SEVEN BOWLS
BACKSTAGE
“The bow has been crafted. The crown has been forged.”
[Bellator’s words ring out, hollow in the vast chamber before him.]“And the rider goes forth.”
[The hooded man kneels down at the altar, and we can see that under the altar, there is an interesting sight.] [Seven bowls have been arranged on the space between the table’s legs. Each bowl is carved with ornate markings around it. One bowl stands out from the others, as it has something within it. The melting wax from the first seal snakes around the book to fall down holes in the altar. It slowly comes together under it to form a single flow into this bowl. It appears to be almost full as the supernaturally heated wax seems to lose all wax properties upon hitting the bowl. Whatever the seals are made of, it is not of this world.] [Seeing the bowl, Lux Bellator smiles and stands to his feet.]“Soon.”
[Bellator turns to leave the altar behind as we focus in on the ancient book, the words upon it seem to glimmer in the torchlight.] [But what the hell are those bowls for?]MAKENA JAKANDE VS. MUERTE
SINGLES MATCH
PERFECT WITNESS
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“Mr. Lane, thank you for joining me here today,” [The investigator says coyly.] “We’ve looked into the fire at your house and I’m afraid that your suspicions are correct; it was arson.”
[Mike’s face scrunches with rage.]“A witness came forward. He saw everything happen and will be willing to testify in court. In fact, I’ve asked him to meet us here today,” [he says pressing on his intercom.] “Mary, please send our guest in.”
[A few brief moments pass before the door swings open and in walks a rather surprising figure. Without any face paint, and his hair slicked back, Smiley stands before them both. Mike immediately stands up, pushing his chair backwards ferociously. He looks like a different man.]“Mr. Crowley saw everything,” [the investigator says, folding his arms.] “He saw you set that fire, run back into your home and ‘rescue’ your daughter.”
[Suddenly it dawns on Mike what’s going on.] [Smiley smiles.] [And that’s it. Lane simply snaps. He grabs Smiley and runs him head first into the nearest cabinet, bouncing him off it. The investigator quickly sidesteps his desk, watching in absolute horror as Mike scoops Smiley up and crashes him down on it back first, swinging violently with right and left hands.] [Security rush into the room to pull them apart, The Shadow having completely lost it.]“You think you can do this to me, Crowley?” [He yells.] “Huh? Do you think I’ll sit back and take it, is that it? I will end you.”
[The Arson Investigator, with Lane restrained, checks on Crowley.] “Mr. Lane, we will be pursing charges of arson against you and if I were poor Mr. Crowley, I would pursue charges of assault too!” [The security drag Mike Lane from the room, leaving Smiley to grin sinisterly, having once again put his nemesis in an absolutely awful position.]MORE THAN A NAME
BACKSTAGE
“What is it, my dear? What is wrong?”
[He tries to open his mouth to answer, but can’t. His eyes widen, and then suddenly his hand flies forward, driving his sandwich into his mask. Esperanza jumps from her chair and begins wiping his face.]“Muerte! Are you okay? What is happening!?”
[Once again, he tries to speak, but his mouth is closed. He stands, but then is suddenly thrown across the room by an unknown force. Nothing is there. He repeatedly bashes his head off of the wall. Esperanza is panicking, trying to stop him from hurting himself. But nothing she does stops the carnage.]“Help! Help us! He is going to die! Anyone!”
[Suddenly, someone shows up. It’s The Voodoo Knight, and in his hand is a small doll. Wrapped around its neck is a small white cloth. It seems to be torn from the towel that Angel de la Muerte threw at Voodoo last week. He raises the doll high in the air, and Angel flies up to the ceiling!]“Voodoo is more than just a name. Do not respect him.”
