Post by Shadow on Jul 7, 2012 19:53:33 GMT -4
[glow=silver,9,200]THEN...[/glow]
[shadow=white,left,1800]May 20th, 2012[/shadow][shadow=white,left,1800]11:30 PM[/shadow]
The scene opens on a bridge over a dark body of water. The moon gleams off the Canadian water. The sides of the bridge look black, silhouetted by the world around them, except at one spot. Both the AKA truck and Assassin’s car are stopped on this bridge, Assassin’s car up front. Slade, Shadow and Assassin are all standing there, bathed in the light from the AKA truck’s headlamps. Slade and Shadow both wear their entrance attire, Assassin is wearing street clothes. We see a road sign, it says “138.” Slade points in the one way down the bridge.
Slade- You want to go? The fucking go. I didn’t make you, and you sure as hell didn’t make me man. But I deserve to know why. Why you went to Jeff before you went to me.
Shadow: Ten years, you’ve been around more than I have; you lived this life more than I did.
Slade- You wanted time off, all for your damn mission.
Shadow: And I finally have an answer!
Slade- You’re having dreams.
Assassin does a double take. He looks at Slade then Shadow in confusion.
Shadow: So? Maybe I’m psychic!
Slade- You’re not! Psychics are born with their gifts. And I’m sure you haven’t hidden this all this time.
Shadow stops for a second. He lowers his head. Craven realizes he has, maybe just not forever. Slade’s hand slides under his famous jacket, Shadow isn’t looking. Craven stops himself then asks.
Slade- How long?
Shadow: March.
Slade- March? two months? Is that why we came back? Why you called me up and said let’s do this again?
Shadow pauses. Craven slides the hammer back.
Shadow: Yeah.
Slade- Your dreams?
Shadow nods. Shaking his head, Craven uncocks the gun and puts both hands on his head. He doesn’t know if Shadow knows what almost happened. In anger, Slade turns and walks toward Assassin who stands by his car door. Craven stops as he passes him. He turns back to Shadow.
Slade- Four months, Ten years we’ve been riding together, and you hide that?
Shadow looks at Slade. His eyes are desperate for some understanding. He pleads to reason with “The Main Man”
Shadow: It’s a gift.
Slade- It’s not!
Craven shakes his head and paces in front of Assassin’s headlights. Shadow shakes his head as well, Assassin snapping his head between the two of them.
Slade- You’re not a psychic! You’re an orphan man, Im sorry but that’s what you are. You’re not a psychic; you’re not special like that. Your records got lost; you bounced around from orphanage to foster home till you met us. You’ve lived a rotten, lonely life, we all have.
He points between the three of them.
Slade- How can you call what caused that a gift?
A single tear rolls down Shadow’s left cheek.
Shadow: Because it can give me answers. Why can’t you see that?
Slade- You want to find answers fine. I’ll help. All of us will, just not that way.
Shadow: I told you, I don’t want your help. This is something I have to do alone.
Slade- Cause you’re dreams told you to? Can’t you see this is wrong? You dreams are telling you get yourself killed. We’re here man, we’re your friends. But we can’t make you. You want to go it alone, fine! I’ll go. Hell, we’ll leave your ass here!
Shadow shakes his head. He couldn’t believe he’d heard those words. Ten years, they’d been his best friends. Why wouldn’t they trust him? Shadow’s fingers curl into rocks. He mumbles, his anger brewing.
Shadow: Don’t say that, not you.
In a fit of seething rage, unable to bear the berating attack anymore, Shadow spins around and slams his fist down on the AKA’s hood. It kills the truck, the lights dim immediately. Shadow stands in the darkness. The camera cuts to Slade who is illuminated in the night. The outline of Shadow turns its head to Slade and looks through the darkness to “The Main Man”
Shadow: Go.
Assassin again looks at Slade, then at Shadow. He doesn’t say a word. Slade stares at Shadow, peering through the gloom, just outside the light.
Slade- Goodbye Shadow.
He continues around and gets in the passenger seat. Assassin looks at Shadow then just nods and gets in as well. His engine roars as he tears off into the night, leaving Shadow behind. Beneath the night sky, black water shimmering in the pale Canadian moonlight, Shadow stands in the darkness. He lowers his head, his hair falling forward, alone.
