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Previously
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Or maybe a blast from it...
No matter, its still a dark past.
Craven wakes up in the bed of his hotel. Its still dark, and the light from the streets outside is extremely dim. Craven has sweat dripping down his face. He crawls out of bed and walks to the bathroom. When he switches on the light, it blinds him, so he cuts it right back off. There is enough light for him to see. Slade turns on the faucet and fills his hands with water, splashing it on his face. His breathing is harder than normal. Something woke him from his sleep, his dream was dark, morbid, extreme macabre. He dreamt of that goddamn clown bed trying to eat him in his sleep.
Slade- Fricking clowns.
“The Main Man” walks through the empty and dark hotel room. He doesn’t have any company tonight, not like a few days ago when he flew back from Finland to Dallas so he could break in his bed with one of the many girls Slade knew in college. He has been running down the ‘waiting list,’ especially since he cleared things up with his divorce. Things had changed in the past few month with her remarrying and him not having to shell out alimony. Luckily he knew how to hide his assets in the divorce. But these are all beside the point. Slade was now in a Russian Hotel in Moscow waiting for the last Overdrive before One Night in Hell. It would be at that Pay Per View, Slade would climb the ladder and end his war with the Axis. Chris Cyrus had been a pain in the A.K.A’s ass for too long and now it was time to end Cyrus’ over ran title reign. Craven couldn’t deny the fact that Cyrus held the belt for damn near a year, but no one wanted to see that, as a matter of fact people were so sick of “The Hardcore Kid” he changed his name to try and spice things up. No matter what Cyrus called himself he would always be the same, think of it this way, you polish a piece of crap, its still a piece of crap. Craven’s room phone suddenly begins to ring. The small LCD screen the only light inside the room. Craven picks up the receiver and listens for a moment.
Grisly voice: When did you get in town?
“The Main Man” remains silent as his former business partner speaks to him. Slade knows the voice. The last time he heard it though, he was in Chicago looking for the man who attacked him in his home. The shady schizophrenic knew the answers Slade sought.
Slade- Rorschach.
Rorschach: Miss me?
Slade- How did you find me?
Rorschach: I’m downstairs, we need to talk.
The sound of a dial tone is heard as Slade is left staring at the receiver. Rorschach was a good man once, but he always went by that name. Craven never knew him by anything other than that, even the paperwork his partner signed when they owned the night club together, was kept hidden and mail was delivered to ‘resident.’ Months ago when Slade sought him out at Bete Noir, Rorschach told him that his career was going to end. It turned out Danny St. Cool of D.U.W. was trying to end Craven’s career as a favor to someone Slade trusted. Craven cut ties to an old friend and now only trusted two people, Assassin and Shadow. Last anyone saw of St. Cool, he was in Cairo. No one knows more beyond that. Slade did not want to go downstairs. However Rorschach found him, however the mad man got out of the U.S. without a passport eluded “The Main Man.” Still, Craven should be in bed. Overdrive was in a few days and with his sleep schedule as screwed up as it was he needed to get things set. He had four opponents this week, including one he hasn‘t been in the ring with since starting in A.P.W. But if Rorschach was here, then it was important. Craven reaches down and grabs a pair of jeans and slips them on quickly before grabbing the nearest shirt on the floor and tossing that over his head. He scoops up his room key and exit’s into the brightly lit hallway.
Slade- How the hell did he find me?
“The Main Man” reaches the elevator and swipes his card. He gets inside and waits as he rides down to the ground floor. All the while he remembers how they used to be friends then when he reaches the lobby of the Ritz Carlton, Slade begins his slow stealthy search. Craven doesn’t know what to expect, he hides behind columns awaiting an ambush then across the lobby in the lounge with the public phones, in an extremely dim lit area Slade sees Rorschach. The man is wearing a long sleeved sweater, longer than his arms, a straggly blonde wig and a long billed bowler hat. Slade cannot see his face though as usual. It’s obvious that Rorschach has already see Slade, the man may be schizophrenic, but he is still highly intelligent and aware, the benefit of being paranoid.
Rorschach: Slade.
Rorschach’s voice is a whisper. Craven slowly walks up to the thin drug addicted psycho.
Slade- Long time.
Rorschach: Too long.
He still speaks in a whisper. Then he looks up at Slade and Craven can see. Rorschach is wearing a mask, and sunglasses. The face is thin and has a pointed triangular mustache. Craven is stunned the because it’s the most he has seen of Rorschach’s face since the man became addicted to V. Craven stays about ten feet away from him, knowing how violent he can be. Craven made the mistake of giving Rorschach a small background in martial arts.
