AN OFFER YOU CAN’T REFUSE
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“Just hold on, brother,” [Crowley pleads.] “Let’s talk for a moment. Just indulge me, will you?”
[Heartsford stands, ready to fight.]“I know what they want of you. They want you to join forces with them against us at Judgement Day. But I’ve come to offer you an alternative, brother. Join me; become my Royal Knight. If you bend the knee and accept my offer, I can give you great power for your sacrifice. I can give you a paradise unlike any you’ve ever witnessed. You’ll be forever free of Doubt and forever by my side.”
[Jonathan looks at him, neither saying yes or no. He seems to be contemplating the decision, which in itself, is worrisome.]“And if I were to say no?” [Jon asks carefully.] “I suppose you’d kill me?”
[Crowley looks shocked.]“Of course not. I could have killed you at Pandemonium, could I not? We’re brothers, Jonathan. We’re family. How long have we fought side by side and been successful? We were unstoppable. Join me, brother. Join me and save the world from itself.”
[Lee places a hand on his shoulder.]“Join me.”
[Cut.]DARKSTAR & COLE VS. WASHINGTON & BERENGER
TAG TEAM MATCH
A DARK PROBLEM
BACKSTAGE
“What?” [his voice booms.]
“You got anythin’ in mate?” [Cole asks, nervously picking at an invisible scab on his elbow.] [Big Bruce looks over his shoulder at his panting boss, who waves his tired hand indicating that he can go ahead.]
“He good. He got my back.” [Nate says, winking at Cole, who avoided any contact with him during the previous match.] [Bruce reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out a small baggie. Inside, a small piece of a black plant rolls around, seemingly alive. He puts it into Cole’s hand, but as he does the corridor is filled with the shrieking of bats. A stream of them flood the corridor for a moment before disappearing and leaving in their place Michael Graves.]
“So we meet again.” [he grins.] [Nate notices his henchmen have disappeared. It’s just the three of them now. Him, Cole, and Graves.]
“Don’t worry Nate. They’re fine. I just wanted to be… alone with you gentlemen for a while.”
[Cole and Nate look at one another. Nate instinctively reaches for his gun, but having come straight from the ring finds himself lacking.]“‘Chu want?” [Nate spits.]
“I want you to join us, Nate. And you too of course, Luke.”
[Cole pops the baggie in his pocket.]“I don’t join anyone, or anything.”
[Luke Cole steps forward, and as he does his posture straightens, his face firms up, he looks somehow bigger.]“And if you don’t like that, well then I guess we’ve got a problem, haven’t we?” [he finishes, as he finds himself toe-to-toe with Graves.]
“I guess we do.” [Graves replies.] [Poof. A flash, a flurry of bats consume Graves, and then suddenly he’s gone.] [Cole relaxes, his size reducing back to normal and he skulks off slowly down the corridor. But from behind, he receives a message.]
“Yo. That shit ain’t free. You gon’ pay for that.”
[Cole looks down at the veins in his arms. They are pulsating. And black. He grins.] [Cut.]CAEL GABLE VS. LUX BELLATOR
BURIED ALIVE MATCH
TOTEM II
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“I don’t think we should go in there,” [The Sharkman says, uneasy.] “After what happened to the Van Chan family within those walls..”
[Betamax interrupts.] “I get it, mate. I do.” [El Trébol chimes in.]“I’ll go,” [he says fearlessly.] “I know what happened in there but we need it, right? We have to find it or there’s no way of saving Bruce.”
[Marvolo steps forward.] “No, I’ll go.” [Number One bravely heads down the path, opening the door and entering the Van Chan house. There’s an eerie feel about it; the blood staining the floors and the walls, like something out of a horror movie.] [He begins rifling through the drawers, searching high and low.] [Thump.] [Suddenly, the door slams shut.] [And Marvolo can see his breath.]“You shouldn’t have come here, Marvolo,” [a gravelly voice says. Marvolo turns around, revealing Proteus.] “You shouldn’t have come.”
[He throws a ball of ice at him, but Number One slides out of the way, running towards the front window. He bursts through, catching a shard of glass in his side as he does. The Watchmen hear the commotion and rush to his aide, finding him on the floor in possession of what they need.] [They help him to his feet, only to find he’s bleeding heavily from a wound on his side. Proteus storms through the front door just as they put their heads together and escape.] [However, the eyes of Proteus tell the story.] [Rage.] [Cut.]EL TRÉBOL JUNIOR VS. CHIP MONTANA
SINGLES MATCH
WHAT ONCE WAS, SHALL BE
BACKSTAGE
“My work in this place will not soon be forgotten. I have longed for a Great War to things to return to their former state, and the time is near. The world will soon face Judgement Day, and what once was shall be once more. The old will be made new, and even fear itself will not be able to withstand the light that approaches. The forces that would stop my work will be swept away, and Nature will reclaim what is hers.”
