Underground Rules
2 RP Limit for singles
3500 word max per RP
Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET FRIDAY, February 16, 2024 **Note Deadline – Show still takes place on February 15**
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February 8th, 2024
Louisville, Kentucky
Off Camera
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It is amazing how things can quickly turn around, isn’t it? It wasn’t that long ago that Kimberly Williams found herself in a heated war with the House of James. The Woman Scorned was alone on the front lines fighting not only to regain her Underground Championship, but also to rid SCW of the cult like influence of James Evans once and for all. When all seemed lost, the Queen of the Death Match got some allies; at Body, Heart, & Soul Amy Chastaine led Chance Owens, Kirsten Scott, and Cassie Wolffe into battle against James Evans’s followers, leaving Kimberly on a level playing field against James himself. The House of James was defeated. James Evans was defeated. And Kimberly Williams won her record tying fifth SCW Underground Championship. With Evans and his House now ousted from Supreme Championship Wrestling, Kimberly Williams can now return the Underground back to normal. But that wasn’t the only good thing to happen to The Woman Scorned that night. Just when Kim needed her the most, Marie Jones made her return to SCW. Kim’s identical twin sister showed up in the crowd and provided a distraction, allowing The Woman Scorned to strike and pick up the victory. Some may call into doubt Kim’s involvement in Marie’s return. Some may believe that the sisters utilized some twin magic that night. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time they had helped one another in SCW. In this case, Kimberly legitimately had no idea that her identical twin would show up at Body, Heart, & Soul. She legitimately had no idea Marie would involve herself on Kim’s behalf. It comes as a pleasant surprise to The Woman Scorned. Kim has missed having her sister around to travel with her, to fight by her side in SCW. Sure, Marie’s absence has given Kim the opportunity to prove that she can handle herself on her own. But it does feel great to have Marie back by her side.
Tonight in Louisville, Kentucky, at the KFC Yum Arena, Marie Jones had her first official match back at SCW since leaving years ago. It was a victorious effort against Aisling. Kimberly did not make her presence felt this evening, she decided to let Marie have the spotlight. But it didn’t mean that she wasn’t there, watching on in support of her sister. Now Kim can focus on her next task; defeating relative newcomer David Striker in an Underground Rules Match next week in Portland, Oregon. It will be Kim’s first Underground match since Body, Heart, & Soul. She will be well rested after the war with James and hopefully ready to take down Striker.
Williams, at the request of Marie and their mother and manager Angelica Jones, stayed behind at the hotel. But when Breakdown concluded, Kim raced down to the hotel lobby eagerly awaiting her sibling’s arrival. Kim didn’t choose the hotel, otherwise it would have been far less luxurious and opulent in its ambiance. Marie is the sister who prefers the upscale style. To Kim’s left is a desk that sits beneath a towering marble arch with impeccably dressed workers serving the patrons. Soft instrumental music drifts through the air creating a nice, relaxing atmosphere. Kim is at the sitting area, in an oversized armchair against the backdrop of cream colored walls. She is wearing a black “Flightless Bird Wasley” t-shirt, torn denim jeans, flip flops, and her black “Queens of Chaos” logo leather jacket.
“Where the hell is she?!” Kim says impatiently, looking down at her watch. “She should have been here already!” She sighs as she stands up and approaches the desk. She gets the attention of one of the attendees, a young man with brown hair. He approaches smiling politely.
“May I help you?”
“Have you seen me?”
“Uh, excuse me?”
“My evil twin! Have you seen her?”
“Evil twin…ma’am?”
“Yes, evil twin.” Kim rolls her eyes. “Haven’t you heard of evil twins before?!” Kim grows more and more impatient. But then she happens to see out of the corner of her eye the main doors opening. The Queen of the Death Match turns and happens to see Marie Jones walking in. “Nevermind!”
The front desk clerk is certainly happy to see Kim leave. Meanwhile, The Woman Scorned makes a beeline for her twin sister Marie Jones. In contrast to Kim’s more plain style, Marie is wearing a knee length floral print skirt, black high heel pumps, and a red silk blouse. Kim embraces her sister in a tight hug. The hug is so tight that Marie ends up dropping her bags.
“Marie!!!” Kim exclaims happily. “You were sooooooo awesome tonight!”
“Thanks…” Marie chokes out “...but uh, can you let go? I can hardly breathe.”
“Sorry!” Kim smirks as she lets go of her grip. “I forget my own strength.”
“It’s ok. It isn’t entirely your fault, to be honest. Aisling put up a hell of a fight, I’m still sore from the damage she did.”
“But you won!” Kim pumps her fist into the air excitedly. “You won by dropping her on her head! Although you probably shoulda dropped her on the head again…and again….and again…and again…”
“Kim!”
“What?”
“This wasn’t the Underground.” Marie points out. “There wasn’t really any need to give her a concussion just to win a match.”
“True. Underground does require a bit more violence than your standard wrestling match. Just one standard move won’t be enough to keep your typical Underground fighter down for the count. It usually takes a little something extra! Like, say, strapping an explosive to your knee and driving it into their face!”
“Yeah, don’t remind me about that.” Marie shakes her head. “What you did to James at Body, Heart, & Soul was unreal.”
“Unreal but totally worth it!” Kim grins nastily. “It certainly kept him down for the count. I wonder if Davey Crocket Striker will be ready for that kinda violence next week?”
“You think you’ll be ready for Striker?” Marie asks with an arched brow. “That fight with James was brutal. And its been, what, just little over two weeks since?”
“Oh I’ll be fine!” Kim winks knowingly. “Remember, I am the Queen of the Death Match, the Underground Champion, and most importantly, I have the support of my sister!” Once again Kim hugs Marie. “It really is great to have you back, sis!”
“I’m honestly surprised and grateful that SCW let me come back.”
“They HAD to let you come back!” Kim exclaims. “You are a former United States, Television, and Tag Champion in SCW! You are The SCW Phoenix! You are…”
“I am the woman who walked out on her SCW contract. I am the one who threw a tantrum because she didn’t get what she wanted and walked out. I hurt a lot of people, Kim, and SCW had no reason to sign me to another contract because of that alone. Add to that the fact that I jumped the barrier and involved myself in your match at Body, Heart, & Soul.”
