Click.
Static covers the screen as a Play ► symbol appears in the bottom right-hand corner.
The Paradox Hotel.
Cold open.
We pick up immediately inside the lobby of The Paradox Hotel, with Death having left only a few moments ago. Solomon Rhodes takes charge, walking over to a sign-in book and flicking through the pages.
“Only a few of us has room numbers,” he admits, looking through the pages. Everyone else immediately becomes interested. “Deathnote, you need level 3 and Cael, you’re on level 5. The rest of you are with me.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Deathnote roars back.
“It means that if you want to survive the night in your daddy’s creation until Sigil hands back that crown, you need to find your floor, and fight whatever resides behind your hotel room door,” Rhodes reaffirms.
The Author scoffs.
“What about me?” Jensen Cussen interrupts. “Do I not have a room?”
Just then, Lux Bellator appears walking through the lobby.
“I don’t think you need one,” Solomon says, pointing at Lux.
“What is it?” Lux demands to know.
“Everyone else in the elevator with Rhodes,” Jensen announces. “I’ll take care of him.”
Lux tilts his head as everyone else walks into the elevator.
“You will, will you?” He says with a scoff.
Cut.
In the Paradox Hotel lobby we find none other than Lux Bellator. He stands in the center, looking around at the walls inquisitively…
“Lux—” a familiar voice starts…
It’s Jensen Cussen. He walks up to Lux and continues:
“—after all this time and you’re still kicking around. How the hell did you manage to—”
“Shh!” demands Lux. “Do you hear it?”
Jensen looks around the lobby now too. They step in opposite directions, carefully examining every inch of the lobby which somehow doesn’t seem to resemble a lobby anymore.
“No,” Jensen responds. “But do you see that?”
Lux turns about face, directing his attention to where Jensen points his finger.
They’re no longer in the hotel lobby at all. They’re somehow inside the living room of a family home, and Lux swipes his finger in and inspects a black goo that is sliding down the wall next to a lampshade.
“Welcome to the family…”
Both Lux and Jensen jump and lock eyes, and in unison say:
“Heard that.”
…
Lux Bellator and Jensen Cussen find themselves back in the Family home. Is it the end of the world as they knew it?
Something has changed in the eyes of Lux, you can see it through his mask, and he rushes Jensen, tackling him into a wooden rocking chair, and breaking it in the process!
Both men trip on the wood shards that surround them as they get to their feet. Lux shakes off whatever it was that came upon him, but he’s met with a swift kick to the gut from Jensen! The Shadow follows up with a right hand that knocks Lux sideways, and then Jensen runs Lux head-first through a door, busting open into the kitchen!
Jensen grabs a trash barrel and lifts it high above Lux—
AND SMASHES HIM OVER THE BACK!
Lux crawls forward, getting himself back to his feet holding onto the counter, but Jensen pushes Lux’s head into the sink from behind, and turns on the hot water faucet—
BUT BLACK GOO SPURTS OUT!!
Both men jump back, disgusted by whatever just got all over both of them…
“Welcome to the family…”
They both jump, looking around for the source of these whispers. They notice the black goo is all over the walls, ceiling, and floor, and the fear in both their eyes is apparent.
Nonetheless, Lux rushes Jensen—
DROPKICK!
It sends Jensen through an archway into the dining room and up against a massive maple table. Lux follows and knees Jensen in the midsection, then tucks him between his legs and puts his arms out to his sides—
FRONTFLIP PILEDRIVER THROUGH THE TABLE!!
DISCIPLEMAKERRRRR!!!
Instinctively Lux supines Jensen and puts pressure on his shoulders, hearing a faint whisper in the background—
“ONE…”
…
“TWO…”
…
….
…
“THREE…”
…
“WELCOME TO THE FAMILY…”
Has Lux broken the seal again with that victory!?
[edgtf_highlight background_color=”#b83e3e” color=”#000000″] WINNER: LUX BELLATOR [/edgtf_highlight]
With that brutal fight over, the family home disintegrates around them, returning them both back to the lobby.
Suddenly, a portal opens and through it walks Sigil.
“You have a way out?” Bellator asks quickly, breathlessly.
“No, I’ve only been able to portal within these walls. I’ve searched every single floor and there’s some horrors in here,” Sigil says with a shrug, but then turns his attention to Cussen. “And him? What’s your history with him?”
Jensen chuckles.
“You have no idea who I am, do you Sigil?” He says grinning. “Neither of you do.”
“I know you Cussen,” Lux roars back in reply. “He helped me bring about the apocalypse with DTR. The Family birthed Noah using the virus and his sister Stephanie was the incubator. I broke the seven seals, and we released Lucifer back into the world.”
Sigil stops dead in his tracks.
“What?” He says in shock. “How is he here?”
“How are you here, Jensen?” Bellator enquires. “Didn’t you sacrifice yourself to destroy the virus?”
There’s a silence.
“It doesn’t matter,” Sigil continues. “We need to figure out what’s going on here.”
“It’s not that easy,” The Light Warrior muses. “I overheard them speaking when I approached and the only way this nightmare ends is with you handing back that crown.”
Sigil shakes his head.
“That’s not the only way,” he announces. “But let’s see where the night takes us, shall we?”
Cut.
Pyre stands outside a room, her brow furrowed and a bewildered look on her face. She stares intently at the door, then down to her hand. In her palm, she holds a key card labelled Room 101. Blinking, she looks about her and at Simon who stands with her in the hallway. Both are equally as confused as each other, as two doors down a familiar figure stands with the same confused expression.
Luke Storm, standing outside Room 103, peers back down the hallway at the Blackharts. Simon, Pyre and Storm, each one looks as lost as the other. Pyre looks to Simon for reassurance, but he clearly doesn’t understand what is happening. So Pyre walks to the door and grabs the handle.
Instantly, she retracts her hand, the handle having scalded it from the touch it and burned her skin. Luke Storm glares at Simon, noticing Pyre holding her burnt hand.
“Did you do this? Are you responsible?”
Simon holds his hands up in protest.
“Of course not! I’m just as confused as you are.”
Pyre nurses her scalded paw, turning to her husband.
“I… I’m not sure I believe you dear. I know how devious you can be.”
The silence that falls over the hallway drops like a lead balloon. Simon glares at his wife, and Pyre glares back. But she soon shakes her head and blinks her eyes again, her expression turning from frustration back to confusion.
“I don’t understand. How did I get burned?”
She shakes her head again, reaching towards the handle again. She swipes her keycard.
“I’m going in.”
Simon nods, still trying to piece things together.
“I’ll be out here, waiting for you to come back.”
Pyre continues forward, opening the door and suffering more burning in the process. The door slams behind her, leaving only Storm and Simon standing in the hallway. It is Luke Storm that speaks, having watched the whole scene.
