The Knights of the Squared Circle PT 1/3
Aug 7, 2021 21:46:03 GMT -5
Magdalena Lockheart, Tempest, and 1 more like this
Post by wwjbcd on Aug 7, 2021 21:46:03 GMT -5
Once upon a time.
When: Monday, May 31, 2021
What: Carnage Wrestling
Where: Carnage Arena
Where Again: Charm City, Maryland
What Again: Underground: Totality
Johnny Hitmaker: ...the REASON I’m here tonight… is… oh wait, first lemme make one thing… PERFECTLY CLEAR:
The fans groan and jeer.
Johnny Hitmaker: Be sure to tune in to Synergy on Monday, June 7, you know, the SUPERIOR wrestling show on Monday nights!
Louder booing ensues.
Johnny Vegas: That weasel’s just rubbing it in now!
Terra Skye: It’s like he feeds off the animosity of this Baltimore crowd!
Johnny Hitmaker: A show I feel might look quite differently than however the Consortium may be shaping it up to look. For you see, ladies and gentlemen, guys and gals in the back, and even you two over there!
He says as he points at Terra and Vegas.
Johnny Vegas: What’s he pointing at us for?!
Terra Skye: Hmmm…
Johnny Hitmaker: Carnage IS dead - and thank GOD for that, amirite, folks?
The fans start throwing crap at Johnny, who doesn’t bother to move, only swatting away at a couple cups but not much else. He holds up a finger.
Johnny Hitmaker: Ah. Ah. Listen. Carnage is DEAD… but that doesn’t mean anyone’s gotta be out of work. The Johnny is nothing if not ambitiously generous.
Johnny Vegas: ...What the fuck?
Terra Skye: I think you and I both know what’s going on.
Boy: SEVENTY GROSS PACKAGES OF GARBAGE!
Johnny Hitmaker: To that end… effective tonight at midnight, June 1st… every active Carnage contract… belongs to ME!!!!
The fans absolutely lose their minds, even going so far as to buy things just to throw them at the Canadian legend, who’s just laughing maniacally as he drops the mic.
Johnny Vegas: We… work for… Johnny Hitmaker now?!
Terra Skye: I was really hoping what I was thinking was wrong, I really was.
Johnny Vegas: This is HORSESHIT!
Terra Skye: Yeah, fuck this.. There’s no way he owns all these contracts. This guy is a real piece of work. Let’s just go on with the show, folks.. GET THIS ASSHOLE OUT OF OUR ARENA!!!
Now…
When: Sunday, August 1, 2021
What: The Unified Global Wrestling Coalition
Where: The UGWC Arena
Where Again: Chicago, Illinois
What Again: Synergy.com Exclusive!
“The Man With Two Brains” Johnny Hitmaker, flanked by his right hand man “Deathwish” Hide Yamazaki, is seated at an unreasonably large table with many uncomfortable-looking seats. He reserved this backroom in the arena in particular to be tactically sound. Security guards were close by, and it was large enough that he wouldn’t be in arm’s length of anyone regardless of how close their seats may appear to his own very comfy one. This meeting is a long time in the making - over a month! Johnny was secretly hoping to prove Duncan Ryder wrong by calling this meeting with all former Carnage Wrestling employees whose contracts were purchased once the company had folded. And while that part of him indeed wanted to be right about what his interactions with a large group of people who hated him would look like, another part of him hoped things would go smoothly so he could expand his army.... and finally obliterate Incendium and their allies forever. All he needed was to try to maintain his composure and be on his best behaviour.
“Those idiots better not stand me up if they know what’s good for them.” Johnny grumbled. Hide tried remaining stoic, but he found himself ever so slightly shaking his head and audibly sighing.
"The idiot is the only one not standing you up apparently," a female's voice came from the far side of the room. The security guards on standby and Hide himself all jump to the ready at the sound of stiletto heels clacking along the floor below.
