Post by Shadow on Jul 29, 2012 19:58:46 GMT -4
[glow=silver,9,200]THEN...[/glow]
Shadow stood in Dita’s empty flat, back in 2008. He stood there alone, holding a letter. The storm outside pounded on the windows and reverberated off the walls. Shadow knew what she wrote; he didn’t even have to read it. She was gone. Around him the world grew darker. Behind him his own shadow moved. Deep inside, the darkness swelled. In his heart, the anger boiled.
March 18th 2009, Shadow walked out from the curtain on Overdrive for the second time. Back then, he was still a rookie in APW’s book. Shadow wore his long leather duster, and sported some black sunglasses. He is an ass kicker, not the Usher of Darkness. Shadow climbed over the top rope, awaiting his opponent. Outside the ring, performing commentary is the legendary John Green sitting with Darren Harvey and Johnny Chase. Shadow waited patiently as Carl Cage came out. The crowd booed in disgust as the fat slob waddled to the ring. The bell sounded and Shadow decapitated Cage with a Big Boot. Then he hefted the man blob up, delivering a ring-shaking Eclipse. Shadow hooked the leg as the referee counted! The fans were cheering! One, Two, Three!
“Here is your winner and new APW OVERDRIVE CHAMPION: SHADOW!” Nick Paige exclaimed as the referee raised Shadow’s hand in triumph.
Then last week on Meltdown, Shadow stood over everyone in that Battle Royal. When the bell rang, Shadow laid siege to that reject O’Hare. Shadow tossed that Irish bug out with the rest of the garbage. Next Shadow got his hands on both Bacon and Dante. He lifted the two both up and set them both on the top rope. With the flick of the wrist, Shadow finally rid APW of everyone he face in the Rookie Royal awhile back. Some was a little special: Dante, like that that no talent hack Bacon, sailed from the ring; his golden ticket chances ripped away by Shadow. Later in the match Carmen Rivera and Shadow go head to head. Shadow was so close to winning. The big back body drop sent her over the top rope. Carmen slingshot then slid under the bottom rope. She leapt up and dropkicked Shadow over the top rope. After the match Shadow looked up at Rivera in shock. Then he just laughed. Everything flashed back suddenly to Dante, and Shadow eliminating Dante all in slow motion.
[glow=silver,9,200]NOW...[/glow]
July 20th, 2012
Sacramento California.
Shadow crept up the hill. The sun would be down soon, Luther would be back. When Craven never called him back, Shadow knew they were going to plan B. Plan A was simple. Wait, no it wasn’t, it was the less crazy plan. Slade would clean out the nest at dawn; Plan B went into effect when Slade did not call Shadow at 10 AM. Now, Shadow had to save Slade. Craven would set up a signal when he broke in.
As Shadow reached Slade’s truck he looked down. There was no signal to be seen, just the ass side of an abandoned warehouse. Although, the way the truck was parked, and considering right in line with a window, maybe Slade was trying to tell him something. Then Shadow noticed something; a hand wiping a circle in the window. Damn, that was good timing or just piss poor writing. Shadow looks through the passenger side window and sees the keys still in the ignition. He knew what he had to do. As he turns around, a blob suddenly attacks him tackling him to the round. They start to roll down the hill away from the truck. Shadow tries to get his grip but the mass attacks him again.
“What the hell?” Shadow asks as he rolls back over the mass charges him again, Bam! Shadow hits the clothesline. “Wrestling ain’t fake bitch.” He thought in his head.
The mass comes up, it was wearing a blanket. The thing before him snarls, bearing it jagged fangs. He charges.
“I thought they couldn’t come out in sunlight!” Shadow thought to himself as he hits the Big Boot! It nearly takes the thing’s head off!
Shadow reaches into his duster and pulls out a shotgun and takes aim. Cut to black.
The blast echoed off the walls. The body dropped like a stone. Shadow knew decapitation was the only way to take the things out. Why not do it with a Dead Man’s Blood Round: buck shot soaked in dead man’s blood, his own invention.