“Your wife doesn’t trust you, Simon. I don’t blame her.”
With that, Luke Storm also opens his door and disappears inside Room 103.
Cut.
The door opens as the once Queen of Hearts walks back into the world she burned to ash. Charred skeletons litter that which was once vibrant and lush, now a pale mixture of dull browns and orange. Pyre takes a few steps forward before noticing rustling in the burnt bushes nearby as out jumps a bloodied and scarred White Rabbit. They stare at each other for a few moments before surprisingly, the Rabbit leaps forward, clinging to Pyre’s leg as tears of pure relief run down his cheek.
“My queen, thank god you’re here. She killed them all, you have to stop her. She’s gone mad, quite ma…”
The rabbit’s rambling is stopped mid-sentence as his head falls from his shoulders before a torrent of blood erupts over the Queen of Flames. She staggers back, barely avoiding being cut herself as she blinks through the blood, seeing the familiar figure in blue tartan rags, the vorpal blade placed against her shoulder as she echoes out a cry of pure insanity into the air.
“We all go mad here my queen and now…”
Alice raises the blade high before her wide smile turns to a vicious scowl.
“It’s your turn bitch”
Alice swipes the blade forward, Pyre narrowly avoiding it’s deadly edge as she dodges and weaves through the slices but Alice is frenzied and unpredictable, as she feigns high before slicing deep into the Queen’s thigh. Pyre screams in pain, dropping to one knee as she can only watch helplessly as Alice places the sword to her throat before rearing back.
PYRE EXPLODES IN A GIANT FIREBALL SENDING ALICE FLYING BACK!
The Queen of Flames saves her neck just in time but it took a hell of a lot of energy to do so. The flames dying down around Pyre as she focuses a tiny bit in her hand to cauterize her heavy wound, screaming out for but a moment in agony as she almost doesn’t see the Vorpal Blade soaring towards her face. Pyre quickly throwing up a fireball as the arandur metal slowly begins to melt in the intense heat.
BUT NOT BEFORE WRAPPING AROUND PYRE’S HANDS LIKE CUFFS!
Pyre struggles to remove the liquid metal clasp before she quickly finds herself hoisted into the air and dragged forward insanely fast, through the charred fields
Towards the Throne Room.
Pyre explodes through the heavy doors, crashing hard to the broken floor as she stumbles to her knees in front of Alice on the throne.
The Mad Dreamer cackles to herself before lifting the hurting Pyre up and
SENDS HER DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE! BRUTAL X-FACTOR ONTO THE CONCRETE FLOOR!
The Queen of Flames is still conscious before she’s lifted up off her feet by Alice, her once loyal subject pulverizing her ribs with brutal knees before she’s tossed damn near through the Red Throne. Pyre struggles to her feet but another knee takes all the wind out of her before she’s lifted up high.
MADNESS INTENSIFIED!
SIT OUT PILEDRIVER ON THE THRONE!
Pyre rolls down to the floor below, barely able to stand but she forces herself up, refusing to bow down to this pretender. She manages to conjure up a small flame, burning away the cuffs but she’s spent, helpless to do anything but watch as Sweet, Sweet Alice stands perched on the throne, slicing one finger across her throat before flipping over the throne.
RIGHT INTO A BAPTISM BY FIRE!
Pyre put everything she had into that superkick, dropping Alice mid-leap as she just manages to knock out the Mad Dreamer with the last bit of her energy.
The Queen of Flames triumphs over Sweet Alice once more but will this be a repeat of Dreams or something much more nightmarish?
[edgtf_highlight background_color=”#b83e3e” color=”#000000″] WINNER: PYRE [/edgtf_highlight]
The door opens as Hollywood finds himself in a very familiar place he never wanted to step in again. The faint smell of paint and faded wood fill the air, overwhelmed by the stench of failure and blood. Storm takes a few steps forward, eyes focused on the high wooden ramp before his feet crush down upon glass. Kneeling down, he lifts up a thin vial, a mucus like substance oozing out that once felt more precious then life itself. Luke pushes his glasses up, rubbing his eyes in concern as heavy footsteps slowly stalk behind him.
“I never wanted it to end like that”
Shaw scoffs behind Storm, spitting out a thick loogie before shaking his head.
“Bullshit, I was a loose end that you were glad to get rid of. Hell, I bet you were only pissed cause that fruity cunt ended me before you got the chance”
Luke straightens up, pulling his glasses off as he stares passively at the scowling Shaw.
“You really want to do this Albie or do you want to find Tag and Nigel him?”
Shaw just chuckles, cracking his knuckles as he smiles a shit eating grin.
“Pretty boy can wait, I’ve been dying to kick your ass”
Storm shrugs, placing his glasses back on his face as he rushes forward
RIGHT INTO A BRUTAL PLIERS ENFORCED RIGHT HAND!
Storm crumples back, barely able to stand on his feet before a sickening knee breaks not only his glasses but nearly his jaw in half, SHORT RANGE GB FUCKING H!
Hollywood’s bloody and dazed, struggling to get to a vertical basis as Albie grabs him by the back of his head, slamming him face first into the concrete floor. Storm looks out of it as Albie grabs the pliers in one hand before gripping Storm’s right hand in the other.
THAT SICK BASTARD’S GOING TO MUTILATE HOLLYWOOD!
The threat of amputation wakes up Storm who struggles with everything he has, getting out of Shaw’s grasp as he stumbles to his feet into a hard knee to the bollocks before he’s lifted up high
BRAIN…DOWNPOUR! STORM COUNTERS INTO THE CODEBREAKER IN MID-AIR!
Albie’s stunned for a moment as Storm stumbles back to his feet, staggering back into a hanging chain.
Still stained with Shaw’s blood.
Hollywood gulps before nodding, knowing what he needs to do as he tries to pull Shaw up to his feet
GUVN’RS KISS!
A brutal headbutt nearly knocks Storm out cold as Shaw looks at the hanging chain now, a vicious scowl on his face as he tries to pull Storm up
GALE FORCE! STUNNNAH!
Albie gets knocked down to one knee as Storm rolls back, looking for that knockout blow he needs to string Shaw up once more. Rushing forward, he leaps high
STORM SURGE! TRIPLE KICK TO THE FACE!
Shaw is out on his feet as Storm wraps the chain around his throat, twisting around before with a sigh
LUKE HANGS ALBERT SHAW ONCE MORE!
Hollywood has survived this ghost from the past but has hanging Albie stopped the nightmare or has it just begun for Luke Storm?
[edgtf_highlight background_color=”#b83e3e” color=”#000000″] WINNER: LUKE STORM [/edgtf_highlight]
We find Chip Montana and SeeSaw standing in the hallway of the hotel. They find themselves standing in front of two doors, right next to each other. Chip Montana in front of 107 and SeeSaw in front of 108. Neither looks like they know what has brought them here, and neither look too happy about it.
