RING ENTRANCE
THE SCYTHE OF SOULS
Scott Kamura: Three competitors in the ring, and we’re…still waiting, actually.
Indeed, Miranda, Madison, and Lexi mill about the ring, each in the orbit of respective corners, stretching and eyeballing one another. But their gaze continually flits to the entrance, confused worrying about the identity of the fourth evident–until suddenly, the lights DROP. Not fade, not low–all lights in the arena have dropped to pitch blackness! The crowd begins to buzz, wondering what this could herald the arrival of!
Dutch Harris: Christ, someone call maintenance, this is bush league, I’ve told–
A lone voice then blasts out the confusion like Gabriel’s trumpet–a voice as old as the hills, the years of wars and backbreaking labor evident. But despite this, the words are as clear as a sermon.
Oh Death…
Oh Death!
Please spare me over for another year…
Finally, the smallest sliver of light begins to shine–It’s clear some form of fog has overtaken the entrance and the ramp, and it swirls about the arena in shades of pale green and muted blue–colors of gravestone moss and cold flesh. But there is yet to be a figure, just an empty entranceway, a fact that is not lost on the competitors in the ring, who all eye the situation with varying degrees of wariness and caution. The voice blasts from the speakers again, rattling the rivets in the building with his wail.
“I am Death, come after your soul
Gonna leave your body and leave it cold”
Oh Death…
Oh Death!
Please spare me over for another year…
At this pause, the spotlight drops again. We can hear the rumble of thunder somewhere, far in the distance.
Dutch Harris: …Scoots, you wanna fill us in here?
Scott Kamura: Your guess is as good as mine, man. The office hasn’t told me anything about who this might be!
The spotlight returns…and brings with it a figure! Clad in a worn, stained, oversized Carhartt jacket with its hood pulled up, there is a shadow cast on the figure’s face as they stand entirely motionless. Torn jeans, brown boots, and clutching what appears to be a wood splitting maul in both taped hands…but no motion. The voice returns…
My gold and silver at your command
If you will move them icy hands
Oh Death…
Oh Death!
Please spare me over for another year…
The spotlight cuts off again. It cuts on two seconds later at the sound of rumbling thunder…but this time, the figure is standing motionless halfway down the ramp. The crowd is now buzzing, and frankly the soldiers in the ring are milling anxiously as well. The spotlight fades as the house lights get brought up to an eerie blue and green, just barely enough to illuminate the proceedings. The figure sets the maul down with an audible thud of iron to flooring, then unceremoniously drops it with the accompanying staccato rapport of the wooden handle. Calmly, casually, the individual rolls their shoulders and cracks their knuckles. The voice returns.
“Don’t want your silver, don’t want your gold
Nothing satisfies me but your soul.
I am Death, come after your soul
Leave your body and leave it cold.”
Oh Death…
Oh Death!
Please spare me over for another year…
Then it happens.
The hood flies back.
The jacket is discarded.
Hair like a coal-choked sunrise. Dead eyes. Skin pale as a corpse, face a collection of scars, hands that know the blood of every sinner from here to Oakvale.
God’s Red Right Hand of Death.
CHARLIE JAY HITCHENS.
The crowd erupts, surprise and legitimate shock overtaking them, as CJH scans all of them with zero emotion…then her eyes land on the ring. She doesn’t smile–she’s not been known to–but she slowly brings her hands up, gripping her chin and crown. Methodically she rotates her head left, then right, popping her neck, never once blinking. “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” kicks off, the mournful guitar accompanying the blind Reverend Gary Davis, and Charlie Jay begins her slow walk to the ring on dusty boots.
Dutch Harris: Well if you’re any of the competitors in the ring, your day just got terrible! Shit!
Scott Kamura: Charlie Jay Hitchens isn’t just a tough fight, Dutch–she’s a legitimate monster! I thought we were done with her–I thought she had walked into the sunset for good! She’s sacrificed animals, tortured people with impunity, claims she hears messages directly from God…
Dutch Harris: She buried Buck Dresden alive, for fuck’s sake!
Death don’t have no mercy, in this land /
Death don’t have no mercy, in this land /
He’ll come to your house and he won’t stay long /
You’ll look in the bed and somebody will be gone /
Death don’t have no mercy, in this land /
She doesn’t hesitate to climb the steps, but her movements are slow, deliberate. Her sunken eyes scan across every person in the ring, and as if repelled by the sheer gravity of what she represents, the other three competitors gravitate to the opposite corner subconsciously. Stepping through the ropes, she doesn’t raise an arm. Doesn’t climb the turnbuckles to play to the crowd.
She just stands there.
Waiting until the bell tolls.
