“Have you not had enough?” [Hawk spews at him.] [Jon smiles back.]
“Have you never asked ‘why’, Tommy?” [Davenport questions as Tommy looks as if he wishes to kill him.] “’Why’ you, for example? I’m just a man, but I’m surrounded by mercenaries and you’ve not asked why.”
[Tommy doesn’t speak and remains silent, his eyes fixated on Davenports.]“If you think that back there was the end of this, you’re mistaken, injun’. It’s only the beginning and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”
[Suddenly, Hawk’s eyes go bright red and his facial expression contorts into something we’ve rarely seen before. Before anyone can react, Hawk snaps his cable tied restraints and lunges forward, slamming Davenport head first into the back of the truck with such force, the entire vehicle moves.] [The truck abruptly halts once again, this time, the back doors fly open as a body comes barrelling through it to the concrete road, bouncing off it as he lands. Hawk exits the truck and grabs the driver, bouncing him off the hood for good measure. One more attacker comes after him, but Tommy blocks the right hand, grabs his Tomahawk and throws it straight through his foot!] [The man screams in agony, falling to the floor in a heap as he does. Tommy reaches down, ripping the Tomahawk from his wound and turning to see the final attacker running off in the distance. He aims his axe and launches it, catching the runner in the thigh with pinpoint precision.] [The Savage walks to the back of the truck searching for Davenport, only he’s gone.] [A sigh.] [The Masked Emotion leans against a wall with its arms crossed. It appears as though it’s been waiting awhile as its foot taps on the wall behind it.] [A scraping sound on the wall catches his attention as Doubt turns to see The Deranged One dragging his crowbar along the wall.]“Good to see you, Doubt. I have a something for you to see.”
“Oh? What is that?”
[A grin creeps along the face of Smiley.]“Why ruin the surprise? Follow me.”
[Smiley turns away as he walks down the hallway. Doubt slowly follows although with a slight hesitation. His tag team partner detects this.]“No need to be so uncertain. I promise you’ll love it.”
“Lead away.”
[The two continue down the hall before Smiley comes to a door deep within the confines of the boiler room. He inserts an old key and gives the handle a turn. They walk into the darkness before Smiley reaches up and pulls a chord.] [Clink.] [The single bulb illuminates the room as they all shield their eyes with the exception of Doubt. Who sighs.] [In the center of the room is Stephanie Rose, tied to a chair with a piece of cloth tied around her head, preventing her from speaking as her hair and face are dampened by the humid temperatures.]“What… why…”
“Yes! I knew you’d love the surprise, but I wanted you here, my friend. I wanted you to be here to witness it.”
“Witness what?”
[Smiley moves behind Stephanie Rose and removes her mouth’s cloth. Her lip trembles with fear as Doubt stares at her with an unmoving expression hidden behind his white mask.]“Witness the reconstruction of my little princess into something, someone that The Asylum can be proud of.”
[Smiley pulls out a knife with a jagged edge before bringing the blade just an inch away from Doubt’s face.]“Someone Knock Knock can be proud of. Tonight, Stephanie is going to smile.”
[He whirls around as his eyes pierce through the yellow facepaint with a desire… a lust. He holds the blade high in the air as his horrific Glasgow smile spreads to its max length.]“Stephanie, my little princess, GIVE ME A SMILE!”
[He swings with the blade!] [A gloved hand grabs his wrist.] [Another sigh.] [Remember him? Ethan Bird is back again, trying to clip the wings of the Real Freakin’ Deal! Will Bruce Van Chan soar again, or will Ethan ground and pound him back to reality?] [Ethan Bird attacks at the bell, assaulting Bruce into the corner. He hammers away; Van Chan turns the tables on him, firing away with shots! Bruce gets a Dropkick followed by an Irish Whip. Van Chan ducks a Clothesline off the rebound– Leaping Enzuigiri! BRUCE’S GOIN’ UP! The fans come alive as Van Chan hops to the top rope…….. NO! Ethan rolls to the floor and fans BOO! Oh, Wait! Van with a HUGE Plancha to the floor! HE WIPES OUT BIRD! Bruce quickly now chucks Ethan back into the ring. Van Chan climbs onto the apron, poised……. NO!] [Bruce went for the Springboard ‘Rana but Bird twisted him mid-air into a TILT-A-WHIRL BACKBREAKER! He covers! One… Two…. NO! Bruce kicks out; Ethan grabs an Arm Wrench! He holds Van Chan for a bit, eventually settling into a Cross Arm Breaker! Bird’s killed Bruce’s momentum! The referee checks to see if the Real Freakin’ Deal gives up but Bruce is double-tough! He works back to his feet and– Wait! He sits down into a pin! One… Two… NO! Both rise– BIRD WITH A LARIAT! He hooks the legs! One…. Two…. NO! Bruce’s alive; Ethan calls for the World’s End!] [Bird yanks Van Chan up, hooking the leg……. NO! Bruce with a Small Package! One… Two… NO! Ethan kicks out, only to get SPIKED with a Backslide Driver! HE’S GOIN’ FOR THE VAN CHANINATOR! But Bird scrambles to the ropes. The referee separates them; Bruce walks into a Big Boot! BIRD WITH A DESPERATION RUNNING SPIKE SLAM! He covers! One… Two…. NO! Van Chan will not die! The fans chant for Bruce; Bird is pissed! Ethan now looks for a Full-Nelson Sla– NO! GOOD NIGHT OUTTA NOWHRE! Bruce goes up top………. SHOT THROUGH THE HEART! He covers! One…. Two….. THREE!] [The bell rings and Bruce rises to a thunderous ovation! The referee raises his hand; Ethan Bird’s still lying flat on the canvas…] [Click.] [Cold open.] [Recorded Earlier.] [The clicking footsteps of boots on concrete can be heard coming from different directions as we arrive in a similar meeting place to only a few weeks ago. Two men meet in the middle, one hooded to protect his identity and the other, a detective.]“Did you find it?” [The Detective asks abruptly.] [The response isn’t forthcoming immediately.]