[Gaia’s smile fades as she catches a figure out of the corner of her eye, shifting constantly as it approaches. With a wave of her hand, vines lash out at the figure and pin it to the floor. Gaia turns around to face her tormentor, the smile returning to her face as she stares down The Boogeyman.]“You still don’t get it, do you? You keep coming after me, thinking you’ll be able to feed on my fear…but what scares you, Boogeyman? Are you afraid of starving, of growing weak…of fading into oblivion? I can make all of that come true if you keep this up. I can make people forget you, make your existence irrelevant…and force you to disappear, retreating to that dark corner of reality from whence you came. I could do it all in an instant, and tend to my work without another moment’s hesitation.”
[Gaia turns to walk away, but is kept frozen in her tracks by a simple question from the Terror of the Night.]“So why haven’t you?”
[Gaia faces the trapped Boogeyman with a chuckle.]“Because I like seeing you squirm. It amuses me to watch as you—“
[Her smile fades away again, turning into a snarl as The Boogeyman has shifted form once again, escaping the trap of the vines. His laughter echos down the hall, forcing Gaia to slam her fist in anger against the wall.] [Cut.]CHAMBERS, TAM & GAIA VS. RHODES, NOVAN & BOOGEY
TRIOS MATCH
DEEP IMPACT
BACKSTAGE
“Let’s end this, Jensen. I know that the man I once called a mentor is still in there.”
[Cussen chuckles.]“Sorry, kid. You’re a week too late. Vengeance is all that remains now. The time for mythical creatures has ended.”
[Phoenix charges in.] [BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA! Phoenix is down!]“Look at you, Jacob Phoenix. You think you’re the big hero. Everyone turned their back on you, and now you’re going to make things right. For who?”
[He kicks the downed Phoenix.]“Everyone’s dead, kid. You killed Million. Stephanie is dead. And even the two of us. Do you think there’s a happy ending to be had for us?”
[Another kick. Phoenix sits up to his knees in response, his mask loosened by the impact.]“All that’s left of Jensen Cussen are broken fragments of the man he used to be. And you. You’ve become nothing but a symbol. The two men who once had a relationship are dead, infected by the Virus and burned in the flames of the Phoenix. Give up your fantasy world here, kid.”
[Phoenix just stares up at Cussen, the two sharing a moment of eye contact. Phoenix breaks first, looking down in defeat. The red Phoenix symbol on Cussen’s hand slowly fades away, dropping from his body like a fine mist. Vengeance lets out a small grin.]“You finally let out your need for vengeance, didn’t you? It kept you alive. It sustained you, brought you back from the death I gave you. You won’t survive the next time, Phoenix or not. I’ll see you at Judgement Day, kid.”
[Cussen walks away, a sudden pep in his step. Phoenix remains on his knees, his hand falling open as he looks down at it.] [Defeated.]“I failed you, Stephanie. I wasn’t enough.”
[With a sudden clarity, Phoenix raises his head. He stands to his feet with peace and purpose embedded in his frame.]“But I know who is.”
[Cut.]REJOICE! A REUNION!
BACKSTAGE
“Haven’t you had enough, Danvers?”
“Come now, Mister Gable. I am a FORGIVING man. I sense you are TROUBLED from the past. Who can blame you? Your failings on behalf of your parents alone… Come, come…”
[Isaac regestures his open arms, implying a hug is necessary. Cael Gable SMILES! His opens his arms up, and the two men embrace!]“There, there.” [Danvers says, calmly, as he pets the hair of his returning pet.] “Shh…”
[Gable raises his arm.] [A KNIFE!] [Gable STABS Danvers in the shoulder blade! The two push away from one another and Danvers turns to peer over his shoulder. He pulls the knife from his shoulder blade without so much as a grimace.] [Footsteps in the distance, as Gable flees from the scene.] [Danvers looks down at the knife, blood dripping from the tip. Then he shouts after the fading footsteps.]“I FORGIVE YOU!”
[and to himself, feebly,]“I LOVE you…”
MARVOLO VS. PROTEUS
STEEL CAGE MATCH
JONAH
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“Can you smell that?” [Kersh says, holding his nose.] “I think we’re in the right place but we’re not going to get the right answers.”
