AS 12 Blade vs. Heavy Artillery

[Lee]

Deadline for Ascension RPs - Tuesday 23rd March 23:59 EST

 

[Super Crazy]

The scene is the lunch room for the crew and wrestlers of WZCW. The camera shows our tag team champions sitting at table, Jordan with a plate full of various vegetables and other healthy foods, while Max Karzai sits at the table, surrounded by cans of AMP energy drinks, both men with their tag team championships present at the table. There are 4 cans of AMP, all of which are drank but one. In the background we see a buffet table, scattered with various foods and beverages. Jordan and Max are conversing.

Jordan : Max, I've been trying this for an hour now.

Jordan tosses up a carrot, and just barely misses his mouth.

Max : I don't know why you are eating all that junk.

Jordan : Junk? Look at you with your energy drinks, no wonder you guys are always so hyped up on stage.

Max : Yeah bro, it's the rockstar way.


Max is feeling the effects of the drinks as he begins to get antsy sitting at the table.

Jordan : Okay, this one is for all the marbles.

Jordan tosses up a carrot and this time makes it in. Suddenly Becky Serra walks by.

Becky : Hey champ!!

Both in unison : Hey Becky!!

Both men look at each other with confusion.

Jordan : She was talking to me, the champion from the streets.

Max : No Jordan, she was talking to me, the heavy metal champion.

Suddenly Becky sits down too as the camera angle widens to show all three now. She too has a full plate of various goodies. Max pops open his last can and takes a big gulp.

Becky : I was talking to both of you. Max, I don't know how you can live off those things. You're insides are probably rotting.

Jordan : I've been telling him that for weeks now. This guy, he lives off of Taco Bell and AMP energy drinks.

Max begins fidgeting around and tapping the table as you can tell the energy drinks are getting to him.

Becky : Anyway, I thought I'd interview you guys while you were here.

Jordan : Sure thing Becky, go right ahead.

Becky : How do you guys feel about the biggest wins of your WZCW career so far?

Jordan : Becky, I feel great, it feels good to be a champion. For a few months now we have been chasing these belts, and the pay off couldn't have felt any greater. Kurtesy and Teach were hard to beat, and I give them credit for being tough champions, but we will be even tougher.

Becky : What about you Max?

Max starts looking a bit woozy.

Max : I shouldn't have had so ma-ma--ma

Max suddenly flops forward onto the table and passes out as his cans go flying.

Becky : Is he okay?

Jordan : This happens from time to time, too much energy makes him crash quicker. He'll be fine.

Becky : So, onto this week, how do you feel about facing Blade?

Jordan : Well I feel like we could win this. I have a good feeling about this match. Blade, you were once in a tag team, called the Celtic Connection. You and Karnage were very similar, and somewhat are to this day. You both worked very well together, and you formed a bond of brotherhood. Both of you have traveled different paths, yet both of you are in the similar positions. This brings me onto Max and myself. We are all about differences, as is obvious here and now Becky. Max is a jokester, and I'm a very serious man all the time. I'm about business before pleasure, and Max is about pleasure during business. You see, we were connected by a common bond. We both strive to be the best we can, and once we were put together as a team, we strived to be tag team champions. Based off this common goal, together we worked our asses off. Look at us now, we've been around for a little over two months , and we are the tag team champions. You see, differences can come together, then can work just as well as any similarities. In fact, it is our differences that make us stronger. It is our differences and uniqueness that will allow us to win the match. Blade, I respect you, and I hope you bring your A game to this match, because Max and I won't be keeling over in the ring any time soon.

Becky : One last thing, the number one contender's match this week, Teach and Kurtesy are facing WZCW's newest tag team, men who are no strangers with each other, Ball and Baker, The Ghetto Stars. Any thoughts on the match?

Jordan : Well, I'd love to give Teach and Kurtesy a rematch. Hell, quite frankly I feel they deserve it. As I said, they were fighting champions right out of the gate. They held onto these belts for a near record amount of time and were always stiff competition. Baller and Baker, they are guys from the Mayhem division, and personally I hope they bring a little hardcore to the tag team division, as I look forward to it. Whoever we face, we are ready, and we will take on any comers.

