Kingdom Come 7: King for a Day (participants inside)

[Richard Blonoff]

Kagura Ozhora
Gino Galucci
Noah Ryder
Vee A.D.Z.
Cassanova
Kendrick Xavier​

(Description to come later)

Deadline is Tuesday, November 10th, at 11:59PM CST. Extensions available upon request.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

Deadline has been extended by 24 hours.

 

[Prince Vee]

In the ring, Vee and Gino are back on their feet, but on opposing sides, clutching to the ropes to keep from collapsing. They stare daggers at one another.

Vee grabs the ropes hard as if he’s going to disintegrate its molecules by the rage that flows through his blood. His body is steaming and his soul is ranting about the loss before the biggest event of WZCW Kingdom Come.

But…

He composes himself; breathes out and shifts his glance at Gino who is standing opposite to him. His subconscious digs deep and recollects some phrase he had heard somewhere at some time.

His mind utters serenely.

Vee: (voice-over) Just when you think you know something, you’ve to look it from different perspective. Even it sounds silly; it’ll look entirely different…

He swirls his head around to look at the ring side. Either corner is filled with familiar, not to say the least, essential faces. Gino is starring with his jaded eyes right through Vee with a grin; Kagura holds her book close to her chest and virtually jagging Ryder’s heart; Cassanova beams as if he had won the King for a day briefcase; Noah’s eyes were mourning about the loss but does it matter really? Because he’ll forget about it anyhow but what matters is, it’s a gift not a curse; the X-Man with his head bent down probably trying to surveil his situation in the match.

Everyone is focused; he can feel their aura glowing back of their mighty figures. Vee can see it from their gesture. He smiles to himself and feels proud about the high profile opponents he’ll be facing, and he’ll need to beat to become the King for a day.

Vee’s face is trying to generate an expression. Surprisingly it’s hard, indeed very hard to make one now. What would his poor mind do? His mind is filled with assorted expressions, wavering around the horizon of excitation, dissipation, grimace, wretchedness, covertness but more importantly self-righteousness.

The screen fades as Vee’s smile brightens…

……….

Winter is lurking around the corner in Montreal. Vee’s Eurasian body has never coped with the winter weather albeit he had spent most of his life in the England. Montreal isn’t as cold as England but still Vee had to wear a hoodie and a scarf around his neck to sustain the warmth.

No more games, I'm a change what you call rage
Tear this motherfucking roof off like two dogs caged
I was playing in the beginning, the mood all changed
I've been chewed up and spit out and booed off stage​

His favorite Hip-Hop is playing distinctly but just as usual his intellectual mind is wandering around random thoughts about science. This time, it’s the Mach number; random numbers are flowing through head. His eidetic vision is filled with cluster of numbers. He hears the door bell ringing.

DING DONG… Vee walks to his door swiftly and swings it open to see who he was anticipating from the very morning. It was Sara, his lovable lovely girlfriend, standing at his door step in her pick hoodie covering the glistering green tank-top with a matching scarf wrapped around her neck and an everlasting beautiful smile cuddled up her face.

She immediately hugged him around with all her strength and kisses his nose. He giggles quietly and spins her around and locks the door by pushing her against it.

Sara: I missed you so much. How have you been in the last couple of days?

She gives a frown but follows that up by a sweet kiss before he could answer.

Vee: It doesn’t matter how I have been because now you’re here to fill up my space. My mind was filled with all the fondue memory of you but now you’re here to fill that void! Yay!

Vee swings her around once again before helping her to comfort in the sofa.

Sara smiles and unties the scarf from her neck and mutters in a calm way.

Sara: Some people live by forgetting things but we both do by just remembering, don’t we?

Vee: Of course we do live by remembering; remembering the sweet and sour moments. I don’t know how many around me live in that way, but I do. And I know you do as well and that’s why we’re what we are now.

He lifts his hands to her and turns it around to show the tattoo Sara scribbled on his wrists. Sara responds by moving her wrists to expose her tattoo Vimal scribbled. He grabs her hands and pulls her close in and gives a long kiss on her lips. They certainly can feel the shower of love prevails in the room even after they stopped kissing.

Sara: So tell me now? I got here only to listen to you and your troubles out here. It’s really odd that you hadn’t spoken about your match with Gino yet. I know you had lost but regardless of the win or loss, you used to speak about it and I do concern for you as you haven’t yet.

Vee looks at her with shaggy face and fells back onto the sofa next to her. He raises his one leg up in the sofa and rests his elbows over it. He looks at Sara once more before covering his face with his hands.

Sara stays silent for a tad and letting his mind to calm down. But instead his mind has already started to waver around to recollect him some thoughts. His mind is tottering just as how the white patterned curtains are hovering by the dry cold breeze. Sara slides her hands around his neck and shifts her warmth to him. The warm blood flows to the medulla in his brain and stirs up his thoughts.

What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? This question used to rise in his mind whenever he had an argument with his Father. As much he inspired his life towards success, they always had some dreadful arguments that had left him in shambles for weeks.

Somehow Vee can’t sort out how that argument started, but his Father was mourning around about his life being a failure. All he could remember was his Father’s roar echoing over his mighty voice.

Vee’s Father: You don’t want to be like me! LOOK! I’m a big time failure! I can’t even provide well for my family! And you assume you should be exactly like me!

