Masked Emotion’s head twitches at the mention of Smiley’s name as he holds up a gloved hand to stop her.]“Smiley did what?”
[The abrubt ending of the word catches Stephanie off-guard as he hand reaches down and rests on the top of her mace.]“He came into the locker room and swung his crowbar at me. I managed to keep him away with my mace, but…”
[Her words trail off as Doubt stomps towards. She pulls out her mace as it stops with a tilted head again.]“Do you really think ‘mace’ will work against me? I’m not going to harm you, Stephanie. This connection… I feel… I will protect you. No harm shall come to you while I stand.”
“I don’t need your protection, Doubt! I just… I just want to be left alone.”
[Doubt thinks on this for a moment before walking past her and towards the door. As it pulls the door open, it turns back.]“You’ll never be alone if I can help it, Syndi.”
[It leaves out the door leaving Stephanie Rose glaring at the door with an angered expression upon her face as she throws the mace at the door.]“I don’t need protection!”
DAVID MANSON VS. THE HORROR
SINGLES MATCH
MY ELEMENT
BACKSTAGE
“That Shark had no clue how good he had it. All of this fresh meat, the easy victims. Now it’s all mine.” [Manson chuckles again, only stopping once he realizes that the frosty air of the freezer is turning red.] [Blood red.]
“These were my prey, Manson. And you stole them from me. But now, now you’re in my freezer, and in my element.”
[Shark snarls, Manson looking all ways as he tries to find the intruder. He whips his head toward a knock on the far wall, only to whip it back towards a swinging corpse.]“I’m armed, little sheep. Asleep or not, you should know better than to mess with a cleaver.”
[Shark snarls again. And Manson swings wildly! An arm is cut from a corpse as Manson slices towards the sound.]“I’m no sheep. I AM THE SHARK!”
[Shark leaps from the mist! He buries his teeth into Manson’s collarbone, causing him to yell in pain and drop his cleaver, realing from the attack. Shark throws Manson across the room, the hung up bodies falling to the floor from the impact.]“You’re not taking my prey, Manson. This is my hunting ground. And you will leave my prey to me.”
[Manson gets up, backing away from the room slowly, the red mist obscuring Shark as he backs away.]“I’ll see about that, sheep. Come Casino Royal, I’m going to show you who the top of the food chain.”
[The two men stare each other down as Manson backs away, the scene slowly fading out.]CHASE HERO VS. HANNIBAL CORVIN
SINGLES MATCH
THE LAST CHANCE RANCH
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“Greetings, Mr. Greer.”
“What are you doing here?“
“Nothing, obviously.” [He peers around curiously.] “Lovely home you have. Paid for with your boss’ money?”
“No.” [Greer sneers.] “That racist SOB doesn’t own me… What do you want?” [He guzzles down his beer, stepping off his still-running vehicle.] “I’m threw with that. This is private property and you’re trespassing.”
“Trespassing? Interesting choice of words…. One might say you Americans are doing to the same to our land, and given how much grander our home is compared to yours, I think this is fair. Just like you, we come unarmed.” [Both present empty hands.] “After all, rifles are so…… impersonal. Right Mr. Greer?”
[The Elder’s eyes narrow.]“Twice now you’ve assault the Hand of Allah.”
[The ATV purrs idly; Cody approaches them.]“What’s you’re game?”
“Game? This is no game.” [Salah guards The Elder; Greer waits.] “You cheap-shotted Salah before, but this man is undefeated in new year of your arrogant Lord, and as you can see, he’s still standing. Try attacking him head-on, the same might not be said for you.”
“…. WHAT’S THAT OLD BASTARD TALKING ABOUT!?!“
[The muffled rage of Frank Harrison can be heard buzzing from under The Agents’ earpieces. Benson and Charles are watching covertly, behind a tree.]“I told to you Secret Service SHIT-STAINS to take care of that old CAMEL-FUCKER like you did the HOOD RAT NI–“
“…. If it’s a fight you want, we’ll settle this on the hill.”
[Greer’s fists are clenched; The Elder shakes his head.]“Today was merely about a message. We put bomb in your house.”
[Cody immediately charges but SALAH’S HATF LEVELS HIM TO THE GROUND!] [The Elder cackles.]“Just as expected; the message came in loud and clear. [The Elder gets right in Cody’s face] That look…. That look you just gave us! It proves you’re no different than that ODIOUS POLITICAL PIG! Don’t fool yourself, infidel! All Americans are the same….”
