THE SPIRIT OF FIRE
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“My son, the spirit of fire has chosen you to walk this path.”
[He looks downwards towards a row of hot coals, the fire beneath them being stoked by those chanting.]“He wishes for you to take in his warmth.”
[The Elder backs away and allows Tommy to step forward. He takes a deep breath and slowly begins to walk over the hot coals, barefoot, wincing as he does. With every step, his pain seems to lessen, until he finally reaches the end. With burnt feet, he’s helped towards a wooden log, and seated there as the Elder approaches.]“Your sacrifice to the spirit of fire has not been successful, Tommy. I fear that is not all he wants. I fear that he wants your Championship.”
[Tommy nods.] “I too feared this, Elder. I cannot let our people lose fire, but I will not sacrifice my Championship.” [There’s a pause – a deafening silence, as his people stop their chanting.]“If you do not, he could take away our light, our warmth and our life. If he gives, he may take away. Everything the power does, it does in a circle. If you give unto him your title, he will give unto us the gift of fire. We will retain our knowledge of this land. Remember, a good chief gives, he does not take.”
[The World Champion sits there for a moment, contemplating what he may have to do. After a short silence, he speaks.]“I will wage war with the spirit of fire to retain our knowledge.”
[Everyone gasps, but not the Elder.] “If a man is to do something more than human, he must have more than human powers. Come to me later, we must Sun Dance.” [Hawk nods in agreement.] [Cut.]THE SCARECROW VS. ALISTAIR HUXLEY
SWEET DREAMS QUALIFICATION
DESPITE ALL MY RAGE…
RINGSIDE
“There there, Maui. Huxley wouldn’t want you sulking like that, it’s very unfitting of his warrior. Let’s turn that frown upside down, shall we?”
[HardKore jumps up, pulling at the bars…but his strength is of no effect to the cage, drawing a chuckle from the bearded lady.]“I really don’t know why you keep trying, love. We made sure to reinforce the bars on that after your little stunt a while back.”
[She picks up the mere club, looking at it fondly as she steps closer to the cage. She rears back, taking a swing against the bars of the cage to scare HardKore…which has no effect on the Maori Warrior, who instead grabs the club from her! He slams the club against the cage bars…and after a moment, they give way! HardKore breaks out of the cage, the bearded lady taking off for Huxley as HardKore stares at the television before taking a swing at it with the club, destroying the television in one swift motion! He turns around at the sound of more of Huxley’s freaks entering the room, smiling as he begins to perform a haka, his tongue sticking out before uttering a few words.]“All right boys, let’s see what you’re made of.”
[He charges at the freaks, swinging his club.] [Cut.]MOTHER VS. DTR
SWEET DREAMS QUALIFICATION
LIES AND TRUTH
BACKSTAGE
“What in hell?” [Sergei exclaims. He pushes the escape button over and over, but nothing changes. The face on the screen speaks.]
“That won’t do any good, Sergei. I’m in until I am ready to be gone.”
“Get out of computer!”
[And amazingly, X’s face disappears, but it is quickly replaced by a picture of Alexi Petrov. He shakes hands with an unknown man with his back turned to us.]“Where you find this, X?”
“The Dark Web, Mr. Sokolov. I know you are still learning English,” [Mr. X says from the speakers.] “So allow me to read the article.”
[Mr. X reads the words that we can see on the screen.]“General Alexi Petrov (left) is a high ranking official in the Russian Secret Service, also known as the Foreign Intelligence Service [FIS] He is connected with many espionage circles, with spies in as many as 23 different international governmental bodies. He is also known for his unorthodox tactics of gaining information through manipulating Russian citizens and informants, using them for all that they are worth and then disposing of them. Petrov is….”
[Sokolov has heard enough and slams the laptop shut, cutting off Mr. X’s voice and removing the image from the screen.]“Lies! The Russian Bear will not believe these lies told by dirty American hacker!”