“Yes but you paid the fine.”
“My point is that I don’t have that great of a reputation.” Marie shakes her head. “I’m lucky that SCW is willing to take a chance on me.”
“Lucky?” Kim wraps her arm around Marie’s shoulder. “For all of its faults, SCW is a very forgiving place. I knew they’d let you come back. It was just a matter of when you’d get the guts to come back.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Marie shrugs her shoulders.
“I know I’m right. Now you go on up to the room, I wanna go and get some coffee and then I’ll meet you up there. Then you can tell me all about what happened tonight!”
“Sounds like a plan.” Marie grins. The sisters hug one final time before they part ways. Kimberly skips over to the sitting area. Not too far from where she was just sitting Kim spots a tall table with the coffee maker on top. Kim isn’t normally a big coffee drinker but tonight coffee is just the thing for a long evening of talking with her twin sister. It has been far too long since they had a night like this, a night of discussing the events of SCW Breakdown, talking strategy for the future. Kim doesn’t want to miss any of it. She takes a cup and starts to pour some coffee into the cup. But before she can finish she is immediately startled by the loud sound of arguing nearby. One voice certainly sounds familiar but the other voice is unmistakable; its her twin sister Marie. Marie is arguing with someone and Marie sounds more than just distressed. She sounds almost fearful.
“What the…” Kim turns towards the sound of the commotion. Her eyes grow wide as she spots Marie Jones arguing with a familiar friend, a friend that Kim knows all too well, but unfortunately a friend that Kim has yet to introduce Marie to…
…Kim’s friend from Baltimore, the friend she spoke with in the Waffle House; the man known only as Larry.
“Oh crap!” Kim smacks her forehead and curses her own stupidity. This is her mistake and she knows it. She quickly rushes over towards Larry and Marie as they engage in a heated argument.
“This is no time for games!” Larry says sternly and angrily at Marie. “I do not have the patience for your games this evening!”
“What are you talking about?!” Marie exclaims. “I have no clue who you are or why you’re harassing me!”
“Do NOT play innocent with me!”
“Do not threaten me or I will call the police!”
“No need for any of that you two!” Kim immediately gets in between Larry and Marie. Larry looks at Kimberly, then back at Marie, then back at Kimberly. A look of realization slowly washes across his face. “That’s it, Lawrence of Arabia, calm down, big guy! This is just a case of misunderstanding…”
“Kimberly…you know I hate it when you call me that.”
“Yes, you’ve said that a few dozen times.” Kim winks playfully. “And yet I keep ignoring you!”
Kim!” The dumbfounded Marie finally speaks up. “Care to explain what this is all about?! Obviously you know this idiot!”
“Yes, I know the idiot.” Kim nods her head. “And he really isn’t an idiot, it’s my fault. As usual, most everything is my fault.”
“No, no, it was my mistake.” Larry insists. “Kimberly told me about her identical twin sister, before. I should have known, but I was convinced it was another of Kimberly’s games.” Larry bows briefly before Marie. “My apologies, Ms. Jones.” Marie looks over at Kim with a confused look on her face.
“Who is this guy?”
“Oh yeah…Marie, this is Larry Dempsey. Larry, this is my sister Marie.”
“My pleasure, Ms. Jones. I have heard so much about you and it is nice to finally meet you. I hate that we got off onto such a bad foot.”
“Right…” Marie looks to Kim for more answers.
“Larry and I were both patients at the same psychiatric ward when I was locked up.” Kim explains. “I was psychotic. A homicidal maniac. Larry here, he kept hearing voices in his head. In fact, for a time he thought he was possessed by a demon!”
“You really didn’t need to bring that up…” Larry shakes his head in embarrassment.
“Well you did! And didn’t you tell me those exorcisms were working?”
“They were MINOR rites of exorcism, and I never said I actually believer that they were effective.”
“Placebo effect, got it.”
“Excuse me!” Marie speaks up. “Still a little lost here!”
“Oh, right!” Kim grins. “Sorry! But uh, yeah, Larry and I kinda helped each other when we were locked up in the psych ward. We helped each other mentally and emotionally to survive being locked up and away from our families. We’ve kinda kept in touch with each other ever since, right Lawrence of Arabia?”
“Yes. We visit one another regularly to check in on one another, to make sure that the other hasn’t…how do you say…fallen off the wagon.”
“In other words, he makes sure I don’t go on killing sprees or kidnapping random people, and I make sure he doesn’t start spinning his head around, vomiting pea green soup, or speaking ritualistic phrases in an unknown language!”
“Kimberly…” Larry sighs out of frustration “...you could try to take our relationship seriously.”
“I don’t take anything seriously. That’s my charm!”
“She’s right, y’know?” Marie chimes in. “You can’t get Kim to take anything seriously.”
“See? She gets it!”
“Fair enough.” Larry leans in to speak into Kim’s ear. “We should talk.”
“We are talking.”
“Privately.” Larry says sternly. Kim sighs and rolls her eyes.
“Ugh, fine!” Kim turns towards Marie. “Uh, sis, do you mind going on up to the hotel room? I’ll be up there shortly. I just have to talk to Lawrence of Arabia here.”
“Are you sure?” Marie still doesn’t feel completely safe around this newcomer. Kim nods her head.
“Oh don’t worry, Larry wouldn’t hurt me. Besides, if he does kill me, I will totally become a ghost and tell you sometime tonight so you can go on a mission to seek vengeance for my death.”
“Yeah…sure…” Marie sighs she picks up her bags and walks away towards the elevator. Once Marie is out of sight, Kim motions for Larry to follow her towards the sitting area of the hotel lobby. There they sit down next to one another on the comfortable sofa.
“Ok, Lawrence of Arabia, we normally meet at that run down Waffle House in Baltimore. That’s our pattern. That’s our schedule. Yet for whatever reason you’ve moved on from our pattern to just stalking my happy ass to Louisville?”
