Post by đť“”đť“đť“𝓲𝓮 đť“śđť“ľđť“»đť“𝓮𝓻 on Feb 21, 2018 18:49:45 GMT -5
Prologue
The Jiayuguan Fortress is located on the western end of the Great Wall of China. It was the last outpost in ancient times, the last true line of defense against any and all barbarians attacking from the vast Gobi Desert.
“The end of the world”, many chinese have called this place throughout time. In the early days of this fortress it was used by the emperor to banish people from China. They would be put on the opposite side of The Great Wall and left to die. Emperors would continue this practice throughout time leaving the pass stained with the blood of those poor souls turned out into the uncivilized world. The fear of so many being left without the walls protection has left a lingering negative almost evil energy.
This place is one of pain and suffering. Now the site has been commercialized by China to bring in millions of dollars a year.
The carnival like atmosphere now hides the bloody past of the site with balloons and games for tourists to partake in. The evil energy here has drawn out the wicked.
The Jiayuguan Fortress sits still this evening. Atop the wall stands three individuals. Tommy Crimson, Violet, and Tommy’s best cameraman AJ Sin. They all look out where they intend to film as soon as possible. Violet and AJ both look perplexed because Crimson has recently came into a ton of cash. More than wrestling usually affords him. They fear he has made a deal with some sort of criminal element in asia but dare not speak of it.
Crimson turns to AJ suddenly, “The drones are on the way. The NerdSquad will control them to film, but I need you on the ground to film.”
“How did you buy Fury Studios back? That had to cost you a pretty penny, Tommy.” AJ replies with his forehead wrinkled with concern.
“I built Fury Studios from the ground up. I “borrowed” some money. I just had to put up some collateral. Now get down there where they use to banish people so we can film.” Crimson orders his employee with a stern tone.
Violet, the manager of FuryLand and Tommy’s secret lover approaches him. The Fury continues to look out at the breathtaking view. A tear streams down her cheek as he pokes Crimson in the back. He swirls around to face her.
“What?” Tommy asks Violet, the pair now face to face.
She slowly pulls a small note pad out of her pocket then begins to doodle. When Violet finishes she turns it around and it reads, “Pregnant”. She proudly displays it alongside her slight baby bump. Violet then extends her left arm out and points to Tommy, indicating he is the father. She then drops her head a bit as if unsure of her own revelation. Tommy reaches up and takes hold of her chin slightly tilting her head up to look directly at him.
“I will keep you both safe.” Crimson promises his significant other with total confidence.
Violet nods then looks left to notice three objects flying toward them. She points them out, leading Tommy to look up. He then takes off toward the pass to get down in front of the wall.
Three military grade drones fly in low toward the Jiayuguan Fortress. Crimson stands in front of the wall just out from the infamous pass where so many chinese were banished to die. The NerdSquad control the drones from the town of Jiayuguan. They are Tommy Crimson’s personal IT team that are used for hacking camera feeds and anything else tech related. The Fury Studios logo crosses the screen followed by the infamous frightened scream. The drones approach to film overhead while AJ films directly in front of Tommy. Only one camera is permitted to film at one time in this location but the drones can fly. The camera feeds are streamed live back to Union Battleground in real time.
“The End of The World.” Crimson proclaims.
“Now that I have my studios company back, I can do anything.” Tommy announces the news to the world. He then walks along the wall while all the hovering drones continue film as does AJ. Violet stands out of shot, leaning up against The Great Wall now.
“Men came here after being protected by a wall their entire lives. Without that protection they all perished due to weakness. I see true parallels between this and you, Average Joe Stanton.” Tommy continues as he walks along using The Great Wall and fortress as a backdrop.
“I see you do deathmatches, Joe. Are times that tough? You have to draw a crowd using blood rather than ability? I will expose you.” Tommy threatens his uncreative opponent directly.
“Do you use those sharp street fighter moves in those shit holes, too? I don’t think you belong here, Joe. I believe you are the weak link in this strong Union Battleground chain. Under pressure you will just snap in two because there’s “nothing” to you.” Crimson snarls into the drones as he looks down at the dirt briefly. He slowly raises his head back up.
“I shouldn’t have to wrestle some deathmatch nobody, Joe. I wish your mother had dug you out of her with a rusty bent clothes hanger while you were still in the womb but she didn’t and here we are.” Tommy grins wide at the sick burn. He then shakes his head slightly to show his utter frustration with such an unworthy opponent.
“You live in some fantasy world that I will burn to the ground with real joy. Average Joe Stanton can’t compete on the same level as Tommy Crimson. That’s why I chose the end of the world, Joe.” The Fury exclaims.