[He slings his hand towards the floor and Muerte slams hard into the floor. Esperanza shrieks in anger and flies at Voodoo, who catches her and throws her on top of her downed man. Voodoo smiles and turns away from the heap, stuffing the doll into his back pocket.]SHERIFF LAW VS. CAEL GABLE
SINGLES MATCH
PLEA BARGAIN
RINGSIDE
“I have your permits, Sheriff” [Makena holds the paper into the air.] “Now where is Colossus?”
[“The Corrupt” looks on with an amused grin.]“You foreign fool!” [Law chuckles as he holds out his hands.] “Do I look like the Florida Department of Natural Resources to you?”
[Makena looks around in confusion as the crowd begins to boo.]“I just gave you that permit line to get you out of my face” [Sheriff Law laughs.] “And to get your cat out of the building!”
[A look of horror comes over the face of Jakande.]“You’ll need to go somewhere else to show your permits” [Law advises in confidence.] “Of course, by the time the law gets word it might be too late for poor Colossus!”
[Jakande’s eyes light up with rage and she rushes the ring, but Sheriff Law bails to the outside.]“Now hold on one second you damn immigrant!”
[The crowd boos at the distastefulness of Law’s nationalistic comment.]“Because I am the law and the law reserves the right to offer plea bargains to pathetic illegals like you, there is another way!”
[With her shoulder heaving in deep breaths, Jakande slowly pulls her mic up to her lips.]“What do you want scum?”
[The insult only makes Law scoff in delight as he points a steady finger in the direction of his nemesis.]“I want you foreigner… LITERALLY!”
[Makena looks on with confusion as Law continues.]“At Over Kill” [The Sheriff explains.] “You and me, one on one! If you win you get your little kitty back, but if I win… you do what you were bred to do… and be my slave!!!”
WHAT?!?!?!
[Jakande is taken back by the racial implications of the challenge, but it only makes her blood boil more as she hesitates to respond!]“I accept!!”
[The crowd explodes at the announcement as Makena’s theme plays once again and she slips out of the ring on her way to the back, leaving Sheriff Law behind with a confident grin across his lips!]JOHNNY EVIL VS. VOODOO
SINGLES MATCH
SIDE EFFECTS III
BACKSTAGE
“No!” [His voice wavers with fear.] “Get away from me!”
[It is then that we see him. Body drenched in cold sweat. He had backed himself into the corner of a concrete boiler room, shielding his face from the threat… Only there is nothing there. When he lowers his hands to reveal his face, it is clear that he hasn’t been sleeping well. His eyes are bloodshot, sunken and dark, with bags underneath that sit atop gaunt cheeks. Eyes filled with a manic fear, he cries out again into the empty air.]“I said get away from me… Leave me alone!”
[He reaches for the only object he can find, a discarded steel chair, and tosses it at his unseen tormentor. Naturally, the chair flies through the air and crashes harmlessly into the concrete floor. Confused and out of his mind, Van Chan sinks back into the corner of the room and slowly begins to rock himself back and forth, his head in his hands.] [It is in that moment that a soft voice breaks through his sobbing.]“Bruce, there you are…” [Paige Van Chan. She approaches cautiously, waiting for him to look up. He takes one look at her and begins to freak out.]
“Paige, you have to get out of here. It will be back… I’m sure it will. I can’t let it get you as well.”
[She slowly approaches him, kneeling on the cold and dirty ground in front of him.]“It’s okay.” [She reassures him softly, placing a hand on the back of his neck.] “You’re burning up and hallucinating. Come with me.”
[She extends her hand to her husband to help him to his feet. However, Bruce’s eyes widen with fear as she does so and he cries out once more. Making a dash for it, he knocks Paige to the ground before stumbling out of the room and disappearing into the underbelly of the Tap Room.]A FIGHTING CHANCE
BACKSTAGE
“Hey, Greer!”
[Greer’s smirk fades as he turns around, and Brent Kersh is approaching with a chip on his shoulder. The Enforcer stands nose to nose with Greer, looking none too pleased after what’s been happening.]“Look man, I get that you’re on a hunt for respect…but if you think playing mind games is the way to go, you’re dead wrong.”