[He stands abruptly, knocking his chair over, and launches the computer into the wall, smashing it. He stands quietly, breathing deeply. But then Mr. X’s voice fills the room from nowhere, but seemingly everywhere.]“The only lies are those of your own country. Soon you will see the truth.”
[Sokolov balls his fists and screws up his face as we cut.]BOUGHT AND PAID FOR
BACKSTAGE
“Mr. Flint?” [Ethan Bird asks, his confidence instantly back on his face.] “Ethan Bird didn’t expect to see you here today.”
[Flint steps between his bodyguards, his body language suggesting that he is in a hurry.]“Cut the crap, Bird.”
[He shoves a piece of paper into the chest of the VHS Champion, who looks down at it. It’s the booking mugshot of Jake Jeckel from his imprisonment, facilitated by Bird at No Exit.]“We had a deal.” [Flint says, his smooth business voice not betraying the fire in his eyes.] “I paid 1.5 million dollars for you to walk out at Ring of Dreams and end Jake Jeckel. That’s not a small amount of money, and I even let the Chief slap me to get it. I don’t deal well with that shit, you hear me?”
[Bird grimaces, but nods.]“That is non-refundable, and I’m going to get what I paid for.” [He lets the mugshot crash to the ground.] “I can’t get Jake out of jail, but you bet your ass that I’m going to see you take on a Jeckel at Ring of Dreams.”
[Bird snorts with confidence.]“Jack Jeckel won’t be a problem.”
[Flint snorts back.]“You sure?”
[ETHAN BIRD GETS BLINDSIDED BY JACK JECKEL!] [Jack Jeckel has entered the scene, and now he and Ethan Bird are exchanging blows, going down the hallway away from Flint. The bodyguards start to head after them, but Errol waves them off. Instead he bends down and picks up the VHS Championship, flinging it over his shoulder. The mugshot from before is gone, though.]“Let ’em go.”
[His eyes follow Bird and Jeckel as they round the corner. A smile crosses his face.]“I need to evaluate the situation.”
[What is he talking about?]KING ROYAL VS. HAYDEN HARDKORE
SWEET DREAMS QUALIFICATION
DRAWN
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“The meek shall inherit the Earth. At No Exit, it was proven. No lies told by Mother could dissuade me from the path. I thank you all for your loyalty.”
[Her speech continues in the background as our focus is drawn to a figure hiding somewhat in the shadows. He wears a hooded top, the hood drawn up to hide his face. As secretive as the figure is, he watches Calypso intently, but he is not like the others. There is something different about him, a confidence that the others do not have… and a maniacal laugh that escapes his lips in the quiet of the vacant lot.]“I am drawn to her…” [He muses to himself aloud, nobody around to hear him. He keeps the hood up and we cannot see his face, yet it is clear that he watches her closely.] “… Like a moth to a flame. Perhaps it is that we are not so different, her and I. A following of people forgotten by a God that doesn’t care? I can relate to that.”
[He lowers the hood of his top. Desmond Cross. Still intently watching Calypso.]“Through relating to her message, I am drawn… Not to follow her like these people do but…”
[He turns, listening intently to a voice that isn’t there. Whatever he hears seems to frustrate him, to the point that when he turns back to Calypso, his entire demeanour has changed.]“You’re right, though… Of course.” [He speaks to the voice as if talking to somebody over his shoulder.] “She isn’t like me. She calls herself a Messiah, gathers followers that hang on her every word. She isn’t God, but to her people, she is. There is only one power worthy of being followed, and it is not Calypso.”
[Again, he turns around and argues in whispered tones with the voices inside his head. When he turns back again, his eyes are flushed with anger.]“You’re right… Of course. She must be stopped.” [He shakes his head, another chuckle of unnatural laughter escaping his lips. He looks back to Calypso, who has finished her speech now and is busy listening to the stories of some of her followers around a barrel of fire.]