[glow=silver,9,200]NOW...[/glow]
[shadow=white,left,1800]Dallas, Texas[/shadow][shadow=white,left,1800]July 8th, 2012 [/shadow]
[shadow=white,left,1800]“Revelations”[/shadow]
Shadow’s Camaro comes to a halt at the mailbox, 11315. Inside the car we see a look of amazement on the big man’s face. Over 35 years ago, Shadow lived here, he just knew it. The dashboard displays the time, 10:39 PM. Outside the Texas heat still radiates at night. Shadow leans forward, overlooking it all. He is finally here. We see the house in the darkness. It does not look like it used to. For starters, it’s abandoned. The windows and doors are boarded up. So is most of the block. This is a dilapidated part of town. Outside, the yard grows tall; knee high for Shadow. What remains of the chain link fence are rusty and twisted sections between gaps. Shadow reaches for his gun, the nine millimeter. He tucks it behind his back. Then he reaches down and grabs his shotgun. He turns off the ignition, takes his keys and gets out of the car. Looking around, Shadow does not see anyone. No lights are on in any houses. Only one street lamp works, it’s at the other end of the block. Shadow pulls out his flashlight and starts walking up the cracked driveway. His gun always pointed the same direction as the light. Looking at the house Shadow suddenly stumbles. The house is on fire! He falls forward, catching himself before he hits the concrete. His palms flat on the ground, such small hands. He looks up and it’s not on fire anymore. The big man climbs up. He’s lucky his gun didn’t go off. For a split second, Shadow pauses as he dusts himself off, like he noticed something. He looks around, still a ghost town. Shadow makes his way around the yard to the left side of the house. There was not a fence there, not anymore. He remembered one. A huge sky blue shed once stood in the back. Now the sheet metal was painted ivory. In the evening light, it almost looked blue.
Shadow: Wha?
He could swear it was daylight, no it wasn’t. Shadow shakes his head and uses the wall to steady himself. He clips his light to his shotgun again and continues to take aim as he walks. Watching carefully, Shadow rounds the corner to the backyard. The huge cement deck, he remembered playing on as a child was still there. He remembered looking over the fence to the neighboring backyard. The backdoor was open. As he faded back to reality he saw that it actually was. Shadow stops himself. His voice is a whisper.
Shadow: I should call some backup. Hell, Dita is close.
Then he remembered he couldn’t trust them anymore. It’d be better if he only got himself killed. What a perfect martyr. Silently, Shadow ascends the stairs. That open doorway looks like a mouth, a black hole that could smother anyone alive. The abyss just stands there; it waits. Shadow enters the darkness. Cut to black.
When the scene fades back in, we see Shadow walking through the backroom and kitchen. In front of him is the master bedroom. Inside the room is empty and barren. A lot of the walls are broken, wiring ripped out. As Shadow moves through the kitchen he turns his gaze onto a partially painted brick divider. What isn’t painted is scorched. Shadow shakes his head, it’s not a hallucination. He pivots left and sees the other brick part of the house. It too is blackened. His light shows that like the divider it was painted once. Not the cracking peeling paint reveals the truth. Shadow takes a wide step, getting over a hole in the floor. Shadow stands in the living room, looking toward the hallway. He starts to remember. As Shadow peers up, Someone much bigger than him turns and starts running down that burning hallway. Suddenly...
Voice: Freeze! Police!
Instinctively Shadow’s hands are up, the gun high, his finger off the trigger.
Officer: Drop the weapon.
Shadow takes a knee and puts down the gun.
Officer: Hands behind your back.
As the cop draws close, Shadow listens for the floorboards creaking. He hears the cop crossing that gap, Shadow spins and draws his handgun and takes aim. The cop trains his on Shadow as he stumbles across the hole. Shadow’s head tilts. He can’t believe it.
Trooper: You can’t be in here.
It’s the Mississippi State Trooper. Shadow’s memory flashes back. A confused look turns to realization. He doesn’t know what’s going on, but he knows it isn’t right. Shadow’s eyes are a tale. The trooper smiles sinisterly and decks Shadow making the big man hit the floorboards hard. Shadow rolls over and the cop still has his gun on him. Shadow’s gun clatters to the corner. His eyes get wide.
Shadow: Who are you?
Coolly the cop lowers his weapon. His smile never fades.
Trooper: Well, I was going to give you this routine, about how I followed you and how you’re not FBI, but I got kind of got impatient.
He continues to smile at Shadow. He then kicks him in the stomach before Shadow can get up. The kick is so forceful it sends Shadow sailing into the rickety wall the living room shares with the master bedroom.
Trooper: But how I really got here. Now that’s what you’re just dying to hear.
Pausing and looking down at Shadow on the floor, the Trooper feels that grin stretching wider. Shadow spits a little blood on the floor.
Shadow: You,
Trooper: You know, it wasn’t supposed to be this way. We were supposed to meet up in Morton, well we did, just not that way. Too many witnesses. So I had to follow you. Imagine my surprise when I saw you heading this way. It was too perfect, I couldn’t intervene. You seemed so dead set on finding this place, and why not. Place like this, has a lot of history burned into it. Wouldn’t you say? Oh wait, you don’t remember.
The Mississippi State Trooper bends down and grabs Shadow by the throat. He pulls the big man up and slams him against the wall. The back of Shadow’s head cracks what is left of the rotted sheetrock. Shadow gasps, choking from a lack of breath.
Trooper: Hell, why would you? You didn’t remember the first meeting. So when I came back to pick you up, you just screamed.
The Trooper slings Shadow through the other wall. Shadow ends up in a closet.
Trooper: Someone has to remember Steve, even if you don’t.
Shadow is stunned to hear his real name. He looks up, glaring at the “officer.”