“It was hardly stalking. You work for Supreme Championship Wrestling. I assumed you would be there, as most of your fans would assume you would be there.”
“But I wasn’t advertised for the event.” Kim points at Larry. “You are a creepy stalker.”
“Says the woman who kidnapped her own identical twin sister, locked her in a basement, and took her place for a month.”
“Fair point. So we’re equally creepy.” Kim grins. “I guess that’s why we’re such great pals!”
“Would you at least make an attempt to be serious, Kimberly?”
“Fine, I will be serious.” The Woman Scorned points a finger at Larry. “Why DID you follow me here? Why not just wait until our next Baltimore meeting? And for that matter…” Kim arches her brow out of curiosity “...what about our little project?”
“The…‘project’...as you put it, is safe.”
“Good, because I’m busy! Next week I finally go back into the Underground. I fight David Striker, some noob who has been on quite the roll since joining SCW and now he has the audacity to step into MY Underground? I just won back the SCW Underground Championship and it’s time I remind him and everyone else whose house this is!”
“You have other responsibilities, Kimberly.” Larry remarks. “And you really need to get your priorities in order.”
“My priorities are in order.”
“Then prove it.” Larry states. “Come take a ride with me, back to my hotel.”
“Oh now you want me to go back to your place?” Kim laughs. “You really are sounding creepy, Lawrence of Arabia.”
“No games, Kimberly. I believe you should know why I want you to return with me.”
“No, I…” Kim’s eyes grow wide “...you didn’t…”
“I did.” Larry nods his head.
“You brought my project here?!”
“As I have said before, Kimberly, your ‘project’ is a PERSON! Not an object! Not an item!”
“Oh cry me a river.” Kim rolls her eyes. “But fine…SHE shouldn’t be here! You should be taking care of her, back in BALTIMORE!”
“This is every bit your responsibility as it is mine. To be fair, this is truly more YOUR responsibility than it is mine. I chose to help you because of our friendship. But I am being honest with you, Kimberly, you need to step up and start carrying more of the weight, sharing in this responsibility. You are my friend, Kimberly, but I grow weary of taking care of YOUR problems.”
“What do you want from me, huh?”
“I already told you. Come with me. Come see her.”
Kim pauses for a moment, thinking things through. Eventually the Queen of Chaos sighs and nods her head. “Fine, fine, just let me go tell Marie not to wait up. Ok? Then I’ll be back down.”
“Sure, of course.” There is a note of sarcasm in Larry’s voice. “Yes, I will wait on you. I will wait while you pretend to go tell your sister, only for you to sneak away so you can yet again avoid your responsibilities.”
“You know me so well!” Kimberly exclaims playfully.
“Perhaps I did waste my time coming to see you here in Louisville?”
“Yeah, yeah you did, Lawrence of Arabia.” Kim stands up and starts to walk away. Larry quickly grabs her by her arm.
“Don’t.”
“Oh c’mon, what are you gonna do?”
“It doesn’t have to be a long visit. It can be brief, my friend. Just…something…”
Kim feels a sense of guilt washing over her. It is a strange feeling, one that Kim doesn’t feel that often. Finally Kim relents. “Oh alright! I will come with you!”
“Do you mean it this time?”
“Yes, damn it yes!” Kim exclaims. “I’ll just text Marie. She’ll understand. This won’t be the first time I’ve up and disappeared, but at least I will have let her know.”
“Good. Thank you, Kimberly.”
“Yeah, well just don’t do this to me again, ok? I do not like being put on the spot like this! And I do not like to be made out to be a cold hearted selfish person, y’know? I have other things to do. I can’t afford to be distracted.”
“She isn’t a distraction.” Larry points out.
“Yeah, right, whatever.” Kim rolls her eyes.
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February 14th, 2024
Portland, Oregon
On Camera
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It is dark, nighttime has come upon Portland, Oregon. Breakdown is now just twenty four hours away. Supreme Championship Wrestling is rolling into Portland and that is what brings us to the parking lot of the Moda Center, the sporting arena that will play host to SCW Breakdown. Off in the distance the arena stands tall and proud, but the parking lot is mostly empty, eerily quiet, perhaps in anticipation of the chaos and excitement that is to come? The quiet breaks when the sound of footsteps approaching can be heard. A few moments later and we spot the new SCW Underground Champion Kimberly Williams entering the scene from the right. The Woman Scorned is wearing a flamboyant gothic style dress with a combination of rich purples and vibrant greens. It features a dramatic arrangement of feathers in shades of purple and green. Her SCW Underground Championship, 5LW Television Championship, and HKW Bloodlust Championship title belts are all wrapped around her waist, creating for an unusual appearance, although “unusual” is the “usual” for Kim. She carries her beloved penguin plushy, Wasley, in her right hand.
“It’s morning again in SCW!” She looks up into the moonlit sky and then shrugs her shoulders. “Ok, it’s still dark out, but c’mon? It’s a great metaphor for everything that happened at Body, Heart, & Soul! James Evans and his silly cult of pathetic followers thought that they could force their twisted beliefs onto the SCW universe. They thought that they could hijack MY Underground and hold it hostage all in the name of non-violence. They thought that they could preach non-violence by ruthlessly beating up and beating down anyone who stood in their way.” She pats herself on the chest. “But I wasn’t afraid to stand in their way. I stood in the way of the House of James every step of the way. Yes, the fight was difficult, it was painful physically and emotionally. There were victories and major defeats. But I never wavered and, eventually, I inspired others to fight by my side. Amy Chastaine, Chance Owens, The Onesie, and Cassie Wolfe all stepped up to the plate. They beat back James Evans’s army. And then I beat back James Evans himself. I cut off the head of the snake. Together we banished James and his House from SCW once and for all., once again making this place safe for everyone from every walk of life. Free to be a high flier, free to be a brawler or a powerhouse, free to be hardcore, free to approach this business however the hell you want!” Williams smirks and then pats her newly won championship belt.
