Milestones & Monsters [EOD Finale, PE #2]
Oct 23, 2020 20:35:04 GMT -5
Mongo the Destroyer, Kira Izumi, and 4 more like this
Post by radu on Oct 23, 2020 20:35:04 GMT -5
(Fright Night.)
(The backstage area of the New Davao Matina Gallery is less fit for athletes than fowl. Deep bruising has already begun to show on Deathless as medics that normally mend broken beaks attempt to patch up a whole new species. The Beast questions neither their medical training, nor their love of animals, but is concerned by the veterinarian’s attempts to tape blades to his feet. Trying not to wince with every pass of dressing around fractured ribs, The Sacrificial Idol can’t remember the last time he took the kind of damage that Top of the Class dished out. Perhaps when Timeless dropped a building on him? A haze fogging his vision, Radu Matei needs time to heal. The worst always passes with time.)
(...But he has a red eye to catch from Manila to Jakarta.)
(As the XHF spent the fourth leg of the tour promoting cockfighting, it seems only fair to conclude this wave of violence at the Chicken Church. Gereja Ayam. A prayer house to bring a calming End of Days. Holding crooked fingers up to a flickering light source, Radu Matei find that the splints on his fingers have been arrange in a wing pattern. The vets are trying.)
(WHITE FLASH. Big black eyes circled in gold, stare into the camera. Giant white teeth. Bright red skin. Tuffs of white hair.)
(The face of a Barong.)
(The friendly smile soon lowers to find the far more gruesome mug of Radu Matei. Deathless turns the mask over in his rough paws. The Balinese spirit resembles a panther. It’s a good look, but Matei was searching for something closer to an insect. Deathless wanders the shops of Jakarta seeking out costumes to use in the upcoming Monster Mash.)
Radu Matei: You can’t look past opponents. And with the quality of tag teams currently performing on the XHF Network? No matter how polished our singles careers are, it would be conceited to look past the first round of the tag team annihilator, let alone the finals. I honestly don’t know how we got past Death Trap and Mistress – super human spite on the part of my partner, perhaps? He was riveting to watch in action. While I am conflicted on aspects of the tournament, I couldn’t have been prouder to be a part of it – and look greatly forwards to a rematch of the finals. I mention this because not knowing if the Purple Emperors would be victorious in the tourney, I am only now looking for my Monster Mash costume.
(Deathless takes a second to admire the Barong again, before putting the mask back.)
Radu Matei: Not as much time to prepare as Dodo-a-Gogo. Perhaps my greatest challenge this month – trying to find a Brundle Fly outfit in Indonesia.
(Walking past some clothing stores, Deathless notices some masks in a window, and hoping this is a costume shop, heads in.)
Radu Matei (shuffling through Yu-Gi-Oh outfits): Dodo-a-Gogo. Your reputation proceeds you. I hope that the Tag Team Annihilator brought more attention to XHF’s fantastic duos division, but you two certainly set the scene during J-ROK’s Tokyo Dome show at the start of the month. The level of technical prowess, made me question why we were beating ourselves into hamburger to promote the division. Just incredible work. ...Now, the people who finally defeat you for those straps will be the 50th champions of the division, and I certainly can’t think of a stronger challenge than yourselves for that distinction.
(Giving up on a rack of princess costumes, Deathless smiles politely at a clerk.)
Radu Matei: Indonesia doesn’t really celebrate Halloween to the same degree that we do. You still have expats, tourists, celebratory pockets – but culturally, they have their own traditions. So I am hoping to find a costume that will excite the viewers at home, while courting local culture – to make the live audience feel included. (A clerk approaches) Excuse me sir; I am trying to find a scary outfit. A monster – preferably of the Indonesian variety.
Clerk: Leyak.
Radu Matei: Le-yak? Ah. Yes. Excellent. Do you have any Leyak costumes?
(The clerk hands Radu a wooden mask of Rangda.)
Radu Matei: Exquisite craftsmanship! Unfortunately, I won’t be able to use wood. They will break it, and use the shards to stake my heart, should they not simply gouge out my eyes. <nods at clerk> You know how it is. Do you have another Leyak costume in less dangerous materials?
(The clerk hands Radu a plastic bag with a few items in it to get the same desired effect.)