“It’s the end of the world for you, Street Fighter. The best way to handle a no talent dick like you is by putting them down. Simple as that. You taint my craft with your bullshit and now I get my chance to break you. There won’t be any props in this match to distract from the fact that you have no business in “my business”.” Crimson cuts deep with the personal insult.
Tommy then turns and walks along the wall. He heads for something out of shot. The cameraman and drones are all four careful to not reveal what it is until Crimson reaches the object. An arcade version of Street Fighter sits in front of the wall. Not chinese but asian nonetheless.
“Since we have established you have no shot in hell of defeating me in reality… Let’s see how you fair on this children’s game you love to copy, shall we?” Crimson inquires of his opponent.
Tommy walks up to the arcade game that sits snug up against The Great Wall. Crimson approaches then reaches into the pocket of his human skin jacket. He retrieves two quarters then shuffles them into the coin slot. Tommy then starts the game up.
AJ comes in close to film the screen. He realizes this game has been modified special for this occasion. The character screen only has two characters. The pixel art is just as it would have been in the early nineties. Crimson selects the character who resembles himself then a plane takes off across a map heading for Chicago, where his opponent resides. The two pixelated characters then are facing each other ready to battle. Both characters favor each wrestler but copyright infringement laws prevent exact names or faces to be used in the game. The game begins…
The two characters on screen begin to fight. Pixelated Look-a-like Joe comes flying in with his super right hand which leads look-a-like Crimson to dodge. As he dodges the right hand, he counters with a meat cleaver by chopping off the look-a-like Joe’s right hand on the game screen! The character that resembles Crimson then takes off his opponents shades and quickly snaps off both temple arms off the glasses, dropping the frame to the ground. He then takes a temple arm in each hand carefully. He then stabs them into each of the counterfeit Joe’s eyes. The character drops to his knees then falls face first on the ground, dead. “MID-CARD MURDER!” crosses the screen.
Tommy backs up from the arcade machine as the screen turns to fuzz. The coin slot then begins to bleed. The screen crackles and pops suddenly! Smoke indicates the machine is now completely broken. Crimson turns back to face the filming cameras.
“Game Over.” He proudly announces.
Suddenly two vans appear in the shot slamming the brakes as they reach Crimson. The two solid black mercedes vans indicate trouble to Violet and AJ. Crimson shows no emotion even after eight chinese men pile out of the two vehicles. Two round the back of the first van to open the back doors while the other six walk towards Violet.
“What do you want?” AJ asks the men, who all ignore him. The men take hold of Violet then carry her over to the first van. One of the men binds her hands and feet with duct tape before they toss her into the back of the van. They slam both doors shut as one of the men approach Tommy.
“If you want her back.. You will pay us back, Fury” The man dressed in all black proclaims in broken english.
AJ starts toward the man but is met with a pistol. As the man pulls the gun, AJ notices his tattoo. Triad gang tattoos cover all of the men he notices. AJ the drops his camera and looks at Crimson. The men load up and leave without Tommy moving a muscle.
“You borrowed fucking money from the Triads?” AJ asks Crimson point blank..
“She’s the collateral.” The Fury explains.
“How are you going to get her back?” AJ replies immediately.
“They can have her… and the baby.” Crimson coldly proclaims.
Post by Joe Stanton on Feb 21, 2018 21:27:28 GMT -5
The scene opens on the exterior of a gym, it's a modest establishment that likely wouldn't get two looks by the common person on the streets of Chicago, IL. Well, the name PARADOX might, though it's more likely a wrestling fan might recognize the logo of the former wrestling promotion that operated in Chicago for a decade before the venue it was run in burned to the ground. But that's a story for another time, the shot transitions into the interior of the gym where it's apparent that this place is some kind of wrestling school and a wrestling school it's been for two decades producing some of the finest talent Chicago's seen. One such once upon a time student is sitting on the middle turnbuckle of the far right corner of the ring that's situated inside this gym.
"When you've been in the industry as long as I have, when you've been as careful with your money as I have, you can pretty much train wherever you like if you're really so inclined. But sometimes it's nice to come back here, come back to the beginning, reflect on how much has changed since the first day I stepped through those doors right over there and put money in Keenan's hands, and asked him to train me to be a professional wrestler. Sometimes it's good to remind yourself that everyone starts at this point in their career, different schools, different rates of skill growth, but we all start out as some rookie at some point."
Stanton talks about money, money's never really been a priority for him. He's made money, lots of it really, but as long as he has a roof over his head, food and a way to fight he's always been set. Closing his eyes when he talks about it being nice to come back here, his other senses are filled with the sensations from this place they've felt so many times. That smell that hangs in the air that isn't quite sweat or blood or even particularly unpleasant but it is distinct, the idle sounds this old building makes, the feel of the ropes as he holds them on either side of him.