Vee: What the BLOODY HELL! I always envied you and boast about you to my friends and everywhere I go? I can’t take it when you lower yourself in front of me or anybody! I hate when that happens.

He kicks a flower vase standing in the corner of the room, sending it across the hall to break the windowpane. His mum charges at him and hugged him down to the sofa to calm the situation. His Father looked at his eyes. His eyes always glow with subtle energy. But that night it was shaggy. He looked at Vee with those eyes, filled with tears; he continued to speak.

Vee’s Father: You should know what I saw in you that I dislike. You’re a great son and more skillful than I ever I am but I don’t want you to be like me. I might’ve given you thousands of things to inspire but certainly there must be a few that altered you off beam.

Vee showed his defiance by pushing his mum’s arms off his shoulder and stood up.

Vee: Enough with this bullshit! I don’t want to hear anymore of you saying that you aren’t good!

He storms off to his room and locked the door.

He raises his head and looked at Sara. He seems to be gutted about that moment he had with his father.

Vee: You know about the dreadful argument I had with my Dad don’t you? But the truth is he wanted to tell me something. But I ignored that it seems like, ever since he was scared to bring up that topic once again.

Sara gets close to him and her body begins to tremble as she speaks softly.

Sara: I always knew what he wanted to tell. But I was scared to tell you too. There’s another reason why I didn’t tell you, because you seemed to have restrained that behavior in you ever since you stepped into the WZCW.

Vee interrogates her with his sharp eyes.

Vee: Tell me what it is.

Sara: You know that Hun! You’ve always been so reactive. And you had a strong belief in you that it’s a perk! But being reactive is a curse. You Dad was… is still reactive. I guess you both didn’t know the difference between being reactive and proactive.

She goes on her knees onto the floor and holds his hands and continues.

Sara: But ever since you signed with WZCW you had changed drastically. You have been patient and not mourning about your losses but trying to resolve the situation. I’m glad about that. But sometimes I sense that isn’t enough…

Vee holds her hands tight and stands up. He looks up at the ceiling and the illumination of the light seems to fill his head.

Vee: You’re right. It isn’t enough. You know, my Father is more skillful and brilliant than me. But when he walks down the streets of Crawley, people just see him as a former Engineer and a teacher. No one can deem his skills by his looks or the way how he leads his life.

He drops her hands and rests against the wall and continues.

Vee: Fancy that, regardless of how much I bestow the skills in the ring how much I win or lose, it doesn’t matter until I do something lucid. I had won against the monsters in the ring, but I’ll just be another underdog. All that matters is that King for a Day title. That coveted title will finally define who I am. I’m proactive, yes, but that won’t be enough for the world to deem that Vee A.D.Z. is a champion. I need that King for a Day.

Sara looks at him with a concerned face. She gets close to him and hugs him tightly and rests her face on his shoulders.

Sara: But you have to be careful. You’re going to face 5 five of them inside a chamber. That doesn’t hold any of them from using dirty tricks against you.

Vee: I’m aware of the situation dear. Once a great man told, “The weapon you choose for a war depends on your enemy”. I’m not going to play The David and Goliath game. If they take a butcher knife in one hand I’ll bring in a two-handed Claymore. If they want to strangle me to death, I’ll serve them a guillotine.

Sara’s eyes are slightly filled with tears but she hides them under her pretty smile to keep his thoughts high.

Vee: You see, Kendrik had beaten me once before using a steel chair, but this time, he shouldn’t expect me to be clean and confined. It’s not that, I’ll do ANYTHING for winning, but I will do ANYTHING NECESSARY for winning without spoiling my integrity. I have my skills coupled with the inspiration. Noah Ryder will certainly remember his taint against me. I know his skills, I know he’s strong but that won’t let him to stop me from what I desire. I had learnt a great lesson from him, Empty your mind if you want to learn something new.

He smiles to himself as Sara relaxes on his chest to feel his heart beat.

Vee: Cassanova? He just presumes that he had overcome his greatest deed of failure. But I will prevail his challenge through the hardship for my desire. I don’t just want to win that King for a Day but I want to earn it! You see, the way I had changed over my life isn’t a change, I just overcame my barriers and matured into a complete Man. But Kagura hide her original self in the envy of becoming someone else, ridiculously with the help of a book. She evolved through a confined environment but I evolved in a morale context.

He walks towards the door whilst speaking his mind out.

Vee: And Gino Gallucci, I respect him and his skills. I respect the man he is. But this time, when I enter into the chamber with him, more appropriate to say, when he enters the chamber with me, he won’t expect tad empathy from me. The urge for winning will be flooding through my blood.

Sara smiles and tugs to his shirt and inquires sarcastically.

Sara: Have you thought about everyone heading into that match? Have you?

Vee giggles and looks at her.

Vee: Not the significant person, ME! The King for a Day is an opportunity, and a fool would let it to slip through his hands. Not to boast myself, I’m a lad with an Intelligent Quotient over 140 and certainly I won’t let that to happen. I will achieve what my Father had failed. I will prevail Big time and I will Win Big time. Not just I will become like my Father, I’ll be the one better than he ever was and will make him proud about that!

He opens the door and is gob-smacked by the presence of a sturdy figure standing at the door step. It was his Father. He was standing there listening to Vee’s words of wisdom; he can see his eyes glowing in pride. He hugs him tightly and squeezes him hard. Vee hugs back with one hand and grabs Sara’s hands with the other.

……….

