FADING AWAY
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.”
[Suddenly, a Doctor abruptly interrupts, knocking on the door. Godfrey closes his bible, turning to face him with a firm nod as he enters.]“I’m afraid that I have some bad news,” [The Doctor says, pushing his round glasses higher upon his nose. He looks over a chart, grimacing.] “He’s begun to deteriorate.”
[Godfrey closes his eyes.]“His vital signs have weakened for the first time. His condition has always been an anomaly but stable. Now that his condition is worsening, we aren’t sure how to proceed. We’ve run as many tests as possible to try and understand why he’s not waking up and everything has come back clear.”
“How long does he have, Doctor?”
[He browses over the notes once again before placing the chart underneath his arm.]“It’s difficult to say but in my medical opinion, I’d say weeks, not months. If he doesn’t awaken soon and turn this around, there’s nothing we can do.”
[Godfrey looks upset.] “I need you to keep him alive. You must put him on life support and do whatever it takes to ensure his survival.”“We’ll do what we can, sir. However, his heart rate is slowing, his breathing has become laboured and his liver and kidney functions are getting worse. We’ll do our best, but if his body gives up, there’s nothing we can do to stop it.”
[Godfrey turns his head back towards The Chief, clasping his hand tightly.]“Wake up, please, wake up.”
[Cut.]BUSINESS
BACKSTAGE
“Man, cut to the chase. What is it you want?” [Nate asks, sitting forward in his chair.] [Gideon leans his head to one side.] [Static.] [Now the rooms walls are covered with plastic sheeting. The floor has plastic sheeting taped to it. Big Bruce and TJ Laws are gone now, and Nate Washington lies, cellophaned to the desk, his mouth bound with electrical tape. He is sweating. His screams muffled by the electrical ta–] [Static.]
“Hello? Man, get outta here.” [Nate spits, flinging his hand towards the door in a flippant gesture, sucking on his gums.] [Gideon shakes his head. He’s imagining things again…]
“What do I want?” [he asks, too late. Nate looks back at him, his eyebrow raised.]
“Mister Washington, what I want is–”
[Static.] [A field. A shallow hole. The corpse of Nate Washington stares blankly into the air, his mouth open, his body half-covered by dirt. Scoop. Slap. More soil lands on his chest.] [Static.] [Gideon shakes his head again.]“Maybe I should come back at a more…” [He looks at Big Bruce, then at TJ Laws.] “Appropriate time.”
[Gideon turns and heads for the door, but as his hand touches the door knob Nate has a final thought to leave him with.]“Well when you ready, you come see me. We can come to some sorta arrangement.”
[Click.]ALIBISTAIR MONITBLEAUX VS.CREEPING DEATH
SINGLES MATCH
NO MERCY
[A big win for Alibistair Montibleaux over Creeping Death there!]
[Before the crowd can even settle down from the preceding contest, the status quo changes once again as two forms leap out of the crowd and into the ring.]
[Jake Jeckel.]
[Jacob Phoenix.]
[Montibleaux has already cleared out, but Creeping Death roars at his nemesis entering the squared circle. Death nails Jeckel in the face, but is taken down to a knee by Jacob Phoenix. The Nightwatch quickly grabs the former Corey Black around the head and neck, but before he can twist, Jeckel pushes him back.]
“Fuck off. This is my kill. You help me get Black. I help you get Jensen. That’s the deal, remember?”
[Phoenix nods in agreement. Jeckel holds out his hand for a handshake, and the ever trusting Phoenix reaches out for the hand clasp.] [SLASH!] [Jeckel slashes Jacob’s hand with a small knife! A trickle of blood is running down to the mat. The Juggalo nods down at Creeping Death.]“Rub that shit all over this motherfucker. Get his ass up!”
[Phoenix picks up Creeping Death, who roars in pain at the touch of Phoenix’s blood. Jeckel turns his attention up the aisle.]“I know you hear me, Jensen Cussen. We got your boy, and he’s coming with us. Next week, if you want him back, show up in the middle of the ring. We’ll kick your asses, then kill you. My associate seems to be more fair-minded than me. I’d just as soon do it now, no mercy, but I think a week with my old friend will do us both well. If you don’t show up, then we’ll kill him, make you watch through your little mind link to JP here, then hunt you down and kill you anyway. Your choice.”