“It’s there. Under a wooden floorboard in his office. There’s a space there and that’s where you’ll find the shotgun,” [the undercover operative says unenthusiastically.] “But don’t you think that’s a little convenient?”
[The Detective snorts.] “These people aren’t masterminds, kid.”“Errol Flint isn’t stupid, either. Why would he kill Jake Jeckel and then hide the murder weapon in a place he knew would get searched?”
[Uninterested in his opinion, the detective simply rolls his eyes.]“How about you let me worry about that, okay? Thanks for risking your neck on this. Is your cover intact?”
[The hooded man nods.] “For now, but like I told you, at Red Snow I’m not hiding anymore.”“Don’t do it, kid. I told you before and I’ll tell you again, Hysteria isn’t the target. If you go vigilante like Alex Reese, you’ll end up the same way. Do you think he’d want that for you? After all your hard work, just be patient.”
“I’m going to bring him to justice,” [he says with a growl, getting closer.] “Whether you have my back or not.”
[The hooded man turns and walks away, leaving the Detective stunned to silence and standing there alone. He suddenly turns around, walking straight to Ethan Bird.]“He found it where I said it would be, did he not?” [Bird asks, stroking his beard.]
“That’s right,” [the Detective surprisingly answers.] “And with it, we’ll have enough evidence to convict Errol Flint.”
[Bird grins, laughing to himself.] “Good, just make sure you do that. Oh and if your agent gets too close to the truth, you’ll never see your family again.” [He walks off, whistling to himself as the Detective stands alone once more, pondering what exactly he has gotten himself into.] [Following a shocking loss of his long held OSW title, The Shadow looks to take out all his frustration on Ozric Mortimer but the Nightmare is no easy target, and could very well hand the Shadow another giant loss tonight] [The bell sounds as the Shadow rushes forward right into a massive right hand to send Shadow staggering back. Shadow shakes off the cobwebs only to be met by a massive knee to the gut as Ozric lands heavy lefts and rights just punishing Shadow before locking his hands around his head and delivering Headbutt after Headbutt MIRROR MIRROR! Shadow’s eyes glaze over as Ozric lets go, only to be drilled with a hard kick to the back of the right leg] [Shadow begins to fight back, nailing kick after kick to the back of Ozric’s leg, ducking and weaving under strikes before Shadow rushes forward, ducking under a lariat as Shadow leaps low, delivering a chop-block to the bad leg as Ozric goes down to one knee before Shadow leaps forward…SPIKE DDT! Ozric goes down as Shadow hooks the leg for the cover, One…Two…Kickout!] [The Shadow backs up, calling for the end as Ozric slowly gets to his feet, ROLLING IN THE FAST….BIG BOOT! Shadow gets turned inside out by the massive Boot as Ozric lifts him up, hooking the arms but Shadow manages to roll away, drilling Ozric with a rolling elbow before backing up, ROLLING IN THE FAST LANE! Ozric is down to one knee as Shadow bounces off the ropes, SPRINGBOARD SHADOW KICK! Ozric slumps down to the canvas unconcious as Shadow hooks the leg for the victory, One…Two…THREE!!!] [Ozric Mortimer may have fallen to the Shadow, but his night isn’t over by any means.]“Oh Ozric!”
[The voice of Hysteria rings out through the Schoolyard as the Mad Mastermind makes his way down the stairs to the ring.]“I expected better from you, old friend!”
[At the bottom of the stairs, Hysteria walks past Shadow, who has kept his eyes on the masked man since his arrival. He didn’t get where he is by underestimating potential attackers. Yet Hysteria ignores the former Champion, heading straight for Mortimer, who now stands in the ring.] [And he’s not happy.]“You know something, Mortimer, I have scoured the finest dungeons of the Blackwater for coffins that might truly fit someone of your size and stature. Yet I have found nothing. And if you hand Smiley a tool, he’s going to kill someone with it. So I suppose the dirt will be your home. Covered under ice, snow, and rock. That should be enough for you to live in eternal torment.”
[Hysteria is now in the ring, while Mortimer has shown no flashes of outward emotion as Hysteria’s words. The Mad Mastermind approaches the Nightmare…] […and the Nightmare wraps his hands around the neck of Hysteria!]“That’s your problem, Hysteria. You don’t listen. You seek understanding, but only come away with half-truths. I already live in eternal torment! I will never rest. You will never be able to kill me because your mind cannot wrap itself around concepts that aren’t handed to you.”
[Mortimer brings Hysteria to his knees, air not being allowed to enter his windpipe. Hysteria’s eyes look like they are about to pop out of the mask. Mortimer has lost his cool, finally having snapped at his foe.]“You believe this is personal to me? You attack former victims of mine, thinking you will goad me into action. The Harrison family was nothing more to me than the ants you stepped on as you walked into this arena. I don’t have a life to threaten, Harrison, all I have is existence. I’m no different than the air you so desperately crave right now. I will forever be around you, yet you will never truly see me. My presence will be felt in your every waking moment, yet when I am gone, you will be left gasping and coughing.”
