“Where is it?” [He mumbled, riffling through the pictures, post cards and other information.] “She said it was here. Where is it?”
[Frustrated and desperate, Brent tipped the box upside down and released all the memories out onto the floor. He pushed them aside, looking for something, anything, that could save his son.]“It’s not there,” [Suddenly said a voice out of no-where. Brent spun around to see his brother stood behind him.]
“Joseph?” [he muttered in surprise.] “What are you doing here?”
[He looked pale, almost like a ghost or apparition. Brent stood up and walked over to him, grasping him by the shoulders. In the entirety of this nightmare, he hadn’t even thought about his brother. This was a family curse, after all.]“There’s so much I need to tell you.”
[Joseph bowed his head.] “I destroyed it,” [He said with a deep sadness.] “I burned it, Brent.” [Brent stepped back in awe.]“He came to me in the middle of the night. He held a pitchfork to Henry’s throat and said if I helped him, he’d spare this generation.”
[Brent’s hands immediately went to his face.] “He lied to you! This curse ends only when he kills us all. What was in that box may have been another way.”“I had to protect my family,” [Joseph says, grabbing Kersh, who whips himself away.] “I had to.”
“What about my family?” [Brent screams.] “What about Trevor? You’re not the only one with a son, damnit.”
[Both brothers stumble away from each other, sick with fear and desperation. Brent falls to his knees and Joseph slumps against the wall. They both have their heads in their hands.]“We’re all dead,” [Kersh mumbles through tears.] “All of us. You’ve killed us all.”
[Slowly, the footage fades to static.] [Recorded Earlier.] [A gentle breeze blows through the streets of a metropolitan area. The repetitive splash of rushing water and heavy traffic sounds off in the near distance.] [Into view steps Tyler Brooks, a determined look on his face as he glances out beyond the commercial district that surrounds him and onto the horizon which is lined with skyscrapers and the blue shade of the ocean colliding with the whiteness of the sky.]“Well, this is where he said he would be.” [Tyler scoffs glancing to his left.] “I’m not surprised he’s nowhere to be found.”
“Oh, but you’ve only yet to find me, my “messiah””. [Spouts a distant voice, but of which its origin is unmistakable.] [Brooks snaps his neck to the right and then forward in obvious difficulty of finding his stalker when finally, he spots him.] [Across the road, the eerie whiteness of Doubt’s mask glimmers in the sun from above. He leans, nonchalantly, against the brick wall of a building; an envelope held tight to his chest. His image hidden and displayed suddenly by the passing of a car.]
“As it is. Here am I.” [Tyler holds out his arms in a condescending manner.] “Did you have any… DOUBT that I would show up?”
[Doubt’s chest rises with a scoff.] “Cute! But no, no doubt at all; especially after you leveled me from behind with that lead pipe.” [A bit of anger in Doubt’s voice as he stands to his feet.]“Hey…” [Brooks shrugs as a small group of traffic passes through.] “All is fair in love and war.”
“I’m glad you feel that way.” [Doubt chuckles.]
“Right!” [Tyler is not amused.] “So why here, Doubt? Why call me to my old stomping grounds of Miami, Florida?”
“Only in the name of the past, my friend.” [Doubt snickers as another car quickly intervenes.]
“Cut the crap.” [“The Straight-Edge Messiah” snaps.] “You’re not going to find anything in my past to use against me.”
“Oh?” [Doubt tilts his head, the presence of his mask creating an eerie silence.] “You seem…UNCERTAIN!”
[Brooks moves forward, contemplating stepping into the street when his momentum is halted by the passing of a garbage truck.]
“Cut to the chase. You’re wasting my time.” [Tyler growls.]
“I called in a favor, Tyler. I’ve obtained… a test.” [Doubt utters as he holds up the envelope.] “A drug test.”
[Brooks laughs.] “You’re ridiculous! You think you can scare me that way? Even if you were able to get access to something like that, I know exactly what the results will show. Today. Yesterday. Ever! I’m straight-edge, Doubt. Don’t ever forget that.”“Oh I won’t, but you might.” [Doubt hisses as another car passes.] “And everyone else too when I reveal the results of this test.”
“Go ahead!” [Brooks glances back at the camera.] “You have exposure. Tell the world, Doubt. Tell the world what you know about Tyler Brooks.”