The night before Kingdom Come…

Sara, Vee and his surprisingly visited Father are sitting on the roof top. They both look at the clammy night sky and smiling enigmatically. Sara looks at them and giggles.

Sara: What?

Vee’s Father: Have you ever fancied the idea of studying Differentiation and Integration?

Sara: Argh, I hate the fact that I had a torrid time in learning them. I mean why do we even study that?

Vee: There can be a lot of rationale I can give you why it is in need. But look up; you see that meteor? The path of that meteor can be calculated only by the integration.

Sara punches in his arms and whines playfully.

Sara: Mr.Smarty Pants!

Vee’s Father: You know problems in life are like meteor shower. Once you see the cluster, you’ll get panicked. But if you take one at a time and solve it, it’ll become a mere disdain. But don’t go for the biggest one; go for the closest one, then the next.

He looks at Vee whose face is filled with glee.

Vee’s Father: Tomorrow, you will be facing 5 of them in a dreadful surrounding. What you will have to and need to do is dependent on your thoughts, savvy?

Vee looks up in the sky as a meteor swish pass the sky and shines where its illumination possibly ends…

……….

 

[JamJam]

It was a starry night unlike no other. It felt like all the stars decided to show their face to greet everyone who looked up to the sky – not a cloud in sight to obstruct their view. The night seemed quiet – a little too quiet. VROOOOOOM! As if being chased by cops, Gino raced passed the Hell’s Kitchen traffic, weaving his way through the lanes as if he was a master at it. He took a left, then a right, then a hard right that almost caused an accident before finally arriving at his destination. Having just left his brothers at the restaurant, Gino dawned a fancy, three-piece suit that can only contradict wherever Gino was headed.

He parked his blue Prius behind a dumpster before making his way to the rear of the car. Here, Gino pulled out a Galucci’s pizza box. With his left hand in his pocket and his right hand holding the pizza, Gino began walking forward – whistling a medley to the skies. The pizza man approached an old, rusting door with an eye piece – he knocked. He knocked three times but no answer. He knocked even louder on his second try. To really get his point across, he began kicking at the door when the eye piece finally swung open. A pair of dark brown eyes with bags around them greet him. The eyes stared daggers through Gino, making him feel a bit uncomfortable as he loosens his collar a bit.

Gino: Pizza delivery my good man.

Gino lets out a gulp before raising the pizza to the eye piece for the pair of eyes to see. The eye piece is closed almost immediately when the door swings open. This time, darkness greets Gino. Whoever the pair of eyes belonged to did not appear before Gino. Going against his will, Gino stepped forward looking to enter the darkness – but.....

???: SURPISE!

Gino jumps almost his full vertical into the air but still had the pizza on hand.

Gino: I hate it when you do that. God damn it man.

???: Haha! Always good to see you Gino. Welcome.

The lights go on when a short, stout man with a full on beard smiles the biggest smile ever. He dawns a Flash symbol black t-shirt and some jean shorts along with a pair of Air freaking Jordans.

Gino: You know you almost gave me a heart attack right?

???: I’m sorry dude. It was just way too easy not to do that.

Gino: Yeah well, I’m gonna get you next time, Jimmy.

Jimmy: Haha! Looking forward to it brother man.

Jimmy grabs the pizza box from Gino and sets it down on a nearby table. He opens it up as his eyes go big upon seeing a three-layered cheese pizza.

Jimmy: My man! A gift from the heavens indeed. By the way, don’t think I haven’t forgotten about your WZCW career. Sorry for not calling so much man. Been busy. But you know how happy I am for you.

Gino: Thanks. That means a lot dude. Why don’t you come to one of the shows? I’ll get you some great seats.

Jimmy: Like I said Gino, I’m busy but I’ll take you up on that offer when the right time comes. Plus, I don’t want to go to a show to see you lose.

Jimmy winks at Gino before letting out a chuckle.

Gino: Lose? C’mon man. You gotta give me credit, I’m not used to this wrestling thing. It takes a long time to get used to but I’m getting there. You know the way I like to fight.

Jimmy: Hell yes I do. Remember that last guy you wrestled? Vee A.D.Z?

Gino: Yeah, what about him?

Jimmy: He almost got you good Gino. If you lost to him, then you definitely would’ve received a call from me. A call where I’d be laughing at you the entire time.

Jimmy laughs. He laughs so much that he has to take a break from standing as he sits down on a nearby chair.

Gino: You’re not wrong Jimmy. That Vee dude almost had me. But you saw the end result. I won. With this next match coming up, I can’t do that again though. All those competitors in the match have a shot just as much as me to win the whole thing. I’m gonna need to be more focused as ever.

Jimmy: Oh yeah. You’re in that King For a Day match right? Tough. But if there’s anyone that can overcome something like that – it’s you bud.

Gino: I’ve been trying my best to really keep it together Jimmy, it’s tough. Wrestling is no joke. It’s not what I’m used to.

Sensing the doubt in his friend, Jimmy stands from the chair.

Jimmy: Look, if you can do what I think you’re capable of, you’ve got this match in the bag. Now, I know it won’t be easy but who likes it when it’s easy? Certainly not Gino Galucci, am I right?

Gino nods. He undresses his blazer and throws it to the ground.

