AF18: Gauntlet: Chris K.O vs. The New Church

[a0161613]

The White Knight has specifically asked for this match to occur and the only General Manager willing to host it is Chuck Myles on Aftershock. It seems Chris K.O has found out who the culprits were of the Titus attack last week, causing him to miss this week's shows due to injury, and he demands that revenge must be extracted by taking on all three members in a Gauntlet match. Will this be the match that Chris is looking for to gain the love and adoration from the crowd back?

Deadline is 11:59pm Central Time, Tuesday 5th February. Extensions as per thread.​

 

[a0161613]

"Sorry I’ve been impossible to get a hold of; this loss hit me pretty hard. I thought about what you said, and you’re right. I apologize for doubting you. We must finish The New Church. I brought the group to WZCW with a goal of winning the Tag Team Championship, but that did not happen. The New Church will not face Chris K.O. After one final sacrifice, The New Church will be dead. From its ashes and sanctified in the blood of Chris K.O., a new force will rise. As much as I admire Chris K.O. for showing up Titus, he will be the first of the new sacrifices. I’ll see you soon."

With that brief conversation, thoughts on the failure of Brothers Jacobs and Westhoff dissipated. The frustration of the night after had past and both men had reacted admirably prior to GM dismissing them to go their own ways. The Grand Mystique appreciated that each of them had their own way of dealing with the disappointment. His own success against Titus was a bright light in his mind and provided his own personal calm. He chose to meditate. He removed a large coin from his pocket and sits back in a chair around a small round table.

He begins to spin the coin in the air before catching it and then flipping it again. The motion is smooth as he settles into a relaxing rhythm.

“The many heroes in WZCW rely on hiding behind a multi-faceted curtain of sin.”

A deep voice resonates with a calm assurance.

“The names who suffer at my hand are increasing as is the damage to this curtain that disguises the weaklings that populate the hearts of the WZCW fans. Such a facade will not survive sustained questioning. Real heroes, those who are made from the stuff that the fans love, they will fight through and punish any doubt of their worth. But there are those troubled souls who try and defend their righteous position despite the intent to be anything but righteous.”

Suddenly he catches it in between two long fingers and raises it to his face.

“They go to such effort to be valiant but they truly detest their own public disguise. This self hatred causes one to retreat and attempt to hide their true desires. Whether it is self-preservation or an ulterior motive for personal gain, sooner or later these guises are crushed when the pressures of being right and good are just too much.”

The tranquil yet assertive tone does nothing to negate the vengeful words.

“Chris KO -”

“You rang?”

A flaxen haired young man appears opposite The Grand Mystique. He resembles The White Knight, roguish good looks despite seeming to be a little tired and haggard. He sits down at the table.

“Chris KO is the hero that WZCW needed but not the one it wanted. He defeated the destructive force and he survived the war. And WZCW spat him back out.”

The brazen youngster sits at the table opposite The Grand Mystique. Unfazed, GM keeps throwing the coin into the air.

“I will never stop fighting for the respect and reverence of the WZCW fans.”

“The same fans who chewed on you and spat you out like a fatty bit of meat? The fans who are growing to reject you despite you doing everything right by them? The fans are the reason for the -”

“What about being the hero that WZCW needs and not necessarily the one it wants?”

“You believe that? How’s it going for you?”

The sarcastic retort draws a snort from the blond youngster who shies away from the remark. The masked man continues.

“Being a hero is a doomed undertaking. Either you become a symbol like Titus, plodding along based on past achievements, never deserving the accolades that are handed to you and trying to make demands that are beyond reasonable because you are no longer the force that was so dominant. Or you take the stance of the White Knight; you fight against all kinds of evil including the greatest of all. And don’t receive a drop of appreciation in return.”

“So you can fail or fail?”

“It just depends on how far you fall and how you accept your destiny to come back.”

The Grand Mystique leans back arrogantly and flicks the coin up once more but the younger man seizes forward and grabs the coin out of midair.

“I don’t need your advice. I’m doing fine by myself.”

“This isn’t advice. This is about laying out your destiny. You will accept Titus’s challenge because you want to deal with it in the honourable way, that which is fitting of The White Knight.”

“That’s an admirable perspective.”

The young man tries to imitate the coin spinning but The Grand Mystique leaps forward and grabs it. He slams his hand down on the table but when he moves it from the surface, the coin disappears. The two men are eye to eye. Even behind his mask, the sneering glare is all too clear and he begins to verbally rip into the man in front of him.