“It is a shame though… I was so drawn to her.”
[Desmond raises the hood again to hide his identity. He slips his hand inside the pocket of his top and approaches the Messiah. With the skill and grace of a pickpocket, he feigns bumping into Calypso, palming off a note to her. In the confusion, she doesn’t notice the note until the figure has slipped off into the night. She opens it, reading the two words it contains.‘I’m watching.’]
KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
THE EPICENTRE
“How could you?” [Stephanie says, walking into frame with a disgusted look upon her face.] “How could you fail your family so badly?”
[DTR soon joins her, placing his arm around her shoulder. Jensen twinges, tilting his head. He doesn’t like that.]“What’s the matter? Hadn’t you figured it out yet?” [DTR chuckles out loud.] “Your precious daughter and I,” [He says, pulling her close and into a rather ferocious kiss.] “We’ve become close, son.”
[Cussen doesn’t know what to do. He just looks at them, with fear, protective eyes.]“Don’t worry daddy, we’re keeping it all in the family,” [She hisses.] “And you need to start taking care of business, or else.”
“At Ring Of Dreams, I’ll finish this,” [Cussen promises.] “I’ll end Jacob Phoenix.”
[DTR ponders it for a moment.]“I’m not sure that you can. He wants to take my lovely Stephanie away from me, son. He wants to take her away from you, yet you seem powerless to stop it. Hasn’t the power I’ve given you had any effect? You have the strength of ten men coursing through your veins yet you’re meek and fragile.”
[Vengeance stands up, getting the face of The Virus. Dave smiles, allowing Stephanie to push between them.]“Ya see daddy dearest, we don’t trust you to finish this. Sometimes, you need a little help, ya’know? So at Ring of Dreams, Father will join you in the ring. It’ll be a Triple Threat Match and one way or another, Jacob Phoenix will succumb to the Virus. Oh, I can’t wait.”
[Jensen looks at DTR, who smiles.] [Cut.]EPITAPH VS. JENSEN CUSSEN
SINGLES MATCH
MELTING AWAY
RINGSIDE
“War never changes, Epitaph.”
[The voice of William Abraxas rings out over the video, the flame perfectly framed between his two eyes.]“Your veneer of peace can be found in that candle before you. Just like you, it’s lily white, standing tall as a source of peace and love. How many weddings feature the lighting of a candle by the bride and groom? Yet I come before to show you the union of war and violence. It’s unyielding and wanton destruction will soon come to dominate you.”
[Epitaph stands to his feet to stare up at the video screen, beckoning Abraxas to come to him. Of course, there is no response. Only more sinister words above brutal imagery.]“That flame that is lit on that white candle burns a bright red. It is the Red Horse. It is war, and war will take your peace and slowly burn the candle, melting away all of the years of peaceful wax to leave nothing but the flame. Nothing but the red horse.”
[Epitaph reaches back out for the candle, but it has vanished.]“The candle is in your heart, Epitaph.”
[The final image on the screen is of Epitaph’s mask laying on a pool of ash.]“And I come to melt it away.”
[The video fades to black, and Epitaph is left alone.] [At No Exit, Abraxas showed what he would do to those who follow Epitaph, and this week he has shown us what he intends to do to the man himself.] [What will Abraxas do next?]JACOB PHOENIX VS. CALYPSO
SINGLES MATCH
COMMON GROUND
BACKSTAGE
“You really thought I was just going to let you go?” [Jack Jeckel says as he stalks the man who put his brother in jail.] “After the shit you pulled?”
[Bird ducks a right hand from Jack and throws his enemy down the hallway, charging after him with a roar.]“You really though you could trust Ethan Bird?” [Bird taunts as he kicks Jack backwards.] [The two fighting men find themselves overtaken with light as they find themselves fighting through the entrance way into the Tap Room. Bird continues his assault, throwing Jack into the guardrail surrounding the aisle to the ring.]