Johnny looks up to see a silver-haired girl approach the south end of the grand table. Instead of approaching further, she opts to keep her distance by taking the chair closest to her and the exit. As she sits she places her championship belts down on the table before her and pulls her mirrored aviator sunglasses up and away from her chaos emerald green eyes.
"You do realize that I've spent three-quarters of my grand return to Wrestlestock scouring the grounds for your smarmy, scrawny ass... and yet it's also recently come to my attention that you - most likely - don't realize the significance of why I might do that. So tell me, Johnny, I'm dying to know. Why do you think I'd come looking for you with such fervor?"
Johnny examines this newcomer to the meeting, seemingly thoroughly lost. “I-I’m sorry, you’re…?”
Hide nudged Johnny to get him to behave. Johnny sucked his teeth, “Okay, all right, you’re Magdalena Lockheart! And as far as your question goes, I have no earthly idea why you’d be here for any reason but to get recruited to The Coalition!”
"No earthly idea, hmm?" Maggie drags her nails across the tabletop. "Ohh I think this might have something to do with you supposedly buying out all of the old contracts to Carnage Wrestling. I had a contract through CW with a lot of guaranteed money still left on it. If you did what you said that you did, why haven't I seen a check from you?"
There is a shuffling from outside and the door is pulled open. Jaclyn Pierrot, better known to the wrestling world as Ragdoll, attempts to enter but is held back by a guard. He holds firmly onto her forearm, careful to avoid the small H&K P7 she grips in her fist.
'You can't come in here with that!' the guard says.
Jaclyn holds up a finger, indicating she needs a moment before turning and jamming her hand into the guards pants. The door swings shut.
'What do you call a cheap circumcision?'
There is a scream. After a moment, the door opens once more and Jacky walks her way into the room. She has blood on her arm and dress, the other hand clutching the small .9mm. The guard slowly slumps to the ground as the door closes behind her.
'A ripoff!' Jaclyn smiles.
She aims the gun over at Johnny Hitmaker. He dives underneath the table. Hide meanwhile looks ready to fight. Hopefully he can punch bullets out of the air! A guard moves for her weapon, but she drives the base of it hard against his nose, 'Hey, can't you see I'm trying to shoot this guy?'
A half dozen guns are aimed at her. Assuming the situation is finally under control, Johnny peeks his head up.
“I-I don’t call this ‘capable of any situation’, SO-CALLED ‘SECURITY’!” Johnny barked.
“Should we let her go?” a guard asked. “Is she a guest?”
Johnny pressed both his hands against his face. The audacity and stupidity of the question was just too much for him. He wondered, maybe becoming an accountant like mom wanted would have been a better career choice after all. Johnny thought he had every situation taken care of. Oh, sure, he expected hijinks, but he expected hijinks of a more comical and less homicidal nature. The sheer and profound foolishness of the question actually caused one of Johnny’s brains to short-circuit, the other… the other’s just numb and doesn’t want to be her. Should they let the nutcase with a gun who just mangled someone’s genitals go. Should they free an armed lunatic. Is she a guest. Is this just playful banter and action from one of Johnny’s wacky friends. Oh yeah, sure, just let her go, security guard! Just lower your weapons and see if she bites your nose off before giving Johnny a lead enema! Why not? Nothing worse could happen today! Hey, why don’t you all just give her your guns! It’d be rude if our guest ran out of bullets, wouldn’t it? Fuckin’ idiots.
“Uh, she’s… a………… guest of sorts?” Johnny had to think quickly here. “So, uh, let’s say……….. let………. her go - carefully - and maybe, you know, DISARM HER FIRST?”
The guard reaches a hand out for the gun but Jaclyn instead points innocently to herself and then to Maggie, 'Me or her?'
She looks at Magdalena, surveying her once over before turning back to Johnny, 'I don't see a gun!'
Johnny now looked at Maggie with suspicion. Then back at Ragdoll with even more suspicion. “Lemme make one thing… PERFECTLY CLEAR: NO guns! NONE! No guns, knives, hand grenades, bazookas, poisons, toxins, mind control videos, magic spells, hacking anyone’s accounts, no reworking of reality itself, whatever you’re thinking, the answer is NO! This is a meeting! You got that? A MEETING… NOT a-”
Johnny scurries up to Ragdoll and pulls something from behind her - a gun.
