AF 5: Brad Bomb vs. Jack Skinner vs. Justin Cooper (non title)

[Ty Burna]

Deadline is Tuesday, February 7th at 11:59 PM Central Time

 

[NSL]

Jack Skinner sits at his typewriter, with nary a word on the page. There's a stack of blank paper on one side of the desk, and a wastebasket overflowing with crumbled pages on the floor. The light on the desk flickers with every movement, casting a strobe-like shadow on the room.

Think, Jack...Think...

For the first time since his arrival in WZCW, Jack is suffering from writer's block. He's been asked to contribute an article describing life on the road.

You've been on the road a few weeks now...Why can't you come up with just one stupid sentence. One! Ugh...When you were trailing Black Dragon, you had endless streams of material.

He attempts to put his head down on the desk, but catches the bottom row of keys.

"vm c,m, n". Well, that's hardly useful. I need to get this done, or I'll never make it to the gym before closing. Damn...All I need is one sentence, and I can let it flow.

He removes the page, and tosses it on the floor, before leaning back, rubbing his eyes. He leans a bit to far, and lands on his back, staring up at the new ceiling fan he had installed.

Seems to be where I end up a lot lately. At least I had this wonderful phone book here to break my fall.

Jack winces as he pulls out a rather thick notebook from under his back. He pulls himself back up to the desk, and hammers away a sentence.

"I am Jack's writer's block." I've seen something like that somewhere before...Hmm...

Jack darts off to his living room, and begins rifling through his DVD collection.

Fight Club! Ha! I got an idea...

Jack starts typing like mad, getting through two pages in no time. As he finishes a third, his phone goes off, snapping him back to reality.

JESUS! Damn phone. Oh, it's Becky. Is it interview time now?

He flips open his phone, and Becky starts in, before he can even get out a greeting.

Where are you?! I've been at the gym for 20 minutes, waiting for you! We had a scheduled interview! The world doesn't revolve around you, Jack!

Hello to you too, Becky. I'm sorry. I got tied up on this article.

Well, you're slacking big time, mister. Ever think this dual-career choice might be to blame for your woes lately?

Ouch! Kind of harsh, don't you think?

I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated, and cold. What is it, 12 out today?

I understand. Hold your horses. I'm 5 minutes away. Get inside, get some coffee, and I'll be right there.

Becky hangs up, and Jack grabs his keys and rushes out the door. In exactly 5 minutes, Jack walks through the door, ready to do his interview.

Sorry I made you wait. This article was driving me up the wall, but it's all good. I was just about done, when you rang.

I wouldn't have been so upset, if it weren't so dang cold out. What's this article on?

Life on the road.

And what was it, exactly, that inspired you so much, that you missed the appointment we set?

Fight Club.

Fight Club?

Yes. The movie? Brad Pitt...Ed Norton...Helena-

No, I get it. The movie. But...what does that have to do with "life on the road"?

Insomnia. Insomnia has a ton to do with life on the road.

Excuse me if I sound like a dumb blonde here, but...I don't think you're editor will be happy to get handed an essay on your lack of sleep.

NO! That's not it at all. Ed Norton goes on about how insomnia leaves you in a state where you're not really awake, and never really asleep. That's life on the road. You never quite know where you are, or what you're doing. You just do it. You go about your business, like a robot.

Becky ponders this for a moment.

Go on...

That's exactly my problem. I've been so caught up in the routine, I forgot what I was doing, or why. I took my head out of it. Thus, the writer's block that kept me staring at forty blank pages all evening. I banged out the article, and here I am. I'm going to go train like crazy, and treat this week like a tune-up.

A "tune-up"? You're not exactly facing chumps out there. Cooper is the Mayhem champ, and Brad tagged on a pay-per-view with Everest; one of the greatest this company has ever known.