[Phoenix leads CD out of the ring as this newly formed alliance leaves through the crowd with their bounty.] [Will Jensen show up next week to claim Creeping Death?]GRABBING NATURE BY THE BALLS LIVE!
BACKSTAGE
“G’day mates,” [he says quietly.] “Welcome to grabbing nature by the balls,” [Chip grins, winking.] “Live!”
[He keeps tip toeing forward.]“Tonight, I’m searchin’ for a beast in the concrete jungle. That fuckin’ arsehole Kevin reckons we’ll find the blighter right about feedin’ time!”
[Chip slowly enters catering, watching as a large man in a plaid shirt scoffs food from a long table.] [Snorting noises are clearly edited in, making it sound like the person feeding is a pig at a trough.]“There he is, the beast known as Bronson. This big bastard piggy ate all the fuckin pies, lads. Look at ‘im, scoffin’ his fat fluffy face. Stand back, boys, this might get a bit tasty!”
[Chip suddenly dives on the back of Bronson, who swings back and forth as grunting noises are again edited in. He whips Chip around, finally throwing him off his back and through the catering table. Beast doesn’t quite know what’s happening, coming to stand in front of the felled Prairie Whisperer.]“Snort snort, grunt, grunt grunt.”
[Whatever Bronson said, it’s been edited over.]“Crikey mate, I think the beast is trying to communicate with us!”
[Frustrated and with a big frown, Bronson gives up, storming off. Chip gets back to his feet, dusting crumbs off himself as he goes.]“This big bastard ain’t gonna be an easy catch, folks. I’m gonna have to take this to the ring.”
[Chip bends down slightly, stalking forward and out of frame as the camera reluctantly begins to follow.] [Cut.]MONTANA & HUGHES VS. WASHINGTON & BRONSON
TAG TEAM MATCH
BACK TO THE FUTURE
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“Why don’t you understand?” [Jones says perturbed.] “Why are you so ignorant? Why in your hubris do you believe it impossible that you’ve been fooled?”
[Montibleaux doesn’t respond.]“What do I need to do to prove to you that I speak in truths?”
“Zere’s nothing you can do to convince me, Jones. I saw the carnage of your world. Zose rebels asked for my ‘elp and I gave it. If anything, I’m going to put you back in your prison.”
[Jones stops.]“You will help me, Alistaire. You will take me back.”
[The Detective scoffs.] “Take you back? Where? To prison? Zat I can do, Mr. Jones.” [The Terrible shakes his head.]“No. You’ll take me back to the future.”
[Alistaire looks at him wide eyed.] [Jones walks over, ripping away his handcuffs in a feat of unbelievable strength. Monitbleaux stands up, grimacing.]“You’re granting me my freedom?”
[They stare at each other before Jones speaks.]“I’m granting you an opportunity to fight for what you believe. Next week, you and I will do battle and if I win, you will return me to my time. If you win, I’ll surrender.”
[Alistaire nods.] [Cut.]THE NATURE OF THINGS
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“Remote little town, isn’t it?”
[Captain Zappa doesn’t even seem surprised by the voice emanating from the nearby shadowy alleyway. Instead, he just keeps his eyes on the vacant highway.]“You know what they call this road, Dave?”
[DTR steps out of the shadows with a small smile upon his face. He follows Zappa’s eyes towards the roads. Zappa continues.]“They call it the Loneliest Highway in America. The reason is because it’s one hundred and ten miles to the next town once you leave here. Lately, it’s this road that I’ve been thinking about.”
[Captain Zappa turns to look at DTR.]“Ever since you infected me.”