“This is exactly what Errol Flint wants, you imbecile.” [Bird continues.] “Now he is going to have Ethan Bird take you out, Jackie boy, and all you can do is let him pluck your strings like a damn guitar.”
[Jack charges out of his defensive position with rage, taking command and throwing Bird into the ring.]“Fuck you, Bird! You’re not going to manipulate me like you do everyone else. You put my brother in jail. More importantly, you lied to me and made me help you.”
[Jack slides in and charges at Bird, but Ethan reaches into his pants and throws a piece of paper at Jeckel, who stops to look at it.] [It’s the mugshot of Jake from earlier. At some point in the struggle, Bird must have nabbed it.]“If you really want your brother back, remember why Ethan Bird put him away to begin with.” [Bird says, rising to his feet to speak with guile.] “Remember who the real enemy is here, Jack.”
[Jack looks down at the picture with regret, and looks back up at Bird. The action seems to have stopped here.]“Errol Flint caused this.” [Bird says, a smile behind his beard.] “He’s the one you need to take down. By attacking Ethan Bird, all you’re doing is giving him what he wants. And remember that what he ultimately wants is your brother dead. That’s why he hired Ethan Bird, after all. So perhaps he did you a favor by locking your brother up?”
[Jack shakes his head in the negative, but the adrenaline seems to have faded.]“I don’t trust you, Bird.” [He begins.] “But as soon as we’re done with this match that’s happening next, you and I are going to go pay a visit to Mr. Flint. And we’re going to see if your mouth will back up his money.”
[Bird nods in agreement, the gears working behind his eyes to figure out the best course of action.] [Of course, as “Blood on my Name” hits the speakers, both men in the ring are reminded that they have to work together for the time being. Solomon Rhodes and Tommy Hawk aren’t going to care that they don’t like each other.] [And that match is next!]TOMMY HAWK & SOLOMON RHODES VS. ETHAN BIRD & JACK JECKEL
TAG TEAM MATCH
BROKEN PROMISES
RINGSIDE
“I told you, Bird, that I paid for this match. I paid handsomely for it.” [He turns to look at Jack too.] “And I’ll be damned if you two walk around beating the piss out of each other every second you can. I don’t get bad returns on my deals, got it?”
[Both Bird and Jeckel seem to laugh off what he says. They look at each other, remembering their agreement earlier that Flint was the root of their issue.]“Sorry, Errol.” [Bird begins.] “This deal isn’t going to work out the best for you.”
[Flint raises an eyebrow as Bird and Jack nod to one another in unison. They walk toward the former OSW owner as his bodyguards step forward. Errol waves them off, taking an offensive stance. Is Errol going to fight them?] [KICK TO THE STOMACH OF BIRD!] [JACK IN THE BOX!] [The VHS Champion finds himself laid out on the ground as Jack Jeckel stands over him, a sneer on his painted face. Errol Flint steps forward with a grin on his face and extends his hand. The two men shake before Errol kneels down over the fallen Ethan Bird.]“My deals always work out the best for me, Bird.” [He begins.] “That’s why I am where I am. And why you are where you are.”
[He looks over to Jeckel, who stands behind Flint with a grin plastered on his face.]“Jack may not agree with what I was going to do with his brother, but somehow we ended up with a common enemy.” [He places his hand on the fallen back of Bird.] “And that’s you, son. You put his brother in jail, and you robbed me of something I paid for.”
[Flint stands to his feet, keeping the VHS Championship over his shoulder.]“So now Jack is going to work for me. And his job is to end you at Ring of Dreams.”
[He pats the title belt on his shoulder.]“And this is going to stay with me as collateral to make sure you don’t go trying to make other deals.”
[Before he leaves, Errol has one more thing to say.]“You ruined a 1.5 million dollar deal, Ethan, and now I’m going to make sure you pay for it. Your life isn’t worth that much, but it’s going to have to do.”