“Well, that worked.” Shadow said proudly.
Then he looks at the gun and lays his head back in realization.
“Aw shit!” He mutters as he darts back up the hill.
As he reaches the truck Shadow hears a crash behind him. He spins around, shotgun aimed. But he did not see anything. Then, there is another crash from inside. Shadow spots the window, a flame burning in it. Slade was alive, he had to be! Shadow dives into the truck and cranks the ignition. He roars down the hill, pedal to the metal. The engine picks up speed as he gets closer. Then Shadow ducks to the side as the wall gives way and the truck drives through the sheet metal. The windshield shatters as something connects. Shadow does not see where he is going as glass rains down upon his back. He covers his head. The truck comes to a haul and Shadow sits up.
“Shadow!” Slade yells to his right.
Shadow whips his head around and sees his friend, a little beaten up, running toward the hood of the truck. Shadow’s blond hair whips through the air as he looks behind him again and sees one of those things opening the driver’s side door.
“Weapon!” Craven yells as he slides across the hood of the truck, Hazard style.
Shadow tosses Slade the pump-action. Craven takes aim and lets off three shots as he comes across the other side. One blasting the fangbanger’s in the chest at the car door; then the other two taking out a few other creatures. They aren’t headshots, but Shadow knows they won’t get up for a while Craven yanks open the door to the driver’s side and gets in.
“What took you?” Slade asks as he floors the engine.
As Shadow sits up he looks out the busted out windshield and sees Luther. The master growls as Craven runs him over without any hesitation. Slade steers the truck through the warehouse then crashes though a wooden post wrapped in barbwire. Craven jumps out of the truck.
“Where the hell are you going?” Shadow asks him as Slade grabs a pocket knife from the door. He keeps the shotgun in his hand.
“I’ll go free the hostages,” Slade starts, “you go Blues Brothers the hell out of this place."
The door to the pickup slams shut as Shadow shuffles back into the driver’s seat.
“You got one trip!” Shadow yells as he floors the truck again, burning so much gas.
The truck takes off again, Shadow steering wildly, looking for walls without structural support. He hits a freaking vampire, then another.
“This is like playing NHL 2002 on PS2 with Slade and Assassin back the day”. Shadow says to himself, as continues to check those freaks while he tears through the building.
He makes it halfway in about 10 seconds, it’s not easy. Those things keep coming. He makes it all the way back to the cage and Slade has everyone hefting them into the back of the truck. Craven opens the driver side door again as the building shudders. The walls moan.
“How are we getting them out of here?” Shadow asks.
Slade replies, “how far is your car?”
Above them, the roof began to rumble. Around them the walls starts splintering. A roaring sound fills the air. It’s starting to come down.
Slade drives through the front door of the warehouse just as the structure collapses. Dust kicks up int heir wake as the single remaining headlight gives off a faint glow in the real twilight. Slade drives for Shadow’s car. Craven has a plan.
“They’re going to drive your car to the nearest police station,” Slade says. “We’re going to lead those things on a little car chase and let these people get to safety.”
Shadow helps the three people pack into his car. He hands the strongest one, a young man his car keys.
“Drive,” Shadow tells him. “Take the highway. Go west to the nearest district, find the nearest police station. We’ll find ya’ll there.”
The guy just nods, he doesn’t know how to say “Thanks.” He’s still in shock. As they take off Shadow and Slade hear cars starting in the distance.
“Damn,” Craven muttered.
“Give it a moment,” Shadow replies. “They will come for us, when the head this way you drive like hell. Think you can shake them?”
Craven shakes his head. He hoped they wouldn’t be back up this soon. They get back in the truck and wait for the cars to get closer. After about five seconds Slade hits the gas, that poor truck. They take off down the road, the plan is working. But with the shape the Ranger is in, it’s not going as fast as it could. She’s a little beaten from tonight’s little Belushi tribute. The truck tears down the highway, the sun completely sinking below the horizon. They wouldn’t stop. They would run them down. Shadow looks out the back window and sees a pair of headlights in the distance.