[DTR steps out as his smile falters for a moment.]“Son, I-“
“I don’t need to hear it, Dave. I felt like I’ve been travelling on this road from Fallon to Austin without an exit in sight. I felt lost and without another person in sight until The Longest Night. Until I saw what Mike Lane did. His sacrifice… it changed something in me. It gave me…”
[DTR grabs him by the shoulders and forces him to look at him in the eyes.]“Don’t you dare say what I think you’re going to say. You listen to me, son. You’ve been given a gift! It was ME who gave you hope. I gave you the gift of the Virus with hopes that you would realize that I was saving you, my son.”
[Captain Zappa pushes him away as he stares down the road once more.]“Lane made me think that maybe I don’t have to let this Virus coursing through my veins control or define me.”
[Zappa looks down at his exposed forearms where the veins are highlighted in black.]“His sacrifice made me realize that perhaps I have a greater cause or a greater reason for being.”
“You do, my son. You’re The Family’s Chosen One! It was you who we chose! We could have given anyone that virus. We could have put anyone through the tests each week to see how they fared! BUT IT WAS YOU! We chose you and you passed just as we thought you would. Now we want you to come home with the rest of us, it’s the nature of things!”
[Captain Zappa turns back to DTR who smiles warmly at him.]“You’re one of us, now. Just come with me, son.”
[DTR extends his arm towards the shadows behind him as if waiting for Zappa to take the lead. Zappa pulls out his pack of cigarettes before pulling one out with a lighter. He lights the end and takes a long drag. He exhales before taking a step back.]“Not yet, Dave. I feel changed, and I’m going to find the answers I need.”
[Captain Zappa begins to walk away as DTR’s loving smile quickly changes to rage as he watches him leave.]“You don’t turn me down, son. NO ONE turns me down.”
CAEL GABLE VS. GAIA VS. MICHAEL GRAVES
TRIPLE THREAT MATCH
GREY MATTER
BACKSTAGE
“Unidentified humanoid, you are blocking my path. State your intentions or lethal force will be used to remove you.”
“Errr…”
[The stage hand that steps forward is just a poor kid, a pimply teenager thrust into this situation. He wears an OSW t-shirt over pasty skin. Stepping forward, he extends his hands before him. There is an envelope in them.]“Mister Novan asked me to pass this on to you. He says that it may help to join some of the dots that are missing, help you to see more clearly.”
[The Automaton looks over the intruder, the package. It scans them both up and down looking for signs of deception]“Your statement does not compute. I can see perfectly well.”
“I don’t know what he means either. I’m just passing on a message. Please don’t hurt me.“
[The Automaton takes the envelope out of the boy’s trembling fingers.]“If Novan gave you this package, perhaps he also confided to you the whereabouts of the chip?”
“No, I swear. I don’t know anything about any chip.”
“Lies… Deception.”
[The Automaton’s eyes flicker red, and it swings his arms to strike the kid, narrowly missing and taking a chunk of concrete out of the wall just above the boy’s head. Naturally, the boy scampers for his life, leaving the Automaton with the package. It opens it, taking out a small note and a USB stick. It reads the note aloud, emotionless.]“TAM. I have been able to extract a small snippet of a memory we share off your memory chip. It is not much, but it is enough to show you who you were before this virus corrupted your operating systems. By Ashla, I am working on clearing all of these memories so that you can once again have access to them. I need to show you who you truly are. Play the video. Jacen.”
[The Automaton takes the USB stick, inserting it into itself via a panel on its chest plate. It takes a moment, before an image is projected on the wall before it…] [The projected image on the wall shows a different Automaton than what we have come to know lately. Jacen Novan stands smiling at TAM, patting him on the shoulder as one would a friend. The Automaton looks up at Novan and questions…]“What is the purpose of your action? I do not understand a hand on the shoulder. Is this a challenge or a friendly gesture. Your tone of voice and context would suggest friendly.”
[Novan smiles again.]“Your perception skills are great TAM. You are able to reason out human emotion if you try. Now, we just need to dig deeper into the matter of the grey areas of life. Those that you cannot determine by merely following protocols and programming. To truly learn what it is to be human, you have got to learn to understand decisions made based on emotion.”
