Post by EZRA on Jul 14, 2011 11:42:19 GMT -5
Immediately After Synergy Goes Off the Air
He laid there motionless, face down in the ring. It felt a bit like deja vu. A few weeks ago he had woken up in the trainers room unaware of what had happened. This time he woke up in the ring but he was still unsure of what had happened. Tyvola had disappeared under the ring and returned with a friggin’ rail tie. Ezekiel had dodged his attacks and leveled the Mountainous Madman with a massive lariat. Next thing he knew, he was launched into the air and came down face-first. That was Human Wreckage. Next, he felt the air being forced from his body. That was the Meteor Press. Before he could figure out what was happening, he was lifted to his feet and launched into the air again, landing face-first. That was Magus. As he slowly rolled over, he saw the blurred visage of Alan Fernandez raising a rail tie in the air like he was toasting a beer.
Lieberjosch: Can Ezekiel climb the mountain and dethrone the unstoppable force of Tyvola?
Vinegar: We'll see you next week, when it's all In Your Hands!
What a dick! The Future of UGWC gets jumped by some hooligans and still the announcers question his ability to take out the Hardcore Hobo. He was half the size of Tyvola, yet he took him off his feet with a single clothesline. Not many people could say that. Also, just look at what Mitchell Dennis said when Ezekiel was announced. His accolades were unparalleled to other men who had taken on the Bearded Bastard. The participants left the ring and the fans began to leave the arena as Ezekiel slowly maneuvered his way to the ropes and got to his feet outside of the ring. Scarlet came up next to him and put his arm over her shoulders.
The two of them walked toward the ramp. Scarlet looked up at him as they walked.
“You really need to talk to Moss.” she said, with an angry inflection in her voice.
He softly nodded as the scene faded out.
4 JUL 2011
After receiving letters from home, it has become obvious that Ezekiel has strayed away from the path that he was brought up on. It seems that my efforts to convince him from siding with Marek were futile so I’m not going to waste my time writing him any longer. Instead, I am just going to keep a journal. This is the first entry. Coincidentally, it’s on the 4th of July. Back home in America, everyone is going to be celebrating. There will be BBQs, fireworks, and other kinds of festivals. Not here. Here I will just be spending time in my cell as day to day life continues on as if nothing special is happening. A few other Americans here have acknowledged the occasion but there isn’t anything we can do to celebrate. We are in a completely different country and under a whole new set of rules.
As I have said before, we are able to watch UGWC on occasion so I’ve tried to keep tabs. I know that the upcoming PPV is In Your Hands. What a fitting name, right? I feel like everything going on in my life lately has been out of my hands. I sit in a cell while the man I saved runs free, aiding in the corruption of UGWC. Another man that I helped raise runs rampant, attempting to further himself along the ladder of success without regard for his friends and family. It’s just frustrating that I have to sit here and the two men I brought into the business continue to turn their backs on what they were taught. JK has simply become a pawn in whatever game Marek and Ezekiel are playing. War & Peace are gone and in their place is The Vicious Kind.
When they first showed up, everyone just shrugged it off. They didn’t make much of an impact at first, but now they’ve gotten everyones attention. Not since Jet Somers has one group or person got everyone to hate them so quickly. They’ve targeted the good, bad, and the ugly of UGWC. It’s bittersweet. I’m proud of the success he is getting, but it saddens me that he’s gone the way he has to get there. Hopefully once my case gets all figured out, I’ll be able to return and either talk or slap some sense into them. Only time will tell. It’s about to be lights out here so I’ll end this first entry on a high note. Happy 4th of July.
The scene opens inside of what appears to be a music store. The shelves are moved back so an opening appears in the center of the store with a small makeshift stage built around a podium. Several cameras are set up in corners of the store to possibly record this for TV later on. Red velvet ropes sit on the outside edge letting the spectators knows how close they can get to whoever is going to be speaking. A rather short but stout African-American man walks out from the back of the store and steps up behind the podium. Whoever he is, he’s dressed sharply in a white suit, black shirt, and white tie. He taps the microphone a few times to get the attention of those around him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Paul Goody. I am the CEO of Good Music Inc. and I am proud to welcome all of you to the grand opening of our newest store in a long chain of Goody Records stores."
He pauses as the people around him applaud. After a moment he puts his hand up and they quiet down.
"Thank you. Thank you so much. We've had several grand openings over the years but today is a special one. Not only are we opening our first store in Tornado Alley, we are also debuting our newest act at Good Music Inc. They are a rap/rock duo from Phoenix, Arizona. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Red. Eye. Flight.
The spectators break into another applause as two men step out from the back. The only thing that makes the two look similar is that they are both wearing red shirts and black jeans. One man is of African-American descent and wears his clothes rather baggy. He wears sunglasses even though he is indoors and is wearing a flatbilled Phoenix Suns hat. The other man is Caucasian with several tattoos and a short mohawk. He steps up to the microphone first.
"How's it going everybody?"
The room breaks into applause again as the two men behind the podium smile, digging the praise being given to them.