[Doubt nods.] “Very well.” [Holding up a finger.] “But not now…” [Brooks scoffs.] “That’s ok, because I’m kicking your ass regardless!” [Once again Brooks moves forward , but this time is movement is halted by not a single automobile, but a long line.] [It’s a funeral procession, with the hearse leading the way. The realization prompting Brooks to take heed and become still in both respect and frustration.]“It’s your funeral, Tyler.” [Doubt cackles, laughing with no regard to the site before him before he steps backwards, turning the corner and disappearing from view.] [We fade as Brooks fumes with his head lowered and his arms crossed in front of him.] [The Light Warrior tries to open the eyes of the Asylum’s biggest inmate. Will Hysteria drive Lux Bellator crazy, or is the Mad Mastermind just one Three-Count away from an unwanted religious experience?] [The match starts with Lux immediately catching Hysteria’s arm off a Clothesline, wrapping around and drilling him with the ARM OF G– NO! Hysteria fights off the Fujiwara Armbar; Bellator breaks free from a Schoolboy before the official’s count! Both rise; the Light Warrior wants a Spinning Wheel Kick but it’s caught into a Powerbomb? NO! Bellator ‘Ranas him into a pin! One… NO! Hysteria kicks out, planting a knee the gut… GERMAN SUPLEX! Lux bounces off the canvas as Hysteria muscles him into a corner. He Chokes Bellator before dropping him with a Headbutt! Hysteria poses; the crowd BOOS!] [Lux fights to rise before getting Stun-Gunned over the top rope! Hysteria mockingly kicks at his opponent, indignantly Slapping him! Bellator though responds with forearms, battling the Mad Mastermind into the ropes. He Irish Whips him but it’s countered; Thesz Press to Mounted Elbow Strikes off the rebound! Bellator unloads on his foe, stepping back…. Standing Summersault Senton! Hysteria staggers back to his feet… DISCIPLE MAKER? NO! Hysteria hits Apathy right into the SECOND FALL STR— NO! Lux squirms free; Hysteria catches him with LOST HOPE! He covers! One… Two… NO! That was close; Hysteria is not happy!] [The fans cheer Lux on as Hysteria puts the boots to him. He does more Choking; Big Boot staggers Bellator into the ropes! Hysteria then drapes his opponent over the top rope…. BIG DDT! Hysteria hooks both legs! One… Two… NO! Now Hysteria is really pissed! He corners the official, threatening him….. He aims to knock his lights out and– NO! Lux with a Prawn Hold! One… Two… NO! Both rise; Hysteria with an Ace Crusher? NO! Lux counters with GOD’S LIGHT! One… Two… NO! Both stand; Hysteria looks for the MOCKERY but Lux counters with a Jacknife! One… Two… THREE!] [The bell rings and Lux sprints through the ropes to the floor! Hysteria is MAD AS HELL, barking at the Light Warrior to come back! The referee raises Bellator’s arm; Lux has momentum, inching closer and closer to Smiley…] [Previously Recorded.] [With a flash of white light, we find ourselves in darkness. Small bits of something seem to float across the screen.] [Another flash!] [Lightning!] [The next flash rages for a moment, the darkened night sky opened with the fury of a thousand angels as we can see some slight action before us.] [Flash!] [A very large man is standing in the downpour, hoisting a shovel, and digging at the ground with rage that betrays his form. While we cannot see his face, this is Ozric Mortimer. The Nightmare continues to dig into the damp ground, throwing dirt into small piles on either side of his thick boots. The voice of Mortimer floats over this image, his words being meant for only one man.]
“The dead are meant to rest.”
[Another pile of dirt begins to form.]“Yet while they have earned slumber, the wounds of the survivors only transform into scar tissue. Those scars never fully heal, do they?”
[The clown stops to laugh. What he is laughing at remains to be seen.]“It’s amazing what the human body can endure. Fire may strip the bones of life, but unless the fire is hot enough, the bones indeed remain. They linger in this world.”
[He resumes digging.]“What if those bones still had life within them? When human remains are called from their slumber, they do not go back to sleep. What is dead may never die, it only rises stronger than it was before.”
[The shovel slams down into the dirt, but this time it meets something.] [CLANG!]“Hysteria, you refuse to let dead secrets remain dead. You have unearthed the skeletons that I did not bury. My secret shame, and now your prized possession.”
[As Ozric begins to dig more furiously than before, the camera begins to zoom in on the barely seen gravestones. Names are barely able to be made out.] [Jessica. Eva. Grace.] [Hysteria’s dead family.]“You wish to smite me, my creation. Now…”
[The voice somehow turns darker as the form digs.]“I will smite you.”
[Darkness.] [It’s a fine feathered fury as Tommy Hawk locks claws with Ethan Bird! Will the returning Bird fly again or will the native Hawk screech his way to another victory?] [The match starts with both men sizing the other up. Hawk’s stare could cut a whole through a man…. Bird’s eyes just kind of hang there. The pair circle each other before powering into a Collar-Elbow Tieup. Bird grabs a Headlock but Hawk knocks him into the ropes. Ethan rebounds with a Shoulder block but Tommy stands his ground! Bird offers his opponent the ring, with Hawk barreling in with a Shoulder Block of his own….. Neither man is giving an inch before both hit the ropes! DOUBLE SHOULDER BLOCK! The two collide, bouncing off the impact– Powerslam by Bird!] [Hawk quickly rises and almost gets elevated with a Back Body Drop before putting on the breaks. He gets a Hiptoss and a kick to the spine, covering! One… NO! Ethan stands, looking for a Clotheslines as Hawk runs past him. Tommy with a Flying Crossbody? NO! Bird rolls through! One… Two… NO! Hawk again scrambles to his feet, taking a knee to the gut. Bird goes for the Running Spike Slam but Hawks counters into a Schoolboy! One… Two… NO! Again they rise– Hawk with a Neckbreaker! He floats through, looking for a Reverse DDT but Ethan breaks free!] [The match has been a stalemate from the start; Hawk charges and– NO! FULL NELSON SLAM? NO! Tommy cradles him in mid-move! One… Two… NO! Bird tries to rush the the Spirit Walker but gets side-stepped, stumbling through the ropes…… GOING NATIVE! Tommy kicks it into another gear, tossing Ethan back in and immediately looks for the Red Arrow? NO! Bird slips free– Atomic Drop! Bulldog! HE CALLS FOR THE WORLD’S END! With Tommy dazed, Bird tries to make an impression by Fishermaning the legs and– NO! RED ARROW! HAWK GIVES A WARCRY……. THE SCALP! He covers! One… Two…. THREE!] [After the match, Hawk stands proudly and the fans cheer! The referee raises the Wolf’s hand; Tommy just keeps his eyes peeled on his Bird of prey. Even victorious, the Spirit Walker never loses his focus.] [Neville Sheldon is in the backstage, heading towards his locker room. As he approaches the door, he notices something strange; it’s ajar and there’s blood on the handle. Carefully, he approaches, pushing it open with two fingers.] [What he sees inside, takes his breath away.] [There’s pictures pinned all over the walls of John Cho, bleeding, beaten and bruised. He’s in all kinds of different scenario’s whilst The Awakening torture him.] [Neville walks forward and starts looking at the pictures, tears welling up in his eyes. Just then, he’s interrupted by a clearing of someone’s throat.]“Holy…” [says Bruce Van Chan, who now walks to his side.] “They did this?”