Lexi Vs. Madison Vs. ??? Vs. Miranda (c)
SIN CITY CHAMPIONSHIP
Elimination Match
Backstage
CONTAINMENT PLAN
???: I don’t care how you do it, just find out what’s happening here!
The voice of an angry Lou Grimaldi echoes down the hall as a camera catches the head of SHOOT Projet security as he is pointing wildly at a guard, who shrinks away slightly, and then bolts full speed down the other end of the hallway.
Grimaldi is flanked by three other familiar figures: Josh “The Real Deal” Johnson, CEO of SHOOT; Samantha Coil; Head of Talent Relations; and Lennox “The Ox” Ferguson, SHOOT Project Chief of Staff.
Samantha Coil: You don’t need to be so… harsh, Lou. We’ll get this sorted out.
Lou Grimaldi: Don’t tell me how to do my job, Sam. Or would you prefer another of our wrestlers find themselves in a hospital bed this weekend?
Lennox Ferguson: Oi! We don’t know if these two things are even related. What we need to be focused on is figuring out where all the AV equipment has been going. I mean bloody ‘ell, NONE of the Soldiers will be in action if we lose anymore cables. Shite ain’t easy to come by.
All three look over to Real Deal who is surprisingly silent, his head down, thinking.
Lou Grimaldi: What do you say, boss? Should we be more focused on the spooky shit that’s found it’s way over from REIGN, and cut that shit out right now, or go on a wild goose chase for this tech shit we can buy on Amazon?
Lennox shakes his head in irritation.
Lennox Ferguson: You’re a real piece of work, Grimaldi. Maybe you should fix your training if all this shite is happening – I assume you’re not employing the same crew who were asleep on the job when Blaze Claymore abducted me back in April?
Josh Johnson: ENOUGH.
All three of the other administrators look up as the SHOOT Project CEO puts a hand to his temple and sighs.
Josh Johnson: Spooky shit and masked figures come with the territory here. And frankly, I can’t tell which is which anymore — for all we know the guy that jumped from the rafters and went after Dan Stein and Jack is the same one terrorizing X-Calibur. We don’t have any footage of anyone sneaking in here overnight or breaking in; but we DO know that someone is causing a mess of our inventory. Expensive inventory I might add.
Lennox smiles.
Josh Johnson: I have no idea what all this bullshit is with people dropping from the rafters, but Samantha, I need you to start questioning the talent. Someone knows or has seen something about our mystery guest or possibly… guests.
Samantha nods.
Josh Johnson: And Lou, you’re right that until this shit calms down we’re going to have staff who are terrified. I’m giving you the authority to beef up security as much as you need. Lennox, see to it Lou gets the funds available. We’ll find a way around the AV issue until this is solved.
Now it’s Lou’s turn to smile.
Josh Johnson: The three of you need to start working together and not be so territorial. We need to contain this NOW before it gets out of hand. Understood?
All three nod as Real Deal claps his hands together.
Josh Johnson: Good. Now go get to work.
Backstage
THE STRAW THAT STIRS THE DRINK
The scene opens backstage in the interview area of the arena. Standing in the middle of the interview set is none other than “Mr. Canada” Roy Vezina. Sporting a big grin, Roy looks quite pleased with himself as he brings the microphone up to speak.
Roy Vezina: Ladies and gentlemen, I must say. I have never been more warmly welcomed by a group of fans than I have when I joined SHOOT. You guys treat me like the king I am and I gotta say, I appreciate you. I appreciate the fact that you can see how talented of a man I am. You can see the amount of hard work and sheer dedication I have to bring joy to each and every one of you. You guys are my people and I am here for you.
Roy takes a moment to let that sink in.
Roy Vezina: I believe that seeing the world as half full rather than half empty is why I am where I am. I am Mr. Canada but I am also Mr. Positivity…
???: Oh can it, Vezina.
Suddenly a large figure steps into the cameras view and after a moment we see that it is “The Midwest Nightmare” Ryan Samuels. He grabs the microphone from Roy.
Ryan Samuels: The only thing positive about you was your mama’s pregnancy test. Now move over and let a real man talk for a bit.
Using his considerable mass, Samuels bodies Roy off the set before turning to the camera.
Ryan Samuels: Listen up, morons. Everyone here is all giddy about the fact this place has managed to last for two hundred shows. Well I don’t give a damn. This place ain’t worth a god damn note without me, got it? I’m the straw that stirs the drink and I’m gonna bring this dump into the future. For the last two hundred shows, you idiots in the stands have watched the same old losers try to be somethin’ they’re not: important. Worth a damn. Well, I’m worth a damn. I’m done playin’ nice with you people. It’s time for the god damn pages of the book to be filled. You can cheer for favorites and buy their shirts and posters but just remember when they done do step into the ring with me, they are gonna end up just as a footnote in the Book of Samuels. Hot damn!