“But most importantly, I took back what is rightfully mine! I regained the SCW Underground Championship for a record tying fifth time! I sent a message at Body, Heart, & Soul to anyone who wants to step up to me in the future. This is MY Underground. I am the Queen of the Death Match and anyone who even dares think about entering the world of the SCW Underground had better recognize just what they are getting themselves into. Every single time I lost this championship, I made it a point to step up my own level of violence to unthinkable, unheard of levels. My friend Oktoberfest had it, we went to war in a weaponized cage and I took it back. Deanna Frost had it, and I respect the hell out of her too, but I mauled four other people to get it back. Owen Cruze took it from me, and then I used my Trios Contract to create the most chaotic, barbaric match in the history of Supreme Championship Wrestling, and I took back my spot. Most recently James Evans tried to put me down. He even created a cult fashioned in his own stupid likeness, thinking that would be enough to keep me down. But look at what happened? The House of James is gone. James is gone. And I am once again the SCW Underground Champion. And once again I stepped up my level of violence, I increased the level of chaos and mayhem. I was dangerous before, but imagine how dangerous I am now?” The Queen of the Death Match throws her head back and laughs.
“So who has the guts to step up and step into MY Underground?” Kim holds her penguin Wasley up to her ear. “What’s that Wasley? You know who my next challenger is?” She nods her head, pretending as if she is interacting with this penguin. “Uh-huh, yeah…David Striker?” She grins nastily. “Perfect.” Kim turns back to face the camera and waves playfully.
“Hi there Davey Crockett Striker! Wasley told me sooooo much about you! I cannot wait to go toe to toe against the American folk hero who died bravely defending the Alamo…” she looks down at Wasley again, furrowing her brow “...wait, what do you mean it’s the wrong Davey? Well, I suppose it makes sense. I doubt a dead person would be able to face me tomorrow night. Although fighting an undead zombie guy from the Alamo would have been awesome!” She sighs “Oh well! So who is this guy I’m facing anyway?” She places her penguin up to her ear as if she is listening to him. “Uh-huh, right, right…ok, gotcha…” Kim looks back at the camera.
“I understand now, Davey Crockett Striker. I think. Anyway, I give ya tons of credit for at least two things. First of all, ya stepped up to the plate! I have been the Queen of the Death Match and Queen of the Underground for a long ass time. You’re no dummy, I’m sure you did your homework. You saw how I put myself and others through barbed wire and broken glass and thumbtacks on a regular basis. I’m sure you saw how I strapped a freaking explosive to my knee and drove it straight into the face of one James Evans. Those are the lengths I’ve been willing to go to create beautiful, glorious chaos, carnage, and inevitably win my matches. Those are the lengths I have been willing to go to retain my spot at the top of the Underground. I’m sure you know this, Davey, and yet you still stepped up and agreed to this fight.” She snickers nastily. “Because trust me, Davey, this won’t be a wrestling match. This won’t be a technical masterpiece, although I am perfectly capable of one. This is Underground Rules. This is going to be violent, barbaric, bloody, and downright cruel. That is what you signed up for, buddy, and I respect the guts it took to do so.”
“I also respect and recognize you from what you’ve done so far. Crystal Zdunich, Cassie Wolfe, Kevin Hunter, you beat them all. You are unbeaten in SCW since your arrival. That’s something to be commended.” Kim makes the ‘timeout’ sign. “Hold up! Folks watching at home, you might want to record this because I am about to get serious and you know how freaking rare it is that I get serious about anything!” She grins playfully. “But yeah, Davey, you can take it from me, because I have been quite the journeyman. I have journeyed from promotion to promotion fighting anyone and everyone willing to throw down. For my money, Supreme Championship Wrestling is easily the most highly competitive roster in wrestling today. The fact that you are unbeaten here with this roster is definitely something to crow about, and that’s why I am willing to sing your praises right here and now.” She holds up a hand.
“BUT…as impressive as those victories were, this is a completely different environment. You beat Zdunich, Wolfie, and Hunter in WRESTLING MATCHES. You are about to set foot into the Underground, MY Underground, the most barbaric and violent atmosphere you could ever imagine. And you are walking into this chaotic world of the Underground against a completely different animal than you’ve ever had to face before.” Williams smirks devilishly. “Yeah, I think ‘animal’ could be an appropriate term to describe me, especially when it comes to Underground Rules. In the Underground I throw all sense of my humanity out the window and I go straight for the jugular. I go for the kill. And not only is this your first taste of the SCW Underground Division, you are dipping your toe into the Underground for the first time against the SCW Underground Champion herself.” The Woman Scorned laughs a little and then shrugs her shoulder. “Y’know, looking back on it, maybe you HAVEN’T thought this through very well? Maybe you DON’T know what you’ve gotten yourself into? If you do, then yeah, you deserve to be commended.”
“If not, well then let me tell you that all this momentum you’ve built up, your victories, all of it is about to be put to the test.” She points to the camera. “You, Davey Crockett Striker, are about to be put to the ultimate test. You are facing me in an Underground Rules Match, the type of match that I have perfected. And if you think Underground Rules is just another name for a Hardcore Division, a marketing tool that SCW can slap on t-shirts and make money, then you have another thing coming. The Underground Division is about much more than just senseless violence. The last guy who misunderstood the Underground? He’s no longer here because I ended him. Yes, the Underground is about violence…but it is also about embracing the beauty of chaos. Any plans or strategies you may come up with, Davey Boy, will all go to hell in the face of glorious chaos. The Underground is about survival, because only the strongest can survive and endure in MY Underground.”
“So it appears as if you have a lot of introspection to do, Davey Crockett Striker. Go and look into a mirror and ask yourself; is this the face of a survivor? Or is this the face of a prospect who will falter and fall under the pressure of the Underground? Is this the face of someone who can endure and even embrace the chaos? Or is this the face of someone who will be overwhelmed by the chaos? You need to ask yourself those questions, Davey. You need to figure out just who the hell you are and whether or not you are ready for the storm that is coming.” She points to the Moda Center that stands behind her. “Tomorrow night, in that building behind me, you will have to step into my world, into the Underground. Whether you are ready or not you will have to face off against the Queen of the Death Match. Trust me when I say that this will be unlike anything else you have ever had to face since your arrival in SCW. I take nothing away from those other victories, those were definitely hard fought wins, but facing me in an Underground Rules is taking things to a whole new level. Will you be able to stand firm in the face of adversity or will you fall flat on your back after I drive my knee into your head?” Williams lifts her penguin Wasley back up to her head.