Radu Matei: Perfect. Leyak it is...
Camera Operator: A disembodied head that flies around dragging its organs behind it. Falling apart, but you can see its heart.
Radu Matei (warm nod): That sounds very much like me. Almost inside out, but still ticking. I’ll take two, a spare - just in case the costume gets damaged during the course of the contest.
Camera Operator: ALSO the Leyak flies around trying to suck foetuses out of pregnant women. You ever see Mystics in Bali?
Radu Matei (flinch): JESUS. No. Just no. I respect my opponents. That kind of tasteless gender specific horror won’t track. I guess me and Caffrey will just have to dress as Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan. Olympic Athletes! (scratching the back of head) But he’s no doubt already acquired a costume...
(Deathless looks at the floor, feeling like he’s let his partner down. The offensive baby-eating witch in the plastic sack might be his best option. No.)
Radu Matei: No. (passing bag back to the clerk) Thank you anyway, sir. This costume needs to be tasteful! This is for championships that have almost two decades of history behind them. Even if in recent months, the belts have felt like a hot potato, this victory will provide them the stability they need. It is a major contest requiring dignity. Our opponents have won the Sakura Tag League, and had an undefeated streak that almost rivalled my own...
(...My own…)
(...undefeated steak…)
(Memories come flooding back, then fading away. Perhaps the Tag Team Annihilator has given Radu one too many concussions? Or something far more insidious such as a poultry disease. WHITE FLASH. Pre-recorded footage.)
(Caffrey knocks on Radu’s hotel door, a bottle of lamanog in hand to celebrate their annihilator win. As the door swings open, Deathless looks worse than usual – no easy feat.)
Radu Matei (running a broken paw through unkempt hair): Caffrey – am I not the SWAT heavyweight champion?
(Beat. Did Matei celebrate a little too hard on his own? The Sacrificial Idol looks too upset for this to be a hangover sequel. The question is sadly earnest.)
Anthony Caffrey: Uh… you haven’t been for as long as I’ve known you.
Radu Matei (furrows brow): Something is going on here.
(Caffrey slyly slides the bottle of lamanog behind him, trying to figure out whether Radu’s seen it or not.)
Anthony Caffrey: You alright, old man? Please don’t tell me I need to put you into the Romanian equivalent of Quail Park.
(Retreating back into his hotel, Deathless produces his cellphone. Punching keys with a crooked thumb, a quick search soon confirms the worst. Battleground 20 images appear on the phone, as Radu Matei drags an unconscious Suzi Spitz on top of him for the three count. His only singles loss since coming to the XHF Network came in a multiman match, with a finish he orchestrated. Still, from the frustration in his tired eyes, viewers get the impression it wasn’t suppose to go down that way.)
Radu Matei: ANNA. GOD. DAMNED. DANIELS.
(This is going completely over Caffrey’s head.)
Anthony Caffrey: Huh?
Radu Matei (holding up phone): Suzi Spitz never pinned me. I went to bed last night well into my third year as the SWAT heavyweight champion.
Anthony Caffrey: You think that was Anna? Man, I was looking forward to winning the titles with you too. I guess a beat-up old timer whose brain is going is better than that time I teamed up with a broom--
Radu Matei: Didn’t you show me a picture of a mop last week?
Anthony Caffrey: What?
Radu Matei: There was definitely a mop in your trophy case photos.
Anthony Caffrey: I mean I did show you pictures, in between me telling you about how I fought my ass off for W and AXW--
Radu Matei: That guy was definitely named V.
Anthony Caffrey: Oh come off it. Yes, Anna’s a time lord, but she didn’t--
Radu Matei: What kind of mask did the man wear?
Anthony Caffrey: Oh, you know, one of those V for--
(Caffrey’s eyes go wide. He quickly plants himself in a chair.)
Anthony Caffrey: Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooah.
Radu Matei: Someone is messing with our timelines, and we’re only wrestling ONE Time Lord this week...
Anthony Caffrey: You don’t think she could take away my Death Trap submission? I worked my ass off for that!