Gino: You’re damn right Jimmy! I’ve worked too hard in life only to come up short. I’m almost there – just a little more and I’ll be there. After all the hardships my family has gone through, I’ve only wanted the best for them. Galucci’s wasn’t always a successful restaurant. We had to work our asses off for it to be where it is today. To this day, no one in my family knows what I did in order to keep the family business afloat – and I hope they never find out.

A serious look falls onto the face of Gino.

Jimmy: Dude, you had to do what you had to do. Plus, if you didn’t, you wouldn’t have met me. So.....we’re all winners in the end.

Jimmy does his best to lighten up the mood but the Gino isn’t having any of it.

Gino: Let’s not waste anymore time Jimmy. You know why I’m here. Let’s go.

Before Jimmy could even take a slice, he closes the box. However, he brings it with him as he walks in front of Gino.

Jimmy: Knew you weren’t here for pleasure. Business as always.

Gino: Well, a little of both actually.

With the pizza box in hand, Jimmy walks over to the entrance where Gino entered to make sure it’s locked. The small room they are in clearly hasn’t been cleaned in a while as the pizza box left a big square shape on the table. About ten steps later, they’re out another door that locks in three different ways.

Jimmy: You ready?

Gino: Let’s go.

It takes them a few minutes but they finally arrive at what looks like an abandoned warehouse.

Jimmy: Before we go in, I just want to tell you that everyone knows who you are now so don’t be surprised if you see a lot of people clamoring for you. I know you’re not used to it, but it’s hard not to see you in WZCW TV.

Gino simply nods towards Jimmy.

They enter the warehouse where a few guys are standing around. They look at Gino and Jimmy as they pass by them – letting them through. They finally reach the center of the warehouse where what looks to be an elevator sits. The guys “guarding’ the elevator make way for Gino and Jimmy to pass as all they do is nod at each other. The platform goes down.

Jimmy: Welcome home Gino.

What we see can be compared to Ancient Rome where gladiators do battle. There’s a fight going on almost at every corner where a bunch of people are kicking and screaming for more. A few people see Gino and look stunned.

Jimmy: Ignore them. Let me tell you something brother. There’s this one fighter who has been tearing it up since arriving here. Going through every fighter like they were nothing. Not only that, but she only uses her hands to fight, nothing else. Might be the most skilled fighter I’ve seen since you arrived here.

Gino: Is that so?

Jimmy: Get this, she’s been clamoring for a fight against you. Just wanted you to know that.

Gino: Jimmy, you’re talking as if I only come here when you’re around but that can’t be further from the truth. The fighter you’re talking about – her name is Jamie but everyone calls her the Livewire. Jimmy, I’ve gotta tell you man. I’ve been seeing this woman since the day I stepped foot in WZCW. At first, I knew that I’d seen her somewhere before. She taught me about focusing when she caught me in an arm lock at the library. Then, I saw a WZCW poster of Unscripted 2014. But it was at dinner – when me and my brothers saw my father’s long time rival in Alonso De Luca and Tony called him a Livewire.

The surprised look on Jimmy’s face tells him that Gino may have actually come for a reason he now knows.

Jimmy: Damn. Girl of your dreams maybe and you’re gonna fight her?

They finally arrive at the area where Livewire usually fights. There are a ton of people who are screaming but grow silent when Gino arrives.

Gino: Yes, I am.

There she stood in a half top and some shorts. Wrestling tape on her hands and some black MMA gloves. It’s as if she knew he was coming. Gino takes off his long-sleeved shirt, his dress shoes, and socks. He gets himself all taped up and some MMA gloves as well. He takes a few moments to stretch as Jimmy takes his clothes to move them. An announcer is about to speak but Gino holds up his hand.

Gino: Nah nah nah. No introductions. Let’s get this on.

Livewire and Gino begin circling each other ignoring the initial glove touch at the beginning. The referee is a bald, old but in shape man. With the crowd roaring behind them, the two combatants wage war against one another. Livewire is on the offensive first as she tries to catch Gino sleeping early on. On multiple times, it almost worked, which got the crowd roaring even more but Gino more than held his own against her early offense. As the fight went on, all Gino could think about was the girl from the library – the one who ultimately taught him about focus. With his mind elsewhere, Livewire took control with a punch right on the nose that floored Gino! Still, those flashbacks coming ringing in Gino’s head. The talk of focus caused him to lose focus in this fight. Gino could hear the referee getting to a count of seven before Gino kipped up – showing that he’s okay to continue. The kip up has the crowd roaring for more action yet again.

Focus. Focus. Focus. And that’s definitely what Gino did. Gino landed some body shots to weaken Livewire a bit but he’d need to do more than that to defeat her. Before long, it looked like Gino was a master of focusing his mind on whatever goal he wanted to achieve – definitely a good lesson to learn before entering a match such as King For a Day. But focus wouldn’t win him the match – he’d need to do more. With Livewire getting weaker from his punches, Gino landed a right hook that rocked Livewire’s world – flooring her! Gino knew that being confident at this point was not something he should do. He stood in a battle ready stance knowing that that shot probably didn’t put her away.

Just like Gino when he was down, Livewire performed a kip-up which again garnered cheers from the crowd. A smile crept up on both combatants’ faces as if they were enjoying this whole thing! Backstage Bob nearly scared the hell outta Gino that one time but Bob paid for that – accidentally on Gino’s part. It’s a good thing Bob isn’t made out of glass or that takedown Gino caught him in would’ve been the end of Bob.