I know that, and I want to win. I truly do. But, let's face it. There's much bigger fish to fry around here. I need to use this week to clear my head of the monotony, and get my head back in the ring. After this article, I'm done writing. I'm going to be all-in for WZCW. I'll give Cooper and Brad the respect they deserve, and train my butt off, and give this match one hell of a go, but I need to get myself in the right mindset for Lethal Lottery.

Ah, yes. Congratulations on qualifying. That was quite a win.

Thank you, but I'll need to be better, if I want to get anywhere. I can't just waltz into the biggest match of my career, and expect to win. I need to work my butt off. It starts now.

Well, I think I got all I need, for now. You go train, and good luck on Aftershock.

Thanks, Becky.

Becky grabs her purse and belongings, and leaves, while Jack heads to the locker room to prepare for training...

 

[Da Prophet]

Greed Is A Very Powerful Thing
Season 1 Episode 2​

Four days have passed since the great escape of the High Society and the three runaway rebels have yet to be captured. In pursuit of the rebels are Vladimir, second in command, and the troops. They ride on horseback seemingly going fast but they make little progress toward their objective. The rebels themselves have sustained some mild injuries after fighting through the tough forest that surrounds the High Society area. The rebels consist of Scott, a young man of age twenty who worked as a shopkeeper before joining the cult, a female Mary, she was born into the society and finally David, an old man who joined the cult only two years ago.

Today however we are not focusing on the rebels instead the focus is on the leader of the High Society Justin Cooper. While the troops are off hunting down the traitors Justin Cooper prepares for his upcoming match on Aftershock 5. The man of wisdom stands inside a small private church within the confines of the society. Cooper is dressed in a red and black robe with his hood covering his face for this preparation. With candles providing the only source of light Cooper takes small steps toward a rather large shrine that is covered with pictures. It’s an amazing sight to see as the shrine consists of black and white pictures from the early years of the High Society, the Mayhem Championship, some pictures from the new buildings built under the reign of Justin Cooper and some items of religious value such as the first scroll of rules written for the society.

Cooper slowly drops down to his knee just inches away from the shrine. His eyes are fixed on the different items covering the wall but the most prominent is the Mayhem Champion. The title belt hangs down in front of him and Cooper struggles with his desire to grab the gold and push it against his chest. Somehow Cooper remains in control of his emotions and he continues on with ritual. He closes his eyes for a moment and recites a small scripture which goes “In a world of greed I shall give to my people, the people of the society.” Once again Cooper looks back up at the images and this time he admires all of the valuable items covering the wall. Then with his right arm Cooper reaches out and grabs the Mayhem Championship. Its rough covering stares back at Cooper who looks overcome with validation after successfully retaining the gold.

“No of them believe it would happen… not even for a split second. It’s one thing to talk about it but for something like this to actually happen is a completely different story. You can joke about it happening once or twice but you can’t let word get around about it. That’s the way things work there… the way people like it. People like the boss who tell me… or try… to tell me what to do and what to say. It’s all about control, they want to control me. They always have but I will not let them. Nobody controls me. Nobody I tell ya’.”

Seemingly a little more erratic with his speech this evening Cooper turns toward us but not to acknowledge us in any way but merely in our direction.

“Do this they say or don’t do that they said. All the time they attempted to control me however you can’t control the controller. You can’t manipulate the manipulator. The only thing they could do is feed me lies upon lies. From day one I was lied to time and again. I was given “opportunities” that weren’t real. They will give you a “chance” to shine but what it really happens is it is a slaughter for the old guys. Yep… a slaughter for the greedy. Now greed is a very dangerous thing and it’s when people are greedy that terrible things happen. Terrible things like thumbtacks, chairs, tables and blood. Things go wrong when people are greedy and people get hurt because of it. I get hurt when people are greedy. Alex Bowen was greedy, he wouldn’t step aside. He wouldn’t admit defeat when it was his time. I suffered because of him.”

Cooper peers down at his arm that is covered in scars from his battles with Bowen. He remembers all the pain and the time spent in hospitals which were all caused by the man he hates more than anyone in the world.