“What’s that, Wasley? Uh-huh…yeah…yeah, I’ll tell him…” Kim grins at the camera “...Davey? Wasley wishes you the best of luck tomorrow night.” She winks at the camera. “He says you’ll need it!” Kimberly skips away happily, whistling cheerfully until she is off screen. The camera then fades to black.
{The screen static jumps to a shot outside of Por Que No in Portland Oregeon before cutting to the inside and a table set off to one side of the large dining area where we see none other than David Striker and Chris Dumont enjoying some sodas and appetizers as they look over their menus, Striker seems somewhat distracted by something as Chris’ eyes narrow as he scans his menu}
David: Where is he?
Chris: He’ll be here, you know how he is.
David; Still, I’m holding off ordering for his slow ass…
Voice: Who the hell you calling “slow”, Davey boy??
{David and Chris look up as a towering man of Samoan birth strides through the room, making a beeline directly to the first open seat at the table and sitting down, but not before clasping arms and being pulled down into a brotherly hug by David}
David: Feh, you know I gotta give you shit, Rocco.
{The newcomer rolls his eyes at David’s comment before looking over at Chris and nodding his head at the other man}
Man: Yo.
Chris: How’s things, Don Rocco.
Man: Don’t call me that.
Chris: Then how come you’re cool with David when he does it, Joey?
Joey: Because blood and you’re not, Chris. Maybe one day when you can pull your boots out of your mouth.
{Chris seriously tries to look offended for a couple of seconds before he finally breaks down and starts laughing hard before Joey pulls him into a brotherly hug as well}
Chris: You’re a right bastard, Joey, you know that don’t you?
Joey: Course I do, that’s why I gotta keep giving you shit my man.
David: Alright, enough. Let’s sit down and finally get to ordering…I’m feeling a righteous need for fajitas.
{The trio get their orders in and while Joey takes a drink from his glass, he stops mid drink and then points at David}
Joey: Oi, the reason why I was running behind is because I caught the promo for your opponent on Breakdown this week and with all due respects to her, she’s a right nutter.
David: You’re talking about Kimberly Williams right? All that I know is that I’ve got something called an “Underground” match against her.
Joey: Yeah, I did a little light digging and it turns out that your match is a hardcore match.
{David stops and takes a good hard look at Joey who simply resumes drinking his drink before he notices David’s reaction and nods in the affirmative}
Joey: No bullshit, brother. You're going hardcore this week in SCW.
David: Great…you know that this is my first hardcore match anywhere right?
Chris: Yeah, just be glad it isn’t against that Jamie Austin bitch over in NFW though. She might bloody you up hard just to get under Jake’s skin.
David: Talk about understatements of the past year, Chris.
Joey: I think that you’ve got this one in the bag however, I mean she cut…something, I guess you could call it a promo but it looked more like she was trying to get her mack on or something like that.
David: Doesn’t matter if she cut a hardcore rap about doing her dirty laundry or did a runner with some looney tunes, Joey. She’s no bloody joke in that ring, so I know that I’ve got my work cut out for me this time. I mean I beat Kevin Hunter at the pay per view and he was more focused on turning me into a stepping stone for him in SCW…Kimberly Williams is a whole different creature.
Chris: I’ll agree with you on that, my friend. But if you’re worried about how to throw down with her…you could ask him for advice…
{David slowly turns and gives Chris a very hard, dark look which causes his friend to slowly wilt under his gaze at which point Joey makes a slight clicking sound with his tongue}
Joey: Brother, cut him some slack. You know he was just trying to offer you some honest advice.
David: I know, but I also know that going to…*him*...won’t end on a good note. I’m sorry about the death glare, Chris…but you know?
Chris: Yeah, I know…but if you don’t want to ask *him*, then who could you turn to for advice about how to prep for a hardcore match?
{The three men halt their conversation as their food arrives and they start to eat when as he is setting up one of his first fajitas, David’s eyes blink in surprise before he turns to look at his two friends}
David: I think I might know the right person…
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{The screen static jumps to the parking lot outside of the restaurant where we find David and he is wearing a black peacoat to ward off the chilly air of the February night with Chris standing in the background leaning against the wall with a bemused look on his bearded face}
David: It’s Breakdown time again and this time I’m about to step into my first ever hardcore match against Kimberly Williams. That’s right, the Demon Barber of Cameron North Carolina is about to step into the hardcore world of the Woman Scored.
I’m about to get my ass handed to me in creatively violent ways…but I’m still going to be the winner of this match.
I say that and instantly I know that a lot of you out there are going “God *[i]DAMN*!!! Davey Striker has finally flipped his bloody lid if he thinks that he’ll be able to hold his own against Freaking Kimberly Williams of all fucking people!![/i]”....and you might be right, but right now I know that the powers that be are looking at the match while licking their chops because you’ve got two incredibly gifted second generation wrestlers about to tear each apart in all sorts and manners and ways and only one of them has any real experience with hardcore matches, and we all know that Miss Williams is no slouch in that department as she has five SCW Underground championships to her name that she’s accredited with.
But none of that means anything to me because while she can very well go batshit crazy at the popping of the top of a can Diet Doctor Pepper, I haven’t had a real reason to actually cut loose before in that ring. I mean, yeah I did have that bloody war with Alex Pierce over in Pro Wrestling Nova for my very career a couple of years back…but that wasn’t an SCW Underground match and it wasn’t against someone of Kimberly’s calibur.
No, Alex Pierce was an entirely different kind of monster and I was just as ready to go to war with him as I am with you, Kimberly. So you can go into full on batshit mode from the moment that the bell rings, it won’t matter much to me because I’d rather fight the real you then this caritucure that you present to the world because at least that way, you’d be trying to tear me apart honestly.
