Corrupted

[Ghost Spike]

 

The scene opens up backstage at what could only be nCw’s farewell show - A Night to Remember. Spike Kane is sitting backstage, he looks ever so slightly different to how he does today, a little less….tidy. He is dressed in his ring gear and has just finished taping his hands and forearms up. Jumping to his feet he lets out a deep breath as he begins to hop back and forth from his left leg and right leg, letting his arms dangle loosely as he does so.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end this chapter in my legacy.”


Spike is startled ever so slightly to hear the voice, the voice of one of his fiercest rivals in his entire history; Angel. He stands dressed in his ring gear, clearly ready for his match tonight. Their final matches in nCw, against each other, within the dreaded Dragons Den match itself.


Spike: I’m glad you accepted the challenge in the first place.

Angel takes a few steps into the room, his size seeming to grow but it’s just a trick of the mind. His aura is such a massive one that it’d oversize most people, right now Spike Kane isn’t the Spike we all know and…..hate. He’s rusty, he’s been away from the game for a while and had come back to pay tribute to the company that stood by him in his time of addiction.

Angel: There’s only one other man I’d have faced tonight, but I’m glad it’s you Spike. I’m glad we get to push the boundaries one more time. Steal the show and leave them begging for more!

The delight is quite clear to see on Angels face, and these two men seem to stand in the ring as something neither has too many of….equals. The respect between them had been built through bloody matches, trying to one up each other, and of course using each other as pawns or messages. Spike stands tall as he turns to Angel and smirks.

Spike: More?

This one word sends a massive grin across the face of “Savior X” as he places a hand on the shoulder of Spike Kane.

Angel: Mike….I’m very well aware that tonight might be my last match. But have you thought about what to do once this god forsaken place closes it’s doors once and for all?

A shrug comes from Spike’s shoulders as he makes a “meh” like face, scrunching his mouth up as he does so.

Spike: Not really. I contemplated maybe looking for a commentating job, or just focusing on my school.

Angel now sits down on the bench and nods for Spike to do the same.

Angel: What if I told you I had a job lined up for you? One where you could become the man you used to be? I don’t mean to belittle you, or tell you that you’re not a force to be reckoned with. I can see that…..but ‘they’ cannot…..I can give you the outlet to show them.

Spike: Another federation?

Angel: That’s right. The snake that Verona is…..he’s found a way to acquire the rights to nCw and is planning on building a new federation with additional funds from some De Montfort guy. I’ve been offered a job there, I’ll be in charge of the cruiserweight division.

Spike raises a hand to his forehead and rubs his hair backwards as he turns to look at Angel.

Spike: I’m no cruiserweight dude, but…..I only came back to end on a high note. Yet, the itch got me. I’m addicted to this and I can’t give it up. You say you’ve got a job, I’ll take it….but I sense there’s more of a plan here.

Angel: Oh, there is. I promise you that. We’ll talk a little more after tonight, there’s just one thing I want to ask you. When it kicks off, I want you to bring two of my students along for the ride; Cable and Gjenrei - not that one, Kyle gave him the mask.

Spike: You got it.

Angel stands up now and heads towards the doorway, he turns back to talk to Spike and the way the light shines off of his frame he looks like a god.

Angel: We’ll be kings Mike…..Gods even…...good luck tonight.