[TAM stays silent for a moment, contemplating.]“I understand your premise. I can see that having a strong connection to another humanoid would influence decision making… But I am unable to process those type of decisions. Not yet.“
[The video ends abruptly, finishing on a black screen that flashes a warning… ‘Remaining memory file corrupted.’ The Automaton removes the USB and crushes it in his hands.]“More deception and lies. Now he tampers with the memory files on my chip. It must be found. He must be stopped.”
DRIVEN AWAY
BACKSTAGE
“Congratulations.”
[Behind him stands Helios, one half of the new Tag Team Champions.]“If I may ask, what made you seek me out, old friend?”
[The fire Revenant steps forward, standing above the Shark.]“You know why.”
[In front of Sharkman is the object of Helios’s ire.] [The shattered mask of Hysteria, broken into pieces prior to his death at Red Snow.] [Sharkman has recovered it, and has apparently used it as bait for Helios.]“Do I? The man that wore this mask is dead. Committed suicide, if I recall, allowing Mother to kill him. He spent so many years driving away everyone that would remind him of his pain that he had lost hope.”
[Flames begin to dance on the broken mask.]“That man used you, Shark. Do slaves ever truly know their masters?”
[In one fluid motion, Sharkman rises to his feet to face Helios.]“How well do you know Lee Crowley?”
[The flames between the two men intensify as Sharkman continues.]“For someone who claims that LH Harrison is dead, you seem awfully concerned about his life and the things he cherished. Maybe you saw the same thing I did a couple weeks ago. I saw hope restored to this desolate place. Maybe it also touched the part of you that you try to burn away, the face that you hide under that hood.”
[Helios snorts.]“Fool. You’ve always been a fool.”
[With a flash, Helios vanishes, only the stench of smoke remaining.]“I’m sorry, Harrison, I don’t that I’ll be the one to save you.”
[Sharkman looks down.]“I think you’ll have to save yourself.”
[The mask remains, untouched by the flames that danced around it.] [Cut.]JONES THE TERRIBLE VS. JONATHAN HEARTSFORD
SINGLES MATCH
STOCKHOLM
BACKSTAGE
“I want you to know, Mister Gable, of a woman I once knew many years ago. She found herself in QUITE the QUANDARY. She had forsaken the church and, in his rage, her father had locked her away in the basement of their family home. No light, only the DARKNESS, no company with ONE exception. Her tormented, ravenous father.”
“For many years she remained in the basement, chained to the boiler, and each day her father would come down the steps, feed her, bathe her, clothe her. But then he would do UNMENTIONABLE things. Things that would erode your MIND. And she would HATE him. She would KICK, and SCRATCH, and CLAW at him every single day, until one day.”
[Danvers tilts his head, looking kindly at his patient.]“Until one day,” [Danvers says, softly.] “when she saw behind his anger. When she looked deep into his eyes, and she felt LOVE.”
[Cael Gable’s head turns to look at Danvers. His expression remains completely blank.]“You too will one day feel LOVE for me, Mister Gable. Just as I feel love for you. Because despite the UNMENTIONABLE parts of my treatments…”
[Danvers stands.]“You won’t be able to resist…”
[He walks towards his patient, taking his head into his hand, gently stroking Gable’s cheek.]“I love you Cael Gable.”
[Cut.]NO STRINGS ON ME
FLASHBACK
“This is my dwelling, this is where I make my home. It is here where I watch ever so closely, keeping a watchful eye on my next victim. I prey on their fear, delighting in their vulnerable state, relishing the evil that resides in them for my own satisfaction.”
[Suddenly, light floods over the face of The Boogeyman as we watch him step out of the shadows…and into the desolate wasteland of the Underworld. We soon see the target of his latest craving, as Gaia appears before him.]“I could see the evil pulsing through your veins…feel the darkness pulsing with every heartbeat. I knew that you would fulfill my hunger, but I didn’t know you could stop me.”
[We watch as Gaia ensnares The Boogeyman with vines and weeds, eventually getting into the mind of the Terror of the Night and coercing him into joining her side for the Great War…and again, we watch the fallout of their failure, as Boogeyman breaks free from the bonds that held him captive.]“I won’t let you trap me in your grip again, Gaia. I’ve got no strings to hold me down, and dragging me away from my realm will soon be the biggest mistake you ever made. You had me trapped, but now I’m free…I’ve got no strings on me.”
