BAD MOON RISING
SOMEWHERE ELSE
“Help!”
[Just as before, a young woman runs into this image. Her golden garments shine brightly in the moonlight. As she rushes forward, she finds herself falling into the arms of Hawk, who gently brushes her hair back with his hands.]“You’re safe now, child.”
[At those words, a horrible laugh echoes through this valley. Hawk moves to put the girl behind him as he stands to face what approaches.]“Have you still not learned?”
[The voice of the Scarecrow cuts through the air like the foul stench of death. His neverending walk through this valley, in the shadow of death itself, has brought him to this point. Piles of bodies lurk behind him, evidence of the destruction he has brought.]“You freed those spirits, but they are still dead.” [Crow taunts.] [Hawk looks back at the girl for a moment, before looking at the Hayman with his empowered eyes.]
“You wish to keep them trapped in a world of violent torment for eternity, Scarecrow.” [Hawk returns.]
“Do I?” [Is the only response.] [The World Champion looks up to the moon.]
“These spirits deserve peace.” [Hawk states.] [Scarecrow finally comes to a stop, directly before Tommy Hawk. His eyes turn to the girl as Tommy continues.]
“The fallen have shown me the path.”
[Scarecrow seems amused as Hawk’s eyes seem to cloud over with the yellow.]“Now, I release them to the next life.”
[His body almost staggering with the power he is releasing; the Spirit Walker frees those spirits. The yellow apparitions float up towards the hungry moon, which seems to swallow them whole. Hawk raises his eyebrow as he regains his wits. That may not have been what was supposed to happen.] [Scarecrow laughs again.]“The bad moon rises, Spirit Walker.” [He looks up to the moon.] “You saved them. But will you save her? I am going to take her and she will never leave my thrall.”
“Please!” [The girl cries out as the Hayman looks deep within her.]
“You will try.”
[Tommy Hawk and Scarecrow square off as the landscape around them seems to melt at first and then be washed away like sand in an hour glass. All that remains is Scarecrow and Tommy Hawk. The girl is gone, and all that remains in her place is the OSW World Championship.] [Tonight they meet for that prize. Will Tommy Hawk save the gold from the grasp of the Hayman.] [Or will Scarecrow do as he said and take it forever.]LYRA STARCHILD VS. TONATIUH
SINGLES MATCH
FINAL RITUAL
[We open on the squared circle in the middle of the Tap Room auditorium.]
[The sound of “Black Magic” plays through the loudspeakers as we’re entrenched in complete darkness.]
[Suddenly, the lights begin to brighten but only to a dim and around the ring we see a circle of flames. Candles.]
[Inside, Voodoo and Makena Jakanda kneel on both knees. Their hands held up above their shoulders as if to reach for the sky, or the gods within it.]
“May the great warrior Ogun be pleased with the sacrifice we bring so that he’ll join us in this realm in aid of my mission!”
[Voodoo’s voice sounds out throughout the arena. Amplified in a surprising manner.]“Makena, my confidant…” [Voodoo barks.] “Begin the ritual call.”
“Fè Ogou Fè, Ogou Fèray o,” [The voice of Jakanda’s sounds in a steady tone.] “Fè Ogou Fè, Ogou Fèray o”.
[Suddenly, the ritual is interrupted by the sound of “Skull Splitter” by Battlecry and the Tap Room arena erupts into commotion as Viktor North makes his way towards the ring.]“Do not concern yourself with the sacrificial lamb, Makena” [Voodoo reassures.] “Continue on!”
“I am an iron” [Jakandea says with a hesitance to her voice.] “I am covered with iron.”
[And with that, lights begin to flicker. There is an unsettling wind that rolls through the arena, but then…]“You seem… Uncertain!”
[THAT’S DOUBT!]“DON’T STOP MAKENA!” [Voodoo screams.] “WE’RE ALMOST FINISHED!”
[The Tap Room falls dark for a split second and when it returns, there is Doubt, standing at the side of the kneeling Jakande who is startled by his presence and jumps to her feet, stopping her chant.]“The ritual is over, Black Magic” [North says as he slides into the ring.] “If Ogun doesn’t help you now, he never will!”