So you can take it any way that you wish, Kimberly, just understand that if you do flip right the fuck out during our match, I welcome it because unlike a lot of my opponents lately I’d rather fight the real you than some character that you pretend to be, fair?
And while we’re on the subject of fairness, while I might not be quite as accustomed to hardcore matches as you are, what I am is still one of the toughest bastards that you’ll be stepping into the ring with in this industry and I can and *will* go the distance with you until that bell is rung and your bloodied body lays dormant at my feet because if I have to lock in a fujiwara armbar on you while grinding your bare shoulder blade into heaps of broken glass and thumb tacks, then you be pretty damned sure that I’ll be adding lemon juice and salt to that mixture for that added bit of certainty because I refuse to lose my first ever hardcore match.
{David’s eyes narrow on his darkly handsome face as he stabs the index finger of his right hand at the camera hard, his tone tense with determination}
David: And if you think that my desire to do that is driven by some bullshit that I believe that I’m unstoppable because I’ve won my last three matches in a row and that I need to keep my unbeaten streak alive then you got another thing coming because I know damn well that is a trap and I’m too smart to fall into it because I understand that if you get into that kind of mindset, then when your streak is broken you mentally stumble and takes you what seems to be a lifetime to get that confidence and state of mind back.
Hence why I’m not focused on trying to keep any streak alive, but I’m more focused on you as my opponent because to do anything less would be supremely stupid and I’m not a stupid man who does stupid things.
I’m not Kevin Hunter who tries to force himself upon whom he feels are lesser men and tries to mindfuck them into believing that they are less than he is because the supposedly great and powerful Kevin Hunter is insecure about his place in the wrestling world.
*NO*!
Who I am is David freaking Striker, and not only am I confident in my abilities as a professional wrestler, but I also don’t care if I win or lose just as long as the challenge is real and the fight is even realer, and that is why this weekend right here in Portland, in front of all of the fans of the Phantom Troupe, I am going to go to war with you, Miss Kimberly, and in the end that is also why I’m going to come out the winner because while you might be able to drop into the Joker Zone at the blink of an eye, I’m more like Bane in that aspect as I systematically break you down one piece of you at a time until finally I break the Woman Scorned.
But I’m not looking to break you for some crazy ass reason, but I’m looking to do it because thus far here in SCW, I haven’t been properly challenged by my opponents…I thought that Crystal would be a good, solid challenge…but instead she silently takes our match with a total lack of anything and I beat her. Then my next opponent was Kevin Hunter, who came on real strong and I thought to myself that he’d prove to be the challenge that I wanted…that I deserved…but instead I’m let down yet again by this bullshit artist who couldn’t even paint a masterpiece with the very crayons that he was eating…
No….you’re not like them Kimberly as in you’ll give me that challenge that I’ve been needing so badly because in order for a true fighter to prove to himself that he’s ready for that next big step, they have to fight and defeat someone of equal or greater talent and that’s you, Kimberly, you are going to be that first hurdle that I will overcome on my way to proving that I am ready for my first major or minor singles run anywhere in this industry because the first title that I have my eyes set on was the very first title that my father won when he started wrestling here in the States for his first American company and I want to fight for the Supreme Championship Wrestling Television championship.
{David stops the pacing that he had started to do during his last bit of talking and he looks down at his hands for a moment before his expression changes as he breaks out into a wide grin as his eyes dart up to look at the camera}
David: For the first time since I joined this company, I’m actually excited and I know why. Not only am I about to have my first hardcore match *ANYWHERE*...but I’m finally about to get the fight that I’ve been waiting for since I first started here in this company…and it’s all thanks to you, Kimberly.
I can feel my pulse racing and my heart beating like I’ve had fifty five energy drinks all in a row…but there is no denying the fact of how pumped and ready that I am for this match, how ready I am to go to proper war with someone like you because there is no denying that oh yes, there will be blood on that night and the sheer thought of how much danger I’m going to be in isn’t scaring me in the slightest…
…in fact it’s making me even more excited because that means my levels of creativity will be busting out of the ceiling because a good and proper hardcore match, the kind of matches that my father made infamous, means being wrapped up in barbed wire and jumping from high places, brandishing branding irons with flames so high that angels in the heavens above can light their Cuban cigars with them…it means that instead of having to hold back weeks and weeks of frustration of being handed these second rate wrestlers for my opponents, it’s like the SCW front office has finally said to me “HERE!! It’s time for you to have a good and proper [i]War, kiddo[/i]!!” and by fucking George Michael, that’s what I’m going to do and I’m excited at it.
{David jams two of his fingers against the side of his neck and then quickly motions for Chris to come over and check for himself, which he does at which point his eyes widen as he takes a step back in surprise}
Chris: Holy shit dude, I think that you need to calm your shit down because your pulse is out there!!
David: I can’t man, that’s how excited I am for this match at Breakdown!! And from Chris’ own reaction right now, you can tell that I’m not just saying this shit to hype myself up anymore than I already am and do you know what, I’m not done yet because I’m thinking that this could also be the beginning of something bigger…better!!
Because as it stands right now, I’ve got one of my best friends in Chris here!!
{David throws an arm across the shoulders of Chris and pulls him in close while messing up his hair some}
David: I’ve got my brother in blood, Joey manning our camera for the moment, and then I’ve got the rest of the Phantom Troupe yeah…but here in SCW, this can’t be full on Phantom Troupe territory…no, this needs to be my own thing and I think that I’ve got the beginnings of one killer idea for us young punks!
So thank you again, Kimberly Williams, for giving me the thrill for a bloody epic match to come with you and my victory among that…but for also helping me to introduce the world to a whole new rebirth of a killer classic!!
So come to Breakdown this week, Miss Kimberly, come and welcome…to the Dope Show.
{David then gives the camera a wink before he turns and starts to walk off screen whistling a very familiar tune as Chris watches with a look of slight amusement and curiosity before he realizes that he’s being left behind and takes off after his cohort as the screen static jumps to black}
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{The view then shifts to Joey working his iPhone as he hits send before looking up at both David and Chris as they come walking up, both men are smiling broadly}
Joey: Hey Davey-boy, were you serious about what you said during your promo. You’ve got some kind of killer idea, brah?