[Now.] [We now watch as Gaia makes her exit from the Tap Room, well after her match against Gable and Graves. The vines grow along the walls as she walks down the hall, but she soon feels a presence around her…as though darkness still looms. She swings around, expecting a confrontation…but instead sees a pair of chains racing toward her. She stares them down, refusing to yield as they come within inches of her…and then stop.]“Oh, you’re no fun.”
[The chains disappear, and Gaia is left alone in the hall as laughter fills the space…followed by a solemn message.]“Ashes, ashes…we all fall down.”
[Cut.]DTR VS. MOTHER
SINGLES MATCH
THE CLOCK IS TICKING
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“It would seem Trebol is taking his dear sweet time.”
[The scene zooms out further to reveal Aion, the Revenant of time standing in a room filled with clocks, each one’s face turned to a different time. They all tick erratically and out of rhythm. Suddenly, a footstep interrupts the ticking, all of the clocks in the room suddenly stopping in unison. Aion turns towards the opening of the room, El Trebol Jr taking a stance, ready to battle with the revenant.]“A little late, aren’t you? For a Watchman, you let quite a bit take place in these halls.”
[Trebol steps forward, only stopping when Aion reaches into his clothing, producing a book, the same one he had escaped with last week.]“The Tap Room is a maze, and seeing as you left the book in one piece, I would say I’m here just in time.”
[Trebol marches towards Aion, the Watchman lunging for the book, Aion jumping backward, the clocks chiming with a loud bong. The sound makes Trebol recoil in pain, covering his ears. He looks up at the revenant, Aion holding the book away from Trebol.]“Not so fast, take another step and the book perishes.”
[Trebol, despite the warning, moves again, another loud bong from the clocks halting his path. Aion shakes his head, holding the book over his head and tightening his grip. Slowly, the book seems to grow older, its cover worn and pages tearing ever so slightly. Trebol’s eyes widen in fear, the watchman stepping back from Aion. The revenant loosens his grip, the book’s aging seemingly stopping.]“Don’t damage the book! What do you want of me? I’ll do anything to get that tome.”
[Aion chuckles.]“I know. And I have all the power to stop you. But I want to do more than that, I want to destroy you like the rest of the Watchmen. This book holds all hope for your success, and now, it’s begun to age.”
[Trebol tenses up at the notion, his eyes locked on Aion as the revenant slowly backs down the hallway.]“You have a week’s time to come for me. Try to avoid me, and the book turns to dust. Face me, and you just might survive.”
[The clocks startup, tick-tocking in unison.]“The clock is ticking.”
VISIONS OF THE LOST
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“Save yourselves. Do you not see?”
[The figure cries out once more. As we close in on him, we see his identity. The famous mask, the Spanish edge to his voice. Lux Bellator. He stands alone, in the only lifeboat that the sinking ship has to offer. Yet he is not alone, another man approaches. Solomon Rhodes braves the storm lashing at his face to speak to Bellator.]“Lux, you do not need to do this. This voyage needs not end on the rocks. We need not be at odds in this war. I plead with you to see reason that you can still be saved. The light has gone from you, Light Warrior, you have become the harbinger of darkness… the very Nox that you destroyed. This is not the will of God. All these poor souls, tossed into the waves.”
[Bellator shouts at the Templar Knight, his fists clenched in anger now.]“No, it is you that cannot see what is before you. In the midst of this Holy Storm, you fight to save what is already lost. Does this wind that drives us into the rocks not come from the Lord? Were the waves that crash against us not put there by the Almighty Creator? Do not tell me that this is not the will of the Lord when his hands have worked to create this. For he comes to judge, not to coddle. Those that seek him will be saved. Those that do not… They will be like Mike Lane. The hand was extended, many times, for him to come back to the light. But he was like the lost souls aboard this forsaken vessel, too stubborn and full of pride to see that his soul is tarnished. He burns in hell for his sins. Only the light of the Lord can cleanse it. There is no other way to escape this storm.”