“Oi! You dastardly little blighter.” Chip spits in frustration. “What the fuck have you done?”
SeeSaw simply looks a little stunned, and a little amused.
“Me? I was going to ask you the same thing, though not in those words. What kind of magic is this that you’ve cast on me?”
Chip looks offended.
“Magic? This is not my doing. You’re full of shit, what kind of crap are you trying to pull?”
The time for talking is over, with SeeSaw unleashing a wild swing at Chip. They lock horns, brawling in the hallway outside their doors. Exchanging lefts and rights with reckless abandon, their brawl soon finds both men sprawling down the hallway a little.
Until they freeze. SeeSaw’s arms still outstretched towards Chip’s throat, but just out of reach of being able to strangle him. A force pulls them backwards, sucking them back to their respective doors again. Both Montana and SeeSaw now find themselves unable to move backwards, left or right. The only direction they can go is forwards, towards their door.
“I don’t want to go in there…” Chip laments, looking a little worried.
SeeSaw cackles, mocking him with a pretend cry-baby face.
“Come on, Chippy. It’ll be fun!”
SeeSaw whistles to himself as he opens his door, his whistling fading into nothingness as he closes it behind him.
Chip Montana shakes his head, left with no options. He too enters his room.
Cut.
“A graveyard? You’d think they could be a bit more original with shit in October! Eh, Dave?” Chip steps out into the graveyard, once again sighing at the lack of Dave.
“Is there an issue, uncle Chip?” A voice spits across across the yard, Chip turning a pale white as he spots the source rising from a freshly dug grave.
“Miles?”
“Do you miss me?”
Chip wipes a tear from his eye as he approaches Miles. “I do, but you aren’t my Nephew.”
Miles’ face contorts into a look of pure rage! He rushes towards Chip! Montana grabs Miles, holding him by his throat! “Don’t make me put ya back in the ground, boy!”
Miles lashes out with a massive haymaker to the jaw that rocks Chip! The show host is dazed and gets nailed with a knee to the gut before Miles deadlifts him with inhuman strength for a brainbuster onto the dirt! He peels Chip up an whips him headfirst into the tombstone!
THE GRANITE FUCKING SHATTERS FROM THE IMPACT! CHIP IS BUSTED WIDE OPEN!
Chip forces himself to his feet and turns around to see Miles has pulled his hat off of his head! He’s pulling a magic trick!
MILES PULLS A DEMONIC LOOKING RABBIT FROM HIS HAT! HE FLINGS IT AT CHIP WHO CATCHES IT! THE RABBIT TEARS INTO HIS FLESH!
“Meet Dave Number Two! Like him?”
CRACK!
CHIP JUST BROKE THE RABBIT’S NECK WITH HIS BARE HANDS!
“That ain’t me rabbit!”
Miles lunges at Chip only to get caught in the jaw with a massive leaping knee! Miles gets turned around and Chip nails a vicious donkey punch on his nephew that dazes him long enough for Chip to lift him into a massive German suplex! Miles lands near the grave but doesn’t go in! He fights to his feet as Chip advances!
DOVES TO THE FACE! SKELETAL BIRDS BURST FROM MILES’ SLEEVES AND PECK VICIOUSLY AT CHIP’S FACE!
He swats them away furiously, the birds exploding into piles of bone as Miles leaps on Chip’s back! He has colored handkerchiefs in hand and he wraps them around Chip’s throat! He’s strangling the life out of his uncle! Chip falls to a knee as his eyes bulge from his head! He desperately reaches up and digs a thumb into Miles’ eye before throwing him overhead onto the dirt! Miles is quick to his feet!
THUNK!
CHIP JUST GRABBED A NEARBY SHOVEL AND KNOCKED THE LIGHT OUT OF MILES!
THUNK!
THUNK!
THUNK!
CHIP TEARFULLY RAINS DOWN BLOWS ONTOP OF MILES’ HEAD UNTIL THE MAGICIAN STOPS MOVING!
Montana exhaustedly grabs Miles, moving him towards the grave to toss him in!
STRAWBERRY BASKET!
LOWBLOW BY MILES!
Chip doubles over and Miles grabs him by the throat!
CHOKESLAM RIGHT INTO THE OPEN GRAVE! SHADES OF ULTIMO AMERICA AS CHIP LANDS WITH A DEAFENING THUD!
The show host tries to stand but Miles holds his hat over the hole! Pounds of dirt pour out completely covering Chip! He’s been buried alive!
Miles stands with a sickening grin, watching as Chip’s name appears across the tombstone.
[edgtf_highlight background_color=”#b83e3e” color=”#000000″] WINNER: MAGICAL MILES [/edgtf_highlight]
SeeSaw steps into the Toybox! The first Toybox! His eyes feel with nostalgic wonder as he skips around his previous play place.
“Oh memories! This is where Mez and I played so long, where Marvolo Two became such a fun game!”
“Where I died.”
SeeSaw turns around to meet the new voice, coming face to face with Kenny Freeman. However, Kenny is different. He moves robotically, like a toy.
“Kenny! You’ve come back to play! Are you ready for another playdate?” SeeSaw jumps with joy, Freeman however glares at him behind glass eyes.
“It’ll be one to die for.”
SeeSaw skips to Kenny and slams into him with a massive hug that transitions into a belly-to-belly suplex that flings Kenny across the Toybox! But Kenny easily rolls to his feet and turns around to a charging SeeSaw! Mr. Make-believe grabs Kenny into another massive hug! He bearhugs him and yanks him around relentlessly!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
FREEMAN JUST OPENED HIS MOUTH AND SHOT FIREWORKS INTO SEESAW’S FACE! HE’S STILL THE FREEMAN BLASTER!
SeeSaw recoils in pain as Freeman grabs a toy from the room! He rushes the Toymaker down with a lightsaber! He turns it on and whales on SeeSaw with it repeatedly! The saber leaves burning hot welts! This toy’s been supercharged and it bubbles up SeeSaw’s skin with every strike! SeeSaw catches one of the blows and holds on! The sound of sizzling skin fills the air!
HE WRAPS IT AROUND KENNY’S NECK!
SURPRISE! YOU’RE DEAD! ROLLING CUTTER!
The Toymaker leaps to his feet and claps his hands excitedly as he looks around the Toybox! “My turn! My turn!” He grabs a hold of a strange device on one of the tables!
BEYBLADE! BEYBLADE! LET’EM RIP!
SEESAW FIRES OFF A SLEW OF RAZOR COVERED BEYBLADES THAT LACERATE KENNY’S PLASTIC SKIN!
The Influencer stumbles back and SeeSaw flies towards him with a clothesline that knocks him to the ground! He looks around for another toy to have fun with before grabbing a box of jacks! He pours them all over the ground before turning around and catching an easy bake oven to the dome! Kenny forces it onto his head!
