[The front door to
The Sludge Pit opens. It's clearly daylight outside.
Jack Ruin looks up from where he stands at the bar doing small chores around the place to see
Gordito waltz in, a small black bag in one hand.]
Jack: Well, look who's finally got his head above ground
[
Gordito is dressed casually, and looks more full of energy than usual. He wastes little time in grabbing a bottle of water from behind the bar. He then has a seat on the bar itself, placing the little black bag next to him.]
Gordito: Yeah
sorry Jack. I've just been go go go this last week or so.
You're telling me. You haven't been by here in almost all of that time. Are you ok, Jefe?
Ok? I can't remember ever feeling better!
[
Jack's face betrays his confusion.
Gordito notices this.]
Look at me, baby! I'm the best shape I've ever been in. I've get to do what I love for a living. I gave Showtime a run for his money before Ty went nutso on him. I've got a nice stalker who's always trying to show me that he cares, and, best of all, I'm on my way to being KING FOR A DAY! Oh, that, and also
[
Gordito opens the little black bag to reveal a bottle of Scotch.]
This is for the private reserves. Let's call it a gift from an old friend.
[He passes off the bottle to
Jack, who stills seems a little put off by
Gordito's demeanor.]
Jack, I've been trying new things, and new people
or even trying new ways of viewing people I've already known. I've even started taking Yoga classes!
Yoga?
Yoga, dude. Once you get past all the noxious gasses, it's really a great experience. Once I get a chance to, I was thinking about asking Wasabi for some help with meditating...
Dude, what's going on with you?
[
Jack walks up and grabs
Gordito by his cheeks and shakes him almost violently.]
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY BEST FRIEND!?!?!
[
Gordito chuckles as
Jack releases his grip.]
Jacky Baby, relax. I'm me. Always will be. No one can ever change that. I'm just
[
Gordito jumps down from the bar.]
I let this Baez thing get the best of me. I let that worm get into my thinking. And that affected everything else. For even just one moment, that little parasite got me to doubt myself. But that didn't last long.
[
Gordito reaches under the bar to grab a bottle of water, then he steps around from behind the bar to take a seat on one of the stools.]
I realized that I never really set many goals when I got here. I had a few, but they were so
.loose. I love the fans. I love the folk who wait for me each night after each show. But now it's time for me to break through that ceiling Baez keeps talking about. I've been here almost a year. I've come up from being a rookie Mayhem chump to overnight World Title contender sensation. Now it's time for me to leave my mark...my crack...in the foundation of WZCW history. King for a Day, Jack. My shot at being more than just a WZCW star. My shot at being the stuff of legends. King for a Day. And on that note, I'll be having guests tonight.
The usual? Ha! I knew you couldn't have changed too much.
No, not the usual. This isn't a social call. This is business.
Oh.
Yeah. No WZCW cameras. No Becky Serra on location. We're trying to keep this low key.
...No problem. Seems like it's going to be a slow night anyway.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[We cut to
The Sludge Pit later in the night. There is a crowd, but it seems rather pacified compared to the crowds that can usually fill the place up. People enjoy their drinks and their company tonight. As we survey the bar, we find
Kurtesy and
Gordito sitting in a far corner by the stage. They are in conversation, and every once in awhile their laughter can be heard.]
Right, so then he remembers being in a room. And he remembers seeing two cops in front of him. So he leans over to a guy sitting next to him and is like "Hey, I think those are cops, man". And the guy sitting next to him? His arresting officer, who was glad to hear that he was sobering up.
Ah yes. The effects of hallucinogens on the human mind have been well documented. They do have the tendency to leave one open to outside influence.
I know, right? 5 years later, I bet that's the last time he listens to someone who tells him he should get naked in public!
[Both men start to chuckle until
Kurtesy notices they have a guest approaching them.]
I believe the third member of our team has arrived.
[
Big Dave emerges from the crowd at the front of the bar.
Jack is pointing him towards their table in the back.
Gordito and
Kurtesy stand to greet him, as
Gordito also flags down a waitress to prepare some drinks.]
Thank you for honoring our request for your presence, Dave. You've made the right choice.
