A shimmering beam of golden light crashes through the clear plain of a glass window, which serves as the front door to the Extreme Network office center. The light brilliantly collides against the thick carpeted floor and spreads amongst the room, creating a brilliant spectacle of gold throughout the room as it gives the lobby a new meaning to life. The vinyl amongst the sofas and lounge chairs fill the air with a leather-like smell that collides with the highly potent stench of the office secretary’s obviously cheap perfume. Other than the woman’s excessive talking over a small cell phone, the scene is found to be serene and quiet. Near boring with just a hint of human life. But the scene isn’t meant to last however…
Secretary: Yeah. Things’ve gotten really weird around here, y’know? I mean one day Nick Lopez is in here forcing his way around security, the next day the Prez is going on about how he’s going to screw over Matt Covey and then he starts cursing aloud about some fat bitch named “Pear” or something… Yeah. Some type of fruit. What? You actually watched Fury? … My God… Allen and Matt? Jesus Christ…
A slow humming sound is carried off in the distance. It starts low and faint, the sound like a deep rumbling cough. It then picks up with a higher pitch and appears to be getting closer, always picking up in volume. The secretary turns her head towards the door and questions the sound. She suddenly drops the phone and screams…
CRASH!!!! The glass door shatters like an explosion of glass as a large black and silver steel object comes soaring towards her. The secretary is quick to hit the floor as what appears to be a motorcycle embeds itself into the lobby wall, creating a large hole which leads into what appears to be a bathroom. The secretary continues to scream as plaster and ash come flying down upon her, burying her in a tan cloud of insulation. Her screams remain a constant shrill as a black boot steps into view, alongside the dropped cell phone.
Phone: Sheryl? Hello?
The boot suddenly lifts and slams down hard onto the small communication console, smashing it into pieces. The girl suddenly looks up, her face covered in the remains of the rubble. She starts to scream again, but a fingerless, leather gloved hand clamps tight around her throat, lifting her up and onto her feet. It then slams her hard into a piece of crumbling wall and lifts her into the air, her pale cheeks turning moist with tears as she tries frantically to cry out. Her captor suddenly pulls off some shades, his face somewhat swollen. But the look of eternal anger is clearly visible across his battle weary face.
Bad Ass: I will ask you this only once. WHERE THE HELL IS THAT SON OF A BITCH?!?
The woman paws frantically at Matt’s arm, but to no avail. Her struggling only makes him tighten his grip. Finally, she cries out…
Woman: I don’t…I don’t know…
Bad Ass: Wrong answer.
He throws the woman forcefully into the wall, watching as pieces of it give away, the girl falling through and into the room behind the lobby. Matt is steady in following her as she pulls and fights frantically to get away. But he clutches a leg and pulls her back up where he takes her head and rams her face into a bathroom stall, the blood bursting from her nose and painting the pale green floor beneath them a silken color of scarlet.
Woman: Help… Ack… Someone…
Bad Ass: No one will help you. You put yourself in this mess, didn’t you? I gave you a simple enough option and you ignored it. Like Dubose and myself, you have put yourself here…
He throws her back against the stall and punches her straight in the gut, the girl doubling over and wheezing in severe pain. She falls to the floor, her nails chipping and breaking as she pulls against the tiles of the floor. Matt follows her ever slowly, watching as she bleeds; watching as she cries; and watching as she suffers.
Woman: He’s not here… I swear! He left last night… Oh God, I told you, okay? Please…
Bad Ass: That’s fine. But I believe the deal was that you had only one chance. And I’m to understand that you blew it. Or am I a liar?
The girl begins sobbing heavily as she finds herself backed into a corner. And the Bad Ass is still following her. Holding one hand out in defense and the other over her eyes as she looks away, she fears the worst as Matt draws back with his right fist. But the blow never comes… She opens her eyes to find that Matt has turned his back on her and is instead, making his way out of the restroom and back into the lobby. Had he spared her? Knowing she should stay down and quiet, she can’t help but follow him ever so slowly, curiosity getting the best of her. Sitting at the edge of the bathroom, she peeks over the wall as Matt looks over the front desk phone. It’s been ringing and still is… Matt suddenly turns to her and makes a sharp face of demand. He then points to the phone…
Bad Ass: Answer it.