Why these things came to mind while he was in seemingly the fight of his life – Gino knew exactly why. A flurry of punches came Gino’s way but he did well in dodging them. Each one, closer to impact if he didn’t dodge at the last millisecond. Sensing Livewire’s tiredness slowly creeping up on her, Gino swept the feet from underneath her. He had the winning shot right in front of him – but Gino didn’t take it. Each of the lessons he learned from the past came back to him and he understood why. They all taught him about life and how far it’s gotten him now. His past encounters with the girl at the library, with Bob, with WZCW – all past lessons in a different form that he needed to see. Focusing in the King for a Day match would be key to keeping his head straight. It would keep Gino from making silly mistakes that could’ve been avoided and to sense the next attack from his opponents. Not being too confident was a lesson he learned early on in life but came back to him just now as well. And finally, delivering the final blow isn’t always the correct thing to do. It’s better to take things one step at a time and when the time is right, claim your prize instead of ending things early with one powerful blow that may or may not land. These lessons made Gino well-equipped to claiming his prize – to call himself King for a Day.

With the crowd roaring behind him, Gino offered a hand to the fallen Livewire.

Gino: Thank you for everything, Amber Warren.

Her (Livewire) eyes widened at what Gino just said. She got up on her own and made a beeline for the exit. Everyone looked on but no one was more disappointed seeing her go than Gino.

 

[Showtime]

Kagura rolls Noah Ryder once more into a pin. Katie shepard slams her hand into the mat…
1!
2!
3!

Noah is set for the Blow Ryder. He starts to charge across the ring, but halfway there he steps awkwardly on his left leg and collapses to the mat. Casanova makes his way out of the corner and ties up Ryder in Locked in the Book, Noah screams out in pain.

Kagura grabs Noah and throws him against the apron, crashing him to the floor. As he clutches his back, she drives hard knees into the small of his back, each one followed by an elbow to the head.

Noah is driving his car through an intersection while on his cell when suddenly he is t-boned by an oncoming motorist running a red light.

Noah Ryder wakes up in a pool of sweat. He sits straight up in his bed and rubs the moisture off his face. He appears quite distraught and upset.

Ryder: Steven!

There is no response back. Noah’s room is quite dark. It is cloudy outside and only a dim grey light shines into the room. Noah climbs out of bed and goes to open the blinds to his patio door. There is a light amount of snow falling from the sky onto a thin layer on the ground.

Winter is coming early this year.

Noah turns around and opens the door to the rest of his apartment.

Hey Steven.

Noah looks around the room, but Steven isn’t there. Noah heads over towards the fridge, when he realizes it’s not in the same spot it always is. He looks around the apartment and notices that nothing is set up like he remembers it.

This isn’t my apartment.

After stating the obvious, Noah heads back into the bedroom that he came out of and puts on some street clothes. He sees a set of keys on the counter and grabs them, checking the door to make sure they are the correct ones. He puts on a coat hanging by the door and heads outside. The cold air greets him like a shit to the face, and he rubs his hands before hiding them in his coat. Noah looks to his left and right trying to figure out where he is. He sees a red stop sign with the word “Arretez” on it.

Arretez? What’s Arretez?

He decides to turn right and head away from the stop sign. On his way down the road he sees a sign for the Montreal Canadians hockey team, and a deli shop advertising Montreal smoked meat. A man at the next street corner is reading a paper called the Montreal Gazette, and turning around the corner is a red Alfa Romeo Montreal. None of this dawns on Noah.

Where am I?

Finally Noah sees something he does recognize, a police station. He walks across the road and up the the big building, heading inside through the large doors. Once he dusts the snow off himself, he walks up the front desk where a burly man with a pointed ended moustache greets him.

Officer: Bonjour, comment puis-je vous aider? Hello, how can I assist you?

Hello, umm, english please.

Sorry. My name is Jacque. How may I help you today?

I’m not sure… could you tell me where I am?

Why certainly. You are at the Saint-Laurent police station in Montreal.

Montreal? I had no idea.

Are you feeling alright?

Yes, but you must be joking. I can’t possibly be in Montreal.

You look familiar. Are you on TV?

No, I…

I know, you’re Noah Ryder, aren’t you?

Noah is clearly thrown off by this.

Yes I am, but how do you know?

You are a WZCW wrestler, a lot of us here are big fans.

I’m flattered, but I haven’t even wrestled a match there yet.

You play that amnesia gimmick really well. We watched you compete last week. You guys are in town right now for your big PPV, Kingdom Come. Hold on one second. He Pierre, do we still have last weeks WZCW saved on TV.

Pierre: Oui!

Come, come with me.

Jacque leads Noah around the counter and they head into a break room. There Jacque turns off the TV and shows last weeks episode of Ascension. Noah’s eyes are wide as he watches his match unfold, ending unfortunately early for him. Jacque turns off the TV.

Jacque, do you think you’d be able to look into my vehicle and medical history.

But of course, come with me.

—————

Steven paces nervously back at the apartment. He goes to pick up the phone when he hears the door knob turn and Noah enters.

Steven: Leonard, thank god it’s you. I has so worried. Where were you?

I went out for walk. I needed some fresh air.

Oh that’s good. I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up, I went to the store to get a few things.

It’s okay Steven, I think I’m perfectly able to take care of myself for a while.

Steven nervously heads over to the fridge to try and end the conversation.

So, were in Montreal.