{David’s smile gets even bigger and much more savage}
David: Oh hell yes I do, Joey. I mean I love being apart of the Phantom Troupe as much as Dylan does…but I’m also of the opinion that I need to try and also do my own thing, Dylan’s with me on that…
Chris: What about Zach?
{David’s smile disappears from his face before shaking his head}
David: Never mind that right now, Chris. But for now, we need to go and have a chat with someone, I just happen to know that he’s home right now.
{Chris simply arches an eyebrow as the three men then walk off as the screen fades to black}
{The screen static jumps and we find ourselves in a stairwell of a building somewhere in the world, and we see none other than Chris Dumont leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and a slightly bemused look on his face as David Striker sits on the stairs going upwards in a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt with the words “Young Punks” in large orange hollow lettering with white trim surrounding the letters…and a bag of Skittles Littles in is right hand that he is happily munching from}
David: You know something, in the history of great ideas…these.
{David holds up the candy}
David: These right here is one of the greatest ideas in the entire history of ideas. I mean the only way that you could make these any better and that would be to have an all lime bag of these Skittles Littles…you can call me crazy all that you want for that, but I’ve always enjoyed the more odd end of candy and people say “all lime skittles, you are one crazy bastard, arent’cha?!”
But then again, I love those little squid treats like the ones that Chairman Arino always eats on that one Japanese show, Game Center CX?? Not only is that squid stuff that he enjoys one hell of a great idea, but so is his show as well.
{David pops a handful of candy into his mouth, chews on it for a few seconds, and swallows it before his lips curl into a wolfish grin as he then points at the camera}
David: Just like putting me in a hardcore match against you, Kimberly Williams! Now, I caught your other promo, the one that was actually directed at me, and it was almost…*ALMOST* genius until you started referring to me as “Davey Crockett Striker”.
Now, I don’t mind being called that…it’s just only select people have the right and the honor of calling me “Davey”...and even fewer, like one…maybe two…get away with the honor of calling me “Davey-Boy”!!
But you don’t, sorry…I just don’t hand that shit out.
{David holds up the skittles}
David: These, sure!! I’ll share Skittles with you, and everyone else that wants some on the SCW roster because I’m that kind of cool guy…but only one person maybe gets the honor of sharing the squid treats with me and maybe that person will catch on sooner or later…but who knows, eh?!
Anyway…TO BUSINESS!!!
{David tosses the bag of candy into the air which Chris catches without any problem whatsoever as David then follows that up with a loud clap}
David: Look, you asked me if I had thought this all whole match with you all the way through and while I appreciate the concern for my mental well being there, like I mentioned in my previous promo that I did think it all the way through and while I didn’t know that the powers that be would make it into an Underground rules match, respectfully I’m not the kind of guy that runs from one hell of a fight because to be honest, I’m still getting goosebumps every time that I think about match to come.
I mean zoom in on this shit, will ya?!
{David brings up his left arm up for the camera to zoom in on and that’s what it does and sure enough, there is the aforementioned “goose pimples”}
David: I’m not afraid of either getting my hands dirty or getting hurt, Kimberly. I thought that I made that perfectly clear in my last promo, but I guess you were riding high enough on your victory that not only did you have to come out here with your brand spanking new championship, that you decided to jump not only the gun, but the shark as well and you just cut a promo.
It was a very good promo, don’t get me wrong, but the problem is that you didn’t know that you were cutting a promo on a guy who not only can out wrestle you where it comes to a normal run of the mill kind of match, but also the same guy who is more than willing to roll around in the broken glass and thumb tacks with you, Kimberly. Someone who’s not afraid to bleed because this is the kind of fight that he’s been looking for.
So come on then and bring forth every chair in the building and I promise you cleanly that I will put through each and every single table in this arena right here in Portland if that’s what it will take to put you down and keep you down long enough for me to pick up that elusive victory over such an ultra violent goddess such as yourself!!
But I also what you to completely understand that I’m not out for your title or to use you as a stepping stone, you want to talk about embracing chaos…well, I’m all for enjoying a little bit of chaos from time to time and if I need to embrace it to show you that you’re not going to waltz all over me come Breakdown, then come and dance with me under the pale moonlight!!
After Cassidy and Crystal and Kevin, each one claiming that I didn’t know what I was getting into and that I would be unable to hang with them for whatever reason, this way or the other only for them to be caught like goldfish gasping for air when they realize that the Death Penalty waits for no one…but then again I don’t care if people want to believe that my desire to come out the winner in this match with you is for my so called undefeated streak or not, because in the end I could care less than two bits about that streak, because I want to go to war with you, I want to be busted open and feel that hot rush course through my body as I’m *finally* given the kind of challenge, the kind of *war* that I’ve been wanting ever since I first signed my contract to come and work here in SCW.
{David’s expression then changes to one of pure disappointment as he shakes his head slowly}
David: But then again, you’d think that I’d be used to disappointment by now wouldn’t you, Kimberly?
I mean seriously, if you look into the past of my career you’ll find a long line of people who have looked me dead in the face and either spat in my face or simply told me, in a very superior tone mind you, that I wasn’t worth taking seriously because I was so far down on their level that they couldn’t see me or my challenge at all.
I mean sometimes people use me to try and get a rise out of my older brother Jake, I mean take Jaime Austin over in New Frontier Wrestling for a good, solid prime example of that kind of bullshit…and she had to friggin *CHEAT* to beat me in that match and all that she could say afterwards was “At least I got to beat up on Jake Striker’s worthless kid brother.”
And people wondered why I first got into wrestling as “Kyle Valentine”?? I mean seriously you run into shit like that just because you happen to be the kid sib to someone with Jake’s level of rep thus far in this industry and I’m not supposed to try and strike out and do my own thing?
{David lets out a snort of laughter as he gets a kind of sly grin on his face}
David: If they thought I was crazy then, wait till they see what I’ve got up my sleeve next, Kimberly. But then again you also know that kind of bullshit that I’ve had to put up with all this time, now don’t you…I mean look at who your twin sister is….who your mother is…and when you knock everything else out of the way, it’s just one more set of second generation wrestlers going to war with each other.
