MD80: Connor Reese vs Vega - Mayhem Championship

[a0161613]

The Mayhem championship will be on the line during Meltdown where the Number One Contender (Vega) will be squaring off against the man who took out the current Mayhem champion Ace Stevens (Connor Reese). Whoever gains the victory in his match will capture the vacated title and become the new Mayhem champion, considering Stevens has been sidelined from WZCW for a while.

Deadline is 11:59pm Central Time, Wednesday 24th October. Extensions as per thread.​

 

[Remix]

STA Headquarters - Three days after Apocalypse

Connor walks into the boardroom for the post-PPV... post-defeat meeting. Even in his mind the result sounds odd. How could he have lost to Stevens? Had being told to attack Kara truly affected him that much?

"Take your seat, Connor." Alexander breaks the silence that had fallen as soon as the door opened. He sits across the table from the men and woman.

"Reese, why is it that in spite of your training you are sitting here without the Mayhem Title?" The German employs his trademark tact and subtlety to begin the prosecution. Sascha glares at him.

"Because Ace Stevens was able to defeat me." The answer was simple, how a mere comedian could have done so still baffled him even three days, and countless stitches later.

"He should not have been..."

"That's enough, Wilhelm!" Alexander interrupts The German. "And why was he able to do that Connor?" Silence. "You were there Connor, who better to provide an explanation."

The silence persists for a few long moments before Connor opens his mouth again. "I was distracted." He sounds almost disgusted at himself.

"By the girl? I would not have taken you for someone so pathetic, Reese" Another glare from Sascha.

"You should not have been. You were aware of the plan weeks before Apocalypse." Reese sees Sascha rolling her eyes at Alexander's lack of empathy but says nothing. "But you are overlooking something, Connor." That was news to him, he'd been in the match and given Ace everything he could throw at him.

"What do you mean, sir?" He replies cautiously. No need to aggravate an already annoyed genius.

"Ace Stevens." He says it as if he was addressing a small child. Asshole. "You weren't defeated because you were distracted by your post-match task. You were defeated because Ace Stevens was willing to go further than you. Where you neglected to use the tools available to you, Ace was willing to wrap his knee in barbed wire if it meant defeating you. This is not acceptable Connor."

"I understand, sir." And he did. Ace had pushed himself to the limits at Apocalypse. Beyond, if the rumours were true.

"You will not make the mistake of allowing your opponent to escalate the match again, Connor. You must dictate what happens and when. Wilhelm has spoken to me about what you have been working on." Connor nods. "I approve of the change, and suggest you implement it immediately."

"I will, sir"

"Excellent. Onto other business. Sascha," the woman turns to her boss "What is Connor's likely direction in WZCW after the events of Apocalypse?"

"Connor is likely to remain at the same level as he is currently. Our contact in TR has been able to confirm that Ace has suffered a ligament tear and will be undergoing surgery within the month. Naturally, he will vacate the title." For the first time Sascha speaks, confirming the rumours that had been floating around the hotel the night of Apocalypse.

"Interesting. We shall need to act fast to ensure that Connor will be a challenger for the title. When this meeting is over, contact our people inside WZCW to make sure of this. Who else is in line for contention?"

"The only person with weight behind their claim is Vega, who became the number one contender by winning a Battle Royale." She pauses to inhale and consider Connor's presumed opponent. "He's an interesting character. Former thief and con artist who's decided to use his skills as a wrestler."

"When did The Masked Gentlemen change his name?" Reese smirks at his joke. "Does upper management not approve of running background checks on its wrestlers?"

"That will do Connor. You can be flippant when you have the accolades to match your attitude." Connor's smirk died. "However, I do not want you to underestimate anyone. Especially when titles are involved. This match is our last throw of the dice. If you lose, your status will take a severe dent, having failed on three occasions to win the Mayhem Title, and the reputation of STA's quality training and successful members will be tarnished. This cannot happen." He pauses and turns back to Sascha. "Have you gotten any developments in our plans outside of WZCW."

"Initial fallout from sponsors has been minimal, positive nor negative. The publicity gained by Connor has been largely able to persuade nobody to release him from his contracts, however more time is needed to gain an accurate picture. Additionally, the production company you spoke to me about has come to an agreement about your proposal. A sample script has been provided and is on your desk. Furthermore, Hebi has established a foothold..."

"Wait, what script?"

"Do not let this concern you Connor. I shall explain should it become necessary. Sascha, we will discuss those matters tomorrow." She nods, he turns to face Connor again. "On balance, I think it's best if we move ahead with our previously discussed plans as soon as possible." Connor frowns, The German smiles coldly and Schwarz nods once. All present silently acknowledging his meaning. "It should give us the best chance to maximise gains made while minimising the risks we're exposing ourselves to against Vega. Is that clear?" Everyone in the room nods. "Excellent. You are dismissed."