“Whatever you were thinking of doing with THIS thing! There’s no need! No need, do you hear me?! NONE.”
'Hey!' Ragdoll protests, 'That's my lawyer! I thought this was a negotiation!
Her hand reaches out and honks Johnny's nose before erupting in high pitched laughter. Johnny’s eyes widened, but he thought it would be best to let it go, so he stormed back to his seat. Jaclyn settles down before turning to Maggie once more, 'Oh, hiya Maggs!'
"Miss Pierrot," Maggie replied with a humble nod. "You here to get paid too?"
“Okay, okay, enough with that, you’re gonna set her off again!” Johnny interrupted. “Listen, I can get into more detail once more people show up, but the fact of the matter is, I’m effectively your agent. You all are! It’s a symbiotic relationship, because you work for me, yes, that’s true, but in turn, I work for YOU!”
Johnny held out his hands as if saying “tadah!”. He also looks between the two for approval and/or understanding.
"Which one of you is Johnny Hitmaker?" a suited gentleman is heard walking past the area where all this chaos is trying to manifest. He peeks his head in and smiles. “Oh there you are!”
Ragdoll and Maggie both turn and cock an eyebrow. This person wasn’t in Carnage.
"Hello sir." The gentleman carrying a briefcase and a gold plated phone walks up to Johnny. He puts down the briefcase and extends his hand to Johnny. "My name is Ben Alexander, I represent Blue Blood International's Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Trent Steel does regret that he can't be here in person,but he arranged to have me be here to handle negotiations. One second. Yes, Mr. Steel, I have him right here."
Ben holds up the phone and cuts on the video for Johnny to see Trent Steel on the screen dressed in an expensive suit and shades.
"Good to see you Johnny. Sorry I can't be there, but I'm dealing with a family matter. I'm sure you heard about what happened with JC?" Trent says smiling. He looks a bit worse for wear in the face. “Ben...who else is there?”
Ben turns the phone to where Trent can see Maggie and Ragdoll. Before a response can be made, there is a flash of light just outside of the ring and The Avenger comes tumbling through the door, his cape twirling as he does.
“It’s okay, Citizens!” he said, holding up stacks of papers. “I’ve acquired the proper paperwork to get us out of this mess from the best lawyers in the multi…”
He then looked over and saw the Ragdoll staring at him, and subsequently pointed at her. “YOU!” he shouted.
“Mr. Steel there appears to be a cosplayer here should I have him re…”
“No Ben. He’s actually supposed to be there. Vengy!” Trent snaps his fingers close to the mic on the phone. “Focus superhero…”
Ragdoll points at Avenger, 'Hey! If I knew you were gonna be here, I'd have held onto my gun!'
"Need it back?" Magdalena quips.A guffaw like snort comes from the Trent phone.
Jaclyn winks over at Maggie before turning to the guard, looking down at the weapon in his hand. She looks back up to him with pleading eyes. He takes a nervous step backwards.
“Ragdoll...if you don’t try to cause mass murder I’ll have Ben here buy you ice cream.” Trent says, trying to hold back a chuckle. Ben turns the phone back to himself.
“Sir...Do I really have…”
“Ben...do you want to stay employed?”
“Yes sir...I will gladly get Miss Ragdoll some ice cream!” Ben says smiling and turning the phone back around to the wrestlers.
'Ice cream!' Ragdoll laughs loudly, continuing to stalk towards the guard. Her golden eyes are fully dilated and locked firmly with his, 'Get it? I scream?'
Johnny hasn’t even had time to get a word in edgewise or otherwise react to the new guests and their interactions, but he’s getting very fed up. “Okay, well, this all has been great, but, uh, could you guys-”
He says, pointing at the inept guards, “You know, and if it’s not too much trouble either: RESTRAIN HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
The guards hesitate at first, especially considering what happened to one of their own minutes earlier, but they figure, hey, strength in numbers, right? So they try dogpiling Ragdoll. Ragdoll resists initially, but the numbers eventually overwhelm her.