"That's what I'm talking about. I know most of you have never heard of us and that's fine because we are out to get recognized. By the end of the year, everyone will be rocking out to Red Eye Flight.
He steps away from the microphone and his bandmate steps up to the microphone.
"What's up, OKC? How y'all doin'? Imma make this real short. We talked to Paul and not only do y’all get to enjoy the grand opening, you get to witness the debut of our first single off our first CD produced by Mr. Goody. It's our self-titled album, Red Eye Flight. The name of the first single is also self-titled, ‘Red Eye Flight’. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.”
While he was talking, the first guy was strapping up with a guitar. A steady line, that obviously originated from a keyboard, begins to play. As it plays, the guitarist begins slowly strumming along as the rapper bobs his head, getting into the beat as he removes the microphone from the podium. He begins to sing at a fast pace but you can still understand the lyrics.
Rolling strong since ‘01,
Coming at you,
From the Valley of the Sun.
Why so serious?
We’re all just having fun.
Rock to the beat,
The song has just begun.
Listen to it closely,
Let the record run.
The keyboard beat cuts out as the guitar picks up.
We’re coming in low like a flash in the night,
R.E.F. never backin’ down from a fight,
Doctor says we ain’t quite right,
Bringin’ everyone together ‘cuz I’m black, he’s white.
You’ve never seen anything like this in your life,
We’re in sync like a boy band, it’s Red Eye Flight.
The keyboard comes back in as the guitar slows down.
We may not be original,
But don’t be confused.
We’re still one of kind,
Rap and Rock infused.
He’s bringing the noise,
Rockin’ the Gibson,
I’m backin’ him up,
Bringin’ that verbal wisdom.
Keep rockin’ to the beat,
I see you bobbin’ your head.
Move along to the music,
‘Til your eyes turn red.
Once again, the keyboard cuts out and the guitar picks up.
We’re coming in low like a flash in the night,
R.E.F. never backin’ down from a fight,
Doctor says we ain’t quite right,
Bringin’ everyone together ‘cuz I’m black, he’s white.
You’ve never seen anything like this in your life,
We’re in sync like a boy band, it’s Red Eye Flight.
Like before, the keyboard comes back to life as the guitar mellows out.
You’re lookin’ at me funny,
Like what you’re hearin’ is unusual.
I’m sure if I go to your hood,
The feelin’ would be mutual.
Open up to something different,
What I’m saying isn’t fiction.
Don’t keep a closed mind,
It only causes friction.
Listen closely,
I’ll say it one more time.
The sound is unique,
He rocks while I rhyme.
The keyboard cuts out again, and the guitar comes back with a vengeance.
We’re coming in low like a flash in the night,
R.E.F. never backin’ down from a fight,
Doctor says we ain’t quite right,
Bringin’ everyone together ‘cuz I’m black, he’s white.
You’ve never seen anything like this in your life,
We’re in sync like a boy band, it’s Red Eye Flight.
The guitarist steps up with a Synyster Gates-esque guitar solo as the rapper dances a bit, nothing too flashy. After the guitar solo, they hit the chorus one more time.
We’re coming in low like a flash in the night,
R.E.F. never backin’ down from a fight,
Doctor says we ain’t quite right,
Bringin’ everyone together ‘cuz I’m black, he’s white.
You’ve never seen anything like this in your life,
We’re in sync like a boy band, it’s Red Eye Flight.
After the word ‘flight’, both men pose for a second as the music cuts off and the room breaks into applause. The guitarist bows gracefully as the rapper shakes hands with some of the people up front. Paul Goody comes back to the podium and gives the people a moment to clap and cheer. It begins to quiet back down and Paul leans toward the microphone but before he can say anything a loud ‘Boooo!’ emits from behind the crowd. The people in attendance turn to look and to their surprise, they see Ezekiel Pax, Marek Daisuke, and Jordan King standing in the entrance to the store.
"Can I help you, young man?” Paul says, his brow furrowed.
The Vicious Kind make their way through the crowd. Security steps in front of them and Ezekiel just smirks as if to say ‘Challenge Accepted’ but before things get physical, Paul gives a nod and the security step aside. Ezekiel talks trash to the security as the 3 of them pass by and Ezekiel steps up to the podium.
“No need to offer me help, bro. But your boy could use a class or two in what real music is.”
The rapper tries to step close to Ezekiel but Paul stops him.
“Keep him on a leash, dude. I don’t want to bust your meal ticket. In all seriousness, I guess you could help me. I was told by some dude at UGWC Management to come down to this mall and meet some gracious fans. I’ve been looking all morning and the only thing I found was some money-hungry bitches wanting me to sign their little ‘In Your Hands’ program. Then, I hear some awful noise coming from inside here and JK told me we had to check it out.”
Paul goes to retort to Ezekiel’s insults, but is stopped by Ezekiel swiftly placing his hand over Paul’s mouth.
“I’m not done yet, bro. You speak when I ask you a question. Here’s an example. Have you ever heard of GIW?”
He nods his head ‘yes’.