“Greed controlled him and it ultimately destroyed him. It’s said that those who live by the sword die by the sword well Bowen is the prime example. The same goes for Armando Paradyse. The man they called the most unlikely champion in the company quickly became just another victim to the High Society. He let his ego grow to the point where Armando believed he had a chance to beat me. The man was blinded by the hype and the atmosphere that is WZCW. He was blinded by the minds of fools who preach about breaking through some imaginary glass ceiling. Armando was taken by the curse that is greed and now he is left with nothing. It’s a little sad that he went from a PPV moment to wrestling rookies who couldn’t sell out a McDonald’s restraint in Brazil. I speak the truth and sometimes my words can hurt but it’s a pain that will only bring forth good. Just like this week when I bring forth happiness to both Jack Skinner and Brad Bomb.”

A candle goes out in the background causing Cooper to turn his head a little. He notices the flame is gone but does not make an attempt to relight it. Cooper turns back to the shrine and he refocuses.

“Some think I bring despair and sorrow to the situation but I try to think of it as bringing truth and justice. I bring forth the truth and I purify the world that we live in. My society is already pure and I see it as a mission to help others who wish for my help. I am more than willing to provide people with great lives if they choose. I offer a place to develop in a much safer place and intelligent place. Now both Jack and Brad may disagree, they could very well call me crazy.”

“Some people do call me crazy however what makes me better than Skinner and Bomb, Jack and Brad, is that I have this.”

Cooper holds in his hands the Mayhem Championship and he strokes it slowly.

“Those two men have never touched a title and probably never will. I on the other hand have the most wanted prize in the company lying in my hands. I have what men battle over for years. I have what historians will take about for decades; I have the most valuable belt in professional wrestling. I have the Mayhem Championship. Nobody else can say that. I’m better then both of them because I’m the champion. Not a champion but THE CHAMPION!”

Cooper stands up with the title in his hand and he places it around his waist. He then looks back at the shrine one last time before departing and making his final remarks.

“Just like I have done for the past number of weeks I will show that being a member of the High Society makes me better then you. It makes me stronger, smarter and it makes me the champion of mayhem.”

As Cooper finishes his preparation for his triple threat match a young boy comes rushing into the church. Cooper looks shocked that this boy would interrupt him like this but before Cooper can say anything the young boy speaks.

“Please forgive me sir but I have an important message. The rebels have been recaptured by Brother Vladimir and the troops. The rebels are being dragged into the society now sir, you’re requested immediately.”

Suddenly the scene ends as Cooper rushes outside!

 

[newc868]

“Look Brad, do you not think being on Aftershock is a downgrade?”

“No. Not at all, Matt. In fact I think this is probably the best thing for me if I’m honest.”

“And how do you figure that out man?”

“Let’s go get a coffee and I might tell you why.”

We see Brad Bomb and his friend Matt conversing as they walk down the street of inner city Chicago. There’s a cold breeze in the air and freshly laid snow on the sidewalk. Crowds of people are walking around with hats, scarves and long coats on, including Brad himself, although his are decorated with the insignia of the New York Giants. The daily hustle and bustle of office workers and city traders is dying down as mid-morning settles in.

Brad and Matt enter a Starbucks, just one of the many peppered around the city centre, and settle themselves a place in an ever expanding queue. There’s not a huge range in the type of people in the shop, even Brad and Matt don’t stand out amongst those late for work and the interns and assistants reeling off orders, praying to the Lord that they don’t make a mistake. After a small wait, they’re soon served and seated. Brad is reading the sports section of the daily newspaper, a smile appears across his face as he reads about the Giants recent Superbowl victory. Matt is staring straight at him. Brad lowers the newspaper to take a sip of his coffee, only when he goes to put the cup down does he notice the steely glare of his friend.

“What?”

“Well are you going to tell me or what?”

“Do we really have to go into this now? I mean it’s almost time for brunch.”

“Forget brunch for the meantime, I want to know why you think it’s a good thing being on Aftershock? Especially against someone like Justin Cooper – the Mayhem Champion!”