[Letting loose the grip somewhat, Mortimer picks Hysteria up by the neck to stare into his eyes.]“I will never end. Your torment will never cease. Your nightmare will last forever. The only thing you can do is prepa…”
[Using his free hand, Hysteria reaches inside of his pocket and comes out with the nail made of bone. He pierces the arm of Ozric Mortimer with it, and surprisingly the Sparrow lets go, falling to the mat.]“Bury me, Hysteria.” [Mortimer gasps as he rolls out of the ring, leaving Hysteria to cough and try to regain his breath.] “Bury me so you may watch the Nightmare begin again.”
[As Ozric tries to walk away, people scatter from around him. The place where his arm was pierced does not bleed, as one would expect. Instead maggots crawl out. Whatever that nail did, it went beyond flesh and bone.] [Is that why Ozric gave it to him?] [Hysteria notices this as he slowly gets his wits. He goes to pick up the nail off the mat, but stops as he hears in his head the fluttering of crows.] [Scarecrow is here.] [The Mad Mastermind kicks the nail from the ring, where he can retrieve it later. The bell ringing signifies that Ozric Mortimer must be put into the back of his mind.] [Now the masked man must meet the monster.] [The Last Straw! Hysteria’s blinded momentarily; Scarecrow then immediately levels him with The Haymaker! The Mad Mastermind is staggered into the ropes……. Wait, NO!] [The Harvester went for a Big Boot; Hysteria pulled down the top rope! Scarecrow stumbles to the floor before Hysteria flattens him with a Slingshot Plancha! He’s pulling out all the stops tonight! Hysteria now hammers away at The Hayman before Scarecrow just Piefaces him away! Scarecrow plants a knee to the gut; he rams Hysteria face-first over the ring apron… POWERSLAM ONTO THE FLOOR! The Asylum’s biggest inmate writhes in agony on the concrete! The Scarecrow however stands stoic. You’d swear he’s almost smiling as he chucks Hysteria under the bottom rope… The Harvester then enters, stalking his opponent.] [Hysteria works back to his feet, only to eat a Big Boot! The Scarecrow watches intently as the Mad Mastermind struggles to stand. The Hayman then Goozles his opponent and– NO! Hysteria with a desperation German Suplex! But the Scarecrow rises; Hysteria curses at him before hoisting him up for APATY? NO! Scarecrow slips free… Full-Nelson Slam! He covers! One… Two… NO! Hysteria gets the shoulder up! The Hayman signals for the end, yanking Hysteria up into a Crucifix! BYE BYE– NO! Hysteria wriggles free… LOST HOPE! He hooks both legs! One… Two… NO! Scarecrow powers out! Hysteria’s incensed! He’s spewing verbal venom!] [The Hayman steadily rises while Hysteria SLAPS him violently! The Scarecrow’s absorbing all the shots… Roundhouse Kick! Headbutt! And a Leaping Enzui– NO! The Scarecrow dodges; he nearly decapitates Hysteria with a LARAIT! He covers! One… Two… NO! Hysteria just kicked out! The fans are going NUTS! The sinister smirk on Scarecrow grows… He extends his arms out as if perched, pulling Hysteria up and– NO! APATHY OUTTA NOWHERE! Hysteria falls into a cover! One… Two…. NO! But the Mad Mastermind quickly sets him back up….. THE MOCKE— NO! Scarecrow breaks free; BYE BYE BIRDIE? NO! It’s countered into a Cradle! One… Two… THREE!] [The bell rings and both men burst free from each other! Hysteria braces against a corner as the Harvester glares at him! The referee then raises the Mad Mastermind’s hand! What a victory!] [Whistling.] [Things sure have picked up for Neville Sheldon. Only a few months ago, he was but a mere shade of his former self. Now, he walks down the halls with a pep in his step and a tune on his lips.] [Thwack!] [A bent steel chair suddenly crashes across his face with such force, it snaps and breaks his glasses as he falls to the floor in a crumpled heap. There’s no more pep, no more whistling and no more conscious Neville Sheldon.] [Stood over him? None over than the former OSW Champion, Shadow.] [In his hands; the steel chair Red River Jack used to not only kill Smoke but defeat him last week on Showcase.]“I’m never a pawn in your game,” [he grunts.] “Never.”
[Suddenly, Red River Jack, David Manson and Hate surround him. He raises the chair, expecting an assault – but it doesn’t come.]“Lower that weapon, my brother,” [Jack says. Mike lowers the weapon as if on que.] “For we have not come to fight. If it matters to you so, I can give you the title back, man.”
[Shadow scoffs.] “It doesn’t matter to me. What matters to me is this maggot trying to deceive me.”“Then, let’s play the deceivers, man.”
[Red pulls something out of his pocket and drops it near the unconscious body of Neville Sheldon. It’s a golden cufflink, reading ‘R’.] [Shadow grins, backing away with Jack who puts his arm around him, pulling him close.] [The camera closes in on the cufflink, then on Sheldon, before fading out.] [Doubt’s hand is wrapped around the wrist of Smiley, but he throws his hand off as he turns with an odd twitch.]“What the hell is your problem? I’m trying to make her perfect!”
“You said you were trying to protect her. How is giving her a perma-smile protecting her?!”
[Smiley’s teeth are bared as his smile has contorted into a grimace. He brings the blade to his own cheeks as he traces the edges of his scars.]“She needs to be my perfect, little rose. Without these scars, she’s nothing to me. I need her to be perfect and THEN I can protect her.”
“She doesn’t need to be perfect.”
[Doubt’s gaze finds itself on Stephanie who looks disturbed by his faceless stare.]“She’s already perfect.”