A while later, Ragdoll’s tied to a chair. Johnny personally investigates the craftsmanship on the knots, nodding in approval. He sits back down and exhales sharply.
“All right. Now that we FINALLY have some order, Ragdoll, Magdalena, Avenger, Ben, and Trent, let’s discuss your futures. But first of all, Mr. Steel, I send my best wishes to JC. If he can survive the force of the ultimate maneuver in professional wrestling, my client’s Hierophant, he can survive ANYTHING.”
“I’ll pass that along when he wakes up…” Trent says smiling through gritted teeth.
“Great!” Johnny replied. “Now, to bring you all up to speed, there was some time left on your Carnage contracts, and I thought, hey, why not just buy them and cut out the middleman? Figure you guys need the work and wanted to offer you all invitations to work in The Coalition!”
He turns to Avenger, “Except you, of course, since you’re already there.”
'Hear me out!' Jaclyn squeals from the chair, motioning with her hands as little else is able to move. The group stops for a moment to listen and after a brief pause, she raises two fingers, one on each hand.
'Fuck you.'
She bursts into her odd honking laughter once more. There is a ripping sound as a large section of duct tape is pulled off the roll and then stamped across her lips. She continues to mumble, but no actual words can be heard.
Maggie smirks.
"So you mean to tell me that you're going to tie her up and not me? That's just rude." Magdalena says as she hovers around the muffled clown. "You know, for a second there I honestly thought that you might've actually been serious, Johnny. But trying to pawn off your problems on UGWC? That's pretty damn low, even for a girl like me."
Maggie pats Ragdoll on the shoulder as she moves closer to Hitmaker.
"Now take Green Mosquito over here," she motions towards the Avenger, "He's not like the rest of us... apparently his superpower is that he can move forward from federation to federation without any baggage involved. The Coalition, as you so eloquently put them, welcomed that tightly-spandexed emerald ass with open arms. But do you honestly think for one second that they want Miss Murder Clown or The man voted most likely to kill himself in the act of killing others... or me?"
Lockheart slams her fist down on the table and points at Johnny. The Avenger, in the background, was staring at his backside to see if the spandex was indeed as tight as Lockheart claimed.
.
"No, see, they don't want us. And do you know why? We're outsiders." Maggie looks back at the former Carnage talent. "We're damaged goods to them; when they look at us all that they see is CW orange. Johnny, I'm sure somewhere in those two brains of yours that you know exactly how the Coalition feels about outsiders because something tells me that you're the type of guy who has seen it before."
Johnny had taken in everything said, both annoying and thought-provoking. He appears lost in thought, tapping a finger to his lips. Then his eyes lit up and he pounded his fist into his other hand. “You’re right!”
“First time?” Trent says smirking from the phone looking towards Maggie.
Maggie shrugs. "Ohh, you know. Blind squirrels and all that."
“Now that’s just nuts…” Trent says laughing. “But she brings up a good point. Personally I’m going to ask a question here...who here really gives a shit about this Coalition? Raise your hands...err...giggle if you can’t raise your hands.”
"Actually..." Lockheart clears her throat as she leans in towards the phone. "I may or may not have some unfinished business there... but it's not like I need 'Hitmakers' permission. You know?"
“Permission no. But you might not wanna piss in his cornflakes right away.” Trent says as he sips some tea. “I know coming from me that’s probably blasphemy, but I like to let the used car salesman finish his pitch before I punch him in the dick so to speak.”
"By all means," Maggie says as she motions towards the used car salesman, "Please, enlighten us before the illustrious Mister Steel decides to spill your nuts on the floor."
“Look, I don’t want to make this into a thing, seeing as I do have your collective attentions finally, but-” he gestures in Hide’s direction, who’s busy adjusting his chains. “So… you know… realistically… a-anyway! Anyway, so, you’re saying you don’t fit in with The Coalition, that you don’t even LIKE The Coalition, okay, I get it, REALLY I do! But, guys, isn’t it more impressive to crash the party than to ignore the invite?”