“On our six!” Shadow announces.
Craven looks at the dash. “We only got a quarter of a tank left.”
“How are we going to ditch them with no gas?” Shadow asks.
“Hey, cut her some slack. She’ll get us out of here!”
Any bright ideas?”
Outside, through the broken windows they hear the roar of a train.
Craven points to the glove compartment as the headlights draw closer. “Look for a map, find my atlas!”
Shadow digs through papers and pulls out a decent U.S. Atlas. He flips to California and looks at the close up of the Sacramento district. It takes a second, but he finds the nearest train tracks.
“What road we at?”
“Coming up on Peabody road.”
“Turn right!”
Craven whips the wheel to the right as they make the turn. Their twin pursuers are not far behind. Suddenly, it hits Shadow. He knows what Slade’s plan is.
“Whoa!” Shadow says. “You are not going to race freight train!”
“No gas, no speed, no choice.” Slade tells him as he punches it.
The Amtrak train is in distance. The red blinking lights of the sticks come down as Craven drives faster. The vamps are not far behind. The train is fast approaching. Slade doesn’t let up. He keeps the pedal to the floor, car kicked into high gear.
“Slade!” Shadow asks. “You sure about this?”
“99%.” He responds. They hit the point of no return and Craven grips the steering wheel.
Shadow looks at the gates, the horn of the train howls through the evening air. It’s stupid. They both know it. They can’t race a freight train. They have no choice though. The train draws closer, the light looks like a fuse, burning down the track toward the crossing. Both men take a deep breath and crash through the wooden rail gate the see the light of the train bearing down on them. They soar over the tracks the horn blaring loudly.
“SHIT!!!!!!!” They both scream as they hit the pavement on the other side.
The truck keeps going as the train cuts the two off from the vamps. The Amtrak train continues wailing on the horn as Slade and Shadow drive off. They don’t stop, the truck driving off. Shadow is takes a few breaths as he looks at Slade. Shadow can’t believe Slade just made such a stupid decision. He nearly got them both killed. Craven doesn’t notice Shadow glaring at him. Shadow can’t trust Slade. He realizes that now. He couldn’t trust his best friend.
Dante, you are about to experience an incredible journey, through the dark recesses of the human soul! You saw some in that Battle Royal a few weeks back. You witnessed me do something that makes Johnny Dangerous look like a joke. Before that Rookie Royal I had to go through, I said I would take out the trash. Two weeks ago I did it. I finished what I started, I always do.
This is a Beat the Clock match Dante, I think I hold the record with the fastest win in APW history. If I don’t, it’s damn close. Beat the Clock, I’m going to beat your ass. You think you can take me on? Two weeks ago, I showed you what I do to trash that disrespects my ring by just being in it. Have you earned your right to wrestle here, for the people to give a damn about yourself? There’s only one person right now whose got anything on me. You ain’t it.
Which reminds me, everyone is wondering exactly how it happened. How the hell did Cummen Rivera eliminate Shadow? How Shadow how?! She has really, really nice tits. I’m sorry everyone, I am a man and her tits were well worth the money she paid for them. Don’t get me wrong. I know God creates true beauty, but he wouldn’t give those to a skank like her. Everything that succubus does is an affront to God: a dirty, disgusting, disease ridden, gold digger.
Speaking of the emo stuff that makes those twilight movies so faggoty, let’s get back to Dante. So help me, if you get glitter on me during this match, I’m going to bury you out there. It’s people like you Dante that give people like me a bad name. No you make people think we sparkle. The idea sickens me. In fact it makes me so mad, I’m going to rob your house later, find your emo fantasy book collection, put it in your “Edward” pillow case and beat you to death with it in the ring out there tonight. Mark my words! I will do it, after I end you in less than ten seconds. I will set the limbo bar for the Beat the Clock match, tonight. I will set it so low, not even Hermes Conrad and Barbados Slim could limbo under it. Say good bye Dante. Say goodbye to the North American Title chance, say good bye to solid food and say goodbye to APW, Dante. Say hello to my foot.