[This draws a chuckle from Greer, much to the surprise of Kersh.]“Funny you should speak about the dead, Kersh…isn’t that why you’re here on Showcase? To put all that behind you? To flee the ghosts of your past?”
[Kersh just shakes his head in frustration.]“I think you’ve been harping on about that for too long, Greer. I’m not here to run away from my past…I’m here to focus on my future.”
[Greer just chuckles again, turning around to head to the ring when Kersh stops him with a hand on the shoulder.]“Look, if it’s respect you want…I’ll give you a fighting chance to earn it. You and me, Over Kill. No theatrics, no mind games, just two men slugging it out. What do you say, Greer?”
[Greer just glares at him…before flashing an evil grin.]“You’re on, Enforcer. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
[Greer pulls away from Kersh, heading out to the ring for his match Smiley coming up next!]CODY GREER VS. SMILEY
SINGLES MATCH
CLOSING IN
BACKSTAGE
“Hello?” [He calls out, his face still as sickly looking as ever. He reaches out a hand, his arm muscles sluggish and weak.] “Anybody?”
[The only other presence comes in the form of a voice… Muerte’s voice.]“Death closes in on you, Van Chan. You can run as long and as hard as you like, but it will not help.”
[Bruce turns, trying to find the source of the voice but getting nowhere. The voice is all around him, omnipresent.]“The sand in your hourglass is almost out. The last grain could fall at any moment now. You can feel it, can’t you? You can feel my grasp around your wrist, pulling you into the abyss. Let go, Bruce… Let go.”
[Afraid, angry, confused. Bruce goes through all emotions simultaneously before he manages to muster up the strength to call out, with all the conviction he can find.]“You have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m not afraid of you… I’m not afraid.”
[The only sound that comes back in reply is that of a chuckle. Then, Muerte’s voice once more.]“Oh, I know you’re not. But I know your wife… Your children. They are. They are afraid of you dying, but their fear doesn’t stop it. Neither does your stubbornness. When it is your time, there is nothing you can do about it. There isn’t a pill in the world that can stop death.”
[The words seem to rattle around, echoing in the black nothingness as the darkness around him dissolves. We find Bruce sitting on a medical examiner’s bed. His doctor is looking him over.]“I wish I could make it stop. But I must stress to you… If you don’t take these pills, you WILL die. Without them, your heart cannot stand the stress of competing.”
[His voice trails off into a mumble of medical jargon as Bruce forces himself up off the bed. He pushes past the doctor, who stops mid-sentence as if to enquire as to Van Chan’s sudden departure from his examination.]“I’ve got a match to get ready for. I will be fine, I swear.”
BRENT KERSH VS. THE SHARKMAN
SINGLES MATCH
CONQUER AND DEFEAT
BACKSTAGE
“Neville.” [Sharkman greets.] [Sheldon shakes the hand of the Champion and offers a thin grin.]
“Shark, I’m glad you came. I’m sorry I didn’t come to you, but I’ve got to wrap my mind around this match later.”
[Sharkman only shrugs.]“No problem, I was on patrol anyway.”
[Neville smiles at that one before he gets down to business.]“I know you keep your eyes open, so you know that Lux Bellator has used that stuff he took from us to make a crown and a bow.” [Shark nods in understanding.] “So you and I need to watch our backs. Our match is one thing, and you know that its every man for himself, but outside of the bell to bell action, we need to stand together against whatever it is he is trying to do.”
[Sharkman extends his hand once more, but holds onto Sheldon’s.]“I’ll watch your back as well, Neville. I appreciate all that you’re willing to do for me. And I will do the same for you, my friend.”
[The two men nod at one another, but the party is quickly spoiled by the two men being split by an ARROW PIERCING THE WALL!]“Fools.”
[Shark and Sheldon turn to face none other than Lux Bellator, who sneers in their direction.]“What the Lord has put together, let no man tear asunder.”