[Rose, despite the peril she’s in, tilts her head to the side.]“Golly…”
[A manic scream comes from Smiley as he swings with Smiley Jr. striking Doubt right across the top of the masked head. He staggers backwards as Smiley leaps onto his partner with his crowbar raised high. He brings two more strikes down across his head before rolling off. He staggers over to Stephanie Rose as he lifts up his blade once more.]“Doubt didn’t appreciate my surprise, well that’s fine! It’s time to introduce you to perfection, my little Rose!”
[CRACK!] [Smiley Jr. smashes across the skull of his master. Smiley staggers before slowly turning to see his tag team partner wielding his favorite weapon. His eyes look betrayed as Doubt brings a gloved hand up to his jaw.] [A moment passes as they just stare at one another before Doubt brings his face forward to meet its own for a headbutt!] [The Deranged One slumps to the floor as Doubt’s feet stay unmoving with its gaze looking at its downed partner before turning to Stephanie. The Masked Emotion lifts up the knife and cuts the ropes holding her in place as she gets to her feet, feeling her wrists.]“Go Syndi, we must get out of here before he wakes.”
[The two move towards the door when Rose stops Doubt.]“Syndi?”
“Go!”
[The Masked Emotion ushers her out of the room as it reaches back for the knob, it sees Smiley regaining his consciousness. Smiley gets to his knees as he reaches out for Doubt.]“I’m sorry, brother. I have to protect her.”
[With that, Doubt shuts the door as Smiley screams after him with a bloodcurdling sound.]“Heh…heh… Am I my brother’s keeper? I will find you, my brother, and I will make you bleed!”
[Click.] [Knock Knock.] [We open cold on a hand knocking an expensive large door. When the camera backs away, we see the magnitude of the house before us. The door slowly opens, and the camera drops, revealing DTR sat in his wheelchair.] [Turning around, Jimmy Sartyr steps into frame.]“When I heard, I thought this would be better done in person. May I come in?”
[Dave backs his wheelchair up slightly, allowing Sartyr access. He closes the door behind him, turning to face the Innovator in Ovation.]“Lance called me last week and told me that you’d been to visit him at Old School Wrestling. He said you wanted a Retirement Match against me. He also said that you’re in no condition to fight.”
[The Virus grimaces.]“Do you have any idea what it’s like?” [He asks.] “Being stuck in this chair, but wanting to leap out of it and beat you half to death is a death sentence in itself. Every single night I lay awake in agony, and whenever I close my eyes, all I can hear, all I can see, is you.”
[Jimmy takes a deep breath.] “I’m sorry, Dave.” [DTR laughs maniacally.]“No, you’re not. You’re sorry that Jensen put me in this wheelchair. You’re not sorry that you had a great career, Jimmy. You’re not sorry that those people took to their feet and at Gears of War, spurred you on at my expense. You’re not sorry.”
[Sartyr isn’t sure what to say. He turns around and reluctantly walks towards the door, pulling it open.]“You’re right, I’m not sorry, David. But I won’t step into the ring at Red Snow and fight you. I just won’t do it.”
[He’s about to walk away when The Virus falls out of his chair, grabbing him by the ankles. Jimmy looks absolutely mortified, staring down at DTR who screams at him whilst his sister storms into the room.]“You owe me this, Sartyr. You owe me one final match! You’ll be there at Red Snow, won’t you? You have to be.”
[Jimmy, flustered, afraid and mortified, looks at Dave’s sister and nods.]“I’ll be there, okay? I’ll be there.”
[He bends down and helps DTR back up and into his chair, his face bright red with embarrassment. He backs away slowly, not breaking eye contact with The Virus.]“But I won’t fight you.”
[Cut.] [For the first time in OSW history, the tag team titles will be decided in a singles match. Will be the Knights be reformed or will Davenport keep his clutches on the gold?] [The bell sounds as Sheldon rushes at Davenport, nailing him with a big running Dropkick that sends him flying into the ropes. Davenport quickly gets to his feet right into a series of kicks to the midsection before he gets driven to the canvas with a Russian Legsweep. Neville rushes to the ropes, climbing up onto the bottom rope before diving off with a splash that Davenport just manages to roll away from] [Neville gets up, holding his stomach in pain right into a big knee to the gut from Davenport who lifts him up high before slamming him to the canvas with a Vertical Suplex. Davenport doesn’t cover, instead lifting Neville up who surprises Jon with a jawbreaker, as Neville lifts Jon up, N.E.R.D…NO! Jon drops down behind, kicking Neville low before drilling him into the mat with a DDT] [Davenport calls for the end, climbing up to the bottom rope MUD SPLASH! Neville gets absolutely crushed as Davenport covers, ONE…TWO…THR…Sheldon kicks out at the last second. Davenport is pissed as he loads up the Georgia Crawfish, yelling at Sheldon to get to his feet. Neville gets up, blocking the claw as he kicks Davenport away with a dropkick, giving him enough room as he rushes forward, NKO! Davenport is knocked out cold as Neville covers, ONE…TWO…THREE!!!] [The crowd roar in cheers as Neville Sheldon gets to his feet, celebrating his victory minus the Tag Team Championship belt.] [We cut to Lux Bellator who we find just outside The School Yard complex. It’s obvious he has only recently arrived at the show as he makes his way from the parking lot towards the back entrance of the building.] [His momentum is slowed in a peculiar manner as he notices an odd glow in the distance.] [Nevertheless, The Light Warrior continues on and when he rounds the corner his image is illuminated in a vibrating orange. The camera spins to find what appears to be a massive pile of books set aflame in the center of the concrete plaza of the entrance.] [Bellator’s eyes squint in wonder as he slowly moves forward; his head turning on a swivel as if he expects that he is not alone. He edges closer. Step by step until he is but a foot or two away from the roaring flame.] [His head tilts and through his mask we can see the expression on his face turn sour. Bellator leans down; his hands reaching for the concrete and even nearer to the flame to retrieve one of many black books that make up the pile.] [The words inscribed on the front of the book simply read: The Holy Bible. The cover of the book is black but even so visibly charred. The edge of the pages burnt to a golden brown and as Lux flips through the script pieces of the paper flake off at his feet.] [A somber Bellator stands to his feet; his eyes unmoving from the Bible when suddenly…]“I want you to remember this sight when that bell rings tonight, Christian!”