[Solomon steps forward, so that he and Lux stand face to face now. Lux on the lifeboat and Solomon on the deck of the ship. Behind Solomon, other figures appear. Templars flank him left and right, supporting him.]“Cast yourself off then Lux, into the storm. You were sent on a mission to bring the light to the lost, but who have you brought into the light? Who follows you? I have my followers, people who believe in me. Everybody who ever believed in you is either dead or has moved on. You’re all alone, clinging to some false idea that you are without sin. I can help you… We can help you… but only if you take my hand.”
[Bellator steps back, away from Solomon. With a swift movement, he cuts the line holding he lifeboat to the ship and the lifeboat casts off into the ocean, with Lux alone at its helm.] [Back in the Tap Room, Lux Bellator opens his eyes. He is alone in the soft candlelight of his sanctuary. Alone.] [Back in the Tap Room, Solomon Rhodes opens his eyes. He is surrounded by his Templars… And Godfrey. It is not Solmon, but Godfrey who speaks – a word of reminder to Rhodes.]“He is our only hope.”
EDWARD NEWTON VS. JENSEN CUSSEN
SINGLES MATCH
DEAD MAN WALKING
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“He’s in there” [Chambers whispers confidently.] “He has to be!”
[His followers do not seem as certain as D’Von pushes his way into the door and they file in.] [Their breaths steaming up in front of their faces.] [It’s cold.] [And as the flashlight moves to and fro the walls shine. Walls composed of seemingly endless line of doors. Small doors.] [Freezers.]“They should be labeled” [The Bishop declares.] “Find him!”
[With that the group splits up, more flashlights beams are displayed. And they search. One freezer drawer at a time.] [One.] [By.] [One.] [Until suddenly, D’Von’s light shines on the target. The label they came for.] [Graves, Michael.]“It’s him” [Chambers whispers, glancing around at the members of his church.] “I knew we’d find him!”
[The congregation begins to gather as D’Von slowly opens the door.] [Reaching into the freezer and slowly removing a steel shelf.] [Upon which is a sheet covered body.] [D’Von pauses.] [Then RIPS away the sheet.]“Jesus!”
[Chambers proclaims as he looks down at the body that does NOT belong to Michael Graves.]“No! Not Jesus D’Von!”
[It’s Michael Graves.] [His voice. From the shadows. Chambers spins, frantically searching the room for his nemesis as does the rest of his church.] [At the doorway.]“How did you find us?”
“I followed you” [Graves snickers.] “Not everything has a supernatural explanation Christian!”
“But I…”
“Killed me?” [The Bat’s Shadow finishes.] “Yes, I know! At least I know you tried!”
“How? You’re a… Dead Man Walking”
“Barbatos” [Graves continues, most of his appearance hidden by the shadows.] “He spirited me away before you could finish the sin!”
[Chambers is speechless.]“Ah yes” [The Prophet of the Bat God steps forward.] “The Bat God did me a service and now that service must be repaid with a sacrifice!”
[Suddenly, one of Chamber’s congregation is snatched from the floor of the morgue and lifted into the darkness. Only a grunt heard as he is taken swiftly. The group looks around, staggered.] [And another member it taken into the air.] [And another, this time with an audible scream.] [And another.] [And another.] [All of them. Pulled into the darkness as if something lurks from the ceiling above. Meanwhile, D’Von Chambers backs into the corner.]“You’ll never take me alive Graves!”
“I do not intend to” [Michael scoffs.] “But next week, Barbatos will either take you… or all of them!”
[Suddenly, the lights of the morgue shine bright. All of them coming on at the same time, too bright for D’Von to adjust from the darkness. He squints, swinging angrily in the direction of Graves, but by the time he is able to see clearly through the light…] [Michael Graves is gone!] [Static.] [Cut.]DON’T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN
BACKSTAGE
“Are you sure that these books have the information I am looking for?”
[The attendant merely smiles at Heartsford, who from the dusty prints on other books, has spent quite a bit of time looking in here over the last week.]“I’m sorry, Sir Heartsford, but I have never pursued the information that you seek.”