“It’s not admirable, it’s selfish. The idea of WZCW’s White Knight is poisonous and you have to cleanse yourself. You have to rip the heart out of the White Knight and burn it in the centre of the ring. Eviscerate that burden of trying to be a hero for these people who would not spit on you if they saw you on fire.”

The younger man begins to fire back and only now does anger seem to be an ingredient in the tone of his voice.

“Why would I? I haven’t done anything wrong. I tried to sabotage the Apostles of Chaos, I banished Ty, I gave up the company and tried to be everything I was supposed to be! This whole thing with Titus, it’s a misunderstanding.”

The Grand Mystique stands back, not in retreat but in absolute belief of his position. He pulls out a cane with a crystal orb on top. He stares into the empty orb and moves it around in the light. Suddenly he points the cane at the man opposite him so that he is staring into the orb.

“It’s sad. Your refusal to accept your lot is going to condemn you. You are so desperate to rebuke and rebel against what is planned for you that you are willing to ignore what is so obvious to me.”

The silence speaks volumes as the words sink in. There is no reaction from the young face that stares back at him.

“So be it. Your ignorance, your desire to wield your sword in a crusade against us will ensure that The White Knight is put to sacrifice at the Altar of The New Church.”

The Grand Mystique lifts up the cane and smashes the orb against the table. The table is immediately set on fire! The young man steps back before fading away. GM pulls his chair away from the blaze and drops the cane into the flames before sitting back and relaxing the face of the serene flames.

 

[Thriller Ant]

Denial is the least sensible stage of grief. All the rest seem logical. Depression, anger, bargaining, acceptance: they all serve a reasonable purpose in getting over a loss. Denial, on the other hand, shows how traumatic loss can be to a person. They can be watching a final play be unsuccessful by mere inches or looking at the corpse of a loved one, but still not believe their loss to be real.

Brother Mason Westhoff had dealt with people going through denial before and wondered how the human mind could be so radically warped. Never before had he been the one to deal with denial. That is, until now.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

The scene opens in a dark hotel room. It doesn’t seem to be a complete dump, but most people can, and probably would try to do better. Clothing is tossed everywhere and mixed in with trash in a few places. Sitting on the floor in a corner in Brother Westhoff, looking like he hasn’t moved from that spot in days. His usually perfectly shaven face is sporting a five o’clock shadow, and the suit he’s wearing looks as though it has also been used as pajamas, napkins and tissues. He looks almost disturbingly calm; although the bags under his eyes and the redness within them show that he hasn’t done much sleeping.

The silence is broken from a buzzing coming from the table next to where Brother Westhoff is seated. He reaches up, knocking some fast food wrappers and a pair of socks to the floor, and grabs his cell phone. The caller ID reads “Brother Jacobs.” Brother Westhoff stares for a moment before setting it back on the table. Once the vibrating ceases, a notification pops up on the screen saying that there are 14 missed calls and 8 new voicemails. Even though he hadn’t answered any of them, those calls had been Brother Westhoff’s only way to snap out of the deep spirals of denial over the past couple days.

The first few hours after The New Church was eliminated from the Tag Team Championship Tournament were a blur. It seemed as though Brother Westhoff had the match won until the Bearded Gentlemen snuck a tag past him to win the match. Brother Derek Jacobs was filled with anger, but Brother Westhoff was surprisingly calm. Later that night, they attacked Saxton and Saboteur, as they had been instructed. It was only once Brother Westhoff was riding to his hotel alone did it start to sink in that this may have been his last chance at tag team gold. He had spent his entire career thus far trying to win the Tag Team Championship, but now, for the first time in his life, he had failed. As soon as Brother Westhoff arrived in his hotel room, the denial set in.

I can’t believe the ref blew that call.

There’s no way that tag was made.

Brother Jacobs wouldn’t have let them pin me, he had to have broken it up.

And that’s how it went for three days. Someone who had dealt with failure or loss before would have moved on in that time, but this was all new to Brother Westhoff. In the occasional moments of clarity, he found himself wondering if this is what Chris K.O., the man who demanded to face three men in The New Church in a gauntlet, was going through. Chris is the man who saved WZCW from Ty Burna. He is the White Knight. Chris loved the attention he received from being the savior. The only problem is that WZCW didn’t need saving any more.