[It’s The Red Emperor. He steps into the scene just beyond the far shoulder of Bellator who merely looks at his tormentor from the corner of his eyes.]“I’m but one of five competitors that you should concern yourself with, my liege.” [Bellator reasons, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.]
“We deal with enemies of the state as they are led to us.” [The Emperor growls.]
“You’re looking for answers in all the wrong places.” [Lux submits as he shakes his head in near sorrow.] [The Red Emperor steps in, nudging into the shoulder of The Light Warrior and speaking out with a scolding tone.]
“And if you get in my way tonight you won’t have to search for answers in your pathetic scriptures…” [The Emperor pauses as he regains his composure, rage filling him.] “You can ask your God face to face!”
[With that, The Red Emperor rips the Bible from the hands of Bellator and tosses it into the middle of the flaming pile before letting off a snort and walking away.] [We are left with The Light Warrior’s face glowing from the blaze. A look of determination in his eyes.] [Brent Kersh stands in the ring. He looks forlorn, probably because of the events to come at Red Snow. “To Get To You” starts up as the lights go low. The red ember of a cigarette glows as the lights come back, revealing the new OSW Champion, Red River Jack. He comes to the ring flanked by HAtE and David Manson. Jack walks up the steps and enters the ring. The bell rings.] [Jack walks towards Kersh who looks uninterested. This be his last match if everything goes to plan at Red Snow. Jack shoves Kersh, who just stumbles back. Jack pushes him again. Same reaction. Jack looks at the Awakening and smiles. He walks towards Kersh a third time….but is HAMMERED WITH A HUGE EUROPEAN UPPERCUT! Another! ANOTHER! Kersh is awake! Jack is rocked and Kersh kicks him in the gut. He doubles over and Kersh grabs him… RELEASE FISHERMAN SUPLEX!! Jack goes flying and Kersh marches towards the Champion. He lifts RRJ again and BELLY TO BELLY SUPLEX. He covers… One… Two… TH…] [HAtE is on the apron! The ref stops counting to remove HAtE. Kersh goes for an explanation, as the ref tries to explain, Kersh is grabbed…. HALF-NELSON SUPLEX! Kersh is dropped, and Jack is taking control. He rushes to Kersh and as Kersh stands, Jack lifts him… WHO BETTER BUSTER!! One… Two… Thre… Kickout! Jack gets to his feet quickly and pulls Brent up he throws Kersh to the corner with so much force he pops up onto the ropes and rests on the corner…. Jack runs, leaps…. A THOUSAND WORDS!! One… Two… THREE!!] [NO! Kersh just got his foot on the bottom rope! Jack yanks his leg off and covers again… One… Two… Kickout! Jack gets to his feet and pulls Kersh to his feet… punch to the midsection! Again! Jack lets go, and Kersh scoops him up… POWER SLAM! Kersh climbs to the second turnbuckle… KNEE DROP TO JACK’S HEAD!! David Manson climbs onto the apron and Kersh delivers a big boot! He drops! HAtE also climbs up and receives a Discus Elbow for his troubles. He turns and Jack is on his feet… kick to the gut…. Jack grabs him… SEEIN’ RED!!! One… Two… THREE!!] [The Champion wins! Red River Jack wins! He rolls out of the ring and grabs the belt. He walks with the Awakening to the back as Kersh comes to in the ring. He has nothing to look forward to except his date with the Scarecrow at Red Snow!] [Crash!] [The locker room door flies open and in storms Bruce Van Chan. He grabs Nigel by the throat and thrusts him against the nearby lockers before he can even say a word. This is completely unlike Bruce but he’s seething.]“Why?” [he barks angrily.] “Why turn your back on us, huh? What did they offer you? I knew you couldn’t be trusted, Royal!”
[Nigel pushes Van Chan off, straightening his collar out.]“What in the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?”
“SHELDON!” [BVC screams.] “They found your cufflinks by his unconscious body, you son of a…”
“Hold on a moment,” [he puts his hands out to fend off a furious Bruce.] “Think about this for a minute, alright? Do you think if I ever decided to turn my back on the pair of you, I’d be so careless as to do it myself?” [he muses.] “And why wouldn’t I simply end the protection detail on both your family and his best friend? That would be the easiest way to your weakness.”
[Bruce quickly realizes he has been duped.]“Red River Jack, Shadow and Manson, they did this!” [he finally concludes.] “And I fell for it, hook, line and sinker. I’m sorry Nigel, I really am. It’s just with your history, I wasn’t sure if you could be trusted and…”
[Nigel interrupts.] “I understand. You have every reason to be concerned but I’ve surely proven my intentions with you gentleman. At Red Snow, we’re going to put an end to this, once and for all.” [He offers Bruce a handshake – whom accepts immediately.] [Record.] [12/06/16. 10:43 am] [Stephanie Rose and Errol Flint are still talking intently over the phone at the police station. The plexiglass between them reflects tension.]“….. Why would Mr. Norman set you up?”