Max suddenly falls back in the chair as it tips over onto the floor. He suddenly pops up from the floor.

Max : What just happened? Was I asleep?

Jordan : No, you passed out because of your energy drink addiction again. I'm telling you man, you have to stop.

Max :AGAIN?!?!

Max suddenly realizes Becky is there too.

Max : Hey Becky!!

Becky : Here have this, I think you might need it.

She passes her the plate of food she was about to eat as she leaves the room.

Max : Thanks Becky!!

Both men begin to eat again now as the scene fades out.

 

[Blade]

Blade is in the hall of a large white building. The sign in the hall reads “OmniTech Research Facility.” Blade is pacing back and forth in the hall, his eyes fixed on the small notebook in his hand. He’s writing down notes with a red pen. A man walks up to Blade. He looks well-built yet conservative with short black hair, glasses and a black 3 piece suit.

Man: Mr. Blade?

Blade stops pacing but doesn’t look up from his notes.

Blade: Hmmm?

Man: I’m Donald Harrison. You sent me the e-mail about some experiment you needed to conduct? You said you’d pay me two thousand dollars?

Blade slowly looks up from his notes, his eyes focused yet curious.

Blade: Indeed, indeed. Nice to meet you... I guess. Go into research room C and wait for me. I’m waiting for one more.... Ummm...Guinea Pig.

Harrison walks away as Blade continues to pace up and down. 30 seconds later, another man approaches. This man is wearing a leather jacket, ripped jeans and sunglasses. His hair is messy, long and blonde and he’s wearing a black headband.

Second man: Hey, what’s up? I’m here for the experiment thing?

Blade: Great. Research Room C. Down there.

Second man: Cool.

The second man goes into research room C and Blade follows him in. The room only contains one table, two chairs and a two-way mirror on the opposite wall. Harrison is already in the room, sitting at the table. He stands up and shakes the second man’s hand.

Blade: Ok, both of you tell me about yourselves for ten seconds.

Harrison: Well, I’m Donald Harrison. I’m from Chicago and I’m a private detective. I was serving Iraq for two years, but now I’m home working to bring down criminals. My forceful methods are criticised, but I get the job done.

Blade: Ok, good. Now you.

Second man: I’m Alex Jones, but all my friends call me Beetle. From New York, and I’m lead singer in underground rock band The Sevens. Spend most of my time touring around the east coast.

Blade: Ok. Now this is simple. Both of you take a seat and just.... Talk. Talk to each other for half an hour. About absolutely anything you want, love, music, politics, whatever. Do it for half an hour and you’ll get your money.

Blade leaves the room and goes next door, on the other side of the two way mirror where one of the facilities’ scientists is waiting.

Blade: Now, let’s see what happens.

Scientist: I don’t know why you rented the room just for a half an hour experiment. Couldn’t you do this in whatever building you’re wrestling in next week?

Blade: Oh yeah, totally. I could’ve gone down to the Two-Way-Mirror Emporium and get a set-up like this, huh? Shut the hell up.

Blade walks over to the mirror. He watches the two men sit down and begin to talk. Jones is doing most of the talking at first as Harrison stays mostly silent.

Blade: Come on.... Talk about something relevant...

Jones talks for a few minutes then asks Harrison “so you were in Iraq, huh? I bet you regret it”.

Blade: Bingo.

The conversation breaks down into an argument, with Jones attacking the motives behind the Iraq war as Harrison emphatically defends it. The argument goes on for 5 minutes until Blade talks into the microphone linked to the research room.

Blade: Ok guys, that’s enough. Talk about something else.

Both men settle down, both breathing somewhat heavily. Jones starts to talk about music. Again he dominates the conversation. After a few minutes, he’s talking about Guns N Roses’ new album.

Jones: ....but it just didn’t feel right. What did you think about it?

Harrison: Well I don’t know. I don’t really listen to music.

Jones grins, thinking it’s a joke. But he suddenly realises it’s not a joke, looking at Harrison in shock before shaking his head.