Steven bangs his head on the door before pulls out some sandwich meat.

Uh, yea. Crazy place for you to be wrestling your first match.

I think you and I both know this isn’t my match.

Steven is stunned. He can barely look at Noah.

Is there anything you want to tell me?

Noah, I can explain…

Have you ever told me that it was you I was on the phone with when I got into my accident?

Uh…. Uh….

I was down at the police station today. Learned a lot. Maybe for the first time, maybe not.

Noah, I can explain all of this. When you received a new contract with WZCW, you wanted me to leave you in the dark about your condition. You wanted to feel like you did before the accident. I have it all with my, your plan, all the notes you and I have taken over the years, it’s all in the safe.

Steven heads over to the closet and pulls out a big black safe and places it on the counter. He turns the dial a few times and goes to open it, but it doesn’t. He tries the combination a second time and it is still locked. He looks over the safe and grabs his hair.

Ahh, this isn’t the right safe. They must’ve gotten switched at the airport.

Steven bangs his hands on the counter and tires the combination one more time in vain. Noah stares back at him.

I’m going to head into my room. We’ll talk tomorrow.

Noah heads to his room and closes the door behind him. He grabs a notepad and pen and turns on the TV. He orders the WZCW network and fast forwards it to one of his matches. Noah begins writing in the book. He pauses the TV and writes one line in particular.

“Steven - He’s your friend, but right now he can’t be trusted”

—————

Noah Ryder sits by himself in the locker room, dressed and ready to wrestle tonight. He is slowly wrapping his hands tightly in white tape, staring intently towards the floor. He closes his eyes and begins to visualize himself in the ring.

[YOUTUBE]5k33EjTLE8I[/YOUTUBE]

Noah!

Noah’s thoughts are interrupted by the arrival of Leon Kensworth. Noah stands up to greet him, introducing himself like he always does.

Yes sir, I’m Noah Ryder. It’s a pleasure to meet you Leon. May I say, your work here is always top notch.

Why thank you Noah. This is why I always love interviewing you, you always have such nice things to say.

Noah nods his head, picking up what Leon just said.

Can we step outside to do an interview before your match?

We sure can, lead on.

Noah and Leon step outside the locker room. Leon offers Noah some water which Noah accepts and then they start the interview.

Good evening WZCW fans. Leon Kensworth here and standing next to me at this time, one of the participants in the King For A Day match, Noah Ryder. Noah how do you feel about your big debut at Kingdom Come in such a big and important match?

Leon let’s be honest here. This isn’t my debut match anymore.

Leon appears caught off guard by Noah’s remark. A smile curls on Noah’s face as he continues.

Oh sure, I suppose you’re right. This is my debut match in WZCW, and to be debuting at the biggest PPV Kingdom Come, in possibly the biggest career altering match there is the King For A Day match where the prize for winning is being a guaranteed WZCW Title match, is huge. It shows that the company thinks highly of me to put in such an important match, but this isn’t my big debut. I’ve been doing this for years in other companies. Wrestling big matches all over the world, defeating champions inside the ring. I’ve beaten some of the biggest names in wrestling, guys like… guys like Matt Tastic and Titus. Wrestlers that are the future of their companies, or the very best in the business, I’ve beaten them in other companies. I’ve been doing that for a long time, so going into this match I don’t look at it as my debut. I look at it as an opportunity to further prove myself.

Leon is completely thrown off by all this, but gathers himself and continues the interview.

Tonight you’ll be competing against 5 other up and coming wrestlers who will also be looking to take this opportunity and prove themselves in the ring. What are your thoughts about each of your opponents? Who do you think will be your toughest challenge, and how do you think you’ll be able to do against 5 others inside the ring?

Noah rubs his hands together and appears to be finding the right words to say in response.

I suppose the one thing I won’t be able to do is predict how this match will play out. It’s a crap shoot really, and as you’ve pointed, everyone in this match is new and trying to prove themselves in WZCW. They all want to make a name for themselves, and a match like this one is a way to do that in an instant, but this is unlike any King For A Day match before. Previous years you’ve had former middle card champions, guys who have main-evented PPV’s, guys that were regarded as future WZCW Champions, whether they won the match or not. This years match the talent pool, and it looks poorly on me as well, is low. Most of them haven’t been around for a year. None of them have beaten anyone like, like Tastic or Titus. Even someone like John Doe I’ve been hearing about, who is new and also tearing it up through the roster, none of them have even beaten someone like that. I’ve beaten wrestlers like that. I don’t think any one person in this match is my toughest challenge. My toughest challenge is getting ganged up by all of them, because they see me as threat to win. All of them are probably too busy thinking about stuff that. Me, I don’t need to think about that stuff in the ring. I don’t think about my opponents. Thinking about stuff like that is distracting. The only thing I need to think about is me, about what I can do, and about what I will do, and I think I have what it takes to win.

If you don’t mind me saying, you seem to be letting on more than you are admitting to know.

Noah laughs and rubs his chin before responding.

Lets just say my eyes have been opened up wide a bit. I’ve realized that certain people are going to take me for granted, and that I need to be careful who I can place my trust with. My opponents take me for granted, they look at my weaknesses and think that they know me. Nobody knows who Noah Ryder is. Everyday day is a new day for me. Nothing brings me down unless I want it to. I don’t have to live in regret, or fear, or any of the normal things my opponents have to deal with. That is now my greatest strength, and with that I have the ability to go out there and do whatever I think it takes to win, no consequences. Kingdom Come is going to be my big debut of sorts here, and when I win the guaranteed title contract, I’m going to become the most deadly person in WZCW, because nobody, not the wrestlers here or even myself, is going to know when I decide to use it. Let’s let that fear sink in a moment for them.