When: Monday, May 31, 2021
What: Carnage Wrestling
Where: Carnage Arena
Where Again: Charm City, Maryland
What Again: Underground: Totality
Johnny Hitmaker: ...the REASON I’m here tonight… is… oh wait, first lemme make one thing… PERFECTLY CLEAR:
The fans groan and jeer.
Johnny Hitmaker: Be sure to tune in to Synergy on Monday, June 7, you know, the SUPERIOR wrestling show on Monday nights!
Louder booing ensues.
Johnny Vegas: That weasel’s just rubbing it in now!
Terra Skye: It’s like he feeds off the animosity of this Baltimore crowd!
Johnny Hitmaker: A show I feel might look quite differently than however the Consortium may be shaping it up to look. For you see, ladies and gentlemen, guys and gals in the back, and even you two over there!
He says as he points at Terra and Vegas.
Johnny Vegas: What’s he pointing at us for?!
Terra Skye: Hmmm…
Johnny Hitmaker: Carnage IS dead - and thank GOD for that, amirite, folks?
The fans start throwing crap at Johnny, who doesn’t bother to move, only swatting away at a couple cups but not much else. He holds up a finger.
Johnny Hitmaker: Ah. Ah. Listen. Carnage is DEAD… but that doesn’t mean anyone’s gotta be out of work. The Johnny is nothing if not ambitiously generous.
Johnny Vegas: ...What the fuck?
Terra Skye: I think you and I both know what’s going on.
Boy: SEVENTY GROSS PACKAGES OF GARBAGE!
Johnny Hitmaker: To that end… effective tonight at midnight, June 1st… every active Carnage contract… belongs to ME!!!!
The fans absolutely lose their minds, even going so far as to buy things just to throw them at the Canadian legend, who’s just laughing maniacally as he drops the mic.
Johnny Vegas: We… work for… Johnny Hitmaker now?!
Terra Skye: I was really hoping what I was thinking was wrong, I really was.
Johnny Vegas: This is HORSESHIT!
Terra Skye: Yeah, fuck this.. There’s no way he owns all these contracts. This guy is a real piece of work. Let’s just go on with the show, folks.. GET THIS ASSHOLE OUT OF OUR ARENA!!!
Now…
When: Sunday, August 1, 2021
What: The Unified Global Wrestling Coalition
Where: The UGWC Arena
Where Again: Chicago, Illinois
What Again: Synergy.com Exclusive!
“The Man With Two Brains” Johnny Hitmaker, flanked by his right hand man “Deathwish” Hide Yamazaki, is seated at an unreasonably large table with many uncomfortable-looking seats. He reserved this backroom in the arena in particular to be tactically sound. Security guards were close by, and it was large enough that he wouldn’t be in arm’s length of anyone regardless of how close their seats may appear to his own very comfy one. This meeting is a long time in the making - over a month! Johnny was secretly hoping to prove Duncan Ryder wrong by calling this meeting with all former Carnage Wrestling employees whose contracts were purchased once the company had folded. And while that part of him indeed wanted to be right about what his interactions with a large group of people who hated him would look like, another part of him hoped things would go smoothly so he could expand his army.... and finally obliterate Incendium and their allies forever. All he needed was to try to maintain his composure and be on his best behaviour.
“Those idiots better not stand me up if they know what’s good for them.” Johnny grumbled. Hide tried remaining stoic, but he found himself ever so slightly shaking his head and audibly sighing.
"The idiot is the only one not standing you up apparently," a female's voice came from the far side of the room. The security guards on standby and Hide himself all jump to the ready at the sound of stiletto heels clacking along the floor below.
Johnny looks up to see a silver-haired girl approach the south end of the grand table. Instead of approaching further, she opts to keep her distance by taking the chair closest to her and the exit. As she sits she places her championship belts down on the table before her and pulls her mirrored aviator sunglasses up and away from her chaos emerald green eyes.