[He drops Greer’s limp head.]“The next time you duel with The Sword of the Prophet Muhammed, you won’t be let off so easy.”
[The pair then begin to leave; Cody’s left paralyzed at his doorstep. Harrison meanwhile is still cursing out his Agents. He orders them to follow Salah and his master as The Elder waves goodbye.]“Your house is safe, Mr. Greer….. Your country is not!“
HYSTERIA VS. THUNK
SINGLES MATCH
MY FAMILY
BACKSTAGE
“Lee.”
[The mention of the former name seems to jerk him to a halt as his face contorts at the very sound of it.]“Who in the hell called me-“
[He stops mid-sentence as he turns to see his tag team partner standing there with its arms folded across its chest.]“Why in the hell did you call me, Lee? It’s Smiley and you know that, brother.”
“So would you say I broke a promise by calling you Lee, brother?”
[Smiley’s eyes bore into him at the second mention of his former name. His mind quickly deciphering the destination of the conversation.]“You talked to Stephanie, didn’t you?”
[Doubt nods.]“She told me everything I needed to know, and how you threatened her with Smiley Jr. Why, Lee? Why would you break our promise?”
[Smiley’s neck turns at the mention once more.]“Don’t call me Lee. I didn’t harm her, but I felt like you would want her at your party. After all, you said she reminds you of Syndi.”
[Doubt contemplates this but shakes its head.]“No, you just feel some sort of connection to her that isn’t there. Lee, I need-“
“STOP CALLING ME LEE, DAMNIT!”
[Smiley is seething as he has now raised Smiley Jr. above his head as if threatening Doubt. Doubt’s mask looks up at this before leveling back on Smiley.]“This is over, Smiley.”
[Smiley’s face contorts from anger to… sadness as his smile is no longer there other than the remnants of the scars.]“What? Doubt, we have a match tonight, you can’t just bail on us.”
“Tonight is the last night, Smiley.”
[With that, Doubt turns around and begins leaving the room as he yanks the door open and exits.]“You can’t leave me! You can’t leave Knock Knock! What about The Asylum, brother?! WHAT ABOUT US?!”
[With no one to hear his anger, Smiley begins lashing out with Smiley Jr at the lockers and the chairs and just brutalizing the entire room as his shoulders begin to shake. His teeth are gritted as his eyes grow wide with fury.]“You can’t leave MY FAMILY!”
MAS VS. DOCTOR PANAX
SINGLES MATCH
UNEXPECTED DELIVERY
THE CHIEF’S OFFICE
“He requested an audience with The Chief,” [Corvin says, dragging him off the floor and placing him forcibly in the chair.]
“I thought I told you to take him to jail, Corvin?”
[Hannibal folds his arms.]“Please, Chief, just hear me out, okay?” [Connor begs.] “I’m sorry I told him your name. I didn’t think about it, but I can make it up to you.”
[The Boss takes a seat on the next near him.]“There’s a lot of weight coming into Miami in the next two weeks. The port commissioner has been bribed to let it all slip in under the radar, meaning if someone was able, they could take it all.”
[The Chief and Hannibal share an awkward look. The Chief looks like he’s been caught out; like he’s been outed.]“You’re him, you know? You’re The Ghost. This could be-”
[Suddenly and abruptly, The Chief clobbers him across the face with a right hand that immediately busts open his lip. He angrily walks around the desk, opening a drawer and pulling out a gun.]“Do you know how I’m able to conduct business?” [He asks.] “I’m a professional,” [he barks.] “That’s how. I sit in an office, I crunch numbers and I handle my business. I’m able to do that because no-one on the streets knows who I am.”
[Connor grimaces.]“Except you.”
[The Chief cocks the gun and puts it to his temple. He looks up at Hannibal, meeting his eyes.]“When I hire you to do a job, you do the job,” [the Chief says with a stern expression. He slowly pulls the gun away, hitting him as hard as he can in the mouth, breaking his jaw.] “Now take this piece of shit to jail. He ain’t sayin’ nothin’.”