“He has a long standing history with Jake Jeckel. He saw opportunity. [Scoffs] But that isn’t all of it. The man is an astute businessman who’s Internet Wrestling Federation went out of business abruptly. He wants Old School Wrestling. That’s why he’s here! [His eyes are pierced; focused] With me out of the picture, it’s his for the taking and he’s proving that right now. He’s already wormed his way into the Directors’ good graces and they’ve let him assume the day-to-day operations in my absence. It won’t be long before he makes a power play to displace the board and yours truly. I can’t let that happen. I won’t.
[Stephanie’s tone is hushed] “And Ethan? Where does he fit into this?”“I fired him and he wants revenge. It wouldn’t surprise me if he killed Jake Jeckel to set me up in the first place. He’s capable of it. He claimed to be originally responsible for Red Snow; a lie that fit his narrative at the time. There’s no-one quite as devious as he on this roster. Bird could have offered Norman this as revenge on me.”
[Almost whispering] “What do you plan to do? What can you do?”“At the moment? Jack Jeckel is my only hope. At Red Snow, Jack Jeckel needs to force a confession out of Ethan Bird if I am ever to be released. It’s all about Jack!”
[A moment passes; Stephanie catches herself looking around anxiously.] “Mr. Flint, what happens if………. Well, what if you’re wrong?” [He folds his arms.] “I’m never wrong.”“….. All right, but besides Jack, what else can even be done?
“I’m mounting a legal case, but that requires a lot of money. My lawyers are expensive. My priority is getting out of jail and being proven innocent. I’m working towards that as we speak and my family are selling assets to assist with the structuring of my case.”
[Stephanie bites her bottom lip nervously, digesting everything. She’s tries to speak; a guard tells her their time is up. She stammers, looking to Flint.]“What do I do?”
[A pair of officers approach him; he quickly gives the order.]“Make sure this gets published, Rose. Make sure the world see’s what I have to say. Make sure you do your job, and when I get out, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded for it. [Flint’s being dragged from his seat by guards; he shouts!]
“Do your job, Rose!”
[Errol Flint’s physically escorted away; the door slammed shut behind him! Stephanie watches with eyes wide, trembling as the phone falls limp from her hand. The guard motions to her to leave. With a meek smile, she steps away, hiding her notes…..] [It’s finally time for the MAIN EVENT! It’s a six-man match with the winner obtaining an Invasion case to use at any point. The rules are as follows. Two men will start off the match in the center of the ring with the case held high above the ring. They still try to get the case, but every five minutes will see a new competitor enter the ring. However, the case may be retrieved at any moment.] [The bell sounds as the first two competitors are in the ring. Doubt circles around as Lux Bellator’s eyes are not leaving him. They tie up in the center of the ring, but Lux seems to have a slight size advantage in terms of height. He uses it to snap on a side headlock that he wrestles Doubt down to a knee with. The Masked Emotion slowly begins to fight out of it with elbow strikes to the midsection as Lux’s hold is relinquished. Doubt hits the ropes before coming back for a big STO that takes Lux to the mat! Doubt quickly rushes towards the ropes and springboards off the second rope for a moonsault! The Masked Emotion climbs to the apron before slinging himself back across the top ropes for an elbow drop right to the knee of Lux!] [The Light Warrior clings at his knee in pain as Doubt just realizes that it may have created a weakness. Doubt rushes over to Lux and drops a knee right into the side of Lux’s as he howls out in pain! The Masked Emotion grabs his leg and twists it back behind him in a single-leg Boston crab! Lux is trying to squirm his way out of it, but Doubt isn’t allowing any sort of mobility with its torque. Lux finally collapses to the mat as Doubt releases the hold before wrapping its arm around the foot and nailing a leg DDT to the mat! Lux clutches at his knee as the Masked Emotion stares upwards at the case above it.] [It slides out to the ringside area where Doubt grabs the first ladder and slides it into the ring. Doubt climbs up onto the apron only to be struck by a desperation bicycle kick! Doubt falls to the outside of the ring as Bellator is struggling to get back to his feet. He scampers to his feet, but Doubt is back in before it takes out his legs with a chopblock! The Emotion grabs the ladder and drills it into the knee of Lux before setting it up in the center of the ring. With Lux out of the picture, Doubt is free to climb undeterred. It’s then that the sound of counting is heard to signify the next entrant. Doubt climbs as fast as possible. It reaches for the case but… it’s pulled away! Lux is to his feet, and he’s lifting the empty side of the ladder! It catches Doubt off-guard as it falls from the ladder and SLAMS into the turnbuckle where he’s positioned.] [BZZZZZT! The timer goes off and… “No one needs to hear your words, silly boy!” The Red Emperor is the third entrant into the Invasion match. Lux Bellator is standing in the ring, but even he can’t hide the injured knee thanks to The Masked Emotion. The Red Emperor is in no rush to enter the ring, but he slowly does as Lux charges him with a barrage of blows! Kicks, punches, and knees strike him as The Emperor is caught between the ropes! Lux takes off across the ring before returning with a wheel kick that Emperor just moves out of the way of!] [The Red Emperor charges him with a spinning heel kick of his own that catches Lux right on the chin. The Light Warrior hits the mat as The Red Emperor approaches. He STOMPS on the already injured knee. The Red Emperor looks up at the case before disassembling the ladder. He grabs the large metal ladder before seeing Doubt in the corner propped up. He charges with the top going first as he SPEARS Doubt in the corner