"From the past to the future. From one Salvation member to another, second verse same as the first."
He rolls his left hand to face his palm out at the ring and he opens his eyes. A sardonic smile creeps in on his features when he talks about the Salvation in music terms.
"Which is to say the tune is awfully similar sounding to last week's."
The Scarlet Speedster says blankly, bobbing his head from side to side indifferently.
"You highlight that yes, I do hardcore wrestling, but act as if that's all I am or all I do. You say I don't belong in Union Battleground. You say I am weak, I am nothing, I am beneath you, I will be broken. All the things Morta was of the opinion of too."
Matter-of-factly Stanton recounts what Crimson said for those that weren't paying attention, counting them out on his hand as points as he goes along. That sardonic smile stays on his face throughout the entire spiel and he wets his lips before he name drops Morta. His eyes shift from the camera to himself, he examines himself as if he's checking for something.
"But last time I checked, I'm still here, unbroken, unfazed, and moving onto you."
Stanton sounds unimpressed with Morta's ability to break him. He shrugs his shoulders and lowers his hand down onto his knee.
"Have I wrestle in hardcore, in deathmatch settings? Yes. But I have wrestled in all manner of promotions, I wrestled for a globally recognized company for over two years on national television and was able to ascend to the top of their roster and be their champion in part because of people like you. People that doubted me, underestimated me, that saw some aspect of me like say my willingness to get really violent if it's booked and write me off. I've dealt with people like you my entire career and if I folded after just one of you came along with your wise cracks at me? Shit, I wouldn't have a career that spans practically fifteen years in this business. You want to know the truth, Crimson?"
After asking the rhetorical question he nods his head, shrugging it off to press on with his point. He stifles a laugh when he mentions having wrestled for many different kinds of promotions, strong style, lucha, workrate, deathmatch, British, he's done and seen it all. He's more amused than anything when he points at the camera lens to directly address Crimson. A blur of faces of people over the years that doubted him runs through his head, most of their features indistinct after having faded with time. His smile is renewed with the question he poises to Crimson.
"I get off on proving guys like you wrong, on watching you sputter and putter trying to do mental gymnastics to justify your opinion of me still. I love outperforming dudes like you in the ring, leaving you huffing and puffing for air while I still got another thirty minutes or more in the tank. I might not be a technical wizard, but I have a solid enough hold on the fundamentals and a more than solid grasp on other styles that I can go as hard and as long, and as fast as anyone you put in that ring with me."
Stanton stifles another laugh, teasing Crimson when he mentions getting off on proving guys like him wrong. Not necessarily true, but it is funny to him to see them get flustered. He jabs his index finger at the camera lens again after he pauses.
"Including you. You're good, Crimson, I've seen the tapes, I've been in the back and watched you firsthand, I'm not going to deny it or claim you don't belong in Union Battleground or some petty shit like that, you are! You're a phenomenal talent, and in most places I feel like you'd be sitting at the top of the food chain looking down. Hell, I wouldn't even find it strange if you ended up there in Union Battleground one day when your buddy isn't riding high. Under normal circumstances, I'd be interested in the prospect of just having a match with you, seeing what we could produce when we're thrown into that ring, because my gut tells me that it'd be a fucking barn burner."
Staring straight into the camera, Joe addresses Crimson personally in a very casual way. He bobs his head in a sort of nod when he recalls what he's seen of Crimson, what he's concluded on in his view of the other man's abilities. Dismissively he waves a hand at the notion of using Crimson's own claims against him, mouthing a raspberry. Genuinely he praises the Salvation member, grinning at the thought of their match together.
"But kind of like when Matt Meyer, an assistant trainer here, challenged me to a match after I was freshly graduated because he didn't feel I belonged here. I kind of want to knock you off that high horse. I'm not just looking to entertain the fans or put on the best damn match possible yet again, I'm looking to prove a point I've proven time and time again. Maybe with any luck unlike Meyer you won't have your jaw wired shut afterwards. Would be such a shame to see that happen and be denied the gospel of Salvation."
Those green eyes of Stanton's wander away from the lens and scan across the ring when he tells the tale of Matt Meyer. He can see it all play out in his head, Meyer never really liked him because why not, and he decided to start something about it when Stanton was officially a wrestler by jumping him & challenging him. A bunch of the students having to keep them apart till the day of their match and though Meyer took a beating Stanton ended up landing that infamous right hand that dropped him like a sack of potatoes. The memory makes his grin go shark toothed and he glances back at the camera when he talks insincerely of how terrible it would be if a similar fate befell Crimson.