[North takes a running leap, planting a boot into the chest of Voodoo, knocking him into a roll, ending up in the corner. Jakande backs herself away from the emotion and retreats to her partner who appears shocked but at the same time disgruntled that Makena allowed Doubt to distract her.] [Viktor North and Doubt give each other an ominous glare before stepping backwards in preparation for battle.]DOUBT & VIKTOR NORTH VS. BLACK MAGIC
TAG TEAM MATCH
SELFISH
RINGSIDE
“Where is she, Mother. Where’s the girl?”
[Mother blinks, almost mockingly.]“Your little Stephanie, Jacob? She isn’t here. She was disobedient, a bad child looking to rebel against her dear Mother.”
[She chuckles, watching as Phoenix grows ever angrier. Jacob runs into the ring, a fire lit under him as he rushes for Mother, the demon putting up a hand, stopping him. She wags her finger disapprovingly.]“Don’t come any closer, Jacob. If you want to see her, then you’ll have to wait. She’s my child, my precious daughter. She disobeyed, so now she’s being punished.”
[Phoenix balls his fists as Mother talks down to him. Powerless, he backs away, Mother smirking as he does.]“She’s a selfish little girl. She was only worried about herself. But what about her Mother?”
[This strikes a chord as Jacob’s eyes go wide. Mother moves to her corner, smirking as she waits for the bell to ring.]MOTHER VS. JACOB PHOENIX
VHS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
FOR MOTHER
RINGSIDE
“Where is she!? Tell me where the girl is!”
[Mother doesn’t even try to resist, she shakes her head. Phoenix HEADBUTTS MOTHER! He busts open her nose, black blood flowing down her face! Mother doesn’t react to it, instead, she merely chuckles.]“STOP MOCKING ME!”
[Phoenix goes to headbutt Mother once more- The lights go out! The crowd is quiet, the lights slowly flickering back on and cameras revealing Phoenix to be in a completely dark room, the only light coming from an overhead bulb. And under it? The Little girl.] [She’s strapped to a chair, arms and legs bound, her head held back by a leather strap. Phoenix rushes to her aid, pulling on the straps to no avail.]“I promise, I’ll get you out of here.”
[He checks his surroundings for Mother, the demon nowhere in sight. Just as he turns around to try and help the girl again, she begins to speak. Her voice is shaky, on the verge of tears. Jacob leans in to hear her.]“I-I’m sorry.”
[BLACK MIST! THE GIRL SPITS BLACK MIST IN JACOB’S FACE! He recoils backward! He tries to wipe his eyes BUT MOTHER COMES OUT OF THE DARKNESS! HAPPILY EVER AFTER!] [Phoenix collapses to the floor, betrayed and in pain as he stares up at the girl, the child freely getting up from the chair and walking towards Mother, the Mother of all taking her child’s hand.]“I had to do it. I had to for Mother.”
[The duo walk into the darkness, Phoenix left alone under the light as the segment slowly fades out.]DESMOND CROSS VS. LUX BELLATOR
SINGLES MATCH
THE THIRD BOWL
RINGSIDE
“You have seen now, Desmond.” [Lux begins.] “That I am the one that has been chosen. I am the one who now carries the torch you let burn out. So for the final time, I will ask you.”
[Lux holds out his hand to the bleeding Cross.]“Will you stand by my side?”
[Desmond Cross stares at the hand for a moment before spitting on the ground.]“I ain’t the joinin’ type anymore, man.” [Cross states.] “So, I guess you’ll be servin’ justice.”
[Bellator slowly withdraws his hand, his smile unbroken.]“Very well.”
[As Cross works to get to his feet, perhaps to continue the fight. Lux turns his back and walks away.]“Three times have I offered.” [Lux accuses.] “Three times have you rejected the Lord.”
[Lux whirls around to face Cross, a yellow glow in his eye for a moment.]“Yet the Lord has decreed that you will stand by my side as I bring about this apocalypse.”
[Cross stops trying to get up for a moment as he stares incredulously at the light warrior. Bellator slowly raises his hands to the heaven as lightning cascades from all directions to form an object in Lux’s hands.] [A bowl.]“Justice will be done upon you, Desmond Cross. Just a Moses, you will not be allowed to step foot in the Promised Land, only to lay your eyes on what is to come.”