[Neville nods.]“I’m so sorry, I really am. I’ve been here before with Paige and I’m telling you, you cannot give up,” [Bruce says, placing a hand on his shoulder.] “That’s why we became The Knights. That’s why we..”
[Sheldon interrupts.] “We? I’ve heard the rumours, Bruce. Manson gave you an ultimatum, just like Jack gave me. They want you to leave at Gold Rush, or else your family will never be safe.”“Please don’t be angry,” [Bruce pleads.]
“I’m not, that’s just the thing. I want you to go. You came back to help me defend myself against these animals and I’ll be darned if it costs you your family because of it.”
[Both men look at each other, in agreement. Chan sighs.]“We both have to do what’s right.”
[Record.] [11/18/16. 11:04pm] [The date and timestamp of the video we’re brought to don’t match today. It’s dark and the footage is shaky, watching from what appears to be bushes. Just then, a woman gets out of her car and locks it. It’s Stephanie Rose.] [She’s about to head off into her apartment complex when she hears a rustling from the bushes that startles her. Rose turns around awkwardly, looking into the darkened abyss ahead.]“H-Hello?” [she calls out.] [Nothing.] [The camera ducks down slightly as to be more obscured than it was before.] [Rose, cautious but undeterred, heads towards the doors of her complex and is about to let herself in when she catches a glimpse of something in the reflection of the glass. It’s a face, peering at her from the bushes.] [She quickly fumbles for her keys and gets herself inside. With one last look, Rose tries to make out what’s hiding in the bushes but can’t. She decides to retreat to her apartment, heading up the stairs and eventually out of view.] [That’s when the camera turns, revealing Smiley.]
“I don’t understand why she doesn’t want to play?” [he says with a sad expression that slowly turns itself into a sinister grin.] “After all, we had so much fun last time.”
[Smiley drops the camera, it landing at an angle as he walks over to the locked door and presses his face against the glass.] [He stands there for a few moments. Creepy. Sinister. Disturbed.] [Only to walk away, whistling to himself.] [Cut.] [RRJ waits in the ring as Emperor makes his way down, guards at his side and surrounding the ring as he gets in.] [Both men tie up in the middle of the ring, neither wanting to give the other the upper hand. Elbow by Emperor! RRJ throws a punch which TRE catches, pulling him into yet another stiff elbow! He pulls him back in and hits an exploder suplex! Emperor smirks as he heads towards the downed Jack- drop toe into the turnbuckle! RRJ gets up and pulls TRE against the ropes and hits him with a plethora of clubbing forearms! He smirks out into the guards at ringside, hitting another clubbing forearm before pulling TRE into a massive half nelson suplex!] [RRJ gets up and is met by the already standing Emperor! Resilient as ever, TRE catches the surprised RRJ with a gut kick AND PULLS HIM INTO A KNOW YOUR PLACE! MASSIVE POWERBOMB! One! Two! Kickout! RRJ is up, but he looks dazed after that powerbomb. Emperor whips him into the turnbuckle and runs foreward- SPARTAN KICK! TRE tumbles back, winded after that harsh kick to the chest. He slowly gets to his knees and RRJ leaps over with a leg drop bulldog! One! Kickout! Emperor is unwillingly to stay down as he forces RRJ off of himself! Both men are to their feet!] [RRJ tries closing in AND THE RED EMPEROR SLAPS HIM! Jack stares back at TRE, sneers, and nails a knee before pulling Emperor into a leaping neckbreaker! Jack leg drops TRE before pulling him up once more. He lifts The Emperor from behind and looks for the turnbuckle thrust! Emperor stops it with his foot! TRE hits a back elbow, then another, and another! Jack staggers back, barely dodging a flying knee from the Emperor! He tries to capitalize on the dodge, but Emperor turns around, catching Jack’s fist AND HE HITS HIM WITH THE EMPEROR’S STRIKE! He covers! ONE! TWO! THREE!] [The Red Emperor leans against the ropes following his win, pandering to the crowd after his hard fought victory.] [The Red Emperor emerges victorious, sending a message to not only Red River Jack but The OSW Champion as well. Casting an eye about the ringside area, where his Centuria are placed, he expects to see them standing guard ready for his departure. However, instead, he sees only bodies – their attackers having emerged silently from the shadows.Only one guard still stands, held firmly in a Full Nelson by David Manson as Shadow stands in front of him, the rest of the bodies at his feet.] [SHADOW KICK TO THE GUARD!] [Shadow enters the ring, microphone in hand.]