[Bellator hoists his bow and lets the red teeth topping his crown shimmer under the fluorescent lights.]“I come to conquer and defeat the two of you.” [He slowly backs away as Sheldon and Shark approach him.] “And that will happen. There is no alliance you can form that I will not destroy. The seal must be destroyed!”
[Bellator backs down another hallway, yet as Shark and Sheldon turn on the gas to attack him, they find nothing but an empty hallway. The two men look at one another and nod, their bond tighter than in the beginning,]BRUCE VAN CHAN VS. VIKTOR NORTH
SINGLES MATCH
STAND TALL
RINGSIDE
“Viktor, you’re really trying too hard. All of the damage your poor body is going through, all of the mental suffering, is it really worth it?”
[Doubt appears at the entrance of the Tap Room, the Emotion slowly walking down to the ring with a mic in hand. He stands on the apron, eyeing North.]“Night after night, match after match you come out here with the intention to right all of the wrongs and be given entrance into your hall of the ancients. It’s pitiful to watch.”
[North looks up at Doubt, baring his teeth before spitting at it, the Skull Splitter obviously not listening to word coming out of its mouth.]“I’m giving you one more chance to give in and stay down Viktor. Next week you and I are going to enter this ring, but only one will walk out under their own power. But I can stop all that if you just agree to stay down.”
[Doubt moves towards North, holding his microphone down towards him, allowing him to speak. NORTH GRABS DOUBT’S ARM! Viktor lifts himself up, holding the microphone as he stares into Doubt’s mask.] [His voice shakes as he speaks, pain showing on his face.] “I will never, allow a creature like you to make me submit. I’m going to break every bone in your body!” [Doubt shakes his head, pushing North off, the Viking landing backward as Doubt leaves the ring.]“As you wish. Come next week, only one of us will still stand tall.”
ETHAN EARHART VS. LUX BELLATOR
SINGLES MATCH
STUDYING
BACKSTAGE
“Impressive, isn’t it?” [Johnny Evil asks, guile in his voice.] [Gable rolls his eyes, and stands to his feet to square up with his nemesis.]
“You know what you’re doing between the ropes.” [Cael admits with a grin.] “But you still can’t hang with me in the squared circle.”
[Evil takes his turn to roll his eyes in exaggerated fashion, mocking the Olympian.]“You still don’t get it.” [Johnny begins.] “In your world, it may have been all about what happens on the mat. But in my world, there’s a lot more to it. Because in my world, I can close my fist and punch you in the face. I can claw at your eyeballs. I can kick you square in the junk. You can play it fair in the ring with some of these other guys on the roster, but Johnny Evil is going to give you a true welcome to professional wrestling.”
[Gable nods in acceptance of what Evil has stated.]“That’s the difference between you and me, Evil. You don’t know a thing about me, but I’ve studied all I can about you. I know what you’re capable of in the ring, whether legal or not legal. So as far as I’m concerned, I have the advantage.”
[Evil laughs and shakes his head as he backs away towards the door.]“I guess in about a week, we’ll see how right you are, big shot.”
[He opens the locker room door and steps through, his final words being spoken as he exits.]“We will see.”
[Gable smiles as he sits back down and rewinds the video tape he was watching.]MIKE LANE VS. DOUBT
SINGLES MATCH
ABANDON ALL HOPE
RINGSIDE
“I’ve taken everything from you Lane.”
[His laugh intensifies as he steps out from behind the doors, revealing himself.]“I took Destiny when you chose to offer her as a sacrifice to me,” [he muses.] “I took your daughter the moment Errol Flint laid claim to her and started legal proceedings to take her from you. And now, by showing your true nature, I’ve taken one of the things you hold most dear; your morality.”
[Mike is slowly frogmarched towards Smiley, the officers preparing to take him away.]“And at Overkill, I will take the only thing you have left; your career!”