with it. He throws the ladder to the ground before turning around to see Lux back to his feet. He charges for a clothesline, but Lux just lifts him up as he falls to the ground outside.] [Bellator takes a moment to breathe, only he doesn’t have it. He turns around to see Doubt flying through the air after hitting a moonsault. He lands on Lux’s shoulders before twisting and turning it into a DDT ONTO THE LADDER! THE PESSIMIST’S END! Both men are down, but The Red Emperor has another ladder on the outside. He slides it into the ring and slides in himself. He sets it up between the second and top rope. Doubt staggers to his feet only for The Red Emperor to send him crashing into the set-up ladder, face-first. The timer appears again as The Red Emperor lifts up another ladder.] [BZZZT! “Hail to the king, hail to the one!” The anthem puts a smile on the face of The Red Emperor who throws his ladder back down. Nigel Royal appears at the top of the stairs with an indignant look on his face. He charges down the stair and slides into the ring. Emperor strikes at him with a right hand, but Nigel ducks underneath. He bounces off the ropes and lunges forward for a huge knockout punch that catches The Emperor right on the chin. He staggers backwards as Nigel Royal seems fired up! The man standing before him did indeed crush his crown.] [He throws another punch to which The Red Emperor parries with his arms. The two begin trading blows back and forth as the crowd is cheering frantically in favor of their favorite. “NIG-EL ROY-AL!” CLAP, CLAP, CLAPCLAPCLAP! The Red Emperor gets the better of the exchange with a solid left hook before hitting the ropes as he tries for THE REVELATIO- NO! Nigel stops him with a dropkick. He staggers him as he wraps his hands around his waist. He looks at the crowd who pops loud! They know what’s coming next! THE ROYAL FLUSH! Five consecutive belly-to-back suplexes as The Red Emperor is so disoriented he doesn’t get up.] [Nigel Royal raises his hands when he notices the case dangling above him. He grabs the deposited ladder and sets it up in the center of the ring. He begins to climb, but he notices Lux Bellator slowly climbing up the other side. They get to the top as Nigel tries to grab the case. Lux stops this with a right hand to the chest. Nigel gives him one for his troubles. The two begin to trade blows, but they’re yanked back to the mat by The Red Emperor and Doubt. As they’re yanked back downwards, the lights go out as the timer hits zero.] [BZZZT! The buzzer changes into a flute sound which quickly transitions into a drumming. THE SAVAGE IS HERE! The brute in the white paint slowly begins to walk towards the ring as the action within has ceased. All four men are just staring at The Savage. The Savage gets into the ring. Doubt with a cheap shot to the knee of Lux before charging Tommy Hawk! THE SCALP! The palm strike nails Doubt as he slumps to the mat! Nigel Royal tries to join the fray, but The Red Emperor hits a neckbreaker that floors him. All that remains standing is The Emperor and The Savage. The history is rich between the two.] [The Red Emperor tries for the first strike, but The Savage ducks his shot and lights up his chest with a vicious chop. The Savage grabs him by the back of his head and sends him flying over the top rope. The Red Emperor hits the ground before slowly bouncing up. The Savage hits the opposite ropes before diving through with two fists nailing The Red Emperor as the momentum sends him into the seats in the front row! GOING NATIVE! The Savage looks back towards the ring and slides back in. He begins to climb the ladder as Nigel Royal grabs his leg. The Savage kicks down at him, but Nigel Royal will not be deterred. He begins to climb up the back of The Savage! He puts a hand on the right shoulder of Hawk which he strikes at. Royal traps his arm and… DUNGEONS OF LONDON ON THE TOP OF THE LADDER!] [Nigel Royal is holding on for dear life! The Savage is trapped. He tries to climb up, but Nigel is putting all of his weight back on the hold. The Savage reaches up, but he realizes it’s an impossible venture with the Ring King on his back. Wait! Doubt is back to life as he slowly begins to climb up the ladder opposite of him. Lux Bellator begins to climb up right behind Doubt. He grabs Doubt by the arms and… THE CATHOLIC CROSS ONTO THE SUSPENDED LADDER! Doubt’s back arches as it falls to the mat, writhing in pain. THE SAVAGE LUNGES OFF THE LADDER WITH NIGEL AS THEY FALL TO THE MAT! Everyone is out as The Red Emperor is still out in the front row.] [BZZZT! The final buzzer goes off and out comes Smiley who shakes off the effects of what happened earlier in the night. In his hand, Smiley is holding Smiley Jr. with an angered expression on his face. He quickly comes down the stairs before sliding into the ring. The ladder that Savage and Royal had been on has fallen opposite of their direction. Lux Bellator is getting to his feet as Smiley grins at him. SMILEY JR. STRIKE TO THE KNEE! Bellator falls to the mat as his knee is continually giving him problems. It’s then that he spots The Masked Emotion lying beside the nearly broken ladder.] [He grabs Doubt up by its mask and raises his crowbar up and BASHES it! ONCE…TWICE…THRICE! HE KEEPS DOING IT! Doubt isn’t even moving at this point. He kicks the lifeless body of Doubt out of the ring and that’s when he spots it. Smiley’s grin widens as he looks up to see the Invasion case. He grabs the ladder that had fallen over and sets it up right in the center of the ring. He begins scaling the ladder as an alarming rate to his competitors. Nearly at full health, Smiley has already gotten to the top as he gets his hands wrapped around the case.] [STEEL CHAIR TO THE BACK OF SMILEY! The Red Emperor has managed to get back into the ring, but he didn’t return empty-handed. Smiley grunts at the pain before turning around in place. He leaps off, but The Red Emperor catches him and flips him up into… KNOW YOUR PLACE ON THE STEEL CHAIR! The spinning powerbomb downs The Deranged One as The Red Emperor is slow to his feet. He begins