“I’ve been watching from the shadows, Emperor. Did you really think that your actions wouldn’t catch up with you?” [Shadow begins, eyeballing The Emperor.] “You strut around these halls as if you own the place, Nigel Royal’s crown the only stake to my throne that you can claim. You see yourself as entitled, that all others should fall in line underneath you.
I don’t fall in line. You want my kingdom, you are going to have to take it from my cold, dead hands.”
[The Red Emperor pushes himself forward, standing face to face with Shadow.]“You make your position clear. You are in charge – everybody else is a servant to the King, correct? Including the Awakening?”
[To The Emperor’s surprise, it is not the Shadow but Red River Jack who laughs at his comment, rising to his feet and standing beside the Champion.]“You just don’t get it, man. You’re eyes are open but you just don’t see. If you have to ask the question, you will never know the answer.”
[Shadow pushes back, knocking the Red Emperor back into the turnbuckle. His voice is uncompromisingly stern.“You have made your intentions known. You want to overthrow the king and establish your petty little Empire. You want to cause an uprising. But you forget the power of the Shadows, a power without compromise. Here’s my advice, little Emperor… Run for your life, for I have endured you long enough.”
[Shadow steps back and smiles at Red River Jack, patting his compatriot on the shoulder. Jack takes a draw on his cigarette, exhaling the smoke into the Red Emperor’s face, before burning the cigarette into the Emperor’s shoulder. He leans in as TRE cries out in pain.]“Wake up, Emperor. Wake up and run away.”
[The Awakening exit as a solitary unit, passing by untouched by the remaining Emperor’s Centuria.] [Tonight we have a massive rematch between two of the best teams in OSW. Knock Knock have looked unstoppable but they only just survived the Knights the first time. Can Knock Knock make it to Gold Rush intact or will the Knights make their second chance a fruitful one?] [The bell sounds as Neville and Doubt start off respectively, Neville ducking under a clothesline as he peppers Doubt with hard kicks to the midsection before leaping up with a dropkick right to the jaw. Doubt staggers to his feet right into another Dropkick, one that sends Doubt flying into the Knight’s corner. Neville tags out as he and Bruce kick Doubt down into the corner, Neville backing up as Bruce Irish-whips him into a basement dropkick to Doubt. Doubt staggers to his feet, trying to tag out to Smiley but Smiley doesn’t notice, seemingly in a world of his own. Frustrated, the Emoition turns around right into a kick to the gut, Fishermans Suplex!] [Bruce bridges back, ONE…TWO..Doubt gets the shoulder up. Van Chan tries to pull Doubt up but gets a sharp headbutt for his troubles, BUTTERFLY SUPLEX! Van Chan gets thrown across the ring into Knock Knock’s corner, he gets to his feet as Smiley grabs him from behind in a Full Nelson, Doubt slowly stalking forward, ROUNDHOUSE KICK…BRUCE ESCAPED! Doubt nailed Smiley with a massive roundhouse, knocking Smiley out on his feet as the Emotion turns around, ENZIGURI!] [Bruce pulls Doubt up in a headlock as he walks forward, tagging in Neville as the pair drill Doubt into the mat with a double suplex. Bruce rolls out as Neville lifts Doubt up, Bodyslam!!! Legdrop!!! WRESTLEMANIA!!! Neville covers, ONE…TWO…SMILEY PULLS HIM OFF! Neville is drilled into the mat with a hard DDT before Smiley backs off, stalking him as Neville slowly climbs up to his feet, CHELSEA GRIN…HITS DOUBT! Smiley can’t believe it as he turns right into a massive lariat from Bruce that sends him flying over the ropes as the Knights wait for Doubt to get to his feet, NKO! Doubt gets planted into the mat as Bruce climbs up to the top rope, SHOT THROUGH THE HEART! Neville covers, ONE…TWO…THREE…NEW CHAMPIONS!] [The Knights roll out of the ring with their new championships, celebrating a massive victory as Knock Knock look massively disappointed in ring, knowing they caused their own defeat tonight]“Yeah, yeah. You don’t think I know what’s on the line here?”
[The large back of Jon Davenport is shown as he has an old flip-phone pressed to his ear. His eyes dart from side to side as he listens to the voice on the other side of the line. He rolls his eyes as he takes a swig of the alcoholic beverage in his hand.]“You’ve seen what this damn injun can do, just la-“
[He stops his sentence midway as the voice seems to cut him off. He takes another swig of his beer as a sour look crosses his gritted frown. Finally something seems to draw his ire as he spews his words.]“You want to see it?! You want to see the brutality? You just watch what happens next time I sink my teeth into that reskinned bastard.”