AND TURNS IT ON! SEESAW YELLS IN AGONY AS HIS THE SMELL OF BURNING FLESH FILLS THE AIR!
PROFILE PICTURE!
FREEMAN JUST HIT A STIFF BLOCKBUSTER ONTO THE FUCKING JACKS!
The toys dig into his back as Freeman lays into SeeSaw with kick after kick that shatters the fucking oven off of his head! Kenny peels SeeSaw off of the ground and grabs a nearby beyblade that he slams into the Toymaker’s skull! SeeSaw stumbles back into a table and Kenny grabs one last toy from the wall!
The Memory Slugger.
WHACK!
NO! SEESAW CAUGHT THE SLUGGER AND PULLS IT INTO HIS HANDS!
“My toy! Mine!”
THWACK!
THWACK!
THWACK!
THWACK!
FREEMAN’S HEAD SPLINTERS APART AS SEESAW LAYS INTO HIM!
Freeman weakly reaches out as one last blow to the head crumples the plastic and a glass eye falls out! He stopped moving!
SeeSaw jumps with joy, telling Kenny he needs to play again sometime.
[edgtf_highlight background_color=”#b83e3e” color=”#000000″] WINNER: SEESAW [/edgtf_highlight]
Back inside the elevator and Vayikra, sans Gable, are heading to the roof. They’ve no floors in this hotel, so they’ve decided to check out the highest part of it.
As the doors open, with everyone else having exited to their specific floor, they enter directly onto the roof.
“You know, I need to ask,” Renault says as all three congregate. “Why do you trust him so implicitly?”
The abruptness comes out of no-where. With Renault pointing at Sanctus, Rhodes rolls his eyes.
“This again?” Sanctus interrupts.
“Yeah, this,” Renault says, pushing him backwards.
Bellator pushes Renault and surprise surprise, Solomon steps between them.
“You both need to stop this before it rips us apart and we fail in our mission to resurrect Yahweh,” Solomon warns. “Do you know how close we are to the end game now?”
Both of them stop.
“This nightmare is all about Sigil and we know what floor he’s on, don’t we? He’s on floor six. So, we can stand here and argue amongst ourselves if you two idiots really want to – or we can head down to floor six, get back that crown, and hasten this entire process.”
Sanctus and Renault look at one another, nodding reluctantly in agreement.
“Good, let’s get it done.”
All three head towards the elevator, only it refuses to open. It doesn’t matter how much Rhodes presses the button; nothing happens.
“We’re stuck here,” he groans. “We’re stuck on the roof.”
“You know you said that this place didn’t have plans for us?” Bellator says with a solemn tone. “Perhaps that isn’t entirely true.”
Cut.
Footsteps, back and forth, over and over again, along with the distinct screech of roller skates against the floor.
And after a moment, we see Tag and Ether, the former finally speaking up in annoyance.
“Where the hell do we go, anyway? I haven’t seen anyone else on this whole damn floor, and it’s really starting to–”
Tag’s diatribe is cut short at the sight of something appearing in his hand, with Ether quickly making the same discovery.
Key cards.
Written on them is a number, and nothing more.
“218.”
The pair read off the number in stereo, looking up at the door nearest to them.
218.
“What a stroke of luck, huh Tag?”
Ether speaks up with a nervous chuckle to try and cut through the tension as she uses the key card to open the door…but that quickly subsides, at the sound of something within the darkness inside.
Skating.
This catches the attention–and concern–of the duo, who stare at each other with widened eyes as Ether speaks up again, her voice wavering just slightly.
“Guess this is our room, then.”
Except that Tag shakes his head, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.
“I…I dunno about this, Eth. I don’t think I can go in there, not after…”
Tag trails off, almost shivering as he stares into the darkness contained within the doorframe. After a moment of staring into the void herself, Ether nods in acknowledgement, speaking with a stronger, braver tone of voice.
“I understand, Tag. If you can’t go in there, I won’t force you…I’ll handle this, for both of us. Just do me a favor, and stay out here…I don’t wanna lose track of you after I deal with this.”
Tag continues to stare into the doorframe, but eventually nods in agreement as Ether steps into the void.
As Ether steps into the room, the lights flicker on revealing a skating rink…and Ether quickly realizes where the sound of skating was coming from as the mode of transport rolls into view.
A scooter.
And standing on it, Wiz…an angry scowl on his face as he stares down his former JSR compatriots with a snarl.
“It’s about time you two showed up…I have some unfinished business.”
Tag backs off as Ether chimes in.
“Wiz, I want nothing more than to find out who–”
She’s cut off by a snap from the Purple Pelican.
“It’s your fault!”
And he charges!
THUD!
The door closes behind Ether, cutting Tag off as Wiz rides at full speed toward the Hungry Girl!
But Ether narrowly avoids a collision as she skates off, with Wiz giving chase.
Ether makes good distance as she turns around, skating backward to look for her pursuer…but Wiz is nowhere in sight!
BANG!
Wiz comes crashing into her from behind, dropping the Bad Random to the floor in the process…and the fists are flying!
The two trade lefts and rights, which quickly becomes difficult for Ether still on the floor as Wiz starts really laying them in thick.
All the while, shouting profanities at the Bad Random.
“This is all your fault, you…you bitch! You and Tag left me all alone, left me to die…and for what?”
“Wiz, I…we–”
Ether doesn’t get another word out before Wiz grabs her by the throat, a man possessed as he squeezes tight on the stranglehold…until Ether has had enough.
With a swift upward swing, Ether kicks her leg up…right in between Wiz’s.
THWACK!
Wiz lets go of the throat, clutching himself as he falls to the floor beside Ether, who quickly rises to standing position with a look of regret as she tries to reason with her fallen comrade.
“Wiz, I’m sorry about what happened to you…but we had nothing to do with it! I promise you, we’ll find out who–”
Ether is cut off as she sees Wiz grab his nearby scooter, taking a wide swing with the Funkmobile…but the Hungry Girl just manages to avoid it!
The scooter goes flying as Wiz rises to his feet, shaking his head in anger as he steps toward his ride.
“I’m going to make you feel what I feel, Ether…and then I’m gonna get Tag, too.”
Wiz grabs his scooter, stepping on.
“And if he loves Starboy so much, he can join us in misery.”
That sets something off inside Ether as Wiz charges once more…as Ether looks for a spinning heel kick!
ETHER STRIKE…MISSES BY A NOSE!
BUT THE JANKY LEG CONNECTS!
Wiz catches Ether with the foot platform to her shins, dropping her to the floor!
He pulls the Hungry Girl toward the nearest rink wall before stepping up on it, launching himself with a sloppy senton landing ass-first onto Ether!
ELECTRIC FREEBIRD!
Wiz makes a cover, mocking Ether as he makes his own count to complete silence.