Noah smiles and thanks Leon for the interview before walking away. The camera follows Noah as he casually introduces himself to the same camera crew he always does.

 

[John McCass]

The camera pans straight into an old but neat library and the only luminous thing is a lamp, not the electric one. It’s the fuel efficient one. The light flickers, the flame comes this close to fade but, it doesn’t. Something keeps it from being faded. That crimson red flame is haunting. Inside the flame we can see some arrogance. The flame has some significance to arrogance. When it doesn’t have enough fuel, it tends to die. Many a times, it does die. And there have been a lot of cases when it die. And the victims of this have suffered a lot, a lot. They floundered, they fell and they disappeared. Who knows them? They are utter failure. They become examples for the younger generation, though not in a good way. People remind of failures when they feel like they themselves are failing. No one wants to be that. Why would anyone?

But, there also have been cases when it burnt and brought things to ashes, provided the fuel it needed. When it ignited, there was nothing in sight that wasn’t burnt to ashes. It created ruckus. It created debris. People give examples of this whenever they tend to fall. And everyone wants to be that. The fuel provides all it needs. The fuel should never end. The fuel is the first and the last need. That fuel, given you at right time, will make you a legend.

Cassanova: King for a day is upon us, and what I have seen at most is defeat. I have been failure, throughout my life. I have lost to almost everyone that is to compete with me at Kingdom Come. Oh, I did pin Kendrick Xavier and Noah Ryder. What was common in all 3 of us. We had all been losing leading up to Ascension 100.

Cassanova has come aside the table the lamp is on. He is staring a hole through the flame.

Cassanova: Why I demolished Kendrick?........ Because, he was a pain in the eye. All he did was hover on that bloody hovertrax. But, why only him?....... I didn’t like that guy. He beat someone I couldn’t beat. He was pegged to be the Rookie of the year. But, I couldn’t find a reason to like him at all.

Cassanova leans forward looking right into the flame. The view from above is absolutely glorious. We can see the flame totter a little. The fuel seems to have used. A little fuel is visible.

Cassanova: This flame symbolizes the end of Kendrick Xavier. I can hear him screaming. But, he led himself into this.

Cassanova turns away, thinking something. He gradually starts walking towards the other side of the table. The light illuminates a little area. We see him cover the illuminated area. He slowly fades into darkness. We wait. We wait some more. Within 5 minutes, we hear some footsteps. Cassanova is seen once again. But his hand is filled with something. It’s a container. What it contains is still unknown to us. Cassanova ascends forth. He has a grin on his face.

He opens the container and it contains some sort of liquid. It’s kerosene. He pours some kerosene into the lamp. The flame again rejuvenates. More area has been illuminated by the extra light.

Cassanova: Kingdom Come. My dream since childhood. It has always been. And it has every right to be. I watched WZCW and always fancied my chances at this. And now that I’m here in a massive match. Competing at Kingdom Come was my dream. And I’m getting even more.[

His eyes turn serious once again. His eyebrows tone down.

Cassanova: But, why am I not happy about this. Do I lack something? Don’t I have it?

The glee on his face has been drained out. We see a serious Cassanova.

Cassanova: I must win this match. I have never been seen as a possibility to win this match. And if I did win this, it would be called an upset, which it should not.

One thing for sure, this is an opportunity of lifetime and I’m not going to let this go. I have to prove myself right there. I have always been looked down as an additional guy, not much of a threat. But, it all started at Ascension 100, when I pinned those two. But, I got myself pinned. That was a glimpse of what I could be. And I guarantee there’s more to come. You haven’t yet seen the wrath of Cassanova. You’re still deprived of it. All I need is fuel.

Cassanova sprinkles some fuel on the flame as it ignites and turns into a wildfire. He laughs maniacally.

Cassanova: And there’s no way to extinguish this.

 

[Bernkastel]

“So you want to know what drives me, are you sure you want to know?”​

‘It was a memory from an earlier interview that I had done. It seemed like the fans had forgotten what I am. I am the deceiver.’

“This change in my personality, my ability to speak English like a native that has gone through years of education, and my hunger for competition are but merely aftereffects of this transformation. It was necessary… to move forward.”​

Kagura smiled thinking about the present. She couldn’t blame anyone for being confused. She was a closely guarded shell of a woman after all. Even looking back, how often did she keep to herself? The answer was all the time. How many of her opponents dreaded the thought of tagging with her or facing her? The answer was most of them, because she was unpredictable. That remained true even now.

‘I don’t like to lose. I never have. It’s what drove me into this profession in the first place. And since I’ve been here I feel like I’ve been looked down upon because I’m a foreigner. Well, I fought to change all that, but in the end I failed.’

Kagura frowned.

“Even towards the end everyone continued to look down on me and treated me like the woman that just did not belong. I wasn’t like Eve Taylor, with her sassy personality, or Celeste Crimson, with her ferociousness, or even Amber Warren, with her tenacity. No. I was Kagura, the meek and the honorable. Those looking for a feel meal hunted me with vigor, knowing that I could not stand the pressure of the spot I had been given.”​

She seethed, remembering how difficult it was to project herself to her fellow wrestlers. Sasuke had been more than just a manager to her. He had been the emotional mask that SHE should have worn. And a small part of her still loathed him for that.