[He takes another drink from his beer as the speaker continues. Finally, he grabs his beer and throws the beer against the wall as the beer shatters. He pulls the phone away from his ear and begins yelling into the microphone.]“You think I’m slipping?! You don’t think I have control over this situation? Just turn on your damn TV and watch what I do to Brent Kersh. See then if you question contacting me.”
[He closes the phone as he looks peeved about the entire situation. As he’s about to do anything, “Thank God I’m A Country Boy” begins to play signifying his upcoming match.]“Goddamn injun.”
[The Hound Dog and the Enforcer circle one another, neither wanting to be the first to make a mistake. Finally, the shoot together for a tie up.] [Davenport gets the upper hand and slings Kersh into a side headlock! He fights and breaks loose, but Davenport shoved him to the far ropes. He comes back and nails Davenport with a FLYING SHOULDER TACKLE! He waits for Davenport to stand and kicks him to the gut… DDT!! One… Two… Th….Jon kicks out! Kersh pulls the All-Star Champion to his feet and wraps his arms around him… BELLY TO BELLY SUPLEX! Kersh gets to his feet and rushes over to Davenport…LONE STAR!! He locks in the figure four!! Davenport squirms! He’s flailing and ….. Turns over! Reversed!!! Brent Kersh is fighting for he ropes!! He reaches….. And just grabs them!!] [Davenport release Brent and climbs to his feet. He pulls Kersh up by the beard and BODY SLAM!! He walks over to the corner and MUD FLOP!! He hooks a leg.. One… Two… Thr…Kickout! Davenport quickly gets to his feet again and drops a knee to Kersh’s scalp! He pulls him up by the beard again and grabs Kersh in a BEAR HUG!! Kersh grimaces in pain. The ref asks if he gives…. But instead the Enforcer claps Jon’s ears! Again! AGAIN! Davenport drops Kersh who kicks Jon in the gut… and VERTICAL SUPLEX!! One… Two… Thr…Kickout!] [Kersh begins to climb to his feet. He reaches down to pull Jon to his feet, but… EYE GOUGE! The ref missed it! Brent Kersh is stumbled! Davenport climbs to his feet and grabs Kersh. BRAINBUSTER!! He covers! One… Two… Thre….Kickout! Davenport immediately gets up and in the ref’s face, pounding on his hand saying it was three. He is spun around and SOUTHERN DISCOMFORT!!! Kersh makes the cover!! One… Two… THREE!!!!] [Brent Kersh takes advantage of Davenport’s misplaced anger and continues his winning streak. Davenport is coming to in the ring and is livid, but Kersh is already walking up the ramp.] [The match is over, but Jon Davenport grabs a microphone and looks out over the audience.]“Now where the fuck is that redskinned bastard, Tommy Hawk? Get your ass out here, boy. I’ve got a little something for you.”
[A herald of wind blows through the arena as Tommy Hawk seemingly appears at the top of the stairwell. He walks down the steps slowly as if he’s sizing up the robust man inside of the ring.]“That’s right, boy. Come on down to the ring. I promise, I’m not going to scalp you like you a fucking savage.”
[He essentially spits these words as he smirks at him, knowingly. Tommy Hawk puts a hand on his tomahawk as he climbs into the ring. Both men are standing opposite one another, but Tommy Hawk looks ready to pounce. He pulls out his tomahawk quickly and raises it above his head. Jon Davenport puts up his hands as he smirks at him.]“I wouldn’t do that, injun. You see, I have something that you want. Does the name Etu mean anything to you?”
[Tommy Hawk stops as his face is shrouded in a mixture of confusion and anger. Davenport smiles, deviously.]“Of course you do, but for the sake of the people who don’t know. Allow me to set the stage. In your first week at Old School Wrestling, you told a young ‘skin about two wolves. You told him that, in the battle between the two wolves that reside within us, it only mattered which one you fed. You told that young ‘un that you were the night and I was the light.”
[Tommy Hawk is seemingly paralyzed by his story as his eyes stare daggers into the pale-white skin of Davenport.]“You see, folks, that little boy’s name was Etu. After telling that story, Tommy Hawk would go on to ruin the debut of me. I promised that you would rue the day that you tarnished MY record! Now, boy… now I’m going to tell you that that little redskin is no longer in Absaroka County.”
[Tommy Hawk drops his tomahawk as he pushes Jon Davenport into the corner and begins furiously yelling at him in words inaudible. Jon Davenport quickly pulls the microphone to his mouth.]“If you don’t get your damn injun hands off of me, you’ll never see that little bastard again!”
[Tommy Hawk takes a step back and allows Jon out of the corner. He pulls at his hair as Davenport gives him a mile-wide smile.]“That’s right. All of that power you have and now I’m the one holding the power. Your kind calls mine Wendigos, yet it’s just fear for what you don’t understand, boy.”
[Tommy Hawk turns back to look at him with his teeth gritted and his hands in fists at his side.]“Now… KNEEL BOY!”