Slade- What are you doing here?
Rorschach: This arrived for you at Bete Noir.
He tosses Slade a large brown envelope. Craven reaches down and picks it up. The envelope is already opened and Craven sees the paperwork inside. Its pictures, lots of photos from his early days. Slade’s first wife is circled in several of the photos. Torri is shown cheering “The Main Man” on in the audience. After Slade’ first retirement she left him and stayed on the road, Craven hadn’t heard from her since he remarried.
Rorschach: Rumor was she was going to be at One Night in Hell.
That perked Slade’s ears up.
Slade- Where did you hear that?
Rorschach: Does it matter?
Slade- Why are you hear? What’s this all to you?
Rorschach: I told you a long time ago that I helped make you, and I could break you anytime I want.
The skinny addict rises from his chair and looks at Slade, the mask twisting into a sick smile. He starts to walk towards Slade.
Slade- You can try at anytime, you want to do this here?
Rorschach: Not here. Its just a message from one of your fellow roster-mates. He has been doing a little research on you. You have no idea what’s coming do you? So tied up in your little war you are missing the bigger picture. You never could see two moves ahead in chess. Live in the moment, quick and fast, and die young? Isn’t that the original Slade Craven Motto? You should be thinking about the future.
He crosses past Slade and walks to the door. Slade just stares wondering what the hell Rorschach is talking about. Craven looks at the pictures in his hand and the envelope in the other. He just stares at it for a few minutes.
Craven wakes up to the sound of a loud blaring ringing in his ear. He rolls over in bed and slams his hand down on the alarm clock in the room. Then Slade literally rolls out of bed and onto the floor with a dull thud. He crawls back to his feet and looks around, last night’s bizarre meeting in the back of his mind like a wayward dream. Craven cannot remember if the dream actually happened, the clothes he wore are no where in sight as he stands there in his boxers. Craven looks at the clock, 9:30 AM.
Slade- The other downside to wrestling, not only do you damage your body, you royally screw up your internal clock.
It was 1:30 AM in America, Slade should be asleep. He begins to look around the room for the envelope but cannot find it anywhere. As a matter of fact he cannot even remember how he got back to his room last night after the meeting. It was all just a weird dream. “The Main Man” relaxes a little a decides its time to get dressed. As Craven reaches for his suitcase which lays on the floor at the foot of the bed he sees something under the sheets. Everything freezes for a moment as Slade wonders if it was just a dream or could it have been real. Then he reaches into the sheets and picks up the small brown paper by the corner, then he pulls out an empty Russian Jack in the Box bag. A sigh escapes his lips. Then Craven jumps. The sound of banging against his door is heard.
Shadow: Hey man quit jacking off lets go!
Slade turns to the door and hears Shadow’s fist hitting the wood once again. Then after three seconds of silence Shadow pounds on the door again.
Slade- Goddamn Sean hold on a minute. I’ll be right there!
Craven opens his suitcase and pulls out a pair of jeans and puts them on a quickly as he can while walking to the door of the hotel room. He yanks the door open as Shadow stands there with his wrestling bag slung over his left shoulder.
Shadow: What, you aren’t ready to go? Come on man we got to be at the arena to set up the office in thirty minutes.
Slade- Shit, yeah. Alright give me five minutes.
Slade shuts the door in Shadow’s face and rushes back to his suitcase, grabs a shirt, throws it on and then runs to his wrestling bag and grabs it. He grabs a pair of Nike tennis shoes and scoops up his jacket then rushes out the door. They walks down the hallway as Slade fumbles for a pair of socks in the front pouch of his bag. Once inside the elevator Slade sets his stuff down and puts on his socks and shoes.
Shadow: What the hell man, did you not sleep last night?
Slade- Not really, weird dreams.
Shadow: What about?
Slade- Not important man.
Shadow didn’t know Rorschach. Slade had gone to great lengths to cut the night club Bete Noir from his history. Only a few people in his circles knew about it, Assassin and Seann Michaels knew about it, that’s about it.
Slade- Has everything already arrived?
Shadow: Probably, we have been shipping it with the arena you know. So it should be there but if some Russian guy thinks its garbage then we have to build a new one and I don’t think we could get the materials by show time.
Craven just eyeballs his partner.
Slade- Wood and nails. Seriously?
Shadow: Never mind man, it’s the principle of everything. Come on, let’s hurry up. We’ll have to hail a cab.