to climb the ladder when A LADDER STRIKES HIM OUT OF NOWHERE! It’s The Savage! The Red Emperor falls to the mat as Tommy Hawk sets up his ladder right beside the other.] [He gets to the top, but Lux Bellator has managed to hobble up the ladder too. The two spiritual warriors are trading blows at the top of the ladder, but they’re not alone! Nigel Royal has now begun his climb up the ladder right beside Tommy Hawk. He gets to the top and he’s throwing punches just the same as Lux! Luckily, reinforcements are coming as Smiley climbs up the ladder right beside Lux. He’s brought Smiley Jr. as he nails Lux right in the good knee, forcing his legs to buckle. Smiley leaps onto the back of Lux as he pulls him down with him for… HIDEOUS LAUGHTER FROM THE TOP! It may have severely hurt Lux, but Smiley isn’t much better!] [Nigel Royal throws a punch which is met with another by The Savage. It’s then that Tommy Hawk manages to get a foot on Royal’s ladder and KICKS IT! The ladder begins to tip but The Bloodline relinquishes his hold to fall right on top of poor Emperor who had just gotten up. Tommy Hawk is the only one still on the ladder, but Smiley begins to climb up against him. Smiley nails him with a right hand. Hawk grabs his face and smashes it into the ladder itself! Smiley is staggered as Hawk grabs his arm and pulls it right up into a suplex, but he sends Smiley forward DOWN TO THE MAT! Tommy Hawk is all alone atop of the ladder! He reaches up and detaches it! TOMMY HAWK HAS WON THE INVASION BRIEFCASE!] [The Savage has managed to pull it together for Tommy Hawk here tonight. The Savage, Tommy Hawk, The Spirit Walker are all the new holders of the Invasion briefcase! A huge win for Tommy Hawk here tonight!] [In the backstage office area, Lance Norman sits behind his desk making an important phone call that we can only hear one side of; his.]“How exactly do you have nothing?”
[He groans.]“Look, I don’t care if your contacts haven’t found anything, there’s no way someone is going to steal those Championships and not try and sell them on the black market,” [he complains.] “What do you mean there’s been no sign of them?”
[Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door. Jack Jeckel walks in.]“Something has come up. I’ll call you back, okay?”
[Lance cancels the call and meets the eyes of The Juggalo, who takes a seat down opposite him with a grimace.]“Jackie-Boy, it’s so great to…”
[Jack cuts him off.] “Don’t call me that,” [he barks seriously.] “It’s about time we had a conversation, don’t you think?” [Lance nods.]“I think we both know that Errol Flint didn’t kill my brother, Lance. He isn’t capable of it. And by my reckoning, there’s only one person who has benefited from his death so far and that’s you.”
[Norman wisely says nothing.]“But where I’m confused is this; how exactly did you convince the board of directors to appoint you temporary control of the day to day operations?”
[Lance smiles.] “Everyone has secrets, Jack. Everyone has a closet full of skeletons just waiting to be revealed. What happened to your brother may not be ideal but the circumstances put me into a position of power that I exploited. I don’t care if Errol Flint killed your brother or not, all I know is that I had nothing to do with it.” [Jack’s eyes widen.] “If that’s true, you’ll allow me the opportunity at Red Snow to beat the answers out of Ethan Bird.” [Norman thinks about it.]“You’ve got it, kid. Ethan Bird vs. Jack Jeckel inside a Steel Cage. How about that? If I’m in bed with Bird and if I killed your brother and set Errol Flint up, you’ll have ample opportunity to prove it.”
[The Juggalo nods with a sinister smile, standing up and walking towards the door. He turns back to look at Norman, who appears to be breathing easy, not that he buys it for a second.] [The howling wind is brisk and cold.] [But that doesn’t stop her. She’s wrapped up tight as she pushes past the cornfield stalks, walking towards the perch. When she arrives, there’s nothing there. Afraid, and in the middle of the night, she searches around her for the one she seeks.]“If it isn’t the widow of Brent Kersh.”
[She snaps her head around to see the looming figure of The Scarecrow stood behind her.]“I’ve been expecting you.”
“Have you?” [she questions.] “Because I didn’t know I was coming.”
[The Scarecrow just looms.]“You’ve come to beg me for mercy, haven’t you?” [He says knowingly.] “You’ve come to ask me to spare your husband.”
[Her eyes fill with tears.] “I have. I just don’t understand this. I know that you’re not going to stop coming after my family if he hands himself over to you. He just doesn’t see that.”“Your husband is a moral man, a man of honour and dignity. He isn’t credited with an abundance of intelligence, but it would seem that you are,” [The Scarecrow says in amusement. He cracks a sadistic smile.] “It has always been that way, don’t you know?”
“What do you mean?” [she blurts out.]
“The Kersh men always choose intelligent, strong, capable women. And every time I’ve been in this position, they’ve come to beg me on their behalf. The cycle never changes, my dear.”
[She looks at him in shock, stuttering and stammering for her words.]“T-There’s no stopping this, is there?” [she sadly concludes.] [The Scarecrow lowers his head to meet hers.] “I’m going to kill your husband at Red Snow. I’m going to kill his brother, his sons and yours. I’m going to end this once and for all. May your God’s have mercy on their souls, because I won’t.”
[Brent Kersh’ wife bursts into tears.]“Now fly away, little birdie. Fly away and never come back.”
[She runs back through the cornfield the way she came, tears streaming down her face. When she finally reaches the car, she uses the central locking and takes a deep breath. For a single moment, she composes herself, reaches into her pocket and pulls out a chipped piece of wood.] [The camera travels backwards through time, returning to the moment she arrived at the perch. What we didn’t see was her hand reach out and claw a piece of splintered wood from it.] [She now holds it, sat in her car, looking at it.] [Cut.]