[The Spirit Walker shakes his head, obviously not going to do that at all.]“Kneel, or my friends will beat the shit out of that little bastard!”
[Hawk slowly hangs his head as he begins to take a knee. He lowers for a moment before coming back up. The crowd is in a frenzy, begging Tommy Hawk not to do it. Tommy Hawk tries to go down for a knee again, much to the crowd’s dismay.] [BIG BOOT!] [Tommy Hawk falls back to the mat as Jon Davenport slides out of the ring with his All-Star Championship draped across his shoulder and a microphone in his other hand.]“At Gold Rush, Tommy, you’re going to bow. You’re going to put your filthy face into the damn mat and kiss my boot! At Gold Rush, I’m going to put your ass to the ground for ten seconds and prove that white men will ALWAYS be the Last Men Standing.”
[Jon Davenport’s theme song begins to play as Tommy Hawk looks up at him from a kneeling position. His face is consumed with anger yet there’s nothing he can do.] [Errol Flint looks like he hasn’t slept in days.] [His beard has grown out; his hair is a mess and he’s barely showered. He paces his office, walking back and forth until the door swings open and in walks Ethan Bird. Bird smirks, taking a seat as if nothing’s happened.]“You look a little tired,” [Ethan remarks.] “What’s wrong, cat got your tongue?”
[Flint scowls at him.] “What do you want?”“I want you to look into my eyes when I tell you that I’m going to destroy you,” [he says, standing up. Bird walks over to Flint and stands right in front of him.] “Just like I did Vane, just like I’m going to do to Jack Jeckel.”
[He suddenly understands.]“It was you, wasn’t it?” [Errol barks.] “You’re the eye witness that had Jack arrested!”
[Ethan laughs.]“And you’re the son of a bitch who had Betamax bail him out with that pretend alibi, aren’t you?”
[Both men become silent.]“If you think I’m going to lay down and take this, you’ve another thing coming. If you want a fight so badly, you can have one at Gold Rush. You can have Jack Jeckel in an Alleyway Brawl!”
[Ethan smiles.] “That suits me fine, Flint.” [He turns to walk away, but Errol stops him.]“Not that easily. First, you have to tell me where Lance Norman is. I haven’t heard from him in weeks and I know you tried to assault him inside his limousine.”
[Bird shakes his head.]“I didn’t assault him, but he will remember me. As will you.”
[Both men share one last stare before Ethan exits the office and walks off down the hall. Errol flips open his phone, dialling Lance one more time.] [It goes to voicemail.] [Again.] [The turbulent story of the Double-Feature Championship continues tonight. Will the champion receive another Hero’s welcome or will Ozric turn Chase’s title reign into a short-lived Nightmare?] [The match starts with Ozric cracking his knuckles in anticipation of a fight. Hero stands unafraid, stepping forward and promptly taking the first punch! The two trade shots before the Nightmare lifts a knee to the gut. Ozric now with an Irish Whip but Hero telegraphs him with a kick to the mouth on the rebound! Chase gets a Dropkick, followed by a Snap Suplex! He tries to cover but Mortimer kicks out before the count! Hero grabs a Headlock, looking to bend Ozric into a Neckbreaker– NO! Ozric levels him with a Lariat! He covers! One… Two… NO!] [The champion’s on the defensive; Ozric shoves him into the corner, peppering him with shots. He steps back, looking to charge but running straight into a boot! Running Bulldog by Chase! He capitalizes with a trio of Elbow Drops, quickly covering! One… Two… NO! Chase stays on him, looking for a PILEDRIVER? NO! Ozric Back Tosses him onto his feet– HERO’S DUTY?!?NO! Ozric slips off, planting him with GRACE AT GROUND ZERO! He covers! One… Two… NO! Ozric now yanks Hero up, looking for the Traumatic Incident when Chase nails a desperation LUNG BLOWER! Ozric tumbles through the ropes!] [The Nightmare rises with a hard stare and– SUICIDE DIVE BY HERO! Both men crash into the fans; Chase scrambles to send Ozic back into the ring. Inside, the Savior of Wrestling measures him…. THE FANS LOVE IT…….. TALK TO THE BOOT! HE GOT ALL OF IT! Hero hooks both legs! One… Two… NO! Ozric somehow kicks out! Hero’s at a loss… He stares blankly at the referee, finally yanking Mortimer up for the HERO’S DU— NO! SUSPENDED ANIMATION! Ozric’s quick to pick Chase up, hooking the arms and DRILLING HIM WITH THE TRAUMATIC INCIDENT! He cover! One… Two… THREE!] [After the match, Ozric rises and is handed his NEW Double-Feature Championship! Chase is left doubled over on the mat; the Nightmare still hanging over him….]“Find them!”
[The voice of Hysteria roars through the backstage hallways of the Schoolyard. The masked man rounds a corner, and does not look like he is in control of his faculties. His body shakes with rage, and the Asylum appear behind him. The group appears to be ready for war. Well, all expect for Doubt, who appears as he always does.]“I don’t care about Mortimer. Find the bodies.” [Hysteria commands, the Asylum fanning out.] “I know he brought them here! We will burn this place to the ground if we have to.”