Just as Brother Westhoff couldn’t accept that The New Church would not become WZCW Tag Team Champions, Chris K.O. couldn’t accept that WZCW did not need a white knight. His denial caused him to potentially make an enemy out of the WZCW legend, Titus. Chris K.O. is trapped by his denial, while Brother Westhoff was about to be released. Once the denial left, the other stages, bargaining, anger, depression and acceptance, arrived almost all at once and he was able to function once more.

After the fire, Brother Westhoff had only communicated with his most loyal followers. The two most loyal, his driver, Brother Bernard, and his assistant, Sister Malory, both sprung into action after receiving calls from Brother Westhoff. Soon, he was clean shaven, wearing a fresh suit and eating a freshly cooked meal while the filthy clothes and trash were being tended to. While all of this was happening, Brother Westhoff knew that there was a phone call he needed to make.

Sorry I’ve been impossible to get a hold of; this loss hit me pretty hard. I thought about what you said, and you’re right. I apologize for doubting you. We must finish The New Church. I brought the group to WZCW with a goal of winning the Tag Team Championship, but that did not happen. The New Church will not face Chris K.O. After one final sacrifice, The New Church will be dead. From its ashes and sanctified in the blood of Chris K.O., a new force will rise. As much as I admire Chris K.O. for showing up Titus, he will be the first of the new sacrifices. I’ll see you soon.

Brother Westhoff sets his phone down on the table that had been covered in filth less than twenty-four hours before as he gathers up his suitcases in preparation to leave the hotel. The camera zooms in on the cell phone as it still is blinking the contact that he had called.

It reads “Grand Mystique”

 

[Kermit]

The Great Divide
​

A warm forehead is pressed against a cold window as a black car treads through puddles down a gloomy street. It is raining today. It is either a Monday or a Tuesday. Chris K.O. isn’t quite sure as he lets moisture escape out from his lips and onto the glass he has his head pressed up against. His eyes are glazed with thought as they grope the sights outside of his window. Lamp posts and wooden benches whisk by as the car continues to move. Chris takes a moment to glance up front. He sees a portly man at the wheel.

It was only just a couple months ago that Chris made an internal vow that he would no longer feed off the splendors of his stolen cash, but now things were different. His cookie-cutter way had failed and he saw no reason to adhere to set of standards that made him so rampantly hated. With enough money and perseverance, the crowd could easily be done without. Besides, do they really even know what they want?

Chris veers his eye away from the front and looks down next to him. A white helmet is resting in the adjacent seat. This is the cross he must bear. All of the hate from those who he swore an oath to protect, even if they do not know what is best for their own good. Is this a delusion, or really what he must become?

Chris turns his head away and re-positions his forehead back on the window. The inner-struggle has upset his stomach. It gargles in distaste. The car stops due to traffic and this leads Chris to stare directly down an alleyway. He begins to blink as we quickly cut to a flashback.

~~~​

Chris can’t believe what he is seeing as he sees Serafina, Ty’s Mistress of Chaos, blushing. This is it, the first time that Chris has fully taken in how beautiful Serafina is. Her now red cheeks shine below her beautiful slate-green eyes. Her pale complexion allows those features to glow as strands of jet black hair cover her face. Suddenly, her beauty is divided by a salty stream. A tear rolls down her cheek.

She pulls her cigarette to her mouth as she stands and steps out into the rain, hoping that Chris didn’t notice her tear and that it could blend in with the falling water. She flicks her soggy cigarette into the ground as she stubbornly faces away from Chris, but her direction is soon turned as she meets Chris in the middle of the alleyway and in the rain. Chris, now cigarette-less, stares into Serafina, as she does the same to him.

The rain begins to weigh down their garments and hair. Years of torment and hurt rebound between the two damaged souls as fantastic chemistry begins to thread together. Like a cheesy movie, in the rain, after a long moment of silence, Serafina pulls Chris’ face in and plants a kiss on his lips. The moment is surreal.

And she is gone, pulled away and heading towards the metallic door. Chris turns his head and watches her as she disappears into the building. Soaked from head to toe, his mind becomes a field of chaos.

~~~​

Chris clinches his eyes shut. He cannot stand to look down the alleyway. That moment is gone along with the very one he shared it with. Gone, just like all of the others who supported him.

~~~​

The fast-forwarding comes to a halt at what appears to be a piece of paper lying on a black-silk mattress. The footage begins in regular speed.

We see Chris towering over the bed in only a pair of scarlet boxer-briefs. He looks down in a stupor over the note left on the bed.