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
Wiz cackles as he looks down at the fallen Ether, before the hotel door reopens showing Tag with a look of horror at what he sees!
[edgtf_highlight background_color=”#b83e3e” color=”#000000″] WINNER: WIZ [/edgtf_highlight]
The Roof.
With the elevator door trapped, Rhodes, Renault and Bellator begin frantically looking for a way down. They go towards the edge of the building, peering over the black abyss of nothingness below.
“We’re trapped,” Rhodes admits, signalling defeat.
Suddenly, fire erupts across the roof – as if a lightning strike had just struck right there before them. Flames rip across the top, engulfing every part of the roof except the elevator entrance.
Vayikra end up back to back in the middle.
“What the,” Renault gasps.
“You fucking hypocrite!” A booming voice roars from above. “After everything you lambasted him for doing, and you’re now doing it yourself?”
Solomon gulps.
He recognizes that voice.
“Lucifer?” He asks meekly. “It isn’t the same.”
“Hah!” Lucifer replies. “Yet here you are, burning in the eternal fire of my fucking cage. Can you feel the heat, gentlemen? This is what your daddy had to suffer, Sanctus; this is what he wants you to avoid.”
“We’re not afraid of you, demon!” Renault roars back in reply.
Suddenly, a bolt of fire slams into his feet, sending him recoiling to the ground. Solomon rushes to his aide, patting out the flames on his boots.
“That felt real,” Renault warns. “That hurt.”
Suddenly, the elevator light begins shining.
G.
1.
“Who’s that?” Sanctus questions, pointing at the elevator. “A way out?”
2.
3.
Lucifer laughs.
4.
“Don’t be so ridiculous,” he mocks. “That’s my invited guest.”
5.
6.
R.
The Elevator door slowly opens.
It’s Lux Bellator.
And he’s trapped on the roof with Solomon Rhodes, Sanctus and Sir Renault.
Gulp.
Lucifer laughs rapturously as we cut.
We find Deathnote, having arrived at his room.
316.
The door is already open, and inside the Author of Death can hear the distinct hissing of snakes.
The sound almost unnerves him, as he shakes his head to himself.
“No. I will not fall for this…I won’t go in there.”
Suddenly, a voice calls from behind him…the voice of Sigil.
“That’s not how this works, and you know it.”
Before Deathnote can respond, Sigil shoves him into the room…into darkness, with only the hissing to remind him that something is inside with him. Sigil just gives him a stare before speaking again.
“That’s for stabbing me, you bastard. Now, let’s find out what horrifies the God of the New World. Enjoy your stay.”
Sigil chuckles as Deathnote charges toward him…but the door slams shut, keeping Deathnote inside as a light comes on, revealing the horror within…
Deathnote stops face first into what he thinks is the door, only to turn around and find that he is in a deep hole in the ground.
Looking up, there’s only a faint glimmer of moonlight shining down through the tree branches that surround this circular trench.
In too deep to scale himself out of the hole he find himself in, he simply turns back to reopen the door.
Only it’s locked.
Deathnote furiously jigs the handle to no avail, but stops when he hears a hissing noise.
He looks up. Down. Side to side. But sees nothing.
Then he feels it.
The slithering tongue tickles his palm and he jumps back in shock—
THE HANDLE HAS TURNED INTO A SNAKE!
As have the door frame and the door itself! A mass of snakes begin to slither out of the sides of the pit and Deathnote steps backwards right into—
Viper Roberts.
“Careful,” the Head Snake warns.
“The snakes will cut your head off!”
…
Viper Roberts is back for vengeance from Deathnote, and has him right where he wants him in the Snake Pit!
Deathnote stumbles backwards in disbelief, tripping over a rogue tree root and landing against the side of the snake pit. Suddenly snakes slither all over Deathnote: his arms, his torso, and his neck are all covered by a mass of snakes as Roberts steps forward.
DEATHNOTE IS FROZEN IN PLACE, HIS EYES TELL A RARE STORY OF FRIGHT!
“Where’s daddy now?” Roberts asks, bending down to Deathnote’s level, eye to eye with him now. “Is he planning on doing your job for you again?”
And with that, Deathnote’s whole demeanor changes—
HEADBUTT!
He rocks Roberts backwards with that one, and manages to break free from the snakes and gets to his feet. He rushes Roberts—
BIG LARIAT KNOCKS ROBERTS DOWN!
Deathnote is smiling now, and looking down at Roberts quips, “Don’t make me write you back into my book again, dead man.”
PUNT TO ROBERTS’ ABDOMEN!
Viper is reeling a bit, but he gets to his feet, narrowly avoiding a big boot from Deathnote, and surprises the Author with a kick to his gut—
DDT ONTO THE SNAKEPIT FLOOR!!
ODE TO THE SNAKE!!
Deathnote rolls through and grabs the crown of his head, oddly laughing through the pain, but the laughter turns into a yelp as Roberts cracks what sounds a like a whip over his back—
TANNING THE HIDE!!
WITH A FUCKING LIVE SNAKE!!
Now Roberts is the one laughing as Deathnote scrambles into a massive pool of snakes, then changes course away from them right back into his foe…
ROBERTS WRAPS DEATHNOTE’S ARM AROUND HIS OWN NECK—
But Deathnote spins out at the last second and counters Roberts with a massive forearm to the face that knocks him back! Deathnote maintains his grip on Roberts’ wrist and catches him before he falls—
AND TURNS THE PAGE ON THE HEAD SNAKE!!!
SISTER ABIGAIL!!!
Deathnote covers Roberts as an overwhelming amount of snakes pile ontop of them both now, and you could hear through the hissing and slithering a parseltongued voice—
ONE!
…
TWO!!
…
….
…
THREE!!!
Deathnote has penned Roberts’ name in his book once again!
[edgtf_highlight background_color=”#b83e3e” color=”#000000″] WINNER: DEATHNOTE [/edgtf_highlight]
The fourth floor.
Balloons float through the halls. The bass reverberations of the loud music shakes the very floor. You can even hear the mild roar of mindless chatter from the party goers.
It’s just one giant party.
There’s no better place to find the Rainbow Party contingent of the Generation Kid and Vigour.
But there’s just one problem.
There’s no one actually on the floor.
No one but TGK and Vigour.
“…no I get that, but we’ve got to get out of here somehow” TGK says, an ongoing conversation between he and Vigour.
A heated one by the looks of both of them.
“All I’m saying is that we can’t be the only people trapped in here.” The Prince of Party argues, exasperated. “One of these doors has to lead to somewhere!”
The Kid comes to a halt. Vigour stops as well, steeling himself for a confrontation.
“Well?” Vigour says after a moment, his arms stretched out to his side. “Out with it, mate.”
“If we do what you want, and just start going in doors, I can’t help but feel like we’ll never escape.”