[Smiley cranes his head at that remark, perhaps sensing some irony. But he elects to not say anything, running down another hallway, Smiley Jr. ready for combat. The other members of the group do the same.] [Hysteria stands alone in this darkest of hallways, alone with not only his physical self but his mind.]“Ozric!”
[The word echoes down the hallway, both hollow. Hysteria doesn’t care about Mortimer in this moment, he only cares about finding the dug up remains of his family.] [CREAK!] [At the end of the hallway, a small gust of wind opens an old wooden door. Hysteria slowly walks towards it, each step becoming heavier with destiny. Of course Ozric would have ensured his quarry was alone.] [SLAM!] [Ozric Mortimer, fresh off his match, appears out of nowhere to nail Hysteria from behind.]“I thought you were going to kill me?”
[Those words only enrage Hysteria, who shakes off the assault of Mortimer to fight back. The two men exchange blows in this hallway, Hysteria giving up ground to advance towards the door.]“You killed them, now you spit on their remains.”
[Ozric nails a big right hand and smiles at that comment.]“I didn’t spit on them, fool. I created a masterpiece.”
[Hysteria turns away from his foe, and heads for the door. Ozric only walks behind him, slowly striding towards the open doorway. Inside of the dimly lit room, Hysteria stands before a small wooden box on a podium.]“What is this?” [Hysteria asks, his fists in balls.]
“Did you really expect me to haul skeletons in here?” [Ozric asks, amused.] “Besides, the bodies were hardly complete. I took what I needed, and buried the rest elsewhere. They’ll never rest again though, but you know what that does to the soul, don’t you?”
[His hands touch the box, but Hysteria instead turns around and leaps at Ozric. Mortimer wasn’t ready for that assault, and he goes down. Hysteria claws and strikes at Ozric, overwhelming the bigger man with his fury. Shot after shot rains down from the deranged man on Ozric.]“You made them like you!” [Hysteria wails, his fists becoming quicker and harder.] “You killed them twice, you son of a bitch!”
[Those words seem to calm Hysteria down, who climbs off of Mortimer to stand next to the door.]“Yes, I know what you are. Who you were.” [Hysteria shakes off his knuckles, blood flying to the side.] “Between Cyrus and Morgan, I know everything.”
[His head twists to the side as he regards Ozric, who has begun to get up.]“Sorry, Ozric. You don’t get the pleasure of dying at my hand until I find out about the remains.”
[Before he leaves, Hysteria looks deep into the eyes of his creator, a mocking tongue at the ready.]“Long live the House of Mortimer, may your eternal existence continue to linger.”
[Hysteria walks away, leaving an amused Ozric Mortimer.] [But what’s in the box?] [Panic and uncertainty hang in the air. Distressed voices yell inaudibly in the low-lit corridors. Grain fills the shot. Ragged breathing enters our earshot and the camera is snatched up off the ground. The scene jolts up and down as the cameraman books it through the corridors, his footsteps slapping off the concrete. He wraps around a corner and approaches a throng of crew members who rush around, barking orders at each other and into their headsets.]“How long has he been here like this!?”
“Get these lights back on!”
“Where the hell are those EMTs!?”
[The cameraman cuts his way through the crowd but comes to an abrupt stop. On the ground, barely visible in the darkness, a pair of legs enter the frame, a discarded 2×4 beside them. We share a sharp intake of breath.] [A road agent looms out of the dark and yells to the others.] “IT’S LUX!” [Backstage workers shove their way past the cameraman, further disorienting us. The shot soon settles on half a dozen workers knelt around the unconscious Lux Bellator.]“Move him into the light!”
“We shouldn’t touch him!”
“The medics won’t be able to see shit if we don’t!”
[One of the men grabs Lux under the arms and hauls his upper body up—]“AAARRGH!” [Lux jerks into consciousness, screaming in pain.]
“Put him down, put him down!”
[Another crew member races into frame, carrying a flashlight. He fumbles with it, hands shaking, before finally turning it on. He aims it downwards.]“Jesus…” [One of them gasps in disbelief.] [It wasn’t a 2×4 by Lux’s legs. His tortured body lies atop a wooden cross, with nails embedded in his bleeding palms.] [The lights flicker back to life. The crew members immediately yell and scurry backwards.] [Smiley leans over Lux, having been there the entire time. Lux looks up with blurry eyes, trembling at the evil yellow face leering down at him.]
“I must look like an angel right now, looking down at you from above.” [Smiley mocks him.]
“That baptism must’ve really worked, huh?” [The smile vanishes as Smiley points at his forehead – carved and bloody.] “Most people struggle to wash blood out. Me? I had to scrub to get that holy water off.”
[Smiley grunts as he heaves Lux’s dead weight off the ground, standing him up on his crucifix.]“You wanna play the Saviour so much? Fine, let’s play. Just like your idol, you’re gonna die for my sins!”