“Did you ever hear of an atrociously un-awesome wrestler named Killswitch?”
Again he nods his head ‘yes’.
“Did you have the displeasure of seeing him attack random people in a Wal-Mart in some misguided attempt to show that Canada was better than America?”
This time he shakes his head ‘no’.
“Well, that’s good. It was horrible. He just attacked random citizens for no reason. It was horrible Turns out the whole thing was like a retarded sequel to something he did in another Wal-Mart. Anyways, the point is that when I saw that I thought it was so low to attack innocent people for no good reason.”
Paul sighs. “Okay. So why are you interrupting my grand opening to spout on some shit I don’t even know about?”
Ezekiel smirks as JK steps forward. “Like he said, mate. WHEN he saw it, he thought it was a rather aggro thing to do. That was then. This is now. Hope you blokes are ready.”
An evil smile spreads across his lips as Ezekiel superkicks Paul in the face. Security jumps forward but are stalled by the velvet ropes. JK and Marek grab the podium and launch it into the group of security, effectively taking them out.
As the two turn around, they are engaged by the musical talent. The rapper swings at JK, connecting with the microphone to head of The Cyclone. JK recoils back before plunging forward, booting the man in the chest. The guitarist swings his instrument in the direction of Marek, who dodges the blow before hitting him in the jaw with the wicked right. Both men back off and decide that taking on the three men would be an unwise decision.
Most of the spectators have fled the area. JK and Marek walk towards the back of the store as Ezekiel walks toward one of the cameras. He grips it both hands, aiming it at his face.
“I hope this gets aired on national television. I hope everyone is able to see what just happened. This is what you get when you try and capitalize on a dead market. This is what happens when you don’t pay attention to the little guy as he slowly surpasses you. The world is ready for something new. And when I say world, I especially mean UGWC. Ol’ Bob. I really hope you get to catch a glimpse of this.”
He steps back points at the prone body of Paul Goody.
“Entertainment.”
He then points in the direction that Red Eye Flight took off in.
“Talent.”
Ezekiel then steps back up to the camera, hate still filling his words.
“No one in UGWC has both elements like The Vicious Kind. You’re fragile baby called ‘HRD’ is breaking and no glue will repair it. We’ve all read ‘Humpty Dumpty’. We’re going to spill the blood of your puppets unless I get what is mine. And all that blood will be In. Your. Hands.”
Ezekiel smirks again as he lets go of the camera and follows Marek and JK out of the back of the store. As the back door closes, more security appear and the scene fades out.
Inside the OKC Arena, Hours before In Your Hands
The undeniable scent of marijuana fills a small nook of the arena. We see two men, one fat and one skinny, sitting on travel boxes, passing something between them.
“Bro. I feel like those two little potheads in ‘Knockaround Guys’ who stumble upon that bag of money.” says the fat one as he takes a pull on the joint pinched in his fingers.
The skinny one smiled big as he took the treat. “Yeah, bro. Except we got a different kind of green, bro.”
They continue toking on the pre-rolled, while also continuing their conversation. It’s obvious that they’ve been enjoying the goods they ‘stumbled upon’ for quite some time.
“Where do you think he gets his stuff?” says the skinny fellow.
“I don’t know. Probably some secret lab. These dudes make a lot of green, bro. He gets the good shit. Your eyes are so red, it looks like your about to cry blood, bro.”
With all the intelligence of a fetus, the skinny one moves around a bit like he is trying to look at his right eye by moving his left one into a cross-eyed position.
“I can’t see it, bro. I’ll just take your word for it.”
“Trust me. It’s really red. Like as red as.. uh.. as red as.. umm..” he snickers as his train of thought derails faster than a Michael Gordy promo. “What are we talking about?”
The skinny dude takes another puff and exhales sharply as he begins to laugh. He shrugs as he attempts to take another hit. “Shouldn’t we be working? This is supposed to be an important show, dude.”
Fatty shrugs in return. He tries to talk but he’s still laughing. The two men continue to laugh at nothing until they have tears streaming down their face. They suddenly perk up and stop laughing. It lasts about two seconds, but they try to keep their composure as we see the reason why they stopped laughing. Moss Edwards has walked up and his bald head is glowing like the number 3 ball on a pool table. Without even saying a word, the fat one tosses the rest of the joint and they scurry off like toddlers who just got caught trying to sneak away from nap time.
“God damn stoners.” Moss says to no one in particular, but the perfect ears caught his words.
“What’s so bad about stoners?” Ezekiel says, as he rounds the corner that Fatty and Skinny just passed.
“Not now, Zeke.” Moss says. He turns away from Ezekiel, but is swiftly grabbed by his shirt and thrown toward the wall.
“Wrong, bro.” he says as Moss catches himself and turns toward Ezekiel.
It’s Moss who now grabs Ezekiel and tosses him into the wall.
“No more games, Zeke. I’m not helping you in the Main Event. I’m done listening to act like you have some sort of leverage on me.”
Moss lets go of Ezekiel and steps backward.
“You’re just going to have to do it on your own.”