When the elevator stops Shadow heads directly for the door, but Slade waits in the lobby for a moment. The events from the night before still weighing heavily on his mind. Slade looks around the lobby hoping for some familiarity with what happened, something to tell him he didn’t dream Rorschach’s surprise visit. Slade looks at the tables and the rugs on the floor. Some things look correct others he doesn’t remember seeing. Craven is playing a game of Deja vu with himself and losing. He can’t remember seeing some things, then his eyes fall to the public phone area, lit brightly. Then a light goes on in Craven’s mind. Shadow comes back inside from the street a taxi waiting.
Shadow: Slade, let’s go!
Craven waves to him, motioning for one minute. He walks to the counter top and asks the man working the desk.
Slade- Excuse me, when did you start working today?
The clerk stares at him blankly, barely understanding any English. Slade repeats his question as Shadow stands impatiently at the door. Its at this point the manager walks over and speaks in a heavy accent.
Manager: Apologies, he does not speak much English. What can I help you with sir?
Slade- When did he start today? Did he work last night.
Manager: Oh, no sir. The night clerk has left for the day. Why?
Slade- I need to know if I was in the lobby at all last night say around three or four. Can you check for me?
Craven motions to the camera hidden in plane sight throughout the lobby.
Manager: Yes sir. I can see what I can do.
Slade- Thanks. I got to go.
Craven rushes to the exacerbate Shadow who keeps telling him with his hand to hurry the hell up. Slade and Shadow each duck into the taxi and Shadow speaks the name of the arena in Russian, taught to all the wrestlers who didn’t want to rent a car of their own. Slade and Shadow opted to take a taxi as they were not allowed to drive in Russian for liability purposes. Those details are skewed but it revolved around the notion that prior to working for any Experts affiliated federation Slade engaged in a drag race that involved a lot of property damage. As the taxi drives towards the arena Slade is still left wondering, meanwhile his tag partner is rambling on about the match. He closes his eyes briefly and tries to remember everything that happened.
Slade remembers the old days with Rorschach. Back before Bete Noir became this hell hole of junkies, before Rorschach went insane. Back then, his business partner was a normal looking man with short dirty blonde hair and glasses. Craven was younger, still a wrestler but a singles fighter, no A.K.A. This was before the Ass Kickers. Back when Slade died his hair rainbow colors and wore mesh shirts with blue jean pants. The first days of Slade Craven when he looked like he just came from a Rave. As everything was told in fast forward, Slade witnesses the first day V was brought in. A blue liquid that when mixed with O2 becomes a vapor. Rorschach invented it, and became the first addict. It was three weeks later that things went to hell. Slade came in one day to find his partner wrapped in bandages, his face hidden. The words echo in his mind.
Slade- Rorschach! What happened man?
Craven knelt by his old ally. The incoherent words uttered from the wounded man’s lips were a mystery to Slade. Craven saw the scalpel on the ground, the bloody mirror on the desk, and the shattered vial of V resting in a pool of blood. Slade looked down at his former friend, seeing the shell that remained. Then without a word, without any requests or farewells, Slade turned and walked out of the room. Two days later he sold his half the company to another person, someone interested in purchasing the club. A week later the new partner was dead. All ancient history. A series of lost court battles and cold cases. That’s all Bete Noir was now, a living breathing nightmare.
Shadow: Slade!
He shoves his tag partner, bringing Craven out of the dream world. Slade rubs his eyes and blinks as he realizes they are in the arena parking lot. He turns to Shadow who is already out of the cab, the driver paid off and patiently waiting to go back to work. Slade leans down and runs his hands through his hair as he opens the door. Then after getting out Shadow walks up to Slade and hands him his bag.
Shadow: Dude, what’s going on? Is your head even here today?
Slade- Sorry bro, just got something on my mind.
Shadow: What is this about? All day you’ve been off in your own world, we got to focus. If we want to have a chance with this four on two match then we have to be ready. This isn’t just the Axis of Asshats we’re facing, we got Level One and Hades in this one as well. And well Level One is really the only person in this match who is worth You got to focus man. Come on, what the hell is going on?
Slade- Just weird dreams is all man. I’ll be fine. Lets get to the office.
Craven walks towards the entrance as Shadow is left wondering what the hell is going on. After a few seconds he falls into step behind Slade, making their way to an area close to the Gorilla Position. The door has already been set up and the table assembled. The entire A.K.A. office is ready to go. Slade reaches the door first and enters the office followed by his tag partner who shuts the door.
Slade- Who…?
Then he spots Assassin’s bag and nods.
Slade- Ah, okay cool.