The young girl does as she’s asked and crawls to her feet, making her way over to the desk. She slowly passes Matt and glances at him. But the glance earns her a sharp smack to the face as he points once more to the ringing phone. She quickly grabs up the phone and answers it, her voice shaky and full of fright.
Secretary: H-hello?
Another voice is scarcely heard over the other line. The girl listens intently and then begins to hand the phone to Matt.
Secretary: He says…says it’s for you…
Matt stares at the girl and then the phone before pointing to it again.
Bad Ass: Put it on speaker…now!
The girl quickly does as she’s told, a sound of laughter quickly filling the room from the speaker of the phone. Matt’s face suddenly twists with a look of rage as the voice is recognized by him… The laughter being that of Dubose himself.
Dubose: Mr. Covey, glad to see you could join us! Although I’m sorry to see that you’re still capable of walking and eating solid foods… But never the less, I believe you will find I am not in my office today. I decided that it was high time the staff and myself got out for a little R&R. You must have just missed us.
Bad Ass: Liar. You’re hiding from me! And I don’t like playing “Cat and Mouse”!
Dubose: Do you really think you’ve got what it takes to go toe to toe with an entire corporation? To stand up to myself or the EWC in general is about the most idiotic idea I’ve ever heard of. But I digress, feel free and try. I’ll enjoy watching you suffer horrendous fate after horrendous fate. I’m just sorry you didn’t lose the International title in the process at Fury. No matter, Lopez will do a fine enough job of relieving it from you…right after I have Syck and Twiztid rip your limbs apart and beat you with them.
Bad Ass: Is that all? Two jobbers and a runt? I could beat the demonic twins of torture on any given day of the week, and you expect Lopez to give me trouble? Have you forgotten who I am?
Dubose: Actually, I think I know who you…
Bad Ass: Shut the fuck up! I’m not just a Bad Ass by name. I’m a Bad Ass by reputation in and out of the fucking ring! And all you can manage to throw together is a lousy three men to try and wear me down? Go ahead you fucking coward! Hide behind your pawns all you fucking want, but in the end, after I’ve torn through them each and every one, I’m going to be waiting for you!
Dubose: That’s your problem. You’ve always forgotten your place in the foodchain that is the EWC! And at the top of this foodchain sits David-fucking-Dubose! The fact that you’ve even requested the position to face me, is a joke! You’re done for! You just don’t realize it!
Bad Ass slowly reaches into his pocket, pulling from it his small switchblade. The secretary’s eyes fly wide open in terror as Matt mutters something under his breath…
Bad Ass: …fuck you…
Secretary: Mr. Dubose! He’s got a knife! Oh God!
The secretary begins to scream as she starts backing up into a wall, again. But instead of a call of concern, Dubose just cackles from the other end of the line.
Dubose: Come now Miss Aldrich, take your punishment like a fucking man. You work for the EWC and I will not accept cowardice as an option!
Secretary: But…but…
Dubose: Shut the hell up, and die like the slut that you are!
Bad Ass: FUCK YOU DAVID!!!!
Matt brings the knife stabbing sharply down into the phone, killing the transmission of the call and making the secretary turn away with a yelp. Matt stares defiantly at the source from which he had just heard Dubose voice, the voice that drove him back to anger and hatred. He then turned his face to the secretary and grunted under his breath before turning and walking for the door. The secretary suddenly glances back and notices him leaving. She quickly dashes from behind the counter and follows him to the broken remains of the glass doors. Realizing she has nothing left for the EWC or Dubose anymore, she follows him out into the rest of the world where several awe struck people are gathered in groups, staring at several displays of destruction from knocked over street lights, to shattered windows on cars, and finally to the ruined lobby of the Dubose Center. He had done all of this… His hatred for Dubose climbing to new and illegal heights. And for a moment, Sheryl Aldrich can only stare around herself, taking in the reality of everything at once, right alongside everyone else in the area… A black Porsche suddenly flies wild through the streets and skids to a stop outside the building just before the Bad Ass who seems not to have noticed anyone or anything around himself. The passenger door flies open, Kurtis Strife sitting within. Matt climbs into the car and closes the door, not giving the situation another thought. And Sheryl watches as the car speeds off, turning a corner and disappearing.
Inside the car, Strife was smiling to himself. To see Dubose’ empire being destroyed around him by a handful of his own stars was more than something to laugh at. Matt turns his head, staring out the passenger side window at the blurring of the cities images as the car’s speed continues to climb.