Choice? I've "chosen" to meet you two tonight in much the same way I've "chosen" to be a part of this team on Meltdown.
[
Dave's eyes move from
Kurtesy to
Gordito.]
But it is in my best interest to hear what you have to say.
[
Gordito has shifted his attention from the waitress preparing shots to
Dave.]
...Hi Dave. Glad you could make it. Make yourself at home, baby. It's on me tonight.
[
Dave stares at him intently for a few moments before
Kurtesy begins.]
Well then, let's get down to business.
[All three take their seat at the table.]
Though at Kingdom Come we will be enemies, tomorrow night we are allies. I believe this is a marvelous opportunity to put us three at an advantage once the big day arrives.
So what is your big plan then?
Teamwork. The buddy system. Call it what you want, the Doc here and I agree that we stand a better chance together than we do alone.
And what makes you think our opponents this week aren't likewise planning their own strategy for tomorrow night.
Easy: Baez is a dick. When has he ever really played nice with anyone on something like this?
For starters, he seemed to play nice with you when Stephen here arranged for the Mayhem Championship to fall into the hands of the Crashin Movement.
But see, even then, Baez only sees things one way; his way. If it's not right in front of him, and it's not just the way he likes it, he's blind to it.
Gordito is correct. Baez suffers from tunnel vision. It's likely the cause for him taking so long to break out of the Mayhem Division.
Instead of doing what we're doing, he's off in a corner by himself somewhere obsessing over me.
From what I've seen, he seems to spend every moment planning out when to ambush you next. Are you sure you're even going to make it to Kingdom Come?
Don't worry 'bout me, baby. I'm so used to his antics that I can't fall asleep right unless I've had a Baez chair shot that day.
The fact of the matter is, our opponent's won't be as prepared as we are. Gordito can distract Baez for us. Anytime he's not in the ring as the legal man, he should be working up the crowd.
[
Kurtesy looks over to Gordito.]
If you can keep them in a frenzy, they should be able to help fuel Baez's jealousy. The more and more he slips into seeing only the ways he can hurt you, the more oblivious he becomes to the ways Dave and I can beat him.
And the other two?
Barbosa and Kravinoff are another matter.
Those two are like lovebirds right now.
Indeed, they have seemingly forged a partnership as of late. But they aren't something we can't handle.
See, the Doc and I have a bit of experience in dealing with the loon.
And since my first encounter with him, I have had the chance to better observe him. I believe I am now better prepared to handle him. After all, I am a...
Yes, yes, we know.
Anyway, what he's saying is that there aren't many out there who can better deal with a psycho than a shrink. Barbosa is tough, but unstable as all hell.
[The waitress arrive with the drinks. She places a round of shots and beers in front of the three men as they continue their discussion.]
Kravinoff likely represents the greater threat. He's dedicated, relentless, and capable.
But I'm sure that will change once he's standing across the ring from someone like you.
So that's it? Divide and conquer tactics?
Essentially. Baez will be easy to isolate, if his team members even seem to mind that. Barbosa needs to be handled delicately, but with a firm hand.
And Hunter only needs to run into you to find his impressive streak hit a wall.
So why was this meeting necessary?
Look Dave, I don't expect either of us to be BFF's going forward. Kurtesy and I have found our respect for each other. Whether or not you care to carry that yourself is your choice, and I dig that. But when we go out there tomorrow night, we need to be doing it as a team. And teammates need to be able to rely on each other. We'll be opponents again in a short time, but for now our best assets are each other.
If we all do our parts, we will be headed to Kingdom Come with the advantage.
[
Dave seems to be thinking things over for a moment in silence.]
I agree that this is probably our wisest course of action. But after tomorrow night, don't expect to see me in a place like this again.
I knew you'd see it our way, Dave.
[
Gordito stands a raises his shot glass up.]
It's settled then. A toast! To kicking some ass come Meltdown!
[
Kurtesy and
Dave also raise their glasses, then all three knock back the shot of alcohol. As we fade away,
Dave is pondering how much longer he can stick around,
Kurtesy starts discussing some of the finer details of the match, and
Gordito is already almost done with his beer chaser.]