~~~​

Arianna had her own soul-searching to do, and Chris doesn’t blame her for that. However, Chris could not ignore the start of the crowd’s distaste for him in direct correlation with Arianna leaving. Perhaps she knew... It doesn’t matter now anyways. Not even Arianna herself could stop what needs to be done.

The car finally comes to a halt and Chris pulls his head away from the window. He adjusts his jet-black tie and straightens his suit coat.

Chris: I won’t be long.

The driver nods in the rear view mirror back at Chris. Chris then proceeds to grab the helmet next to him and tucks it underneath his right arm as he exits the car. He looks up at the large building as he heads for the entrance door underneath he falling rain. A doorman greets him with an umbrella.

The scene transitions and we now see Chris in a small meeting room. He brushes some droplets of water out of his hair as he patiently waits for the man he is meeting. Finally, we see Ian Crawford enter the room. Ian examines the man before him. Chris K.O., the White Knight of WZCW, dressed in a tailor-made suit with his right hand resting on a white helmet that sits brilliantly on the table. On the opposite side, Chris examines Ian. Small spectacles rest on the nose of the toe-headed man who sports a simple black suit with a red tie down the center. The two meet each other and share a handshake. This is no friendly encounter, but a business meeting.

Ian: Why do you carry that thing around outside of WZCW?

Chris looks down at the helmet on the table as the two men take a seat.

Chris: It’s a symbol. Surely you have not forgotten.

Ian: I understand that, I just don’t know why you carry it anywhere other than to the ring. I don’t think carrying a white helmet on the street will remind people of your “goodness”.

Chris: That is odd to hear from the man who authored Project Clean.

The room falls silent. There an awkward tension in the air. The two had hardly talked since Chris barked orders to Ian a few weeks ago. He intensely prodded him to take care of Big Dave. But that was hardly the first crack into their damaged relationship. Everything went a little sour after Project Clean failed and Christ lost to Holmes. Deep down in the caverns of his heart, Ian truly regretted putting Chris through it.

Ian: How did we get here Chris?

Ian pulls his hands up to to his chin as he looks over at Chris. Chris takes his time to answer the question as he rubs the top of his White Knight helmet.

Chris: Where exactly is here Ian?

Ian: Here? Here is the last two weeks where you have been going into matches with the intent to harm, here is where you are pushing General Managers up against walls, here is where you arrogantly intervene in affairs that do not concern you.

Ian pauses.

Ian: That... is here.

Chris smirks across from his longtime agent in WZCW. This makes Ian feel a bit uneasy. We get a close up on Chris’ lips as he begins to speak.

Chris: All of those things that you have just mentioned... I regret none of it.

Ian smirks himself, but more of in a mocking manner.

Ian: Do you even hear yourself? Huh?!

Ian stands up from his seat in anger. Chris remains still in his own. He watches Ian pace a couple steps backwards and rub his chin vigorously. Suddenly, Ian turns back around.

Ian: Tell me it wasn’t you!

Ian steps up to Chris.

Ian: Tell me you didn’t attack Titus on Ascension!

Chris: I don’t have to answer questions like that to you.

Ian almost looks horrified.

Ian: So what? Now you request a gauntlet against the New Church? What message are you sending?

Chris stands up.

Chris: The same message that I have broadcasted since I put Ty Burna in a casket! I am the only one who will stand, yet everyone is so quick to scoff at me! Everyone in this damn company seems to turn a blind eye to the wreckage that the Mystique and his group have caused. Why must I be polarized for standing up when others like Showtime and Titus will not?

Ian: You speak of helping others, but all of your motives are selfish. You need to be knocked down a notch Chris. You need to step away from the WZCW and get your head straight. Are you forgett-

Chris: It’s so easy for you Ian. It’s so easy for you to be the man behind the curtain. You are not the one who has been out there every week. You are not the one who is being polarized! I know that I have been given a burden that no man can understand.

The room falls deaf for a short moment. Ian tries to approach Chris with a softer tone.

Ian: I know that this has not been easy for you. I know that I just threw you out there, and maybe it is even my fault for trying to make you seem like the perfect hero. But that is why you need to step away for awhile. Please Chris-

Chris smirks to himself.

Chris: You act as if it is me who has changed. Why is it so hard to believe that it is everyone else?

Chris steps closer to Ian.