[With no further comment, Flint turns heel and heads back up the aisle. Jack Jeckel lingers for a moment, staring down at Ethan Bird with a grin on his face.] [Bird broke a deal with Jack as well.] [And now it’s time to pay the Boogeyman.]ONE
BACKSTAGE
“Sweet Dreams are made of this, who am I to disagree?”
[The sounds of a singing King can be heard echoing throughout the halls of the Tap Room. Your majesty is carefully strolling down the halls whilst surrounded by Royal Guards.] [The lights suddenly flicker.] [Darkness.] [Painful noises crunch, snap and crackle in the broken light. Screams echo, cries yelp and men fall.] [The lights then return.] [Only the King is left standing and he is not alone.]“Little birdie,” [The booming voice The Scarecrow looms over King Royal.] “Have you ever had a nightmare so real, so visceral, that you woke up in a cold sweat, convinced that what you had just witnessed was real?”
[The King stammers.] “W-What do you want, heathen?” [What Royal doesn’t realize is that Mother is standing behind him.]“Peek-a-boo!” [She yells, catching him by surprise.] [He backs up into a nearby wall, surrounded by the Monsters of Genesis.]
“Sweet Dreams is only a matter of mere weeks away, and we represent this roster in our endeavours there,” [Mother warns.] “But only one can be the number one contender. Only one can get a shot at the World Champion.”
“Only one shall leave The Asylum,” [The Scarecrow joins in.] “And let’s face it, little birdie, the Asylum is hardly your Kingdom, is it?”
[Royal suddenly puffs out his chest.]“You’re right, savages, the Asylum is no abode fit for a King. But I possess something that neither of you cretins do. I possess an army of Knights willing to fight for a King’s victory.”
[The Scarecrow and Mother both turn around, realizing they’ve been surrounded by even more of The King’s men than before.]“What can I tell you?” [He scoffs.] “I increased my protective detail. After battling Tommy Hawk, I had to. Men, dispatch of these incredulous imbeciles.”
[The Knights bumrush Mother and The Scarecrow, but she clicks her fingers and the lights go off.] [Flutter.] [Nothing.]MR. X VS. WILLIAM ABRAXAS VS. DESMOND CROSS VS. SERGEI SOKOLOV
FATAL FOUR WAY MATCH
{Sergei is the new number one contender with a statement win over his completion. He yells “For Mother Russia!”]
THE SUN DANCE
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“Why have you done this to yourself?” [Rhodes asks, looking him up and down.] “Why are you making yourself suffer, Tommy?”
[Solomon lifts his chin carefully.]“I am not who you think I am. You don’t need to sacrifice for your people, for I am not here to harm them. I just came for that,” [Solomon notes whilst pointing at the World Championship.] “And I am no God or spirit.”
[Hawk’s head slowly rises, exhausted and agonized.] [The Camera switches to the point of view of Solomon Rhodes, who stares at him in shock. He didn’t realize he could understand in his haze of pain.]“I… I know who you are,” [Hawk says with a stammer.] “I know what you are. I can see the fire roaring within the furnace of your heart. It craves to be fuelled by what belongs to my people.”
[Rhodes angrily declares this to be a lie, ripping the hooks from Hawk’s chest violently. Blood spurts out somewhat, and Tommy falls to his knees, his mouth agape in shock.]“No!” [The challenger growls.] “You’re mistaken.”
[Rising from the ashes of death, dehydrated and angry, Tommy Hawk slowly stands. His feet are somewhat wobbly beneath him, but his eyes are full of fury. He strikes with a thunderous right hand that knocks Solomon immediately to the sandy ground. Rhodes scrambles backwards, rolling to safety and preparing to strike back.]“This is sacred ground, spirit. You should have not trespassed here.”
[Solomon stands, carefully backing away as Tommy clenches his fist, ready for a fight.]“I’m sorry,” [he apologizes.] “I shouldn’t have come.”
[Cut.]