For his part, Vigour takes a moment to consider TGK’s words.
“And if we do what you want and just keep wandering the halls, then we’ll never escape either.” Vigour responds. “We may have to just do this our own way. I think this Hotel has different paths for us.”
“Come on,” TGK sighs. “Splitting up, you really think that’ll…”
Vigour holds up something.
A key card.
“This just popped into my hand. I bet you didn’t get one.”
He looks at it, and then up at the door before them.
Room 420.
“Looks like this is my stop, Kid.” Vigour says, walking towards the door. But TGK grabs his arm.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Nah,” Vigour responds quickly. I know who’s inside, and I know I have to handle it alone.”
TGK takes a step back, allowing Vigour to scan the key card and go inside.
Cut.
A solemn but accepting Vigour steps inside the room, finding it set up like a party. Streamers, balloons and a drinks bar adorn the room.
Seemingly innocent enough, but more disturbing the more one looks. A photobooth stands in the corner, filled with razor sharp spikes akin to the Trunchbull’s ‘chokie’. Chains hang among streamers and an open cage sits in the corner with ominously shaped presents.
The words “Party Time” drip down the wall, red with fresh blood.
Standing behind the drinks bar, glares the figure of Starboy.
“You’re responsible for my death.”
They point a large butcher’s knife at Vigour, who holds his hands up in innocence.
“I had nothing to do with it…”
Starboy doesn’t listen, but lunges over the bar swinging the knife.
“Now you’ll see how it feels to die!”
Vigour stumbles backwards out of the range of the incoming knife strike, but trips over his own feet in panic and falls flat on the ground. Starboy draws closer as Vigour backs himself up against the party room door. STARBOY DRIVES THE KINFE STRAIGHT THROUGH VIGOUR’S HAND, PINNING IT TO THE WOOD OF THE DOOR!
VIGOUR HOWLS IN AGONY!
“Please! No! It’s not my fault!”
His pleads fall on deaf ears, as Starboy pulls the knife free of Vigour’s hand, wrenching it with a spurt of blood before swinging for the jugular. Vigour scrambles free, kicking Starboy’s hand to cause them to drop the knife.
TASTE THE RAINBOW!
THE FIREMAN’S CARRY NECKBREAKER SENDS VIGOUR SPRAWLING INTO A PILE OF BALLOONS, POPPING THEM!
A CLOUD OF GAS ERUPTS FROM THE BALLOONS OVER VIGOUR’S FACE!
VIGOUR CRIES IN PAIN AGAIN, BUT STARBOY SHOUTS AT HIM.
“I thought we were friends?! It’s your fault I’m dead!”
Vigour pushes Starboy away, trying to defend himself against his friend…
BUT STARBOY COMES BACK WITH A SPEAR!
NO!
VIGOUR BRUSHES HIM ASIDE AND STARBOY IS SENT FLYING INTO A LARGE CAKE!
“Please, stop this. I had nothing to do with your death, you have to believe me.”
Vigour pleads again, but Starboy is on their feet again before long. They hold a blowtorch, picked up from the rubble of the smashed cake.
VIGOUR IS HIT WITH A FACEFULL OF FLAMES!
HE STAGGERS AROUND BLINDLY…
BEFORE STARBOY DROPKICKS HIM INTO THE PHOTO BOOTH!
VIGOUR FALLS BACK FIRST INTO THE BOOTH, PLUNGING HIMSELF ONTO THE COLLECTION OF SPIKES!
BLOOD CURDLING SCREAMS ERUPT FROM WITHIN THE BOOTH, BEFORE A BLOODIED VIGOUR FALLS BACK OUT OF THE DOOR!
Starboy has him up on his feet again in an instant, dragging him across the room towards the pile of presents in the cage.
“No! Please!” Vigour’s pleading voice accompanies them. “It wasn’t my fault.”
Starboy tosses Vigour aside and picks up a large box, ripping off the wrapping.
STARBOY PULLS OUT A MACHETE!
Vigour scarpers away from the blade, just before Starboy can swing it, creating precious distance between them. But he soon runs out of room, backing himself into the opposite wall of the room.
STARBOY SWINGS THE MACHETE AT VIGOUR’S HEAD!
BUT VIGOUR DUCKS AND THE MACHETE GETS STUCK IN THE WALL!
Vigour pushes Staboy away again, but knows that he needs to fight to stay alive. He scoops Starboy up, marching him over to the dancefloor of the party room, which is covered in thumbtacks.
PLEASURE SEEKER!
THE PILEDRIVER DESTROYS STARBOY!
STARBOY IS NOT MOVING!
HE’S OUT!
VIGOUR KILLS HIM WITH FIRE!
[edgtf_highlight background_color=”#b83e3e” color=”#000000″] WINNER: VIGOUR [/edgtf_highlight]
Room 666.
It would loom large for anyone, but for the figure standing in front of its door, there seems to be an even larger burden.
Sigil.
Knowing all he knows combined with all he’s done, he has a big decision to make.
“It didn’t have to be this way.” A voice says from behind him.
Sigil doesn’t even turn around.
“I knew you’d show up.” He counters.
Death stands behind him.
“This whole nightmare tonight…” Death begins. “It’s because of you and your stubborn refusal to return the Ring King crown.”
Sigil’s shoulders shrug in what could be considered a chuckle.
“Is that it?” The Collector says after a moment. “Your big pitch to me? Just to tell me this is my fault? I didn’t break the bonds of time and reality. You did. Spare me your idle blame.”
Death shakes his head, lowering it for a moment with a sigh.
“One last chance, Sigil.” He says, raising his gaze with sinister intentions in his voice. “One last chance to return the crown, and end this nightmare. Or you will go through that door, and you will face what’s on the other side.”
He pauses, letting it hang in the air.
“And you don’t want to face what’s behind that door. I assure you of that.”
No response from Sigil.
“Well?” Death asks.
Pause.
With a deep breath, Sigil appears ready to give his answer.
And an answer he does deliver.
WHAM! BIG BACKHAND ACROSS THE FACE OF DEATH!
To be continued…
There’s an industrial click as a light panel above flickers its sterile light on the room below.
It’s in that room that Sir Gable finds himself, alone. The room appears to be some sort of waiting area, with faded blue wallpaper covered in A4 posters, and vinyl covered furniture around the perimeter. It is in one of these seats that Sir Gable sits, taking in his new surroundings. The light flickers, almost like the bulb needs changing, and the only sound he can hear is his own breathing.
As he looks, he notes that there is only one door in the room – a big mahogany one, and Gable leans forward to read the label on it. Suddenly, he removes his mask and hood, and we see his face for the first time in quite a while. On that face is etched a look of pure terror, eyes wide open and sweat dripping down his forehead, and that breathing he can hear from himself is more laboured than before.