Kagura grinned.

“And that’s why, I made a choice. I will not divulge the truth about what happened in Europe because the details are not important.”​

She pulled out the book and showed it to the interviewer. It was the first time she had allowed the book to be shown in all its physical glory. Usually the cameras on the show could only catch a small glance of the relic before her matches.

‘The mystery behind the ritual is also not important. The important thing anyone has to know is that it turned all my weaknesses into strengths. I do not wish to use it to further my goals at the moment. Any comments to the contrary have all been idol threats. I have my sights set on winning King for a Day for a reason.’

“This evolution to the current Kagura has granted me new confidence. This was the person that I would be if didn’t have to wear different sets of clothing. You seem confused. Let me explain. As individuals we all wear different sets of clothing that can represent the types of lives we live.”​

Kagura reached down and motioned to her ring gear.

“This outfit that I have on right now represents myself as a wrestler and a fighter. I wear this and people know exactly what I am all about. I do not have to explain anything. Before, the previous Kagura would wear the sacred garments of a shrine maiden. While I still have my ceremonial robes, I choose not to wear them, because that is not who I am right now. I am still a priestess. I am still a wrestler. But before I portrayed myself as a wrestling priestess and that split my identity.”​

‘I remember. Why that had been so difficult before living as two separate entities and trying to force them into one. I knew it was a mistake. But there was nothing I could do.’

She reached down and caressed the book in her lap.

‘This has been the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. With this I have never felt so… so… free…’

Kagura smiled.

“But now I am free to be Kagura. And Kagura wants to be WZCW world champion. It’s a goal that I have had for myself since I came here. I want to follow in my mentors Sasuke’s footsteps. Exactly in his footsteps…”​

A pause…

“… Meaning I’m not doing this for my religion, or my country men, or even my fellow women. I want to become world champion for ME! I just couldn’t ever bring myself to accept that realization before in the past. My pride tore me in two separate directions. On one hand my religious beliefs advised me to be kind and courteous and eventually the Kami would grant me an opportunity, and I won the Elite X championship. And the power, it felt good.”​

She found parallels with a few of her King for a Day opponents with the different clothes they wore, trying to balance multiple identities. She wondered if that would be a weakness that she could exploit because surely they could not keep up that ruse for long; Gino Galucci with his pizza, Cassanova with his books, and Noah Ryder with his dementia.

‘They say that power corrupts. But the truth was that I was already corrupted long before I ever came to WZCW. It was the identity that I wore as Kagura Ohzora that kept the current Kagura in check, but now I know better. Not that I don’t still listen to the Kami. It was partially their influence that drove me to this state. And even now I can hear them, whispering in the back of my mind.

DESTROY! DESTORY! DESTROY!

I cannot get the voices out of my head! “Soon,” I always reply back…

No. I want to try to accomplish my goal first. Me! This is all about me. If I forsake all these voices for the one inside my heart, that’s all that matters right?’

Kagura bit her lip as her mind flashed back to another conversation totally different from the one from before, this time with her lover Dr. Housman.

“You’re worried that the book will corrupt me until there’s nothing left but a hollow shell? Ha! I only used the ritual once, there’s no danger for any sort of corruption.”​

Kagura shook her head as she listened to Derrick’s explanation. According to his theory the “curse” that the priestess Ryuumi had spoken of had not been averted. The book did not curse the one’s whom had aspects of their souls stolen. It cursed the user. And by performing the ritual he had been worried that Kagura had opened a Pandora’s Box.

“What nonsense is this; you’re saying I’m the one that is cursed? I still hear the voices of the Kami and they tell me to follow my heart’s desire, and my desire is to be world champion. At Kingdom Come I have five other fighters standing in my way. I do not care about their genders, their back stories, or their struggles. We all have the same goal, Derrick. It’s a challenge that I WILL. NOT. BACK. DOWN. FROM!”​

He had backed off from there and hadn’t tried to argue any further. His words had meant nothing more than idol threats meant to scare her.

DESTROY!

DESTROY!

DESTROY!

‘Yes, destroy the opposition. Take the briefcase that is rightfully yours, Kagura. Leave nothing in your wake but carnage. It is your destiny to stand among the gods!’

Kagura laughed, the eerie and demented tone sounding almost mad. Like a person obsessed. In her eyes burned the effigies of all her opponents; she had the upper hand after all.

“At Kingdom Come I plan to take the measure of all the warriors in the match that stand before me. I have no reason to be bigoted or sexist, because in the end none of it matters. All of us were given this opportunity because each one of us deserves it. But only one of us can win. Regardless I feel like I have the most to prove. I have been around the longest. I have just hit my stride. My heart aches for the chance to prove myself on the main stage. Who else out of my opponents can hang with the likes of a Theron Daggershield or a Dr. Zeus better than Kagura? No one! Count the days, count the hours, and count the seconds if you want. It’s only a matter of time before I win that briefcase.”

‘No Derrick. I’ll turn this curse into a blessing. Just you watch. I am The Deceiver. I can trick even the Kami themselves if I have too.’

Winning that briefcase, making history as the first Queen for a Day… that was the only way for her to move forward. Anything other path would require further evolution.