Jones: How the hell is that even possible? Music makes the world move, the most powerful thing in the world!

Harrison shrugs. Behind the glass, Blade is nodding, taking down more notes.
He talks into the microphone again.

Blade: Ok, guys, that’s plenty, thanks. You can go back into the hall now.

He takes down a few more notes and straightens up, getting ready to leave.

Scientist: So what was that all about?

Blade: I brought in two people. One was just like Max Karzai, the other just like Jordan Lights. I’ve been wondering for weeks, how the hell have Heavy Artillery ever been a team? I’ve seen them out there time and time again, they’re nothing alike.... Karzai is a rock star who doesn’t care about anything relevant to the world. Lights is a guy who stands up for justice, usually taking it into his own hands. They’re complete opposites.

Blade takes a moment to think, biting his lip.

Blade: I don’t know why I always kept an eye on them. Separate, they both had some talent. Not enough to go far, no talent like I have but, y’know, a decent amount. They intrigued me, but when they were but together as a team, I was completely baffled. Absolutely nothing alike.

Blade paces around the room, spinning an unlit cigarette between his fingers.

Blade: And then, to my astonishment, they won the tag team titles... I thought, maybe I had been wrong. Maybe it was an ‘opposites attract’ kind of deal. But I rewatched the match and found my original opinion had been true. The whole match, everything about it, came down to Teach and Kurtesy. They made the mistakes. Heavy Artillery got lucky and stumbled into the tag team titles. Teach and Kurtesy could’ve been facing any other team and they would’ve lost, they just made that one huge mistake that cost them everything.

Scientist: What do you mean?

Blade: Don’t you get it? That match wasn’t really Heavy Artillery winning... It was Teach and Kurtesy losing.

The scientist looks totally confused, but Blade keeps talking.

Blade: Two weeks ago I thought I didn’t care about what matches I was in. I was just gonna get through any matches I had as quick as possible, my eyes were on the belts... Elite X and EurAsian... I could go for whichever one I wanted, and that’s all that mattered. I wanted to bide my time, make my choice very, very carefully. That was my only focus.

Blade takes out his lighter and finally lights up the cigarette as the scientist tries to fan the smoke away from himself.

Scientist: Actually, Blade, there’s no smoking in here.

Blade: You don’t wanna see me when I’m not smoking, trust me... Now where was I... Right, I was just thinking about the title shot. But then I got placed into this handicap match and I got worried. These were two guys and... Well, I’m one guy. They could destroy me. But now, my suspicions are confirmed. Their title win was a fluke, they’ve no chemistry, nothing in common. Deep down, they probably can’t stand each other. Two guys who shouldn’t be a team and aren’t that great in their matches. Me, on the other hand...

Scientist (under his breath): Here we go...

Blade: ...I’m the prodigal son. A fighter, a survivor and pretty much the best damn technical wrestler in the world. I can beat them.... I should be able to beat them.... Right?

Blade glances at the scientist, but talks again before the scientist can reply.

Blade: Yes, of course I am!! I can’t believe I had that one second of doubt.... I can do this. I am doing this.

Blade grabs his notebook, puts out his cigarette and storms out of the room in a fit of adrenaline. Harrison and Jones are in the hall and they turn to Blade as they see him coming.

Jones: Dude, where’s out money?

Blade rolls his eyes.

Blade: Ehhh....

He spots and points at a random scientist.

Blade: That guys has it. Yeah, go bother that guy.

He walks past the two men and exits the building.

 

[The Doctor]

The scene opens with a close-up shot of a WZCW tag team championship, which is bathed in an orange light. The light flickers as the crackling sound of a fire is heard in the background. Slowly, the camera pans outwards, revealing the belt to be hanging in the air in front of a fireplace. Max Karzai is holding it in midair, staring at it, admiring it. Slowly, his other hand reaches out and touches the engraved name on the belt.

Karzai: Champion…

He blinks a few times as it slowly sinks in. A smile starts to spread across his face.

Karzai: Champion!