[Smiley cackles as he slinks away, leaving the horrified crew members and medics to rush to Lux’s aid.] [We have a huge world title match as the Shadow defends his title once more against one of the world’s best, a former world champion himself in Tyler Brooks. Can the Shadow continue his unending dominance or will the Best in the World shock the world and prove himself once again?] [The bell sounds as Brooks rushes out of the gate like a house on fire, laying into Shadow with massive rights and lefts, taking the champion by surprise with a massive leaping knee to the jaw before backing off, YOUR FORETOLD…Shadow ducks under, rolling out of the ring as he tries to get some breathing room, turning around right as Brooks springboards off the ropes, ASAI MOONSAULT TO THE OUTSIDE! Brooks beats down on Shadow before rolling him back into the ring] [Brooks goes to pull Shadow up but gets kicked low before being drilled into the mat with a lightning fast Snap Suplex. Brooks quickly gets to his feet right into a flurry of elbows, a particularly hard one to the temple staggering Brooks before he’s grabbed DEGENERATION! Shadow throws Brooks half-way across the ring with that suplex as a cocky smile creeps onto the face of the champion, slapping his knee as he rushes forward as Brooks is on one knee, ROLLING IN THE FAST…ETERNAL SALVATION!] [Brooks locked in the hold outta nowhere, as Shadow is stuck in the middle of the ring, Tyler wrenching back with all his strength as he screams for Shadow to tap out. Shadow crawls to the ropes as Brooks tries to force him back, the pain increasing with each second as the Shadow raises his hand as if to tap out before lunging forward, just managing to grab a hold of the bottom rope, forcing the break but the damage has been done. Brooks lifts Shadow up, trying for a German Suplex but Shadow lands on his feet, bouncing off the ropes, ROLLING IN THE FAST LANE!] [Shadow hits that full force as he collapses on Brooks, the referee counting, ONE…TWO…THR…BROOKS JUST GETS THE SHOULDER UP! Both men slowly get to their feet, Shadow a little faster as he leaps forward with a Shadow Kick but it’s blocked by Brooks who drives a knee into Shadow’s gut, driving him into the mat with a Tiger Bomb. Brooks backs up, waiting for Shadow to slowly get to his feet, EYE OF THE SAVIOR! The elbow seemingly knocks Shadow out but Brooks isn’t done as he slowly climbs up to the top rope, sizing Shadow up as he steadies himself, GUIDING LIG…SHADOW KICK! The Shadow leapt to his feet, nailing Brooks in mid-air as he drops down over Tyler, ONE…TWO…THREE!!!] [The Shadow sits up, a cocky grin on his face as the fans boo heavily, he’s handed the title belt as he can barely stand up, having gone through a war tonight but heading into Gold Rush, like it or not, Shadow is still the man in OSW] [Brent Kersh hardly had time to change clothes.] [It wasn’t long after we saw him face Jon Davenport that we were witnessing him pulling up in his car outside the nursing home we saw him in only one week ago. He came straight from the arena.] [Panicked, he slammed his car door shut and ran up the steps of the building, storming inside to the front desk, where police officers and a young lady awaited his arrival.]“Mr. Kersh, I’m so sorry,” [she stammers before he gets to her.] “They’re looking for her right now.”
“What the hell happened?” [he demanded to know.]
“At lights out last night, she was tucked up in her bed safe and sound. We lock all access to the outside at night, so that no resident can accidentally wander off,” [the young lady, clearly the administrator of the home, explains calmly.] “But when we checked on your mother this morning, she wasn’t there. It’s like she vanished.”
[Kersh looks stricken with fear.]“What about CCTV?”
[The woman looked towards the officers, who stepped forward.]“I’m afraid that the CCTV had some kind of malfunction last night. From the hours of midnight to six am, it recorded nothing but static and interference.”
[Brent runs a hand through his hair and starts pacing the ground.]“If you hear anything, I need to be the first to know, okay?” [He pleads with them, the cops and the administrator nodding in agreement.] [He storms out of the home towards his truck and stops at the door. His entire world is falling apart. His mother is the only person with answers and now she’s gone. Kersh gets inside his truck and pulls away, heading off in search of her.] [In the darkness, just out of view, The Scarecrow suddenly appears.]
“Mother dearest,” [He pauses.] “She speaks in blood.”
[Static.] [Abruptly, we open coldly outside.] [The sound of wailing sirens can be heard as a shaky handheld phone camera picks up the visual outside The School Yard. There’s multiple police cars outside the building, with offers standing beside them as something major goes down inside.] [In only a few moments, kicking and screaming for all he’s worth, Errol Flint is dragged out in cuffs.]“You’ve got the wrong man! I didn’t do anything wrong! Please, just listen to me, okay? Something is terribly wrong here and you’re being fooled into thinking I’m guilty when I’m not!”
[His yelling and screaming only makes their pull on him stronger. A crowd begins to grow, watching as the OSW Chairman is dragged towards a police car and forcibly thrown inside. He presses his face up to the glass, steaming it up as he shouts enraged.]“I didn’t do this!” [he begs as the phone camera closes in.] “You… it’s you! You did this,” [he seemingly says at us, sneering.] “I’ll get you for this, you just see if I don’t!”
[The cars begin pulling away, exiting The School Yard car park with Errol Flint trapped inside. The handheld camera looks around the sea of gawking onlookers, watching their reactions vary from glee to absolute shock.] [Then the camera turns, facing the holder.] [It’s Ethan Bird, and they’re smiling.] [The former RAGE Champion winks at the camera, turning it off abruptly.] [Static.]