Everyone except the owner stands. The German leaves the room first, Sascha and Connor close behind. As soon as they enter the corridor Connor speaks. "Why, Sascha?" She stops and shakes her head.

"Now is not the time, Connor. I will explain, but not now. Not here." She's almost pleading to be dispatched, he's not keen on letting her leave without consiquence.

"You'd better have a damn good reason for why Kara had to go at Apocalypse, Schwarz." With one last angry look he roughly pushes past her.

One week later - Comfortable looking studio

The red LED on the camera turns on and Connor looks to it. "Good evening, WZCW fans. It's me, The Next-Generation superstar Connor Reese and I'd like to talk about my Mayhem Title. But before I do, I've got a short video I'd like to show you." He gestures towards the screen, and the video replaces the camera's feed.

Connor is training on a heavy bag, hung in a low ceilinged, dingy room.

Narrator: My name is Connor Reese...

Connor Reese gets a great reaction as he emerges, looking like a perfect superstar. He poses at the top of the stage before sprinting down to the ring.

Narrator: You won't forget it...

Rapid fire clips of Connor hitting his past opponents with his signature moves, culminating in him slamming Ace into the ring post from a powerbomb position

Narrator: I am the cure for the disease that afflicts WZCW.

He hits Logan Burnside with the Extinction Event in his debut match...

Narrator: I am the antithesis of what this company has become.

He hits S.H.I.T. with the Extinction Event...

Narrator: I am the future of professional wrestling.

He hits Ace Stevens with the Extinction Event

Narrator: And if you want to try and dispute my claims well...

Connor kicks a nameless opponent in the midsection...

Narrator: You've...

He hoists him up into a powerbomb position...

Narrator: Been...

He hooks the opponent's head, locking him in to an odd clutch...

Narrator: Warned!

Connor throws the opponent towards the mat head first with thunderous impact before the video cuts to static

The studio returns to view, Reese still seated in an armchair. "I'm not going to make an excuse for my defeat at Apocalypse. I was defeated by Ace Stevens. But, who's still walking?" He leaves a moments silence, as if someone's going to answer his rhetorical question. "They say that to win the war, sometimes you must lose the battle. I have lost my last battle, but I'm not going to lose the war too. Vega, what you've seen out of me so far in WZCW is nothing compared to what you will face at Meltdown. Before now, my actions have been filtered to ensure that the idiots who cheered along to my music didn't oppose my path to greatness. But now... let's just say you're not going to recognise the man who's standing across the ring from you." He laughs into the camera as the LED turns out. "Go." He addresses the cameraman, who turns from his equipment. He's confident that nobody's going to damage it, and besides, after what Reese did to his girlfriend he's not going to risk provoking him.

Seeing that he's out of earshot, Connor pulls out his phone and a business card from his pocket. He dials the sequence of numbers and brings the phone to his ear. Moments later there's a reply at the other end. "Ah Chris, we need to talk about my match this week..." He puts his feet on the table. This is going to be fun...

 

[Infinity]

-Open-



The scene opens with Alexis sitting at a desk inside a nice hotel room as she works on her laptop. In the short distance we can see Vega standing on the balcony staring at the Las Vegas strip, enjoying the crisp night air. Alexis suddenly speaks up to Vega, loud enough so the he can hear her on the balcony.



We've definitely got enough here.



Vega turns slowly with a sly grin on his face. He steps into the room, sliding the glass door shut behind him before continuing over to Alexis. He leans over her shoulder to get a closer look at the computer screen.



So even though you were only able to install one camera in Vanson's room before he barged in and I had to save your ass-



She smiles innocently at Vega. Instead of being annoyed he replies with a smile as well, a proud one, before Alexis continues.



-this camera's feed clearly caught him not only having sex with Jenny, John Paulson's wife... but also was able to catch great audio of the two speaking about future plans. I also ran the background check on Vanson like you wanted me to. He left his gun on the dresser one night, and I was able to zoom in close enough to capture an image of the serial number. You were right, it was a Smith and Wesson Model 5946 and definitely police issue. The gun is registered to Thomas Joseph Vanson, New York Police Department, he's been a police officer for 12 years. Married.



So they're both cheating on somebody, interesting. Even better.



I knew you'd like that. His credit card history shows an airline ticket purchase, the plane lands in JFK Airport.



A devilish smile creeps back onto Vega's face.



He's going back home... to New York.



Alexis looks up towards Vega and notices his smile.