Ezekiel smiles. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Done what?” he asks, quizzically.
“Let me go.” Ezekiel says.
As the last word escapes his mouth, he spears Moss into the wall. This time Moss has no time to counter and he crumples to the ground.
“A deal is a deal, bro. You were supposed to find me at Synergy and you chose not to. So, tonight when the bell rings there is going to be a special stipulation in place.”
Moss tries to catch his breath. “You..” *cough.. cough* “You only paid for a regular match. No gimmicks.” *cough.. cough*
“Call it what you want, bro. You’re going to ban EVERYONE from ringside, except The Vicious Kind. If anyone, except TVK, comes down to the ring during the match then I win by disqualification. And I am guaranteed a rematch at the following Synergy. Don’t reply. Just do what I said. No one comes down to the ring unless they are Tyvola or a part of The Vicious Kind. Roxy’s health lies in the balance, Moss. Be smart about it.”
Moss gets into a sitting position as Ezekiel turns and walks away. His phone begins to ring as he walks down the hallway.
“Hello? .. Yeah, it’s taken care of. Don’t worry about it, bro. Even without his help, I could defeat Tyvola. His head isn’t in the game. He’s too focused on graping people. .. No. There isn’t anything to think about. We don’t need her help. .. Tony keeps calling but there’s nothing to talk about. .. Whatever, she serves her own purpose by clouding his brain. .. I’m on my way to the locker room. .. Alright.”
He hangs up the phone as he reaches the door with the words The Vicious Kind painted onto a sign. He opens the door to see Scarlet hanging up her phone.
“Where’s Marek at?”
Scarlet points behind Ezekiel. Marek walks in behind him. Zeke looks a bit confused.
“We’re you following me?” he asks as he walks further into the room.
Marek shrugs as it appears something is bothering him.
“What’s the matter, bro? You still stressing your first PPV match back?”
Marek shrugs again. “It doesn’t feel right.”
“Elaborate for me.”
“Can she leave for a bit?”
Ezekiel looks up at Scarlet and nods his head toward the door. Scarlet sighs but obliges Marek and steps out of the room.
“Talk to me, bro. What doesn’t feel right?”
Marek sits down on a bench. “Teaming with someone else. We’re War & Peace. I barely even know JK.”
“We’re not trying to recreate War & Peace. That’s impossible. It’s a completely different dynamic, bro. We were all about speed. We outpaced our opponents from bell to bell. With JK, he’s a bit bigger than us. He has a bit more power than we do. It’s a different aspect of tag team wrestling. Why are you stressing? I thought you were ready.”
“Being ready and worrying a little are two different things. I am ready.”
“Then act like it. Look at the other two teams you’re facing, Marek. Code: Fusion are only on their 2nd match back and they’re fighting amongst themselves, drawing blood on each other. And TVHS are worried about losing for the 1st time since they’ve won the tag titles. You saw that video that played earlier. They’ve dominated everyone in their path, except us.”
Marek nods along as Ezekiel encourages him. He gets to his feet and begins to pace.
“You are right. Looking at the list of victims, I do not know why I was so worried. I could list my conquests and sound impressive just as well. Defeating retired tag teams, lower level talent, and random pairings is not a feat to brag about.”
Ezekiel smirks as he sees the confidence build in his old friend.
“Exactly, bro. You’ve struck fear the most dominant tag team in wrestling since.. well, since we were a tag team. Don’t let JK’s track record with the Rebels bring doubt into your mind. Those little B-Listers were holding him back. His record since dropping them speaks for itself. Trust me, Marek. JK is a great ally in this war against the Old Guard.”
Marek extends his hand to Ezekiel and they shake hands before embracing in a quick hug.
“Thank you, Ezekiel. I need to stop letting my mind become clouded with doubt. I need to have faith in your words, just like you have told me all along.”
“Wings or no wings, I am the guiding light, bro. Just don’t cry when you win. No tears allowed, bro. Tonight, The International Awesomeness that is JK and Marek Daisuke will walk down that aisle and tear apart any doubt that you guys are a random pairing. And then in the Main Event, The Epitome of Awesome, the ‘High’ Flyer, the Red-Eyed Wonder, the Iron Man, the..”
Marek holds his hand up. “Carry on.” Ezekiel chuckles lightly before doing just that.
“Well, you get the point. I will walk down that aisle and do what the Chief Negress, half of the Co-Op Champions, and THREE former World Champions failed to do. I will knock the Madman off his mountain and become the first person in UGWC to hold all 3 singles titles within 3 months.”
“Alright. Cut the chatter before you say something cliche, Zeke.”
“Whoa. It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t bust out some cheesy line, bro. TVK stands for The Vicious Kind and after tonight, we will have an alternate name. The Victorious Kind.”
Marek shakes his head. “Well, while you come up with more ‘cheesy’ lines, I’m going to get in a bit more training.”
He pats Ezekiel on the back before exiting the locker room. Zeke sits down on the bench and reaches into his bag. He pulls out a small case, opens it and pulls out a doobie. He lights it up and leans back against the wall after taking a drag and exhaling it.