[Cross finally charges at Bellator, but Lux raises the bowl.]“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,” [Bellator shouts to the heavens.] “I hereby unleash the third bowl of God’s Wrath onto the wretched and broken world!”
[Desmond Cross is caught in his bloody face by the contents of the bowl, all of which sizzle away upon touching his skin. The two men stand face to face for a moment, as Cross realizes that he has no sores. He reaches up to touch his face.] [Or tries to.]“Please don’t speak, Desmond.” [Lux begins, as he approaches Cross with a grin.] “Not that you can speak. That feeling coursing through your body is all of the blood within you, the water of life, slowly thickening and hardening. Your inability to move is because all of it is becoming as rigid as stone.”
[Lux reaches his hand up to Desmond’s bloody face, brushing the now dried blood away like dust. He seems to take particular interest in Cross’ eyelids, which flutter in revolt for a moment before freezing.]“This is your life, Desmond Cross. You will stand by my side as I break the seals and unleash the bowls of wrath. And you will not be able to speak, not be able to move. And when the end comes, you will be washed away like the sands of time.”
[Lightning begins to cascade once again, illuminating both of the men in the ring.]“That is the Lord’s Justice.” [The yellow eyed Lux Bellator says.] “His will be done.”
[With a large burst of light, both Bellator and Cross vanish. Only the empty bowl remains.] [Yet a rush of tinged flame comes out of the air around it, swallowing the bowl whole.] [What the hell is going on?]SMILEY VS. HYSTERIA
BURIED ALIVE MATCH
ALIVE
RINGSIDE
“You can’t…” [Hysteria coughs.] “…Kill me that easily, Smiley.”
[No Face turns around and picks up a gas can, shaking it violently over the Rewind Champion.] [They’re not going to do this, are they?] [They’re going to burn him alive!] [As No Face drops the can and pulls out a packet of matches, he’s ambushed from behind! It’s Doubt! The Masked Emotion has come to the aide of his long-suffering tag team partner!] [He spins No Face around and runs him straight into the steel Tap Room door. He bounces off and falls backwards into the grave.] [Hysteria turns around and carefully backs away, his head tilted as he does.] [Thank God for Doubt. He just saved Smiley’s life.] [The Masked Emotion stands proudly over his fallen friend, protecting him as the scene comes to a close.]TOMMY HAWK VS. THE SCARECROW
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
DEATH
RINGSIDE
“Come!”
[Then the world turns upside down.] [Neither combatant is bothered as they both find themselves back in the barren valley. The same blood red moon still looks down upon them, its eye fixed on the center of the valley where they now stand. Something has changed from before, though.] [The golden clad girl now stands between the two of them. Her eyes are cast towards Scarecrow, fear in them. Tommy Hawk merely looks past her to his enemy. For his part, the Hayman actually seems confused.]“Why did you bring us here, Spirit Walker?” [Crow menacingly asks.] “There will be no peaceful death at my hand.”
[Before Hawk can answer, a great rumble seems to echo out of the valley. The girl falls to her knees in pain as both Hawk and Crow look on in surprise. Hawk tries to rush forward, but the light before him seems to be a wall now. Impenetrable.] [The powerful voice from before returns, this time coming from the moon itself. Its light trapping both Scarecrow and Hawk.”“Then I looked and saw a pale horse.”
[Standing in the epicenter of this force of nature is now the pale horse. Its body is so pale that one can see through it. It’s as if it is made out of light itself. Both the Spirit Walker and the Hayman are thrown backwards as the moon seems to cast all of its light upon this horse, the light slowly coalescing into a humanoid form.]“It’s rider’s name was Death.”
[Slowly, the rumble slows to nothing and the light ceases falling. Both Scarecrow and Hawk rise to their feet, trying to regain their bearings. What they see is a shock to both of them.] [The golden clad girl now stands in chains, captive to Death itself. The pale rider sneers down at both of the other beings before him, yet his yellow eyes betray that he now holds the spirits ‘freed’ by Tommy Hawk.] [Both the Spirit Walker and the Hayman watch as the light coalesces into a human form. Familiarity appears on their faces. For they know who is before them.] [Lux Bellator.] [The fourth seal has been broken.] [Cut.]