Chris: I can’t step away now. There is too much left to be done. There are people like Mystique, Westhoff, and Jacobs that need to be corrected. And then there are false heroes that need to be exposed. Don’t you see Ian? WZCW needs a savior now more than ever.

Chris steps back from Ian, who appears to be shaking from heightened emotions.

Ian: So if you did not come here for advice, then I suppose you only came here for money.

Chris proceeds to pick up the White Knight helmet and tuck it underneath his right arm.

Chris: I think a good 50-50 split would be fair.

Ian: I’m sorry, but I cannot do that.

Chris is taken back.

Chris: What do you mean that you cannot do that?

Ian: If we are not going to use this money for its original purpose, then it is going to be given away. 95% of it to charity.

Chris: Are you joking?

Ian: It will still leave us a few million to split amongst ourselves. Stolen money is still stolen no matter who you steal it from Chris. You can try to fight against it, but trust me when I tell you that it will only end badly for the both of us.

Chris thinks over the situation for a small second.

Chris: Fine. Just make sure that you deposit my half in the appropriate account. I am sure you have the information.

With that, Chris nods and then proceeds to walk away from Ian and towards the exit.

Ian: One more thing.

Chris stops and turns around. Ian adjusts his glasses and then swallows.

Ian: If you leave right now under the current circumstances then I am afraid you will no longer receive any more assistance from me. In fact, consider our business relationship terminated.

Chris swallows a lump in his throat as he looks down at the floor. The moment just became as real as it possibly could be. With heavy blue eyes, Chris slowly looks up and takes a good glimpse at Ian Crawford.

~~~​

The camera nods at Chris and then turns its’ direction towards the projector screen. The video footage resumes.

Chris and Ian Crawford connect with a handshake over a bloodied bandage that spells out the name “Ty Burna”.

~~~​

Chris takes a deep breathe.

Chris: A long time ago, you and I shook hands over a bloody bandage that rested on top of a stone tomb. It was an oath that we both took to destroy all evil in this company. In that, we both agreed to take on the good and the bad that came along with the role.. You were a friend when I needed one, but I am so sad to see you hop off of the train at this point. My heart hurts to see you so weak. I know you don’t understand Ian, but I am truly doing the work that needs to be done. I am baring it all so that everyone in WZCW might have a better life.

Chris looks at the doorway.

Chris: So, yes. I am going to walk out this door because I have to, even it if means that we are done...

Chris looks back at Ian.

Chris: Goodbye Ian.

Chris proceeds to walk out the door and the camera cuts back to a shot of Ian.

Ian: Goodbye Chris...

Ian proceeds to pinch the part of his nose that is between his eyes. We cannot clearly see it, but it appears that he may be getting teary eyed.

The scene transitions back to Chris, and it seems that he is now walking out of Ian’s building. He has the White Knight helmet tucked underneath his right arm and it appears that he now has a coin in his right hand. This type of fidgeting has almost become therapeutic for him. Rain is still pouring outside as Chris heads towards his car, where his driver from earlier is holding the door open for him. However, on his way to the car, Chris’ foot catches a crack in the sidewalk and he stumbles forward. He is able to grab onto his helmet, but the coin goes flying out of his hand. It hits the soaked sidewalk and begins rolling away. Chris runs after it, but he is met by the sight of it landing at the foot of an unknown man. At first glance, Chris only notices that he is wearing a brown raincoat with a brown rain hat to match. Chris is immediately startled whenever he notices that the man pockets the coin into his raincoat.

Chris: Excuse me!

Chris quickly approaches him.

Chris: That coin you just picked up. It’s mine.

???: Oh? Are you sure that you are not looking for this?

The man pulls a small business-sized card out of his raincoat. He hands it to Chris, who looks down at it as the rain continues to fall. It reads, “The Light”, at the top of the card. At the bottom it reads: “Need a savior?” This makes Chris crack a small smirk.

Chris: I think you are confused. I don’t need a savior. I want my coin.

???: I think you are confused Chris.

Chris looks up at the man and for the first time he notices that the man in the brown raincoat and hat in front of him is also wearing a black and white mask. Chris looks confused.

???: You are not the one who needs a savior. We are.

Chris looks back down at the card. He tries to make sense of the moment.

Chris: I’m sorry. Do I know yo-

Chris looks back up, but the man is gone. Gone, along with his coin. Chris looks around the sidewalk, but he is nowhere to be found. He looks over at his driver who is still waiting at his car. He then looks back down at the card. The camera zooms in on the text: “The Light”. The camera goes black.