“You train your way, I’ll train mine.” he says, before taking another pull off the treat. “They don’t call me the Red-Eyed Wonder for nothing.”
He continues puffing on the joint as the scene fades out.
He laid there motionless, face down in the ring. It felt a bit like deja vu. A few weeks ago he had woken up in the trainers room unaware of what had happened. This time he woke up in the ring but he was still unsure of what had happened. Tyvola had disappeared under the ring and returned with a friggin’ rail tie. Ezekiel had dodged his attacks and leveled the Mountainous Madman with a massive lariat. Next thing he knew, he was launched into the air and came down face-first. That was Human Wreckage. Next, he felt the air being forced from his body. That was the Meteor Press. Before he could figure out what was happening, he was lifted to his feet and launched into the air again, landing face-first. That was Magus. As he slowly rolled over, he saw the blurred visage of Alan Fernandez raising a rail tie in the air like he was toasting a beer.
Lieberjosch: Can Ezekiel climb the mountain and dethrone the unstoppable force of Tyvola?
Vinegar: We'll see you next week, when it's all In Your Hands!
What a dick! The Future of UGWC gets jumped by some hooligans and still the announcers question his ability to take out the Hardcore Hobo. He was half the size of Tyvola, yet he took him off his feet with a single clothesline. Not many people could say that. Also, just look at what Mitchell Dennis said when Ezekiel was announced. His accolades were unparalleled to other men who had taken on the Bearded Bastard. The participants left the ring and the fans began to leave the arena as Ezekiel slowly maneuvered his way to the ropes and got to his feet outside of the ring. Scarlet came up next to him and put his arm over her shoulders.
The two of them walked toward the ramp. Scarlet looked up at him as they walked.
“You really need to talk to Moss.” she said, with an angry inflection in her voice.
He softly nodded as the scene faded out.
Frustration is the wet nurse of violence.
4 JUL 2011
After receiving letters from home, it has become obvious that Ezekiel has strayed away from the path that he was brought up on. It seems that my efforts to convince him from siding with Marek were futile so I’m not going to waste my time writing him any longer. Instead, I am just going to keep a journal. This is the first entry. Coincidentally, it’s on the 4th of July. Back home in America, everyone is going to be celebrating. There will be BBQs, fireworks, and other kinds of festivals. Not here. Here I will just be spending time in my cell as day to day life continues on as if nothing special is happening. A few other Americans here have acknowledged the occasion but there isn’t anything we can do to celebrate. We are in a completely different country and under a whole new set of rules.
As I have said before, we are able to watch UGWC on occasion so I’ve tried to keep tabs. I know that the upcoming PPV is In Your Hands. What a fitting name, right? I feel like everything going on in my life lately has been out of my hands. I sit in a cell while the man I saved runs free, aiding in the corruption of UGWC. Another man that I helped raise runs rampant, attempting to further himself along the ladder of success without regard for his friends and family. It’s just frustrating that I have to sit here and the two men I brought into the business continue to turn their backs on what they were taught. JK has simply become a pawn in whatever game Marek and Ezekiel are playing. War & Peace are gone and in their place is The Vicious Kind.
When they first showed up, everyone just shrugged it off. They didn’t make much of an impact at first, but now they’ve gotten everyones attention. Not since Jet Somers has one group or person got everyone to hate them so quickly. They’ve targeted the good, bad, and the ugly of UGWC. It’s bittersweet. I’m proud of the success he is getting, but it saddens me that he’s gone the way he has to get there. Hopefully once my case gets all figured out, I’ll be able to return and either talk or slap some sense into them. Only time will tell. It’s about to be lights out here so I’ll end this first entry on a high note. Happy 4th of July.
Red sky in the morning, sailors warning.
The scene opens inside of what appears to be a music store. The shelves are moved back so an opening appears in the center of the store with a small makeshift stage built around a podium. Several cameras are set up in corners of the store to possibly record this for TV later on. Red velvet ropes sit on the outside edge letting the spectators knows how close they can get to whoever is going to be speaking. A rather short but stout African-American man walks out from the back of the store and steps up behind the podium. Whoever he is, he’s dressed sharply in a white suit, black shirt, and white tie. He taps the microphone a few times to get the attention of those around him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Paul Goody. I am the CEO of Good Music Inc. and I am proud to welcome all of you to the grand opening of our newest store in a long chain of Goody Records stores."
He pauses as the people around him applaud. After a moment he puts his hand up and they quiet down.
"Thank you. Thank you so much. We've had several grand openings over the years but today is a special one. Not only are we opening our first store in Tornado Alley, we are also debuting our newest act at Good Music Inc. They are a rap/rock duo from Phoenix, Arizona. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Red. Eye. Flight.
The spectators break into another applause as two men step out from the back. The only thing that makes the two look similar is that they are both wearing red shirts and black jeans. One man is of African-American descent and wears his clothes rather baggy. He wears sunglasses even though he is indoors and is wearing a flatbilled Phoenix Suns hat. The other man is Caucasian with several tattoos and a short mohawk. He steps up to the microphone first.