He grabs hold of the belt with both hands and slowly stands up. The camera pans out to reveal that he is standing in the living room of his house, the fire casting a warm orange glow over the room. Smiling, Karzai throws the belt over his shoulder before staring up at the ceiling with a faraway look in his eyes.

Karzai: When I first joined WZCW, I really only wanted one thing: To teach all the liars and cheaters and backstabbers in the locker room a lesson. I wanted to be the guy that would use their own tactics against them. I had no interest in teaching them the errors of their ways or making them see the light…I wanted to hurt them, plain and simple.

Well…that didn‘t happen.

There are reasons. For one thing, I was still a rookie, cutting my teeth. Heck, I still am. Management wasn‘t just going to thrust me into a series of matches with some established wrestlers. For another thing…things were different on the inside than how they looked on the inside.

I thought I would find a cold place, a place where no one trusted each other. Instead I found camaraderie, and even friendship. And I found it in one Jordan Lights.

Karzai walks slightly away from the fire and turns slightly, so that the light illuminates half of his body and leaves the other half in slight darkness. Firelight glints off of the tag belt, which Karzai adjusts slightly before starting to speak again.

Karzai: Jordan and I had similar goals. We had similar backgrounds. And yet we were different. And these differences and similarities caused us first to become friends, and then a tag team. Fueled by a mutual respect for each other and a desire to make an impact, we banded together and became Heavy Artillery.

I don’t think it’s too farfetched to say that our differences only made us stronger. If everyone in this world was the same, that would get boring. People are not meant to be too similar. Humans have the small differences that make them unique. It’s almost like a jigsaw puzzle. What one piece has another way not, and vice-versa. And these differences and similarities complement each other to make a whole picture. I understood that. Jordan understood that. We rose up the ranks, and look at us now. Tag team champions!

Karzai runs his fingers through his hair.

Karzai: …And as champions, we need to step up our game. People are going to be trying to unseat us left, right, and center. Heavy Artillery are now marked men.

But I’m fine with that.

It seems as though two teams are gunning for us. Teach N Kurtesy we’ve faced many times before, but the Ghetto Stars are new. Baller has been improving at an insane rate, and James Baker is no stranger to tag teams or title holding. Jordan and I have to be on our toes, and watch out for anyone who could challenge us.

But before I worry about them, I have to think about Blade.

Now, Blade, you’re good. But you’re not as good as you think you are. And it’s this overconfidence that will hurt you. You can swagger around all you want. You can yell at interviewers, you can punch out peoples’ brothers, you can conduct your social experiments, and you can say whatever you want, but it won’t matter. At the end of the day, your back will be on the mat as you stare at the lights.

Karzai walks over to a lightswitch which he flicks, illuminating the room with a soft light from overhead. Slowly, he walks over to a bookshelf that is stacked high with books.

Karzai: You say you like to get in peoples’ heads…Well, I do too. I believe I’ve mentioned my interest in Psychology before. Well I’ve also been studying the physical sciences. Basically, I know many, many ways to get into your head, and now I know many, many ways to hurt you. And now you’re going to get to see what I’ve learned firsthand.

Karzai pulls a book from the shelf and opens it to a page marked with a sticky note. He begins to read.

Karzai: A concussion is the most common form of brain injury, caused by a striking of the skull to a vulnerable spot, for example the base of the skull. Symptoms include headache, disorientation, moodswings, and inability to recall things properly. In about 1 in 70 cases, convulsions may occur.

Karzai snaps the book shut, and puts it away. He then pulls a skeleton from a nearby cupboard and sets it up in front of him.

Karzai: In short, Blade, it will really mess you up.

Suddenly, Karzai’s foot snaps into the air, connecting with the skeleton’s skull, just below where the ear would be on a human head. The skull shatters. Karzai grins evilly.

Karzai: Now, Blade, imagine my foot doing that to you. Imagine it coming out of nowhere. I can do that, Blade. I‘ve studied techniques. I can attack you in painful ways that will make disembowelment look like a trip to the beach. I can strike anywhere and everywhere, at any time. And with Jordan by my side, nothing will stop us.
So be afraid, Blade.

And remember: Watch the kick.