[Rhodes agrees.] “We need to find Jonah, Kersh. Maybe he can help us stop the virus before it’s too late.” [They both head inside the basement, walking down the wooden creaky steps.You may recognise the place. Before them is where DTR became The Virus at the hands of both Jonah and Mother.] [They scour the room with their torches, finally stopping on a corner.] [As they walk over, what they find becomes clearer. There’s a body, rotten and dumped, chained to the wall. Solomon inspects it as Brent stands back, looking on in horror.] [A voice comes out of the darkness.]“You’re looking for Jonah?” [The voice says, revealing that it belongs to DTR as he steps into the light of Brent Kersh’ torch.] “Well, you found him.”
[Solomon Rhodes stands up, looking frustrated.]“He was my first,” [DTR admits.] “I had Mother drag him back here to face me for what he’d done. He’d created Jensen Cussen; my greatest rival. I couldn’t let him get away with that. Besides, what would have happened if Jonah decided that he wanted my family?”
“You son of a bitch, David!” [Kersh yells at him in frustration.] “He had answers. We needed to speak with him.”
[The Virus chuckles.]“Don’t you see that your mission is fruitless? We’re going to end the world and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. You can’t find the answers you seek, because they don’t exist. You can’t escape your fate because I won’t let you. You can search from one end of the world to the other but when all is said and done, you’ll drown just like everyone else.”
[Kersh grabs Rhodes by the arm, leading him away.] [But The Templar has one final thing to say.]“You can burst as many life preserver rafts as you want, David. You can stack the deck, increase the odds and rig the game, but we will survive this. At Judgement Day, whether we have answers or not, you’re going to fail.”
[Cut.]EDWARD NEWTON VS. MICHAEL GRAVES
SINGLES MATCH
THE HUNT
BACKSTAGE
“Are you ready Kevin, you fuckin’ arshole?” [Montana’s demeanor flashes negative for a quick second.] “We’re burnin’ daylight here lad!”
[The camera nods in approval and a suggestive manner as the hand of “Kevin” sticks out in front of the lens. His fingers performing a countdown.] [Three fingers.] [Two fingers.] [One finger. AND POINTS!]“G’day mates” [Montana bustles.] “I’m Chip Montana, and I’m grabbing nature by the balls!”
“Just beyond this here hallway roams one of the most fierce, deadliest, extraordinary species of beast I’ve ever laid me eyes on, fellas. I’ve gathered that they call ‘em Darkstar and he’s not from our parts ya see. Oh no, he’s from somewhere else. But what our fella is goin’ ta learn is that you just can’t show up and rule the jungle… you’ve got to earn it mates!”
[Chip pauses for a moment, listening contently for something in the distance before shrugging.]“Now what I’ve done is rigged up one of them bear traps yet I’ve disguised it as something from out of this world. Much like our prey seems to be, right? And in just a moment…”
[Suddenly, we hear a loud SNAP! The grin on Montana’s face grows to a smile.]“And there he is mates! Let’s go wrestle our beast into submission shall we? This is going to be my greatest catch yet!”
[Beaming with excitement The Prairie Dog Whisperer turns the corner with “Kevin” following close behind. Yet he immediately pauses. His shoulders drooping. A dejected manner coming over him as he walks towards his concealed trap.] [Which is empty.] [As Montana arrogantly distances himself from “Kevin” he tries to console himself.]“Oh well lads” [Chip says in disappointment.] “She’ll be right! We just…”
[The screams of “Kevin” bring Montana to alert as the camera drops from his hands and our vantage point changes to the floor beneath him.] [The Prairie Dog Whisperer turns and is frozen with shock. His hand reaches outward.]“No!”
[And suddenly, the body of “Kevin” is tossed several feet above, connecting solid with Montana and dropping both men nearly incapacitated to the floor.] [As the two try to pull themselves together, a giant pair of feet step into view and begin to march methodically towards them. However, after a few short steps, the feet turn as if to face the camera.] [These feet obviously belonging to the one and only, Darkstar.] [He steps closer before…] [CRUNCH!!] [The camera image is suddenly distorted and trailing the groans of Montana and Kevin is only one thing…] [Static.] [Cut.]AION VS. ISAAC DANVERS
[The first ever surgery match here in Old School Wrestling is about to unfold as it’s Isaac Danvers up against Aion!]
[The bell sounds as a surgery chair is set-up in the center of the ring. The two circle around knowing the only way to walk away with a win tonight is to strap their opponent into that chair. Aion strikes first as he leaps onto the arm of the chair and springs off with a lunging punch that connects right on the side of the medical mask of Isaac Danvers! Danvers staggers back maybe a foot before clobbering Aion with a big right hand of his own! He wraps his hands around the throat of Aion before choking him viciously! THE BLACK DEATH!]