Angel walks through the door now and Spike resumes the pose he was in when we joined him, elbows resting on his knees and a smirk spreading across his face - the smirk we’ve all become far too familiar with. His eyes gleam with a deviousness, as the camera fades.

~~~ 

“The universe is big. It’s vast and complicated and ridiculous. And sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles.” 

That is what it is going to take for you to defeat me at Metamorphosis, Davey; it’s going to take a miracle for you to walk out with the Imperial Championship. The real one, I might add, not you’re tin toy. For weeks and weeks you’ve been trying to build yourself up, trying to show the world that you’re not the man you were back in nCw’s fledgeling days, that your name is actually important. You try to proclaim to the world that you are one of nCw’s forefathers, standing alongside Lance Ryan and myself. 

You believe you matter. 

{That’s hilarious.} 

Belief is a wonderful thing Davey, because it is so much fun crushing it from an individual, especially one such as yourself who is so desperate to cling to it. So desperate to prove himself, to back up the wild accusations you keep throwing around. Yeah Davey, you were admitted to the nCw Hall of Fame….but so were countless other people who didn’t deserve to be there, it kind of lost it’s prestige when they let just about anybody in. I know that you feel the same way, I can see it in your eyes…..you don’t quite believe that you belong there and you need to prove yourself. Prove to the fans, prove to the “boys in the back”, prove to your enemies…….prove to me, and of course, prove to yourself that you’ve changed. You’re better. 

{He’s gonna say it.} 

You’re not the famous choke artist. 

{Oh snap.} 

I see you for who you really are Davey, and I know you’re not a choke artist. You’re someone who so desperately wants to belong. You want to belong in the names that are forever spoken about in the history records, for your name to be spoken amongst the greats. I know this, because I’m exactly the same Davey. I want to leave one hell of a legacy behind when I finally hang up the boots, for real this time. I want to be the man who is looked on as the guy who carried the company, who pushed the boundaries and forged a new path for those who were overlooked for years. 

{Some people might have…..forgotten.} 

This has nothing to do with paying respect to nCw. 

{Fuck that place!} 

I broke into that company and made a name for myself in a way that was never repeated, and they hated me for it. They hated me because other people wanted to tempt me away from the “holy ground” and I was selfish, I was stuck up, and believed I was worth it. Not a single member of the nCw roster was held down more than I was…..title shots turned down, momentum killed…..do I want to pay my respects? Hell no. My nCw legacy was killed off the day that company let the likes of Todd Williams fight for the nCw championship whilst preventing the likes of myself from capturing that glory again. nCw was a case of everything that was wrong with this business….the politics, the behind the scenes drama…..I hated all of it. 

{Little girls doing with their mouths what they couldn’t do in the ring.} 

So when IWF came about, I was free. 

Given free reign to be the man I’ve always been suppressing. Something you’re trying to do yourself Davey. Break free, grow, evolve! I’m still waiting Ortega, I’ve been waiting since the day you walked into this company and thought slapping my brother around would antagonise me. Clearly shows that you don’t know your opponent as well as you thought you did. Well, time will tell won’t it? When that door locks, your fate is sealed…..and you can beg for mercy. 

{Give him nothing, but take from him everything!} 

I will give you none. 

~~~ 

The scene opens up on the evening sun slowly setting over the building of Spike Kane’s wrestling school, currently under the ownership of one Davey Ortega. There is a banner above the door which reads “under new management” and the camera pans back away from that to see Spike Kane parked a little down the road staring at the school from the drivers seat of his pick-up truck. His hands grip the wheel with anger as he stares at the school, in the passenger seat is the newest addition to The Empire, Bob Pooler.

Pooler: Are you sure this is a good idea Mike? You might get into trouble dude, and we’re just days away from Metamorphosis…..Simon ain’t gonna be happy if you get locked up.

Spike turns to face Bob almost with a snap of his neck, glaring at his friend.

Spike: Simon will do what I god damn tell him to do. Do you get that? He doesn’t pull my strings, as much as he thinks he does.

Pooler: Yeah man, geez, I’m sorry.

Bob raised his arms, palms facing outwards towards Spike showing that he didn’t mean any harm. He turns his gaze from Spike and back to the school, wondering what in the blue hell his friend has dragged him here for.

Spike: I need to hear it from his own mouth. Why he betrayed me…...why he could do this to me….

With that Spike opens the door and climbs out of his truck, Bob Pooler quickly undoing his seat belt and clambering out after Kane. Pooler runs in front of Spike placing his hands on his chest, another last ditch effort to calm his friend down.

Pooler: At least let me go in first, yeah? Try and ease some of this tension.

Reluctantly Spike nods his head to seemingly the only friend he has left, slumping back onto the hood of his truck as he does so and folding his arms. Bob jogs on ahead towards the school, looking for a way to end this confrontation without the police being called.