"You do realize that I've spent three-quarters of my grand return to Wrestlestock scouring the grounds for your smarmy, scrawny ass... and yet it's also recently come to my attention that you - most likely - don't realize the significance of why I might do that. So tell me, Johnny, I'm dying to know. Why do you think I'd come looking for you with such fervor?"
Johnny examines this newcomer to the meeting, seemingly thoroughly lost. “I-I’m sorry, you’re…?”
Hide nudged Johnny to get him to behave. Johnny sucked his teeth, “Okay, all right, you’re Magdalena Lockheart! And as far as your question goes, I have no earthly idea why you’d be here for any reason but to get recruited to The Coalition!”
"No earthly idea, hmm?" Maggie drags her nails across the tabletop. "Ohh I think this might have something to do with you supposedly buying out all of the old contracts to Carnage Wrestling. I had a contract through CW with a lot of guaranteed money still left on it. If you did what you said that you did, why haven't I seen a check from you?"
There is a shuffling from outside and the door is pulled open. Jaclyn Pierrot, better known to the wrestling world as Ragdoll, attempts to enter but is held back by a guard. He holds firmly onto her forearm, careful to avoid the small H&K P7 she grips in her fist.
'You can't come in here with that!' the guard says.
Jaclyn holds up a finger, indicating she needs a moment before turning and jamming her hand into the guards pants. The door swings shut.
'What do you call a cheap circumcision?'
There is a scream. After a moment, the door opens once more and Jacky walks her way into the room. She has blood on her arm and dress, the other hand clutching the small .9mm. The guard slowly slumps to the ground as the door closes behind her.
'A ripoff!' Jaclyn smiles.
She aims the gun over at Johnny Hitmaker. He dives underneath the table. Hide meanwhile looks ready to fight. Hopefully he can punch bullets out of the air! A guard moves for her weapon, but she drives the base of it hard against his nose, 'Hey, can't you see I'm trying to shoot this guy?'
A half dozen guns are aimed at her. Assuming the situation is finally under control, Johnny peeks his head up.
“I-I don’t call this ‘capable of any situation’, SO-CALLED ‘SECURITY’!” Johnny barked.
“Should we let her go?” a guard asked. “Is she a guest?”
Johnny pressed both his hands against his face. The audacity and stupidity of the question was just too much for him. He wondered, maybe becoming an accountant like mom wanted would have been a better career choice after all. Johnny thought he had every situation taken care of. Oh, sure, he expected hijinks, but he expected hijinks of a more comical and less homicidal nature. The sheer and profound foolishness of the question actually caused one of Johnny’s brains to short-circuit, the other… the other’s just numb and doesn’t want to be her. Should they let the nutcase with a gun who just mangled someone’s genitals go. Should they free an armed lunatic. Is she a guest. Is this just playful banter and action from one of Johnny’s wacky friends. Oh yeah, sure, just let her go, security guard! Just lower your weapons and see if she bites your nose off before giving Johnny a lead enema! Why not? Nothing worse could happen today! Hey, why don’t you all just give her your guns! It’d be rude if our guest ran out of bullets, wouldn’t it? Fuckin’ idiots.
“Uh, she’s… a………… guest of sorts?” Johnny had to think quickly here. “So, uh, let’s say……….. let………. her go - carefully - and maybe, you know, DISARM HER FIRST?”
The guard reaches a hand out for the gun but Jaclyn instead points innocently to herself and then to Maggie, 'Me or her?'
She looks at Magdalena, surveying her once over before turning back to Johnny, 'I don't see a gun!'
Johnny now looked at Maggie with suspicion. Then back at Ragdoll with even more suspicion. “Lemme make one thing… PERFECTLY CLEAR: NO guns! NONE! No guns, knives, hand grenades, bazookas, poisons, toxins, mind control videos, magic spells, hacking anyone’s accounts, no reworking of reality itself, whatever you’re thinking, the answer is NO! This is a meeting! You got that? A MEETING… NOT a-”
Johnny scurries up to Ragdoll and pulls something from behind her - a gun.