Its at that moment Shane West knocks on the A.K.A’s office door. Both men whip their heads around in surprise. Shane is notorious for walking through the invisible walls.
Slade- Whoa! Boy finally got it right! Come on in man!
Craven sets his gear down on the table and takes a seat.
Shane: Gentlemen, President Jeff sent me in hopes to get an interview with you about your big match coming up on Overdrive this week. Especially since this is, without a doubt, the biggest match ever set for Overdrive. All of the top superstars in A.P.W. competing in a single brawl. The good versus the bad. Jeff would love to hear from everyone about how they think this match is going down. What words do you have to offer?
Shadow is getting ready to speak when Slade jumps up from his chair and extends his hand, covering the mouthpiece of the microphone.
Slade- Whoa, whoa, whoa there Shadow. Let Slade go first. You wanted to make sure “The Main Man’s” head was in the game right? Well Slade has a couple things he would like to say about his opponents and partners.
Shadow raises his eyebrows, intrigued at what Slade has to say, his personality flipped. No longer worried or confused, “The Main Man” seems ready. Craven takes the Microphone in his hand and pats Shane on the head in a patronizing way.
Slade- Shane-O-boy, you want to know what Slade Craven has to say about this match? The eight man tag match featuring everyone in A.P.W. who holds a title facing off against the men who will be laying claim to those titles after One Night in Hell. Actually the best way to say this is that all four on the other team have something this team wants; Titles and women. Well to be truthful Slade and Shadow aren’t going into One Night in Hell for the titles, no, instead the Ass Kickers Anonymous are walking to that ring with the intent on beating wholesale ass for a whole lot less that what it’s worth.
Craven pops his neck.
Slade- First and foremost lets look at who is teaming with Slade and Shadow in this match, Pence Weatherlight and Jesse Nunez. Both men who have fought each other repeatedly and want the same thing, what Level One has. More importantly, Jesse Nunez has been beaten by every member of his team before, making him without question the weakest link. So cast him aside as important and now the match is four on three. Then there is Pence Weatherlight, the man who won then lost the title and hasn’t done diddly since. Pence is a wildcard for the white team. Can he be trusted, hopefully. But what matters are the two men in this match who always have one another’s back. “The Main Man,” and Shadow. So Slade Craven says this is a handicap match which is fine. But what about the esteemed opponents?
Craven shrugs as Shane shifts his weight.
Slade- Who to start with? Who is important? Who should “The Main Man” give two rat craps about? Well how about Victor Hades? Actually that little want to be emo bitch doesn’t really matter.
His tag partner puts a hand on Slade’s shoulder.
Shadow- Actually I don’t think he emo. He’s just some form of Satanist.
Slade- No, he is an idiot. “Pay the devil his due,” “Not the devil, just here to do his dirty work?” What a load of crap. Oh! “It begins…” to bore “The Main Man” to death. Victor Hades is an over roided jackass who came here because apparently he thinks this is where he can end more careers. This chump-stain.brags about ending four careers in his run. That’s it? Damn you make “The Main Man” feel old. But see that’s not something you brag about, it just shows how bad a wrestler you are. You don’t have the talent to wrestle a match so you go out there with a bunch of weapons and brawl. You are nothing more than a backyarder on television Victor. Hell he doesn’t even deserve the name Hades, Shane, it is the opinion of “The Main Man” that he shall forever be called Victor Kitten. Shane, its not that Slade doesn’t like Victor Kitten, its just Slade doesn’t respect him, nor will Ole Slade Craven ever respect him. The man doesn’t deserve that, all he does is talk about how he has ends people, once again, not something a wrestler should brag about. Ending careers because you can wrestle your pecker out of your pants to take a piss is not a good thing. But maybe its because of all those concussions Hades suffered over the years of backyard wrestling. Maybe, just maybe, he has the Troy Aikman syndrome, could be a possibility. Just saying it would make a lot of since. Victor sucks, “Deal with it.”
Craven shrugs his shoulders and continues.