Trooper: We have a lot to talk about. After all, tonight is an important night for you.
The scene gets close on the Trooper’s face. His crooked smile is a pale yellow in the faint light. His gaze fixed on Shadow who is trying to get off the ground. Suddenly the Trooper blinks. For a moment, in the faint illumination of the two flashlights on the floor Shadow sees the Trooper’s eyes. His irises, they are a pale dull blue. He blinks again and they are normal. Cut to black.
Tonight is going to be one hell of a night. Since coming to APW I have stood in the ring with countless legends, never before did I get to face Michael Lively. Now many of you at home may think that is a travesty, how could President Jeff allow one such as this? Who cares? Point is, it’s happening tonight.
I find it amusing that I could have something in common like Lively. Except we have everything in common. It disgusts me to share that with him. Our desire, our determination, they are different shades of the same color. Michael Lively I don’t respect you. No, you make me sick. Because you call yourself the measuring stick. You’re not you’re the hurdle, the fence, no the wall in my way. All it will take is one shot, and I will tear through you, that’s what tonight is, my shot. I really didn’t expect this opportunity, to be honest. But I will take it, why? Because of what you and that little bitch Raab represent.
Raab, that reminds me, did your sick fetish loving German ass like being dragged around the arena last week? And thank you by the way. Thank you for throwing me through that window. I didn’t know you wanted your ass beat that badly. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what you want. Now, you’re coming back for seconds? Alright, you already know what will happen. Rules or no rules, I’ll still use you like a whack-a-mole club.
Hey Stef, what was all that you said about moving up a ladder last week? Cause all I saw was your ass come crashing down when I planted you in that ring. You feel like a big star now? I made you famous, North America kicked your ass last week. Now that precious little title shot of yours is on the line. You feel that sting? That’s your pride, and it looked like you choked on it last week. I mean, I listened to you. I sat in the back last week and listened to you talk about how I was useless and how a no disqualification match is one of your strongest matches. That’s fine. It’s one of mine too. I guess you know that now. I just nodded along as I listened to you, two minutes in, I wasn’t listening anymore, I was just thinking about the different methods of torture I’d put you through in that match.
Now back to that ladder. A few weeks ago, I said “...Diamond is the new gold.” I meant that. Johnny Diamond set a new standard when he made that six man tag match. Guess what, he just hit the Diamond Standard again. Michael Lively and Shadow colliding in the ring, two Hall of Famers beating the hell out of one another. Raab is just cannon fodder and you know it. He doesn’t belong at the top of the ladder. You, sure maybe you belong up there. But you won’t be for long. I will shake this world to rubble and there will be nothing to elevate you anymore. Tonight, you and Raab will learn you’re not better than me, you’re not better than anybody. Lively I’ve measured toe to toe with a bunch of people here in APW, you’re the next challenge. I’ll admit, my last few challenges, I didn’t overcome, Level One, Rebel, that bitch Biggs, but you know everyone falls every now and then. Hey? Isn’t that what you did last week on Meltdown?
Lively, you and I we are on identical roads to the same location. Problem is, you hate the people but love the spotlight. Me? I love them both. The people hate you Lively, they hate you back, you self-absorbed son of a bitch. You are everything that I am, that I represent: power, will and legacy. We both faced Evan Envi and his whore. We both cleaned the gutters for Diamond, sending people packing and now finally the threads of fate intertwine, the stars align as lightning splits the sky. We will collide! You are the challenge, the opposition, I have scoured this world to face and for the people tonight Lively, I will batter “The White Lion” to dust!
You’re the guardian,, who would have thought that? I have come to your bridge sir and you better believe I will cross tonight. You cannot stand in my way. Tonight, in front of the millions of people around the world you will fall. I don’t plan on pinning you Lively. I will claim Raab’s prize. Because to truly beat you would be to rob you, to take something from you that you want the most. That you covet. Borderland robbed you last week and you know it. Tonight, I’m going to do the same. I will leave you laying there Lively, and you will watch the pin fall take place. You won’t be able to stop it. Dust can’t stop anything. Then, after I’ve finished the job, I will come back and the storm will snuff you out once and for all.
You blasphemous bitch, let’s talk prophecy. You are the Whore of Babylon, you false prophet, fake Jesus, fuck. You are living proof that the wicked masquerade as the righteous. Guess what, I’m what stops you. Tonight, our impending collision is cataclysmic. You’ve seen what happens when I fight by myself. I level the landscape. What makes you any different Lively? We’re going to wound that city with our war, and when it’s finished I will weed you from my ring like all of the others. I could equate you to the archangel Michael standing against the Shadow, only difference is, I fight for the righteous. This time you’re the Morning Star, the light bringer. I am pure darkness. You’re just a punk. We’re opposite sides of the same coin, Mikey. Only one of us is coming up heads. And Raab, because of your corrupt arrogant life, there will be no mercy. I have the power to stop two of the evilest solders on my road discovery. There is no way, this opportunity escapes me. You two are done here!