[This blatant and vicious chokehold has Aion trapped in the grasp of Danvers who throws him into the medical chair. He grabs one of the straps in an attempt to strap him down; however, Aion leaps up to connect with a big uppercut that staggers Danvers. Aion climbs up onto the seat with his feet before leaping for a big time enzuigiri! Danvers hits the ground hard as Aion quickly yanks the Plague Doctor up onto the chair himself! He grabs the first strap and manages to secure it around his right arm! He reaches for the left and… SCAPEL TO THE EYE! Luckily it was just the handle part of it! Aion staggers backwards as Danvers pulls the strap off his other arm.]
[Aion swings wildly while clutching his eyes before Danvers catches his arm and whips him around. SCAPEL TO THE FOREHEAD! Aion looks like he’s on shaky legs as Danvers quickly shoves him back into the chair. He grabs a strap, and latches in Aion’s left arm as blood begins to pour down Aion’s head! He reaches for the other strap, but Aion is holding his hand straight up! Danvers grabs his arm to lower it, and Aion HEADBUTTS him! Only Danvers manages to dodge out of the way of the strike. He reaches down and begins just DRILLING his fingers into the temples of Aion who is crying out in agony. THE LOBOTOMY! Aion just slumps back as Isaac Danvers straps him in!]
[Isaac Danvers takes a moment to marvel at Aion as he strokes his cheek for a moment before just raising his hand in victory.]
WAY OF THE ASHLA
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“The Ashla can be a very powerful force to wield. But to truly understand Ashla is to understand balance in its purest form.”
[Slowly, gently, he lays the round object down onto a stand designed to contain it. Expertly, he lays the orb into the stand without touching the sides of the holder. He then turns to TAM.]“Within light, there is darkness. Within darkness, there is light. Sometimes, one must seek out the darkness to find the light. Within you, TAM, there is much darkness. There exists no balance.”
[The Automaton moves over to the orb, now lying in its stand. Try as it might to lift the orb, it is too heavy. It turns to Novan once more, processing thoughts aloud.]“What you speak of is not logical. This… Power does not compute. I must learn of its power.”
[The red eyes flash on TAM’s faceplate for a moment, till it turns to face Novan, face blue and deceptively calm.]“You can harness this Ashla. Just think of what can be achieved through a power beyond logical comprehension. Help me to understand its ways so we may harness this power together.”
[Novan’s face remains calm but his eyes give off an untrusting look.]“You have much to learn about the ‘Way of the Ashla’, TAM. Power comes through balance, not manipulation. It takes years to fully grasp the Ashla.”
[TAM speaks quickly, without giving itself time to process how it’s words would Sound. A reaction.]“We do not have years. I may not understand the Ashla, but you do. That makes you powerful…”
[The Automaton’s voice trails off to silence. Novan looks on, face devoid of emotion so that TAM cannot process how he feels. His voice equally as calm as his face.]“It is like I said. You have much to learn, and much darkness within you. The Ashla can restore your balance, TAM but only if you are committed with pure intentions.”
[He rolls up his sleeve to reveal two fresh arms, no virus within him.]“I know first hand that through balance, the Ashla can heal. Lose that balance and the Virus would return to my body. Whatever your directive may be, TAM, the power of Ashla will only be yours by understanding the Way of Ashla. Try to harness it through manipulation, the darkness within you will destroy balance and you will fail.”
[Novan turns, robes flailing behind him as he leaves TAM to ponder his words. TAM looks over the heavy orb once again.]“He is aware. He knows he is being deceived. How can I ally with the darkness within him and harness this Ashla without the restriction of balance. An unhinged, dark force would be unlimited if only I can appeal to him.”
[It tries to lift the orb once more and fails.]“I must proceed with caution. He must not suspect anything.”
[Cut.]DTR VS. JENSEN CUSSEN
I QUIT MATCH
THE CAGE II
THE UNDERWORLD
“You’re looking for its cage, aren’t you?” [The voice says confidently.] “I’ve heard of it. You’re in the wrong place, kid.”
[He turns around, revealing Errol Flint.] [With a squeeze of his hands, he brings the former OSW Chairman to his knees. Errol chokes for life, grabbing at his throat.]“Treat your King with respect,” [Crowley demands.] “I won’t ask again.”
[He releases his grip. Flint coughs and splutters, quickly apologizing.]“I’m sorry your majesty, I shouldn’t have spoken out of turn.”
[Lee smiles.] “That’s better. Now tell me Flint, what exactly do you know?”“I’ve been here a little while and I’ve heard things. It’s in a cage beneath here, in a void big enough to swallow the entire world. It’s cage is made of unbreakable material to contain a power the likes of something you’ve not seen. It renders it powerless and if it were to escape, it would need to regain that power.”