“Whatever you were thinking of doing with THIS thing! There’s no need! No need, do you hear me?! NONE.”
'Hey!' Ragdoll protests, 'That's my lawyer! I thought this was a negotiation!
Her hand reaches out and honks Johnny's nose before erupting in high pitched laughter. Johnny’s eyes widened, but he thought it would be best to let it go, so he stormed back to his seat. Jaclyn settles down before turning to Maggie once more, 'Oh, hiya Maggs!'
"Miss Pierrot," Maggie replied with a humble nod. "You here to get paid too?"
“Okay, okay, enough with that, you’re gonna set her off again!” Johnny interrupted. “Listen, I can get into more detail once more people show up, but the fact of the matter is, I’m effectively your agent. You all are! It’s a symbiotic relationship, because you work for me, yes, that’s true, but in turn, I work for YOU!”
Johnny held out his hands as if saying “tadah!”. He also looks between the two for approval and/or understanding.
"Which one of you is Johnny Hitmaker?" a suited gentleman is heard walking past the area where all this chaos is trying to manifest. He peeks his head in and smiles. “Oh there you are!”
Ragdoll and Maggie both turn and cock an eyebrow. This person wasn’t in Carnage.
"Hello sir." The gentleman carrying a briefcase and a gold plated phone walks up to Johnny. He puts down the briefcase and extends his hand to Johnny. "My name is Ben Alexander, I represent Blue Blood International's Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Trent Steel does regret that he can't be here in person,but he arranged to have me be here to handle negotiations. One second. Yes, Mr. Steel, I have him right here."
Ben holds up the phone and cuts on the video for Johnny to see Trent Steel on the screen dressed in an expensive suit and shades.
"Good to see you Johnny. Sorry I can't be there, but I'm dealing with a family matter. I'm sure you heard about what happened with JC?" Trent says smiling. He looks a bit worse for wear in the face. “Ben...who else is there?”
Ben turns the phone to where Trent can see Maggie and Ragdoll. Before a response can be made, there is a flash of light just outside of the ring and The Avenger comes tumbling through the door, his cape twirling as he does.
“It’s okay, Citizens!” he said, holding up stacks of papers. “I’ve acquired the proper paperwork to get us out of this mess from the best lawyers in the multi…”
He then looked over and saw the Ragdoll staring at him, and subsequently pointed at her. “YOU!” he shouted.
“Mr. Steel there appears to be a cosplayer here should I have him re…”
“No Ben. He’s actually supposed to be there. Vengy!” Trent snaps his fingers close to the mic on the phone. “Focus superhero…”
Ragdoll points at Avenger, 'Hey! If I knew you were gonna be here, I'd have held onto my gun!'
"Need it back?" Magdalena quips.A guffaw like snort comes from the Trent phone.
Jaclyn winks over at Maggie before turning to the guard, looking down at the weapon in his hand. She looks back up to him with pleading eyes. He takes a nervous step backwards.
“Ragdoll...if you don’t try to cause mass murder I’ll have Ben here buy you ice cream.” Trent says, trying to hold back a chuckle. Ben turns the phone back to himself.
“Sir...Do I really have…”
“Ben...do you want to stay employed?”
“Yes sir...I will gladly get Miss Ragdoll some ice cream!” Ben says smiling and turning the phone back around to the wrestlers.
'Ice cream!' Ragdoll laughs loudly, continuing to stalk towards the guard. Her golden eyes are fully dilated and locked firmly with his, 'Get it? I scream?'
Johnny hasn’t even had time to get a word in edgewise or otherwise react to the new guests and their interactions, but he’s getting very fed up. “Okay, well, this all has been great, but, uh, could you guys-”
He says, pointing at the inept guards, “You know, and if it’s not too much trouble either: RESTRAIN HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
The guards hesitate at first, especially considering what happened to one of their own minutes earlier, but they figure, hey, strength in numbers, right? So they try dogpiling Ragdoll. Ragdoll resists initially, but the numbers eventually overwhelm her.