{He’s going to turn on you.}

The voice clicks in almost as soon as Bob is out of earshot and Spike seems ever so slightly annoyed.

Spike: No he won’t. He’s fiercely loyal. Maybe even to a fault.

{We thought the same about Rob…..}

The mention of Rob Diamond forces Spike to slam his eyes shut, obviously the war with the man who he considered to be his closest friend was still fresh in his mind.

Spike: Rob was a mistake, one that won’t be made again.

{So how do you know Pooler can be trusted?}

Spike: Because I do…..now drop it.

The silence that follows in Spike’s mind brings a slight smile to his face. Anybody walking past would see a man simply talking to himself, but thankfully the street is quite deserted.

{And Ortega?}

Spike sighs as he unfolds his arms and starts to pace on the spot, almost like a moody teenager.

Spike: What about him?

{Are you prepared to go the measures that might be required?}

Spike: You know I am.

{This is true….I just want you to say it, out loud.}

Letting another sigh out Spike turns to face the hood of his far, resting his arms on them as he does so, lowering his head in attempt to release some of the stress building up in his mind.

Spike: Fine….I’ll kill him if I have to. I’ll break him beyond repair, I’ll absolutely destroy him to the point where he’ll never be able to wrestle again. I’ll make what happened in nCw look like a pillow fight…..I’ll end him once and for all.

Pooler: What!?

Bob it appears had walked up behind Spike catching the last few sentences of his….promise, and looks a little freaked out. Spike desperately tries to cover and turns to face Bob, flashing him his greasy smirk.

Spike: What’s what?

Pooler: Who the hell were you talking to?

Spike: The….erm…..air?

Pooler: And who the hell were you threatening? I swear to God Spike….if you’re planning on going into that school and doing something regrettable I’ll have to stop you. I’ll follow you in the ring, I’ll walk into the damn gates of hell with you, but….not the school….

The grin on Spike’s face grows with every single syllable uttered from Bob Pooler’s mouth. Once Pooler is finished Spike leans back on his truck and let’s a low menacing chuckle slip from out of his mouth.

{He’s on the verge….}

Spike: I was just practicing a promo for Metamorphosis dude, that’s all. My match with Davey is bigger than anyone ever could have predicted.

Bob seems to be reluctant to believe Spike at first, but a slight smile spreads across his face and he nods his head in agreement before moving next to Spike and giving him a playful dig in the arm.

Pooler: Y’know, sometimes? I think you’re legit crazy. You can fool anyone man.

{He’ll follow us now.}

Spike: How do you know I’m not?

Pooler: I believe in you.

{Hook. Line. And sinker.}

That makes Spike smile, one that we can see is a little more sinister than Bob might think after sharing a moment between the two, but it doesn’t last long. Spike is on his feet again and starts to make a move towards the school.

Spike: So what did Wade say?

Bob seems to jump as he remembers what the hell they were doing here in the first place.

Pooler: Oh crap yeah. Erm….he’s not here dude. Ortega’s little stoogie dude is here, and he said that Wade is training with Ortega. Getting him prepared for the ‘Den. As much as you could ever prepare for it….

Spike’s jaw clenches tight and his fists ball at his side, clearly pissed off with the news from his friend. He closes his eyes and takes a second to breath before he turns back to the car and starts to climb back in. Bob seems a little surprised and nervous, but clambers back around to the side and climbs into the passenger seat.

Pooler: Um, ok. Where are we going?

Spike: Somewhere where I can hit something….