[Corvin thinks about it for a minute but realizes that he’s been paid to do a job. He grabs Connor, who’s bleeding and moaning in agony, dragging him from the room and taking him to jail.] [The Chief remains, unbuttoning his shirt, clearly infuriated.]FRANK HARRISON VS. CODY GREER
SINGLES MATCH
AMBUSH
BACKSTAGE
“I’ve got you this time you filthy animal!”
[Hero’s voice quickly trails off only to be quickly replaced by the roaring sound of Thunk.] [In the distance, at the end of the hall, is Thunk. Running as fast as he can run from the same direction from which Hero joined us. He is in pursuit.] [Mere split seconds pass but by the time Thunk turns the corner Hero has disappeared through the exit doors that lead out into the Tap Room parking lot. He pauses; noticing the movement of the exit doors as they slide shut. His eyes squinting as he takes a deep sniff and then it’s straight towards the exit doors he goes.] [We follow close behind as Thunk makes his way out into the dark parking lot. The lamps positioned throughout the area only providing partial light to the shadow filled automobiles surrounding our massive subject.] [Suddenly, head lights shine in the eyes of Thunk; momentarily blinding him as the squealing of tires is heard. A car pulls out from a parking space, lifting Thunk onto its hood by force and tossing him to the concrete ground below. The monster of a man rolls to a motionless ball as the car hits the breaks.] [With Thunk unconscious and possibly worse, Chase Hero climbs out of the car; a somewhat concerned grin covering his face.]“Primitive creatures stand no chance against the weapons of our age.” [Hero chuckles as he approaches the fallen Thunk.] “So ends our little hunt if I do say so myself.”
[The confidence oozes from Hero as he sticks a foot on the shoulder of Thunk; kicking him over.] [But in an instant, Thunk jumps to; wrapping both hands around the throat of Hero and hoisting him into the air.]“Thunk not so dumb he no play dead!”
[The eyes of Hero nearly pop out of his head as Thunk squeezes his throat. Suddenly, a swift kick to the groin from Hero releases the hold; dropping Thunk to his knees with an agonizing grunt.] [Hero takes off back towards the Tap Room; this time his demeanor a bit more hurried. Meanwhile Thunk looks up from his hands and knees.]“The hunt not over yet Hero man! Not until THUNK SMASH!”
[With that, Thunk pounds the concrete with his closed fist before succumbing slightly to the effects of the low blow.]STEPHANIE ROSE VS. TOMMY HAWK
SINGLES MATCH
IT’S MY FAULT
BACKSTAGE
“Next week at Casino Royal, you will meet me in the middle of the ring, Doctor. You will fight the demons you created!” [he growls in a deep deep voice.] “She is the first in a long line of people you saved. Why couldn’t you save me?”
[Panax bursts into tears.] “I tried. I tried so hard. You just couldn’t be stopped. You had a thirst for destruction and rage. You tore apart everything you loved. I wanted to save you, I wanted to put The Horror away but you wouldn’t let me.”“So, it’s my fault?” [The Horror responds.] [Silence.]
“IT’S MY FAULT!?”
[A guttural scream echo’s loudly as The Horror rips apart the locker room. We remain in darkness, until Doctor Panax goes ripping through the locker room door, bouncing out the other side. He hits the floor hard and rolls as we cut to black.]KNOCK KNOCK VS. MIKE LANE
TWO V ONE MATCH
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“Now, what are you going to do with that?”
[Jon looks down the barrel, pointing it at whoever sits opposite in a threatening manner.]“I’m thinkin’ I might go shoot me some dark meat,” [Davenport responds, putting the weapon down.] “And there’s plenty of it at the reservation.”
[The man sighs.] “We’re close, Jon. We’re so very close. I need you to keep your head. Tommy was arrested and thanks to you, he has a date with the court that’ll see him imprisoned for the damage he did.”“That’s the best place for that freeloadin’ injun.”
[The man agrees.] “Hmm, I agree, but you know what the plan is, don’t you? Besides, you have a match with Tommy at Casino Royal next week that’ll end this once and for all – I’ve made sure of it. You can beat the red out of him until your heart’s content. Isn’t that what you want?” [Jon smiles, stroking his gun.]“I want him to suffer in the dirt where his people belong,” [Davenport grimaces.] “And at Casino Royal, for the final time, the dog will hunt.”
[The Hunting Dog grabs his gun and exits the limousine, stopping to slam it shut and walk off towards his broken cabin.] [We follow Jon, watching the limousine drive off as he goes back to looking at his possessions.]