[Crowley looks interested.] “And how would I help it escape? How I would destroy the unbreakable cage?” [Flint smiles.]“The blood of a holy man.”
[He approaches the cage.]“There’s two ways, but only one will be available to you. If the blood of a holy man is spilt on that cage, you will break it free and provide it with a great source of power; enough to do what you need to do, if nothing else.”
[The King nods in agreement before clicking his fingers and unlocking the cell.]“Show me.”
[Cut.]CONTRIBUTION
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“Brother Newton, welcome to my Church. I’ve been expecting you! I knew you’d come.”
[Newton throws down the duffel bag.]“What’s the matter, don’t you appreciate my contribution? You’re an astute fellow, Mr. Newton. Inside that bag is a contribution to distance that I hope you’ll accept. You see, I want you to distance yourself from sin.”
[The Riddler grimaces. He bends over, opening the bag.]“Distance myself from sin, you say?” [Newton remarks, pulling out a golden kettle out and pouring it on the floor. Oil spills, lashing against the wood.] “And this is your suggestion?”
[Once again, he reaches inside the bag, this time pulling out a pack of matches.]“Oh no, it isn’t a suggestion, it’s a contribution. I’m contributing to your cleansing, brother. That right there is holy fire.. That’s your way into the new paradise. Should you burn away your sins and accept God into your heart, you can travel with us there.”
[Newton laughs to himself.] “You’re right, I have plenty of sins, Mr. Chambers; they keep me warm at night. I don’t need holy fire or your contributions. But perhaps,” [he remarks, deep in thought.] “You do.” [Before Chambers can say another word, Edward lights a match and throws it into the holy oil, setting it alight. The flames run down the length of the church, reaching the altar in no time. Newton backs away, escaping to the outside.] [He backs up even further, watching as the church burns.]“That’s my contribution, Chambers.”
[Cut.]THE SCARECROW VS. BRENT KERSH
IRON MAN MATCH
THE GARDEN
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“Thank you for offering me shelter.”
[Mother. She takes a seat alongside him, carefully.]“I don’t understand your fear,” [Lux says, not sharing eye contact with her. They both stare forward.] “You’re hiding from The Scarecrow, but you created him. You’re immortal and he can’t kill you, so why are you in hiding from him?”
[Mother finally looks at him and even though he doesn’t share eye contact, she doesn’t stop.]“God created me, just like he did you. When he came to me, spoke to me and sent me on this mission, I was told how important it was.”
[Lux finally looks at her.]“I must see it through. If The Scarecrow can stop me, then I’ll fail. I’m not afraid for my life because it isn’t his to take. I’m afraid that if he gets his hands upon me, he’ll ensure that I cannot complete my mission.”
[Their eye contact lasts a moment, before Mother smiles, her rotting teeth on display.]“You see child, I’m as integral to the end of the world as God himself. I was told to start this cycle, to pass on the virus and create the end of the world. The Scarecrow cannot be allowed to stop me.”
[Bellator nods, almost reluctantly.] “You’ll be safe here.” [He turns away from her, breaking their eye contact. Lux Bellator seems different; almost in a world of his own. Mother takes a moment and then walks away, leaving him there looking out into the beautiful garden.] [Cut.]SHARKMAN VS. HELIOS VS. CROWLEY VS. HEARTSFORD
THE MAIN EVENT
A BETTER WORLD
THE TEMPLAR TEMPLE
“What is this?”
[He looks up to see warding painted in white on the ceiling. Aggrieved, he bends over, pulling back the rug to reveal more.]“I’m sorry to have to do this to you, old friend,” [Godfrey says with a true sense of disappointment.] “But I need answers. I need to know how you survived and I can’t risk you walking away again.”
[The Chief doesn’t hesitate this time. He folds his arms and comes clean.]“Noah trapped me inside my own head; he locked me in my mind as a prisoner and refused to let me go. I fought back valiantly against his manipulative abuse, but as I grew weaker, I was offered a choice; to relent and say yes, or to be defiant and say no. I relented, Godfrey.”
[They stare at each other, in pure silence.]“What did you say yes to, Chief?” [He demands to know, but does so carefully.] “What did you do to ensure your escape?”
[The Chief doesn’t answer. Instead, he walks casually from within the warding, having been able to escape this entire time. He wasn’t ever trapped, not like we or Godfrey thought. Godfrey stands in disbelief, unsure of himself.] [The Chairman places a hand on his shoulder, smiling.]“I said yes to a better world.”
[He walks away, leaving his friend once again alone and surprised; what did The Chief say yes to? How dangerous may he be to humanity because of it?] [Cut.]