Why are you-... wait, does that smile mean what I think it means?



He simply continues to smile as he looks into her eyes.



We're going back!? Finally! It's been-



Long. It's been a long time. But listen, kiddo... this is business. Not pleasure. Two years ago, you and I? We ceased to exist. That means when we go back, we're going back to a different life. There can't be any contact with anyone you knew before us.



Not a problem. I've got little use for anyone from my past.



Good. This is could potentially be the biggest pay off we've ever scored. John Paulson is one of the ten richest men in New York City, and we're the only people in the world that know his wife is fucking a cop. It's really a beautiful thing, isn't it?



Alexis laughs the comment off before replying.



But, what about your match?



Oh, don't think I forgot about that. First of all, I don't even understand why I'm in a match to begin with. I won that four way match at the Apocalypse pre-show. I did. Not that emo fuck, Jacoby Capone. Not that Bearded piece of crap. And definitely not that pathetic loser I made tap like a bitch. I became the number one contender. Then, later on I see Ace Stevens make Connor Reese his little bitch, too. Problem is, the idiot hurt himself in the process.



So, the champ is out... and the only person emerging from the chaos in the Mayhem division with a victory is me! I shouldn't be in this damn match to begin with. All I should have to do is walk down to the ring, and be awarded the Mayhem Championship. Why in the world does the guy that just lost in a Mayhem Title match get another shot at the strap? Makes no God damn sense. So now, I've got to go out there and make him lose his second title match in a row. You know what? It's fine, it's whatever... because it's painfully obvious to me that this Connor Reese fuck is nothing but the type of tool I used to be. And I don't mean "tool" in the sense of him being a douche. No, no. See, what I mean by "tool" is he's nothing more than an instrument being used by somebody else to achieve some bigger purpose. He's a tool. A simple cog in a larger machine.



That's not me. Not anymore. Like I told you two weeks ago, the moment I decided not to pull that trigger and let you live was the first time I started living life for myself, and not someone else's greater purpose. Now, I live for me. I take orders from no man. Connor Reese? He hasn't learned what it means to have a backbone. You could have all the talent in the world, doesn't mean shit if you're hearts not in it. This dude goes back and reports to superiors that control him. They tell him what to do. Fuck that. He's just a little lap dog. I'll help him find his backbone. He'll know he has one for sure once I break it. Let it be a much needed lesson he needs to learn.



Vega walks away from the laptop and Alexis towards the bed while taking a deep breath, and slowly exhaling. Alexis turns around in her chair and looks over towards him as he casually sits on the bed, leaning against the pillows on the head board with one leg up on the mattress.



You really want this...?



I want whats mine.



And what's yours?



The Mayhem Championship.



She just looks at him, studying the way he stares back at her, almost defiantly.



Why? You're the kind of guy that wouldn't settle for anything less than the best. The Mayhem Title-



I am the best, kiddo. As soon as that title goes around this waist, it becomes the best damn championship in the world. That's the way I'm lookin' at it, because once I take care of that sorry ass tool Connor Reese, there won't be a single person in this damn company that will be able to pry that fucking title away from these hands. And you know me... I'm a greedy son of a bitch. I'm not stopping at one title. I'll take as many as this company let's me get my hands on. I tasted defeat once, and I won't ever again.



Alexis gets up from the chair and looks at Vega with a cautious smile.



This is weird. I'm not used to seeing you so worked up. You're "Mr. Cool."



She laughs to herself.



Calm under pressure, always five steps ahead of anyone on your tail. But for this, you get all worked up. It's different... but I like it. These matches... they aren't like the jobs we pull. We prepare for those, you and me, together. We take our time, plot out every move. And with every move you make, I've got your back. But when you go out there, it's all you. You don't ask me for background checks on any of these guys, even though you know I'd be able to come up with every detail of their boring little lives. There's no pre-match strategical training done, no surveillance... you just go in and...



Fight.



Yeah.



I'm tired of making sure I never leave a finger print behind. It's time I get my hands dirty, and leave my mark. I can do that this week. I can do that against Connor Reese. I can, and I will. This isn't about getting in, getting the job done, and getting out making sure nobody ever even knew that I existed. This time? This time I let the whole world see the face behind the crime. That title will be fitting, because that's exactly why I will cause for this company. Mayhem. The world isn't ready for me, but that's not slowing me down.



Well, nothing has ever stopped us from getting what we want before, so I don't see why this will be any different.



We?



Alexis starts slowly sauntering over to Vega.



Yup. We. If you want this that bad, then I want it, too. When you beat Connor Reese and become Mayhem Champion, I'll feel like a champion too. And you know how much I love gold, anyways... we want that Mayhem Championship, Vega. We want it real, real bad.