[As they approach, Mike forcibly stops, staring at his nemesis.]“Smile, Michael,” [Smiley hisses.] “This will all be over soon.”
[The officers drag him away, his eyes never leaving Smiley until he’s taken backstage. The Lunatic looks out into the sea of fans, cackling to himself as he tosses the microphone down.]A LETTER
MEANWHILE…
Dear Brent Kersh,
This letter may come as a surprise to you but I decided to send it. I’m trying to turn over a new leaf and this feels like the right thing to do. Two weeks ago I was approached by a man with sinister intentions. He doesn’t like you, Kersh.
In fact, he wanted to hire me to make your life miserable. He was going to pay handsomely too. Could you imagine that? In a former life I would have taken it, broken you and left you in pieces at my feet.
However, I turned it down.
I’ve had to re-evaluate my life as of late. The things I used to do, they weren’t right. I ain’t making excuses, but I don’t know why I did them. I’m sending you this letter to let you know that you need to watch your back.
He’s coming for you, Kersh.
I wish I wasn’t so sure, but I am. I’ve seen the look his eyes before, hell, I’ve seen it in my own. When a man looks like that, there’s no lengths he won’t go to, to get what he wants.
And what he wants is your career. He wants your career to end.
Watch your back.
I’ll be out of here in a week and I’ll come find you. I just hope I make it in time, because if I don’t, there’s no telling what may happen.
Signed,
Your future friend.
[Cut.]EDWARD NEWTON VS. NEVILLE SHELDON
THE THINK TANK
THINK!
RINGSIDE
“Get me out of here you imbecile!” [He hollers at the referee, who shrugs his shoulders, unsure of what’s happened.] “God damnit, get me out of here right now!”
[Just then, down from the rafters on a line comes the unthinkable.] [It’s Ethan Earhart and he’s not alone!] [He has some kind of tube in his hand that travels way up into the rafters, extending down to the think tank. The Showcase Champion unhooks the structure, revealing a hole. He inserts the pipe and makes a circular motion with his fingers, standing up to watch as freezing cold water begins flowing into the tank.]“What the hell do you think you’re doing!?” [Newton barks as freezing water splashes down on him.] “You absolute idiot! You can’t do this to me, I have your Championship!”
[Earhart smiles.] “You have barely fifteen minutes to give me what I want before your precious think tank becomes flooded. If I’m not satisfied with the answers, you had better learn to hold your breath longer than has ever been known before.” [Newton looks down, realizing that the water is already at his ankles.]“You can’t do this, Earhart. If I don’t make it out of here, you’ll never find out where your precious title is.”
[The Champion scoffs.]“Do you expect me to believe that you’d sacrifice your life for something you couldn’t have if you were dead?” [Ethan says with a chuckle.] “Come on, I know you’re more intelligent than that. Tell me where my Championship is, and I’ll let you fight me for it at Over Kill.”
[The Riddle contemplates the idea. The water is now above his knees and he’s running out of time.] [But he refuses to give it up.] [So the water rises.] [And rises.] [And rises, until Edward Newton is pressed up against the glass, desperate for oxygen with only a few inches left.]“OKAY! OKAY!” [He yells panicked.] “It’s under the ring, OKAY!? Just let me out of here!”
[Earhart looks towards a member of staff who quickly goes under the ring to check. He pulls out the Championship, showing it off to Ethan who gets a major cheer from the crowd.] [And thus, he takes out the pipe.]“Now please, please, just let me out of here, okay?”
[The Showcase Champion thinks about it for a moment, kneeling down.]“That wasn’t a part of the deal, Newton. I’ll see you at Over Kill, if you make it that far.”
[He reaches up, grabbing the strap that lowered him down, rising up into the air whilst Edward swims in a panic, trying to stay afloat.] [Showcase comes to an end, the challenger in a dire situation inside the Think Tank, whilst the Champion smiles from above.] [Cut.]