"How's it going everybody?"
The room breaks into applause again as the two men behind the podium smile, digging the praise being given to them.
"That's what I'm talking about. I know most of you have never heard of us and that's fine because we are out to get recognized. By the end of the year, everyone will be rocking out to Red Eye Flight.
He steps away from the microphone and his bandmate steps up to the microphone.
"What's up, OKC? How y'all doin'? Imma make this real short. We talked to Paul and not only do y’all get to enjoy the grand opening, you get to witness the debut of our first single off our first CD produced by Mr. Goody. It's our self-titled album, Red Eye Flight. The name of the first single is also self-titled, ‘Red Eye Flight’. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.”
While he was talking, the first guy was strapping up with a guitar. A steady line, that obviously originated from a keyboard, begins to play. As it plays, the guitarist begins slowly strumming along as the rapper bobs his head, getting into the beat as he removes the microphone from the podium. He begins to sing at a fast pace but you can still understand the lyrics.
Rolling strong since ‘01,
Coming at you,
From the Valley of the Sun.
Why so serious?
We’re all just having fun.
Rock to the beat,
The song has just begun.
Listen to it closely,
Let the record run.
The keyboard beat cuts out as the guitar picks up.
We’re coming in low like a flash in the night,
R.E.F. never backin’ down from a fight,
Doctor says we ain’t quite right,
Bringin’ everyone together ‘cuz I’m black, he’s white.
You’ve never seen anything like this in your life,
We’re in sync like a boy band, it’s Red Eye Flight.
The keyboard comes back in as the guitar slows down.
We may not be original,
But don’t be confused.
We’re still one of kind,
Rap and Rock infused.
He’s bringing the noise,
Rockin’ the Gibson,
I’m backin’ him up,
Bringin’ that verbal wisdom.
Keep rockin’ to the beat,
I see you bobbin’ your head.
Move along to the music,
‘Til your eyes turn red.
Once again, the keyboard cuts out and the guitar picks up.
We’re coming in low like a flash in the night,
R.E.F. never backin’ down from a fight,
Doctor says we ain’t quite right,
Bringin’ everyone together ‘cuz I’m black, he’s white.
You’ve never seen anything like this in your life,
We’re in sync like a boy band, it’s Red Eye Flight.
Like before, the keyboard comes back to life as the guitar mellows out.
You’re lookin’ at me funny,
Like what you’re hearin’ is unusual.
I’m sure if I go to your hood,
The feelin’ would be mutual.
Open up to something different,
What I’m saying isn’t fiction.
Don’t keep a closed mind,
It only causes friction.
Listen closely,
I’ll say it one more time.
The sound is unique,
He rocks while I rhyme.
The keyboard cuts out again, and the guitar comes back with a vengeance.
We’re coming in low like a flash in the night,
R.E.F. never backin’ down from a fight,
Doctor says we ain’t quite right,
Bringin’ everyone together ‘cuz I’m black, he’s white.
You’ve never seen anything like this in your life,
We’re in sync like a boy band, it’s Red Eye Flight.
The guitarist steps up with a Synyster Gates-esque guitar solo as the rapper dances a bit, nothing too flashy. After the guitar solo, they hit the chorus one more time.
We’re coming in low like a flash in the night,
R.E.F. never backin’ down from a fight,
Doctor says we ain’t quite right,
Bringin’ everyone together ‘cuz I’m black, he’s white.
You’ve never seen anything like this in your life,
We’re in sync like a boy band, it’s Red Eye Flight.
"Can I help you, young man?” Paul says, his brow furrowed.
The Vicious Kind make their way through the crowd. Security steps in front of them and Ezekiel just smirks as if to say ‘Challenge Accepted’ but before things get physical, Paul gives a nod and the security step aside. Ezekiel talks trash to the security as the 3 of them pass by and Ezekiel steps up to the podium.
“No need to offer me help, bro. But your boy could use a class or two in what real music is.”
The rapper tries to step close to Ezekiel but Paul stops him.
“Keep him on a leash, dude. I don’t want to bust your meal ticket. In all seriousness, I guess you could help me. I was told by some dude at UGWC Management to come down to this mall and meet some gracious fans. I’ve been looking all morning and the only thing I found was some money-hungry bitches wanting me to sign their little ‘In Your Hands’ program. Then, I hear some awful noise coming from inside here and JK told me we had to check it out.”
Paul goes to retort to Ezekiel’s insults, but is stopped by Ezekiel swiftly placing his hand over Paul’s mouth.
“I’m not done yet, bro. You speak when I ask you a question. Here’s an example. Have you ever heard of GIW?”
He nods his head ‘yes’.
“Did you ever hear of an atrociously un-awesome wrestler named Killswitch?”
Again he nods his head ‘yes’.
“Did you have the displeasure of seeing him attack random people in a Wal-Mart in some misguided attempt to show that Canada was better than America?”
This time he shakes his head ‘no’.