She leans in closely so that her face is close to his. Her lips are just barely out of his reach as she softly continues.



So go get it, Vega. Get us that title.



He smiles confidently, enjoying what has come over Alexis.



I will, kiddo.



I will.



Vega reaches out with his hand and pulls Alexis in closer for a kiss. He gently tugs on her hair, which seems to further excite her. Vega pulls her away by the hair, she smiles as she licks her lips. He smiles back before speaking again.



...and then, we go back to New York.



Alexis nods approvingly before adding-



Back... home.



-Close-


​

 

[Showtime]

One week later - Comfortable looking studio

Connor pulls out his phone and a business card from his pocket. He dials a sequence of numbers and brings the phone to his ear. Moments later there's a reply at the other end. "Ah Chris, we need to talk about my match this week..." He puts his feet on the table. This is going to be fun. "Yeah, against Vega. It's not happening." He pauses to let the owner of WZCW respond. "I mean exactly what I said, Muppet. I'm not going to wrestle Vega, I'm not paid to make some newcomer relevant by spending time in the ring with him. I've got better things to do than waste my time on people who can't even make the main card of All or Nothing." He waits for Chris to respond again, laughing at him. "Did you even read my contract before you signed it KoKo? Read it closely, pay close attention to the clause that allows me to refuse to compete in any non-pay-per-view match as long as fair warning or a suitable replacement is given. You're lucky KoKo, I'm giving you both... No, you don't have a choice but to accept it or pay me significantly more. My replacement should be on file somewhere. Go through the profiles of released wrestlers in Talent Relations. Look under W: for Wunderbar. If you want to negotiate my terms, speak to Sascha Schwarz. She's got the time to speak to you and your peons. I don't." He takes another short pause before continuing. "Oh and Chris, how did 'reaching out to me' go?" Before his employer gets a chance to reply, he hangs up and departs the studio, if his phone is vibrating in his pocket he ignores it.

Two days later - The Circus

Wilhelm Wunderbar looks into the camera held by the worthless man standing outside the ring.

Wunderbar: Guten abend, WZCW Universe. Some of you will remember who I am. For those who do not allow me to introduce myself. Mein Name ist Wilhelm Wunderbar.

He walks to the ropes and leans over.

Wunderbar: But of course, a name is nothing but an empty word, not an entire identity. So, who am I?

He pauses and smirks.

Wunderbar: Am I 'Das Kaizer'? Angry...

Black and white footage of Wunderbar snapping a pool cue in half flashes across the screen before returning its focus to the present.

Wunderbar: Arrogant...

Footage of Wunderbar shouting at a bystander that his name is Wilhelm Wunderbar, not William Wonderful or Billy Brilliant.

Wunderbar and strong.

Footage of Wunderbar applying the kaizerlock to Andy Simmons in his debut match.

Wunderbar: Or am I The War Machine, whose path of destruction left Christopher Jones insane...

Shots of Jones brutally assaulting an innocent bystander

Wunderbar: and took me to the peak of the Mayhem division.

Wunderbar raises his title, a defeated Jones can be seen holding his arm in the background.

Wunderbar: Or even the sociopathic arsonist who burned down an abandoned big top in broad daylight on public ground.

Wunderbar gestures towards the ceiling. Several strips of charred canvas hang from it. The implication is clear.

Wunderbar: The truth is, that I am all these things and more and that bodes badly for you, Vega. You see, I am unlike anyone else you have ever fought or will ever fight in the future. But you on the other hand, are nothing but a maggot. A common thief and scam artist, weak cowardly people like that were a dime a dozen behind bars. I've seen your eyes, Vega you're not different from any of the others I've left in the dirt.

He walks to the centre of the ring.

Wunderbar: One who requires deception to achieve his goals can never know true strength. I will never need to decieve a maggot in order to walk over him. My strength is unquestionable and my will, indominable. Vega, at Meltdown 80 we will not wrestle. We shall wage a war. A war that shall only have one victor. A man who can do things he should not be capable of.

Footage of Wunderbar doing a back handspring on camera.

Wunderbar: One who is willing to do things most men would baulk at.

Wunderbar drives Jones into a set of steel steps with the Kaizerplex.

Wunderbar: One who will wage war without conforming to the expectations of those weaker than himself.

He jumps out of the crowd to attack Jones to start his first title defence.

Wunderbar: I am "Kaizer" Wilhelm Wunderbar, and in a few short days Vega will serve as a demonstration of what you weak minded Americans have forced yourselves to forget. At Meltdown 80, Das Kaizer returns to action and my unfortunate opponent will be the first of many to heil me.