Slade- Anyway, on to Brokeback Biggs and his partner, the man who made lots of new friends in the Russian prison. Yes Carl Cage, no wait, wait, Chris Cyrus. Yeah that’s right, the douche bag. Well first what’s going on with Biggs lately? Well he peaked in life, yeah its all down hill from here for that man. His shameless plugs and feigned stardom. Biggs is the kind of man who would give himself a high five if he could withstand his own ego. Every time these two walk out to the ring “The Main Man” expected to hear their song begin with the words, “You look, so good to me!” Now, don’t get Slade wrong and all, he understands that there are homosexuals in the wrestling industry, and that’s okay everyone deserves to have their ass beat, but those who prefer a pounding to a beating usually stay in the closet rather than walking to the ring right after bursting into flames. Biggs, Cyrus please keep your little rump rangers game in your locker room. Sure there are others like you, but Slade is going to speak for everyone in this match, your partners and “The Main Man’s,” no one wants in on your fudge packing, cowboy-butt sex As for Cyrus directly, this is just the beginning because well you had to go and admit that you thought this match was a handicap match. And that’s fine because what happened last time you were in a handicap match right before the pay-per-view, squaring off against the Ass Kickers Anonymous? You got humiliated, and history is going to repeat itself because come Overdrive you earned yourself a one way ticket to Beat-town, when Slade Craven is going to personally administer your ass kicking. Then again, got to save something for the ladder match because compared to what goes on when “The Main Man” gets his hands on a ladder, Overdrive is going to seem like a pleasure cruise.
Craven takes a long, deep breath.
Slade- Now, Level One, you think “The Main Man” forgot about you, didn’t you? That ole Slade Craven forgot what happened months ago, after Slade’s second week here in A.P.W. You versus Slade, one on one, a week before Rasslemania. You barely were able to make it out of that match. The commentators telling you how lucky you were to have your arm raised. Now after months and months of doing your own thing, your path crosses Slade’s once again. This is something “The Main Man” has been waiting for. A chance to silence you. Your bragging and ego, it’s mind numbing. Always rambling on about how you are God’s gift to wrestling. You sound like Biggs. Level One this is just the beginning. No you haven’t avoided Slade Craven, you’ve been busy, beating Jesse and Pence repeatedly. So has everyone else. But the people who haven’t been on a definitive losing streak, Slade Craven and Shadow, those two have been waiting for you to saunter on down the A.K.A’s alley. This is the moment the fans have been waiting for. For months, ever since you took the belt back from Pence at Test for the Best. Everyone has been waiting for someone to come along and shut your God damn mouth. Level One, the two time A.P.W. World Heavyweight champion, the two time True Expert, the two time under the desk pleasing bitch boy from Canada. A man forsaken by his own people because he pissed them off. And it takes a lot to piss a Canadian off to the point of there they tell you to get the hell out. Come Overdrive we are definitely going to skip some levels. “The Main Man” is going to kick things up a notch. Because can Slade and Shadow count on a man like Jesse Nunez a man who has lost to both? This is a handicap match without question, some Slade excels at. Because when it comes down to it, its not the fact Craven is out numbered he does better. It just means there are that many more people to hit. Overdrive is going to be more than fun, more than a prelude to everyone’s major main event ranked matches in Tokyo. Overdrive will be One Night in Hell, and when the avalanche has ended, and the rubble buries the four of you; Kitten, Biggs, Cyrus and even you Level One, each of you will “Rue the day you messed with ole Slade!”
Craven leans his head back as he finishes the phrase, holding the microphone high similar to the way a famous wrestler on television used to utter his catchphrase. Craven closes his eyes with a smile on his face. Then he leans his head forward and hands the microphone back to Shane West. Shane kind of nods as he turns to Shadow and Slade starts to walk away. He leaves Shadow to say his part and picks up his bag off the table and goes to a bench to start getting his gear out. Slade unzips the main compartment and pulls open the bag.
Shane: So Shadow, now we know how your partner feels about the match, what are your thoughts one the matter?
Shadow runs his hands through his hair as he gets ready to speak. Meanwhile all this is happening across the A.K.A’s office, on Slade’s side, sitting on top of his gear in his bag is that brown envelope. Craven remembers everything now. He remembers sitting in the lounge alone for awhile just staring at the photos. He must have been there for hours then as he zoned out he finally headed back upstairs and tosses the envelope in his bag closed it up to focus on today with a clear mind. Craven’s fingers trembled as he picked up the envelope and pulled out the note he read last night in the lounge by himself. It was written on the back of the top photo. The more he peered upon the paper the more it looked like a seat number. Slade had to go check it out. He clutches the envelope and turns to the door of the office.
Shadow: Yes. Yes I have several things I would like to talk about Shane, First….
Suddenly Craven comes between Shane and Shadow, opens the door to the office and heads out to the seating area. He had to find something out. At least he still had the good sense not to go tearing through the office walls of the A.K.A’s office. Shane and Shadow are left standing there as Craven heads down the hallway, not sure what he is going to find. Hopefully its an answer.
(Followed immediately by: http://shadow-x.angelfire.com/RP6.html)
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