“Well, that’s good. It was horrible. He just attacked random citizens for no reason. It was horrible Turns out the whole thing was like a retarded sequel to something he did in another Wal-Mart. Anyways, the point is that when I saw that I thought it was so low to attack innocent people for no good reason.”
Paul sighs. “Okay. So why are you interrupting my grand opening to spout on some shit I don’t even know about?”
Ezekiel smirks as JK steps forward. “Like he said, mate. WHEN he saw it, he thought it was a rather aggro thing to do. That was then. This is now. Hope you blokes are ready.”
An evil smile spreads across his lips as Ezekiel superkicks Paul in the face. Security jumps forward but are stalled by the velvet ropes. JK and Marek grab the podium and launch it into the group of security, effectively taking them out.
As the two turn around, they are engaged by the musical talent. The rapper swings at JK, connecting with the microphone to head of The Cyclone. JK recoils back before plunging forward, booting the man in the chest. The guitarist swings his instrument in the direction of Marek, who dodges the blow before hitting him in the jaw with the wicked right. Both men back off and decide that taking on the three men would be an unwise decision.
Most of the spectators have fled the area. JK and Marek walk towards the back of the store as Ezekiel walks toward one of the cameras. He grips it both hands, aiming it at his face.
“I hope this gets aired on national television. I hope everyone is able to see what just happened. This is what you get when you try and capitalize on a dead market. This is what happens when you don’t pay attention to the little guy as he slowly surpasses you. The world is ready for something new. And when I say world, I especially mean UGWC. Ol’ Bob. I really hope you get to catch a glimpse of this.”
He steps back points at the prone body of Paul Goody.
“Entertainment.”
He then points in the direction that Red Eye Flight took off in.
“Talent.”
Ezekiel then steps back up to the camera, hate still filling his words.
“No one in UGWC has both elements like The Vicious Kind. You’re fragile baby called ‘HRD’ is breaking and no glue will repair it. We’ve all read ‘Humpty Dumpty’. We’re going to spill the blood of your puppets unless I get what is mine. And all that blood will be In. Your. Hands.”
Ezekiel smirks again as he lets go of the camera and follows Marek and JK out of the back of the store. As the back door closes, more security appear and the scene fades out.
It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
[/center]Inside the OKC Arena, Hours before In Your Hands
The undeniable scent of marijuana fills a small nook of the arena. We see two men, one fat and one skinny, sitting on travel boxes, passing something between them.
“Bro. I feel like those two little potheads in ‘Knockaround Guys’ who stumble upon that bag of money.” says the fat one as he takes a pull on the joint pinched in his fingers.
The skinny one smiled big as he took the treat. “Yeah, bro. Except we got a different kind of green, bro.”
They continue toking on the pre-rolled, while also continuing their conversation. It’s obvious that they’ve been enjoying the goods they ‘stumbled upon’ for quite some time.
“Where do you think he gets his stuff?” says the skinny fellow.
“I don’t know. Probably some secret lab. These dudes make a lot of green, bro. He gets the good shit. Your eyes are so red, it looks like your about to cry blood, bro.”
With all the intelligence of a fetus, the skinny one moves around a bit like he is trying to look at his right eye by moving his left one into a cross-eyed position.
“I can’t see it, bro. I’ll just take your word for it.”
“Trust me. It’s really red. Like as red as.. uh.. as red as.. umm..” he snickers as his train of thought derails faster than a Michael Gordy promo. “What are we talking about?”
The skinny dude takes another puff and exhales sharply as he begins to laugh. He shrugs as he attempts to take another hit. “Shouldn’t we be working? This is supposed to be an important show, dude.”
Fatty shrugs in return. He tries to talk but he’s still laughing. The two men continue to laugh at nothing until they have tears streaming down their face. They suddenly perk up and stop laughing. It lasts about two seconds, but they try to keep their composure as we see the reason why they stopped laughing. Moss Edwards has walked up and his bald head is glowing like the number 3 ball on a pool table. Without even saying a word, the fat one tosses the rest of the joint and they scurry off like toddlers who just got caught trying to sneak away from nap time.
“God damn stoners.” Moss says to no one in particular, but the perfect ears caught his words.
“What’s so bad about stoners?” Ezekiel says, as he rounds the corner that Fatty and Skinny just passed.
“Not now, Zeke.” Moss says. He turns away from Ezekiel, but is swiftly grabbed by his shirt and thrown toward the wall.
“Wrong, bro.” he says as Moss catches himself and turns toward Ezekiel.
It’s Moss who now grabs Ezekiel and tosses him into the wall.
“No more games, Zeke. I’m not helping you in the Main Event. I’m done listening to act like you have some sort of leverage on me.”
Moss lets go of Ezekiel and steps backward.
“You’re just going to have to do it on your own.”
Ezekiel smiles. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Done what?” he asks, quizzically.
“Let me go.” Ezekiel says.
As the last word escapes his mouth, he spears Moss into the wall. This time Moss has no time to counter and he crumples to the ground.