“Is that really such a big deal for you? Do you really have to know?”

“Yes.”

Brad lets out a sigh of defeat. He pushes his drink aside before folding his newspaper and placing it on the table. He clasps his hand together and looks at his friend in the eyes.

“Ok. Let’s be realistic here. What have I been doing of late? Not much since I teamed with Everest. I’ve been floating around, not up to much. I had a couple tag matches with Beckford and that’s about it. I’ve not had to do because I hadn’t tried hard to deserve something to do. I’m not going to shout and scream and say I should be on Meltdown and Ascension. There’s a lot going on and none of it involves me. That’s why being on Aftershock this week is probably the best thing for me, especially with the Lethal Lottery around the corner.

I know you think I should believe in myself more and that I should be feeling better than I am, but man, I’ve never felt better. I’ve had to come to the realisation that this war I’m fighting, will be a fruitless battle unless I step up my game. The Apostles of Chaos and Sons of Destiny are expanding and I need to become something they fear. Someone they fear. When good men like Wasabi Toyota are turning their backs on us, you realise how big a threat they are. This week, Cooper and Skinner will find out that they’re going to be the first step on my path of taking out the disease in WZCW known as the Apostles and Sons.”

Matt goes to speak but Brad cuts him off before he can say anything.

“I know. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, WZCW is in a state of uproar. You can hardly trust anyone as far as you can throw them and while the evil grows stronger, those that fight for honour, dignity and the fans, find ourselves becoming ever more paranoid. Worried about whether or not our friends are going to turn and attack us. That’s why at the Lethal Lottery, it’s my aim. No. It’s my promise to make sure that neither the Sons, nor the Apostles win the Lethal Lottery match. I don’t care about winning myself. I don’t care if it means sacrificing myself. I will not let the poison spread any further and that’s why this week is so important.”

Matt looks on his friend intently, waiting for the next part of Brad’s monologue.

“I need a win this week, more than ever before. I need to go out there Monday night and own that ring. I need to impose myself and let everyone know the true inner beast that I have become. Not since the early days and the partnership”, Brad uses air quotes when saying this word, “with Bud Dakota, have people seen how easily I can snap. I need to release in the inner bull. Just like my entrance music states – I need to become the bull. I need to be a wrecking machine in that ring so that people know my name. They recognise what I do to people that piss me off.”

He finishes his coffee and slams down on the table, not so much to cause a disturbance in the restaurant but loud enough for those around him to hear and take note of, a bemused Matt says all is fine as Brad glares around at the people looking at him.

“For Skinner, it’s going to an education in wrestling before he makes a further mockery of what we do. Sure it’s a great thing to watch but to merely think that you can walk into our business and think you can do what we do automatically without a degree of hard work and training is an insult to our business. For Cooper, he’s going to learn what it feels like when he has to actually wrestle. He maybe the champion of Mayhem and in these days of WZCW, that might actually mean more considering the state of company at the moment but what happens when Cooper meets normality? When was the last time Cooper wrestled a normally sanctioned match. How long can he go without wanting to climb outside the ring and grab a chair or a table? How will he fair without his beloved ‘High Society’ there to help him? How will we cope with being alone?”

A fierce intensity fills up within Brad and his eyes become bloodshot with a scarlet red colour, leaving his white face and the tuft of blue hair from under his hat, to replicate the red, white and blue colours of his scarf.

“I am on a path of destruction and I will leave everything and everyone who comes up against me, trailing in its wake. It’s not a path to the top but rather a path to normality, where such actions won’t be necessary. Whether or not it means going through the Mayhem division or finding a tag partner or winning a match like the Lethal Lottery. I will not be stopped. I may get beaten down but I will get up. I will unleash my inner anger. I will become the bull I promised to be. I will exert nothing but ruthless aggression... beginning right after brunch."

We see Matt let out a slight laugh as Brad jumps up, rushing towards the counter, ending the scene as snow begins to fall outside the window.