The camera pans to the label that caused him to react in this way:
‘517: DR. DANVERS’
The door opens, nothing but darkness within, and after a short pause a familiar voice speaks out.
“Come in my love, the doctor will see you now…”
Sir Gable jolts at the sound. He considers for a moment, and is reluctant, but as there is no other door in this room, he stands. He takes one last breath, gulps and walks tentatively towards the door
Cut.
Cael slowly opens the door, entering the room as the garb of the Vayikra slowly fading away replaced by an attire from a long lost era of judgement. He wearily continues forward, smelling in the sickly stench of mold and decay as he walks inside a waiting room of sorts but one that hasn’t been in use for what looks like decades. Dust and disrepair coat the room as Cael nearly jumps out of his skin at the sound of another human being. The pretty young woman looks up, thin spectacles resting on the bridge of her nose as the receptionist smiles warmly at Cael.
“Mr Gable, we’ve been expecting you. He’s ready to see you now, just through that door”
She motions towards the large steel double doors at the end of a hallway, Cael almost by instinct alone begins to walk down them but stops just short as a feeling of pure dread and terror runs down his spine. Gulping loudly, Gable looks back at the receptionist.
Only to see she’s now wearing a plague mask upon her face.
Terrified, Cael tries to run only for the double doors to fly wide open…as he walks through them.
Isaac Danvers chuckles a mix of menacing and glee as he places one iron hand upon the shoulder of Cael.
“Hello my love, I’ve been waiting so patiently”
BEFORE THROWING HIM HARD INTO THE DOCTOR’S ABODE!
Cael rolls down hard onto the tiled floor, his shoulder dislodging from it’s socket on impact. Gable cries out in pain, trying to get to his feet but is stopped by a foot to the small of the back as Danvers reaches down.
“Oh my poor Cael, let me fix that for you”
Danvers grabs the shoulder, forcibly slamming it back into the socket with another cry of pain before he lifts Gable up high and throws him down hard into the operating chair. Cael tries to get to his feet but straps wrap around his chest, holding him in place as Danvers pulls out a razor sharp scalpel.
Before he begins to slide it across Cael’s forehead!
Gable screams out in pain, blood pooling down his face as in his frenzied panic, he manages to kick Danvers low. The Doctor reels in pain, dropping the scalpel as Cael finds the strength to break the bonds and try to escape but he barely gets a few feet before he feels massive hands upon his face
AS HE TRIES TO GIVE HIS BELOVED A LOBOTAMY!
Gable is slowly fading, his mind failing him as he slowly begins to fall to sleep, scrambling for anything to break the cranial suffocation before his hands grasp upon something
AND HE DRIVES THE FALLEN SCALPEL INTO THE EYE OF DANVERS!
Isaac staggers back, black bile pooling down his mask as Cael screams out in rage, spinning around and GOLD RUSHING DANVERS TO THE TILED FLOOR BEFORE HE BEGINS TO GROUND AND POUND HIM!
“I...PUNCH...NEVER….PUNCH...LOVED….PUNCH….YOU!”
With each punch, the mask of Danvers begins to crack more and more and with the final blow, it splits wide open revealing the living corpse underneath. The black bile obscures his features as a brutal headbutt gets Cael off him. Gable rolls to his feet, sneer of pure hatred that Danvers returns for the first time, anger and pain at the man he loved.
“You broke my heart”
“I DON’T CARE”
Both men rush forward, fists flying but Isaac manages to duck underneath the Haymaker from Gable
THE CURE! Brutal pinpoint Elbow knocks Cael out cold
The Doctor has beaten down his patient once again but as Danvers begins to put his mask back together, will his heartbreak heal just the same?
[edgtf_highlight background_color=”#b83e3e” color=”#000000″] WINNER: ISAAC DANVERS [/edgtf_highlight]
As the elevator door slams shut behind Lux Bellator, he looks forward towards his former best friend and son, realizing that he’s now trapped here with them both.
Lux doesn’t need a further invitation – he storms forward, tackling Rhodes to the ground.
He wails on him, delivering right and left hands as his former best friend covers up.
Sanctus tries pulling him off, only daddy clocks him with an elbow to the jaw that knocks him to the ground as well.
“You want to manipulate my son!?” Lux yells, stomping at Rhodes as Lucifer laughs maniacally in the background.
Renault then intervenes, grabbing Lux and ramming him backwards into the elevator doors, leaving a dent. Bellator slams forearms down across his back, grabbing him and turning him with a spin to drive him face first into the steel doors himself.
Lux walks away, listening to the laugh of Lucifer.
Rhodes gets back to his feet.
The both clash, struggling once again, falling through the flames and TOPPLING OVER THE EGDE OF THE BUILDING!
The laughter stops.
The fire subsides.
What the fuck is happening!?
Sanctus and Renault rush to the building edge, peering over in hopes that Solomon still hangs on.
But he doesn’t.
They both do.
Sanctus reaches out for Solomon, grabbing him with both hands and pulling him back up.
Only at the same time, Sir Renault is pulling Lux Bellator back up too.
As all four land on the concrete, looking at one another – no-one can quite figure out what the fuck just happened.
Sir Renault saved Lux.
Sanctus saved Solomon.
Why?
Lucifer chuckles once more.
Cut.
…continued from earlier…
Sigil tees off on Death with heavy lefts and right, each one connecting sharply with the god’s chin.
“Do you really think, after all this time,” Sigil says between punches, “that I’ll just give something up to you, then you’re insane.”
He rears back with a big shot.
CAUGHT.
Death twists Sigil’s arm back with a grin on his face.
Headbutt.
Another.
Thrice he goes noggin to noggin with the Collector. Sigil is staggered backwards up against the door to Room 666.
Death checks his jaw while Sigil tries to shake out the cobwebs.
“No, I don’t believe you’ll actually just give it up, but does it mean so much to you that’ll enter that room?”
Sigil hesitates.
“Where are the crystals?” Death asks. “Where is the damn crown? No more games, Sigil. Tell me, and this all ends. Don’t, and I may just kill you where you stand.”
The Collector’s body flushes as he grows angry, his every word spat with vitriol.
“You won’t kill me!” He roars. “You can’t. You know that if I die, then all of it will be lost to time. Your crown. The crystals. All of it will be gone if you kill me here.”
Death’s brow furrows, but he doesn’t refute Sigil.
“And you wear that like a shield, don’t you?” He says after a moment. “But rest assured, the day will come that I reap your soul. You won’t be able to hide them from me forever.”
Confident now, Sigil cocks his head.
“Are you ready to end this nightmare now?” He asks.
It’s Death’s turn to laugh.
“No.”
KICK TO SIGIL! THE COLLECTOR GOES FLYING THROUGH THE DOOR TO ROOM 666!
Death just grins as Sigil vanishes into its confines.
Cut.
As the door slams shut on Sigil, he turns to see what can only be described as a massive, barren field.