With that, Samuels drops the microphone and storms off scene. Very gingerly, we watch as Roy steps back into view and picks up the microphone.
Roy Vezina: Um, so. Yeah, remember fans, Yes You Canada! Love you guys! With that, Roy winks as the cameras cut back to ringside.
Dutch Harris: We’ve just learned that Swanny, Ryan Samuels intended opponent, was unable to secure travel to his debut match in time. He has been replaced with Diego Ramirez, from REIGN, who may also be known to the audience as the Pain Hunter.
Scott Kamura: Definitely an interesting style clash here between Samuels and Ramirez, we’ll see if the last minute change has any kind of effect on their mentality or if they’re good to go either way.
Ryan Samuels Vs. Diego Ramirez
Singles Match
Backstage
REGRET
Dutch Harris: In what should be another banger of a match between members of the Empire and members of the Blackhawk Gym, we’ve got Jamie Johnson and Golden Burkhalter up next. Those two will square off for the first time in a SHOOT Project ring.
Scott Kamura: That’s true, and to hear them tell it, this has been a long time coming. Still, we’ll head to the back with Mary Kelly, who’s got Jamie Johnson by her side.
The scene shifts backstage.
Mary Kelly: I’m standing by with the longest reigning Sin City Champion and member of the Empire, Jamie Johnson! Jamie, you’re about to walk out and face Golden Burkhalter, someone you’ve helped train and develop. What’re your feelings like on all of that?
The camera shifts to Jamie, who garners a quick pop. He’s dressed to compete and offers a smile to Mary Kelly.
Jamie Johnson: It’s bittersweet. Here’s what I know about Joey, right? Everything. Just plain everything. When I was at Blackhawk, he was just getting started. He’s always had potential, he’s always had that “it” factor that so many guys want but don’t have.
Mary Kelly: Any regrets or anything like that as you get ready to face him tonight?
The pause is pregnant, as Jamie contemplates his words.
Jamie Johnson: Hmm… you know, the professional wrestling answer should be “no, no regrets”, but that’s not reality. The reality, and I’m talking directly to you Joey, is that when I was at Blackhawk, I was still trying to figure out my place in this industry.
I didn’t consider you when I made my decision to leave. Didn’t think about how it would affect you, didn’t think about whether or not it would cause you problems or issues, just didn’t think about it. Didn’t care.
I was and still am immature to the ways I impact this business. How they intertwine, what they mean, so I regret that I didn’t have a conversation with you when I was trying to decide what to do. I regret that we didn’t grab lunch, talk, or help each other understand where we’re coming from.
He lets out a sigh.
Jamie Johnson: That part’s on me. I’m sorry.
Mary Kelly: That’s big though, Jamie.
Jamie Johnson: Is it, though? Is common courtesy really that big? In a matter of moments, Burkhalter and I are going to be ripping each other apart in that ring, and none of what I said just now will really matter all that much. I let him down a year ago, and while he’s grown into a game competitor, he’s still not better than me and I’m going to show him in that ring.
With that, Jamie walks away from Mary and towards gorilla as “One for the Money” queues up and starts to play.
Mary Kelly: Interesting words from Jamie Johnson, who faces Golden Burkhalter and that match is NEXT.
Jamie Johnson Vs. Golden Burkhalter
Singles Match
Post Match
WATCH YOUR BACK
“One for the Money” is playing, as Jamie Johnson celebrates his victory. A dejected Golden Burkhalter is outside of the ring, just watching. Jamie calls for a microphone and referee Alex Campbell hands one over.
Jamie Johnson: I’m proud of you, Burk.
The crowd doesn’t know how to react, neither does Burkhalter.
Jamie Johnson: You kicked my ass in here, and it took a decidedly veteran sequence and a surprise move to put you away. I know that’s something that doesn’t happen if we square off again, and I know we will. So just hear me when I tell you this.
He walks over to the ropes near where Burkhalter is watching him, scowling.
Jamie Johnson: You’re better than what you’re going to end up getting with Nate. I’m not saying “Join the Empire” or “Breedlove will make you a star” or anything like that. I’m not even saying that you should just dump Blackhawk right here and now. You’ve clearly improved from when I was last in the gym with you, and like him or not, Nate’s done a good job.
I’m just saying to watch your back.
Every loss. Every misstep. Any mistake.
Watch how he reacts.
He nods out to Burkhalter before handing the microphone back to Alex Campbell. “One for the Money” picks up again as he takes to the turnbuckle and raises his arms both in Burkhalter’s face, and also to show appreciation to the fans who are behind him.
NC-17 Vs. Black Sheep Baez (c)
Premier CHAMPIONSHIP
Singles Match