And with a screech of tires on tarmac the truck pulls off leaving the Spike Kane wrestling school behind, the camera pans towards the school showing a shot through the window after the truck drives off and in the room standing in the middle of the ring with students around him, is Wade Summers.

~~~ 

This match is about more than the Imperial Championship? 

Wrong. 

This match is about nothing other than that golden belt that dictates who is the king in this federation. I have held it for months now, reigning supreme at the head of this company, at the very mountain top. And you want it more than you care to say, don’t you Davey?  

This gold means more to you than you could ever admit to. 

If I’m wrong, then by all means lay down, take the pinfall and I’ll keep my championship. Then we’ll go for real, you and I, one on one, nobody interfering, no mind games - just pure undiluted violence. Carnage for all to witness. It’s my challenge to you David. Prove that this championship doesn’t mean anything to you. Prove to the world that you are a man of your word and that you don’t want this match so that you can be the Imperial Champion. Prove to the entire world that you’re better than that, prove to them all that you’re a better man than me…..or of course… 

Prove you’re full of shit. 

The thing is David, I love turning your own words against you. I love using your own agenda to show the world how wrong and corrupt you are. It’s not just you, I do it to many people, I’ve done it to Alex, to Rob, and probably countless people more. You plucky hero types like to try and defend your honour, but you never seem to realise that the fact you are stained, that your very soul is dirty is what makes you human. All humans are born with original sin and are forever marked for the rest of their lives. I am the type of nasty bastard who likes to tell the truth, I say things that may offend people - but I don’t lie. I’ve never been the lying type. The truth is so much more painful than lies, which is where the fun comes into it, and it’s why standing across from you is so much fun Davey. 

You blame me for your life falling apart. 

Just like a poor workman blames his tools. 

You lost a match almost a decade ago that sent you into a spiral of despair, depression, and alcoholism. I only wish it was my fault David. I only wish that I could take credit for breaking you down to your very foundations and rebuilding you as a man who eclipses the man he once was. I wish I could take credit for the unrivaled burning desire kept under the skin for so long which surfaced in such a violent way…..I wish I could take the credit for being the man who made Davey Ortega a name worth seeing in lights once again. I wish to whatever God would listen to a man such as myself that I was the one who pushed Davey Ortega towards the Dragons Den and his quest for redemption. 

Oh….wait… 

It was me after all! 

Nothing brings me more joy than watching you run around believing the words that you spout from your mouth. Than you’re a NEW Davey, that the old one is dead and buried and nobody can predict what you will do or how you will act. Nobody can take you on in the ring because you’re so unpredictable and crazy….right? Nobody can predict these things except the one man who predicted it all. The one man who controlled it all, the one man who manipulated your dreams of hope and redemption. 

The God of Xtreme. 

Do you feel there’s some form of coincidence that we go to war within the Dragons Den {Home….} once again? Do you honestly believe that this just happened? That it wasn’t planned and schemed months in advance? David, you cannot possibly be that blindly stupid. The very act of signing a contract for this company was part of the plan, part of the whole thing that lead to me ruling this federation and being the name on everybody's lips once again - just like 2007. 

I’m not a man stuck in the past. I’m a god who builds his own. 

Very much like what you are trying to be, what you are trying to convince yourself that you can be. However, we both know that it all hinges on one thing, it all relies on one impossible outcome…..you have to beat me. You have to walk out of the Dragons Den with your hands held high. Yet, we both know that you walking out of the Dragons Den will be a miracle of it’s own, let alone victorious. Your “genius” masterplan relies on you being able to defy history, being able to truly live up to the word you so generously spout….and toppling the giant. 

You have to end me. 

If not, your plan fails. It was all for naught, and I’ll continue to dominate this profession like nobody has ever seen before. Many have tried, many have failed….now it is your time David. Like I said before, rise up, slay me and become the monster you were destined to be. Rule this federation like I’ve planned for you to do. Become the heir to my throne, ascend to godhood…. 

Or fade away for the second time in your life. 

This has been building since that night in 2007 Davey, and I’m not trying to play anything down, I’m not trying to play mind games. This is the biggest match in both of our careers, but I think you’ll find that you just don’t have enough. Where you were once my Emperor and I was your Warmaster, times couldn’t be any different. We couldn’t be any more different. So when you realise how much you’ve changed, how much you’ve grown and developed….evolved…..just think how much I have too… 

But hey, at least you put up a fight this time…. 

“Before corruptions touch fell upon them...The Empire stood tall. The Emperor, and his Warmaster. The chosen son of the Emperor, the man who would fight his battles on behalf of his Emperor, on behalf of the Empire. The rest fell in line, fell in line or felt the brunt of the Emperor's wrath, be it the Emperor himself, or his Warmaster.” - Spike Kane, 2007.