A while later, Ragdoll’s tied to a chair. Johnny personally investigates the craftsmanship on the knots, nodding in approval. He sits back down and exhales sharply.
“All right. Now that we FINALLY have some order, Ragdoll, Magdalena, Avenger, Ben, and Trent, let’s discuss your futures. But first of all, Mr. Steel, I send my best wishes to JC. If he can survive the force of the ultimate maneuver in professional wrestling, my client’s Hierophant, he can survive ANYTHING.”
“I’ll pass that along when he wakes up…” Trent says smiling through gritted teeth.
“Great!” Johnny replied. “Now, to bring you all up to speed, there was some time left on your Carnage contracts, and I thought, hey, why not just buy them and cut out the middleman? Figure you guys need the work and wanted to offer you all invitations to work in The Coalition!”
He turns to Avenger, “Except you, of course, since you’re already there.”
'Hear me out!' Jaclyn squeals from the chair, motioning with her hands as little else is able to move. The group stops for a moment to listen and after a brief pause, she raises two fingers, one on each hand.
'Fuck you.'
She bursts into her odd honking laughter once more. There is a ripping sound as a large section of duct tape is pulled off the roll and then stamped across her lips. She continues to mumble, but no actual words can be heard.
Maggie smirks.
"So you mean to tell me that you're going to tie her up and not me? That's just rude." Magdalena says as she hovers around the muffled clown. "You know, for a second there I honestly thought that you might've actually been serious, Johnny. But trying to pawn off your problems on UGWC? That's pretty damn low, even for a girl like me."
Maggie pats Ragdoll on the shoulder as she moves closer to Hitmaker.
"Now take Green Mosquito over here," she motions towards the Avenger, "He's not like the rest of us... apparently his superpower is that he can move forward from federation to federation without any baggage involved. The Coalition, as you so eloquently put them, welcomed that tightly-spandexed emerald ass with open arms. But do you honestly think for one second that they want Miss Murder Clown or The man voted most likely to kill himself in the act of killing others... or me?"
Lockheart slams her fist down on the table and points at Johnny. The Avenger, in the background, was staring at his backside to see if the spandex was indeed as tight as Lockheart claimed.
.
"No, see, they don't want us. And do you know why? We're outsiders." Maggie looks back at the former Carnage talent. "We're damaged goods to them; when they look at us all that they see is CW orange. Johnny, I'm sure somewhere in those two brains of yours that you know exactly how the Coalition feels about outsiders because something tells me that you're the type of guy who has seen it before."
Johnny had taken in everything said, both annoying and thought-provoking. He appears lost in thought, tapping a finger to his lips. Then his eyes lit up and he pounded his fist into his other hand. “You’re right!”
“First time?” Trent says smirking from the phone looking towards Maggie.
Maggie shrugs. "Ohh, you know. Blind squirrels and all that."
“Now that’s just nuts…” Trent says laughing. “But she brings up a good point. Personally I’m going to ask a question here...who here really gives a shit about this Coalition? Raise your hands...err...giggle if you can’t raise your hands.”
"Actually..." Lockheart clears her throat as she leans in towards the phone. "I may or may not have some unfinished business there... but it's not like I need 'Hitmakers' permission. You know?"
“Permission no. But you might not wanna piss in his cornflakes right away.” Trent says as he sips some tea. “I know coming from me that’s probably blasphemy, but I like to let the used car salesman finish his pitch before I punch him in the dick so to speak.”
"By all means," Maggie says as she motions towards the used car salesman, "Please, enlighten us before the illustrious Mister Steel decides to spill your nuts on the floor."
“Look, I don’t want to make this into a thing, seeing as I do have your collective attentions finally, but-” he gestures in Hide’s direction, who’s busy adjusting his chains. “So… you know… realistically… a-anyway! Anyway, so, you’re saying you don’t fit in with The Coalition, that you don’t even LIKE The Coalition, okay, I get it, REALLY I do! But, guys, isn’t it more impressive to crash the party than to ignore the invite?”
TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW!