Moonlight is the only source of light that shines down upon the patches of grass that lie upon endless tundra of dirt. Sigil strolls forward, examining his surroundings carefully.
Suddenly the ground begins to rumble beneath him. The ground fissures around Sigil in a large perfect circle, and flames erupt from the gaps in the land.
Sigil is trapped in a ring of fire.
He looks around, noticing smaller circles of flames erupting outside of his circle that seem to be engulfed by flames in clockwise motion like a second hand of a clock rotating.
And now to his surprise, standing across Sigil within the circle of fire is none other than—
The Cryptkeeper.
“Time is a flat circle, Collector…” he snickers, before jumping at his old foe.
…
The Cryptkeeper is back, and he swears vengeance for his and his brother Flavo’s deaths at the hands of Sigil!
BIG CLOTHESLINE BY CRYPTKEEPER!
It knocks Sigil on the ground and Cryptkeeper follows up by wrapping both his hands around Sigil’s neck, choking the life out of the man who killed him!
“Your time’s almost up, Sigil…” he taunts as he chokes the Collector.
Cryptkeeper throws a right hand, and another at Sigil’s head that rocks him, then goes back to choking him again.
“FLAVO AND I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU—“
Cryptkeeper gets right up in Sigil’s face—
“IN HELL!”
Cryptkeeper tightens up his grip on Sigil until the Collector goes limp, and finally releases him, allowing Sigil’s head to hit the ground with a thud!
He laughs and drags Sigil by the arm towards the flames on the edge of their circle, a wicked grin apparent on his face by the flickering of the flames. He’s gone from within feet to mere inches now…
BUT SIGIL IS AWAKE AND ALERT!
Sigil pulls back on his arm with all his might, bringing the Cryptkeeper back from the flames to the middle of the circle, the two having a game of tug of war until Sigil yanks Cryptkeeper back at him by the arm—
HARSH CHOP TO THE SIDE OF CRYPTKEEPER’S NECK!!
MERCIFUL!!
Cryptkeeper drops to his knees, shielding his neck where he was chopped, and Sigil follows up with a leaping roundhouse kick to his jaw—
FINITE!!
CRYPTKEEPER FLOPS HARD ONTO THE GROUND!!
It’s Sigil’s turn to drag his opponent to the edge of the circle now, pulling Cryptkeeper by the foot towards the flames. It’s getting hotter, step by step he feels the heat and just before he reaches the flames he feels resistance from his foe—
KICK TO THE LOWER BACK!
SIGIL TUMBLES TOWARD THE FLAMES!
He steadies himself within inches of the flames, and the beads of sweat are rolling down his head onto his torso. Things are getting a bit slippery now—
LARIAT BY CRYPTKEEPER—
BUT SIGIL HITS THE DECK!
NOW CRYPTKEEPER JOLTS TO A STOP BEFORE HE IS CONSUMED BY THE FLAMES!
He’s wobbling, and Sigil pops up behind him, grabbing ahold of his back and pushing towards the fire…
Cryptkeeper drops to a knee though, and pushes against the ground to hold the line…
And Sigil takes advantage of this momentum, releasing the pressure and trapping Cryptkeeper onto his bended knee—
ELBOW TO THE FACE!
THE LONG ROAD AHEAD??
NO!!
CRYPTKEEPER JABS SIGIL IN THE ADAM’S APPLE AND ESCAPES HIS CLUTCHES!
Sigil lost his breath, and Cryptkeeper looks to capitalize as he gets to his feet—
KICK TO THE GUT—
CRADLE PILEDRIVER!!
CRYPT DRIVER!!
Cryptkeeper lifts Sigil onto his shoulder and turns to the flame—
AND LAWNDARTS HIM INTO THE FIRE!!!
VAULTED!!!
AND SIGIL IS UP IN FLAMES!!!
Cryptkeeper went scorched Earth on his and his brother’s killer tonight!
[edgtf_highlight background_color=”#b83e3e” color=”#000000″] WINNER: THE CRYPTKEEPER [/edgtf_highlight]
Fire engulfs a screaming Sigil.
His echoed cries are haunting in their desperation.
Static.
Snap.
Suddenly, as if with a click of his fingers – everyone is back in the lobby, with Death stood before them.
“Have we had fun here tonight?” Death asks with a smirk. “A painful night inside the Paradox hotel, hm? Everything you suffered here tonight felt real, but none of you have been harmed.”
“Do you know what it’s like to burn alive you fucking cunt?” Sigil screams back at him.
The sea of faces part as Death makes a b-line through them to Sigil at the back.
“You caused this,” he barks, then looking at everyone else. “HE is the reason you’re here. HE’S the reason you’re going to be stuck here until I get that crown back. I used a spell to manipulate time and reality; both belong to me until I deem it unnecessary.”
That causes everyone to look at Sigil.
“That’s your masterplan, huh?” Sigil scoffs. “Turn these people against me, out of fear, so that I’ll be forced to hand it back over?”
Death chuckles to himself.
“You’ll find yourselves back at more doors, with more horrors, from now until infinity,” he says with eyes only for The Collector. “Or you can beat the living shit out of this asshole and go home. Get me the crown and the crystals and this ends. The choice is yours.”
Everyone – whether friend or foe, enemy or otherwise, turn their attention to The Collector and begin closing in. They want to go home. They don’t want to suffer these nightmares any longer. They’ve had enough.
As Sigil is backed into the corner, he clicks his fingers.
And just like that, everyone is back inside The Slaughterhouse.
“Is this what you meant by see where the night takes us?” Lux Bellator asks, enraged. “You could’ve gotten us all out of there earlier?”
The Collector nods, stepping closer towards Death.
“Do you really think you’re the only one with power here, Death?” Sigil asks with a shrug. “I control time and reality. I don’t need a fucking spell to do it. I have time, I have reality, I have love and I have life. Green, yellow, red and white – do you know what’s left? Black.”
He lunges forward, only Death vanishes.
“Cunt!” Sigil roars.
Everyone else begins dispersing, leaving Sigil to portal out.
Sometime Later.
Sigil stands in the middle of an unknown location, wearing the Ring King crown. Upon it, a green, yellow, red and white crystal reside. There’s one space left.
Black.
Just then, a voice interrupts the silence.
“You could’ve stopped that entire nightmare from the jump,” Lux Bellator says coming into frame. “You don’t know what I had to suffer; what any of those people had to suffer. You’re not making friends, Sigil.”
“I needed to see what Death had in his locker to stop me,” he admits. “I had to know whether he was on the ropes.”
“And?” Bellator queries.
“He just played his hand,” The Collector warns, removing the crown and placing it onto the side. “And at Red Snow, your son will be saved when I kill Death.”
Bellator gulps.
“It’s time someone reaped the reaper.”
Cut.