Kurtis Strife: I’m taking it by the look on your face that he wasn’t there?
Bad Ass: Nope.
Kurtis Strife: Yet you wreaked havoc just the same.
Bad Ass: I believe a wise man said “Stick to that which you’re best at.”
Kurtis Strife: Too true. Well there’s no likely way that you’ll get your hands on Dubose any time soon, maybe at Rage… But you’ve got to put up with a handicap match with Syck and Twiztid.
Bad Ass: I know. Two brutal ass, sick minded, psychotic killers whose capacity for violence rivals my own in every way, shape, and form. I can’t wait.
Kurtis Strife: Are you serious? You want to actually do things their way?
Bad Ass: Nails, barbed wire, chains, needles, flames, chainsaws, chairs, tables, whatever… Let them have it their way, I’ll just have to be that much better when I rip them apart.
Kurtis Strife: Well, let’s say they pull a win out of their asses, how the hell are you supposed to handle an immediate International title defense right after the handicap match? Lopez is waiting to steal your title and humiliate you in front of everyone!
Bad Ass: Strife…
Kurtis Strife: Yeah?
Bad Ass: When did I ever actually say I gave a flying fuck? Because I can’t quite remember myself…
Kurtis Strife: I don’t know.
Bad Ass: Try “never”… Lopez is merely a leach. The kind of guy who’ll kiss your ass for gold and a chance to bang your sister…or brother. Either way, he’s going to be stepping into a place he doesn’t want to be come Rage. Friday night he visits hell, and I’m going to take him there personally!
Kurtis Strife: Forget I said anything. But you do know you’ll be seeing Dubose at his best tomorrow night, right?
Bad Ass: Lookin’ forward to it actually. Let him throw them all at me. It’s time we showed him that there is no man that stands tall against me when I’m set on something. At first I issued an International title invitational… I guess now it’s become an “All-you-can-get-of Bad Ass” throwdown. Lopez is next, followed by Gattis, Jericho, my own brother, the rWo, you name it and the list goes on.
The two are suddenly interupted as Strife’s own cell phone goes off. Matt reaches down and grabs it up.
Bad Ass: Hello? Who the hell is this? Oh, hey TJ. Nah, we’re headed back now. We should arrive in a couple of hours or so. Yeah. Hey listen… Do me a favor. Yeah. Put out an open message for me…
The Extreme Network news is going over some random sporting events in discussion when special guest Ryan Cole is invited onto to the set. Host John Credenza shakes his hand and allows him to sit.
John C: Thanks for stopping by Ryan. I can only imagine you’ve got good news.
Ryan Cole: Any news I give is good news, John. You yourself have seen the spreading chaos that’s been erupting within the EWC as of late between Dubose and a side of the fed composed of what appear to be EWC veterans.
John C: Of course, fans are exploding with excitement at a real life feud that’s being dragged onto the air.
Ryan Cole: Yes. And this Friday, the EWC IN champion and originator of this rebellion against Dubose, will not only face our tag champs Syck and Twiztid in a handicap match, but he will then go on to defend his IN title against Nick Lopez. And I’ve been given a special message from the “Bad Ass” himself!
John C: Well come on Ryan, let us have it!
Ryan Cole: He says, and I quote… “Things are getting pretty hot around here. But my job is not done yet. There are still things I’ve to accomplish including stripping everything from Dubose that I possibly can. The IN title was a start, but I want more…”
John C: Obviously he’s talking about the world title.
Ryan Cole: I’m afraid you’re wrong… He’s working in reverse. He’s challenging Nick Lopez to also put his TV title on the line at Rage in what will then be a “Title vs Title” match. The TV vs the IN, in what will be a “winner takes all”.
John C: My God! That’s quite the proposition… You have to wonder what Lopez is going to say to the double edged challenge.
Ryan Cole: Well, there’s more. It states, “I can understand if you turn away the challenge, Lopez. After all, you aren’t quite the fighting champion that I am. Still a rookie, you’re not quite a Bad Ass. But it might help if you tried to act like one. I’ll be waiting. –“Bad Ass” Matt Covey”
John C: This is ground breaking news folks! And we here at the Extreme Network will be sure to give you any breaking news in this development of what will be an explosive fight that no one will want to miss! Thank you Ryan Cole.
Ryan Cole: Thank you, John. And as the events update, I’ll fill you in.
The two men shake hands, the challenge lain upon the table as the scene fades to black.