“A deal is a deal, bro. You were supposed to find me at Synergy and you chose not to. So, tonight when the bell rings there is going to be a special stipulation in place.”
Moss tries to catch his breath. “You..” *cough.. cough* “You only paid for a regular match. No gimmicks.” *cough.. cough*
“Call it what you want, bro. You’re going to ban EVERYONE from ringside, except The Vicious Kind. If anyone, except TVK, comes down to the ring during the match then I win by disqualification. And I am guaranteed a rematch at the following Synergy. Don’t reply. Just do what I said. No one comes down to the ring unless they are Tyvola or a part of The Vicious Kind. Roxy’s health lies in the balance, Moss. Be smart about it.”
Moss gets into a sitting position as Ezekiel turns and walks away. His phone begins to ring as he walks down the hallway.
“Hello? .. Yeah, it’s taken care of. Don’t worry about it, bro. Even without his help, I could defeat Tyvola. His head isn’t in the game. He’s too focused on graping people. .. No. There isn’t anything to think about. We don’t need her help. .. Tony keeps calling but there’s nothing to talk about. .. Whatever, she serves her own purpose by clouding his brain. .. I’m on my way to the locker room. .. Alright.”
He hangs up the phone as he reaches the door with the words The Vicious Kind painted onto a sign. He opens the door to see Scarlet hanging up her phone.
“Where’s Marek at?”
Scarlet points behind Ezekiel. Marek walks in behind him. Zeke looks a bit confused.
“We’re you following me?” he asks as he walks further into the room.
Marek shrugs as it appears something is bothering him.
“What’s the matter, bro? You still stressing your first PPV match back?”
Marek shrugs again. “It doesn’t feel right.”
“Elaborate for me.”
“Can she leave for a bit?”
Ezekiel looks up at Scarlet and nods his head toward the door. Scarlet sighs but obliges Marek and steps out of the room.
“Talk to me, bro. What doesn’t feel right?”
Marek sits down on a bench. “Teaming with someone else. We’re War & Peace. I barely even know JK.”
“We’re not trying to recreate War & Peace. That’s impossible. It’s a completely different dynamic, bro. We were all about speed. We outpaced our opponents from bell to bell. With JK, he’s a bit bigger than us. He has a bit more power than we do. It’s a different aspect of tag team wrestling. Why are you stressing? I thought you were ready.”
“Being ready and worrying a little are two different things. I am ready.”
“Then act like it. Look at the other two teams you’re facing, Marek. Code: Fusion are only on their 2nd match back and they’re fighting amongst themselves, drawing blood on each other. And TVHS are worried about losing for the 1st time since they’ve won the tag titles. You saw that video that played earlier. They’ve dominated everyone in their path, except us.”
Marek nods along as Ezekiel encourages him. He gets to his feet and begins to pace.
“You are right. Looking at the list of victims, I do not know why I was so worried. I could list my conquests and sound impressive just as well. Defeating retired tag teams, lower level talent, and random pairings is not a feat to brag about.”
Ezekiel smirks as he sees the confidence build in his old friend.
“Exactly, bro. You’ve struck fear the most dominant tag team in wrestling since.. well, since we were a tag team. Don’t let JK’s track record with the Rebels bring doubt into your mind. Those little B-Listers were holding him back. His record since dropping them speaks for itself. Trust me, Marek. JK is a great ally in this war against the Old Guard.”
Marek extends his hand to Ezekiel and they shake hands before embracing in a quick hug.
“Thank you, Ezekiel. I need to stop letting my mind become clouded with doubt. I need to have faith in your words, just like you have told me all along.”
“Wings or no wings, I am the guiding light, bro. Just don’t cry when you win. No tears allowed, bro. Tonight, The International Awesomeness that is JK and Marek Daisuke will walk down that aisle and tear apart any doubt that you guys are a random pairing. And then in the Main Event, The Epitome of Awesome, the ‘High’ Flyer, the Red-Eyed Wonder, the Iron Man, the..”
Marek holds his hand up. “Carry on.” Ezekiel chuckles lightly before doing just that.
“Well, you get the point. I will walk down that aisle and do what the Chief Negress, half of the Co-Op Champions, and THREE former World Champions failed to do. I will knock the Madman off his mountain and become the first person in UGWC to hold all 3 singles titles within 3 months.”
“Alright. Cut the chatter before you say something cliche, Zeke.”
“Whoa. It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t bust out some cheesy line, bro. TVK stands for The Vicious Kind and after tonight, we will have an alternate name. The Victorious Kind.”
Marek shakes his head. “Well, while you come up with more ‘cheesy’ lines, I’m going to get in a bit more training.”
He pats Ezekiel on the back before exiting the locker room. Zeke sits down on the bench and reaches into his bag. He pulls out a small case, opens it and pulls out a doobie. He lights it up and leans back against the wall after taking a drag and exhaling it.
“You train your way, I’ll train mine.” he says, before taking another pull off the treat. “They don’t call me the Red-Eyed Wonder for nothing.”
He continues puffing on the joint as the scene fades out.