So the idea of you strapping a bit of C4 to your right knee and trying to give me a first class ticket to the Shadow Realm that way doesn’t really phase me because all that you’ll do is freaking annoy me before I simply shake it off and turn right around and repay you the favor in spades.
But that’s not me bragging, that’s me simply saying that if you’re expecting me to just sit the fuck back and not give you one hundred and ten percent of fucking hardcore hell right back to you, then you might want to look into getting a really good therapist…I mean I heard that Fraser Crane has come out of retirement last year so there you go there.
But all joking aside, I’ve been working my ass off in preparing for our match tomorrow night, Kimberly. I’ve not only gone back and watched your past few Underground matches…but I’ve also gone and sat under the learning tree of the most rage filled bastard that I’ve ever had the misfortune of knowing…and I understand why he’s full of rage;
I’m the one who retired him.
{Chris nods in agreement in the background as David allows himself a moment to smirk just a little bit more, with the actual smirk growing just a little bit}
David: That’s right, I went and sought out the Last Ace of Super Japan himself and I asked him to show me what would it take to beat you, and by George Michael he did just that…and a lot more, because he also took the time to show me to what extremes, what lengths that you’re willing to go in order to get that victory and needless to say that with each and every single blow, it just made me more and more excited for this match because deep down, I know…I *KNOW*...that I’m finally getting the war that I’ve been so rightfully denied.
A war that I’m charging into not just willingly, but happily because it’s the kind of war that I’m a hundred percent certain that I can win because you’re going into this with the foolish belief that I’m just going into this match thinking that it’s a run of the mill hardcore match.
The truth of the matter is, Kimberly, my father made his bone in Japanese Death Matches and I have these vivid memories of him coming home after a tour of Japan and removing his shirt to show the horrendous amounts of damage that had been done to his back by bokken, NOT A *KENDO* STICK but *BOKKEN*, the wooden training swords that don’t ever fucking *BEND*, wrapped in barbed wire had striped one layer of flesh after another from his very back and yet, my father sucked up that pain because he loved and needed those hugs from me and my sibs because he would willingly go through those levels of hellish and horrendous pain to give us the kind of life that we deserved!!
And at Breakdown, with those memories seared into my mind, I’m more than willing to endure myself because while I might be born to lose…I’m live to *win*, because while I’ve got only one heart, but its steady on and it beats to my own song.
A song of righteous fury because I was born to win this kind of war.
{The smug look disappears completely as David surges to his feet with a wild look in his eyes}
David: So you can believe whatever you want, whatever you wish…but I’m coming into this match with my eyes wide open and my fist pounding against your storm, Kimberly, and I know that you can hear my thunder pounding and echoing against the horizon and because of this, you know that deep down…in the in the bottom of your chest, right there in the cockles of your heart...maybe below the cockles or...the sub cockles area, now that I think about it maybe it's in the liver, maybe in the kidneys.
Maybe even in the colon, I just don't really know.
But you'll know, because at first you'll deny it when you hear my theme echoing throughout the arena that despite all of your bragging about how I'm not ready for you that the moment you see me step through the entrance, tossing my ring jacket back to Chris as I power my way down to meet you in that very ring...that's the very moment that you'll be praying in your heart of hearts...or even in the cockles of your colon...that this...
{David motions at the tattoo sleeve on his right arm, motioning at the very intricate and almost archaic looking design that makes up the primary tattoo there]
David: Was a really and truly a real alchemical transmutation array that will send you into the next world because you chose to belief that you were ready for *ME* when you weren’t!!!
So yes, Kimberly. My face is the face of a survivor…it is the face of a man whose prospects of being put through hell and back by the “Woman Scorned” and coming out the winner nonetheless is not only assured…but it is your own personal darkest timeline because it is also going to be your own personal hellish reality.
{David then closes his eyes and slowly starts to sway his head left and right to something that only he can hear for a few seconds before finally his head stops moving and his dark eyes open and focus solely on the camera, and when he speaks next, he sounds more focus…intense…ready}
David: But right now, Kimberly, I want you to understand me clearly and utterly…maybe even your little friend Wesley can help you to understand the sincerity of what I’m about to say, but everything aside I am taking this match and more importantly *YOU* very seriously.
Deadly serious as a matter of fact.
And when I say that I’m going to walk into Breakdown and come out the winner, I’m not just saying that because its my ego writing a check that the first national bank of reality won’t cash with some cold hard truth, no…I’m saying this because that is how hungry and prepared I am for the kind of war that I’m happily walking into with you on this week’s show.
And while your newly won title isn’t on the line, it does not mean that I won’t fight you as hard because I will treat this match like your title is on the line because that’s the kind of fighter I am and in the end, you’ll be on your knees thanking me for giving you that kind of war.
Because at Breakdown, I am giving you something that you’ve probably never had from anyone else in an match with your precious Underground rules;
A REAL and HONEST bloodbath.
When I went to war with Alex Pierce all of those years ago, he would call me a Fucking Young Boy before slamming his right forearm hard into my face as hard as he could…each…and…every…fucking…TIME during that few moments of the match, and I took each and every single shot without hesitation or compliant because I knew that deep down in the bottom of my gut, I had the fortitude to beat him and I *DID*.
And on this week’s edition of the show, I’m going to show you…the entirety of the Supreme Championship Wrestling roster and front office…from the boys in the ring crew to the very president of the company himself…what I can truly do in that ring.
And if I win or if I *lose*, in the long run it won’t matter because either way, one thing will be for certain, Kimberly.
And that there will be absolutely no denying that not only was I born for this…but I’m always ready for the next war and the next freaking level.
So, welcome to the Dope Show, Kimberly Williams.
Let’s see if you can stand firm in the face of this oncoming Ghost Train shall we?
{David nods his head in respect before he easily catches the bag of candy before he walks off while whistling a familiar tune, Chris following in his wake as the screen static jumps to black}