[The Knight accepts the answer with a nod, before following up.]“Why have my requests to meet with Godfrey or Rhodes not been answered? I would accept that they are unable to meet with me, but I have heard nothing.”
[The attendant doesn’t respond to that question, but asks one of his own.]“Forgive me for my ignorance, but why do you seek to wage war with your king?”
[Heartsford looks up at the attendant, who continues.]“Did you not serve him in the past? Knights are meant to serve, not to destroy? Who do you serve, Sir Heartsford?”
[The book finds its place back on the shelf as Jonathan seems very intrigued by this attendant.]“I do not serve Lee Crowley. I never served him. Do not mistake me for the Doubt that once plagued my name.”
[The attendant smiles, a long drawn grin across a dark face. Heartsford finally understands.]“Non nobis, Domine…” [He begins.] [Nothing from the attendant.]
“If there was one thing I should have expected from Crowley it was fear, but I never expected anything like this. Lee used our conversation one week ago to distract me while he redirected me to this mimicry of a Temple.He thinks me still an uncertain emotion. He could direct the emotion, make it do his bidding, cater to his whims.”
[Around Heartsford, the library begins to fade into dust, the attendant’s skin becoming like that of the many souls gathered in the Underworld.]“But now I know the truth.”
[With Crowley’s laughter echoing through the empty room. Heartsford nods in acceptance of his mission.]“Lee Crowley fears me.”
[Cut.]THE REVENANTS VS. OSW
THE MAIN EVENT
GUILT
BACKSTAGE
“You didn’t have to do that,” [She complains.] “My husband’s struggling at the moment. What he did to you last week wasn’t right, but this war is bigger than your feud. You just handed his defeat to The Revenants.”
[Edward tries to ignore her, attempting to walk off.]“You aren’t innocent either, Edward!” [She yells, stopping him in his tracks.] “You know what you did. Everyone knows what you did.”
[The World Champion walks back, looking at her with fury.]“You people and your high horses, you just don’t come down from them, do you? Your husband was set to destroy these walls and end the world before I unleashed The Darkness to strengthen the Tap Room. He’s struggling because he’s guilty.”
[Nicole slaps him violently.] [He recoils, touching his face with a wry smile.]“You shouldn’t have done that, Mrs. Kersh.”
[The Riddler suddenly grabs her, wrapping his arm around her throat, dragging her away. She kicks and screams, but he refuses to let go.]“Let me go! Let me go you bastard!”
[He laughs.]“I don’t think I will,” [he retorts.] “I think you and I are going to spend some valuable time together; just like before. Only this time, we won’t be discussing how best to have your husband retire.”
[The Riddler drags her kicking and screaming towards the exit, leaving the building. Just as they leave, Brent Kersh comes storming down the corridor, screaming at workers.]“Where’s Newton!? [He yells.] “Where the hell is he?”
[They point towards the door and Kersh bursts through it, only he finds a high heel on the floor, and Edward Newton speeding out of the car park.] [Cut.]SORROW
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“I know you’re not dead,” [she admits.] “I know you’re alive.”
[She takes a deep breath.]“But that cavern was warded, just like my tomb and you’re not escaping the depths of that hell. When you entered it, you lost yourself to the abyss.”
[There’s a pause.]“And knowing you no longer walk this planet saddens me, my child. I created you, I gave you the immortality that now traps you beneath the earth. I always knew it would end this way, with one of us unable to escape the other. I just hoped that we could form a bond. I hoped that we could do this together. Our connection will always be unbreakable, but you could not follow when led and now you have met your end.”
“You’re wrong.”
[Mother turns around in horror, realizing that The Scarecrow now stands behind her. She looks at him with shock.]“It ends with you, Mother.”
[She stammers.]“How’s this possible?” [She cries.] “How did you escape?”
[He takes his hat from her possession, putting it back on his head slowly.]“You can’t be here.”
[Suddenly, The Scarecrow is gone. He’s not there.] [And the hat is back in her hands, as if it never even left.] [What just happened?] [Even Mother looks confused, tossing the hat aside and stepping backwards in surprise.] [Cut.]