Radu Matei (shakes head): I don’t know if I can save my title or your mop, but we can certainly replace them with Dodo-a-Gogo’s titles! Anna Daniels just messed with the wrong timelines! Dropping her on her head may not close the temporal anomalies, or make me feel better, but it’s worth trying! SO GIVE ME THAT DAMNED LEYAK COSTUME!
(Before Caffrey can register confusion at this last request, a WHITE FLASH tales us back to the costume store. Here Radu is wearing his Leyak costume. A black body stocking with photos of lungs, heart, and entrails dangling from the neck. A few drops of blood, and flowing black wig transforms the kindest man on the SWAT roster into a raging beast.)
Radu Matei: Anna Daniels. Lisa Seldon. (forced smile) You don’t mix it up with the rest of the XHF. You do your own thing. Punch in. Punch through. Keep punching. Punch out. I used to be like you, keeping to myself. In fact, it is only at the insistence of my tag team partner that I am finally outside of my home, mixing it up with the rest of the talents on the network. MCCW, NPW, JROK... I have greatly enjoyed the experience. I owe him a great debt for forcing me out of my comfort zone, and may have to cripple you if you try to steal his submission victory.
SWAT is my home, and I have worked hard to be the kind of exclusive talent that helped the companies’ stock. Even as I practiced isolationism with my Syndicate family, I was damned proud to be part of the network. I appreciated the talent involved in our sister feds, and the venue it provided us. In between our shows, I would happily watch AWF and Destiny programs – knowing that we were kindred spirits.
The resources, the talents, the fellowship, the RICH history. I am fond of the XHF.
I mention this, because while its cool to acknowledge how busy your schedules are outside the Network, you make it feel like the XHF is a pit stop. Almost like all you needed to do was SHOW UP and you were handed the titles. Now, having watched that amazing contest against SKY FORCE, I can’t knock how hard you worked for the straps... but now that you have the belts, maybe pretend you care?
Because you will care.
We’ll make you care.
Even you will care, Anna. You seem to delight in mocking me for pushing my body harder than you ever have in all your countless lives combined. It almost seems like you want to regenerate again. Keep denigrating my partner, and that will be arranged. You probably have a million lives, because you strike me as a NEW WHO fan, but here’s a pro tip. Unless you want your next life cycle to be incredibly short, try regenerating into less of a dick.
I am focusing on you, Anna, because your partner seems to leave the heavy lifting to the voice in your head. Maybe she's tied up with all those singles belts she needs to unload to make space for your shelf? When I think about partnership - you two are a real inspiration.
(Finding a mirror against a dark corner, the Leyak writhes around. Even though it’s cheap, it’s actually an effective costume. Deathless won’t go through with this ensemble. Dodo-a-Gogo have annoyed Matei, but not enough for him to lower himself to their levels. No longer swaying, Radu Matei turns back to the camera.)
Radu Matei: This is it. The 50th XHF champions.
Do I want you to care about the history? Yes. Because you are a part of it. You are the extremely toxic, entitled team that held the belt the 49th time and reminded everyone how great that division once was. 50. That is a hell of a milestone. One that Anthony Caffrey and myself plan on wearing with pride. The importance of that number, of all the past greats to hold those straps, becomes all the more important when listening to your treatment of those belts.
You seem to have a lot of fly by night titles, but the XHF tag belts are the ones have been around for a long time – and will continue to be. You can brag about how many straps you’ve won, but more often than not, that just means you’ve LOST a lot. Unless the federations folded with you still as champion? That is much better. It means you weren’t good enough draws to keep them open. How many people are looking for work because you were on top?
So CARE about the fact that the only part of your LEGACY worth remembering, you weren’t fit to hold onto for a MONTH.
CARE about the fact that for all your bluster, you’re taking on two people that have been killing themselves in every sadistic match imaginable, but who still weren’t tired enough to let you steal the win.
And no matter how many times you try to win them back, CARE about the FACT that you just weren’t good enough to beat us.
(The only question is... maggots or cockroaches?)
Radu Matei: Halloween is one of those traditions that expats have brought over to Indonesia, so small circles, but in terms of a holiday of theirs that actually matches ours? You’re looking at their New Year’s Eve. The night before Nyepi – Hindu practitioners will head out into their neighbourhoods and make a lot of noise to scare away evil spirits.
I hear Anna Daniels making a lot of noise...
Only these evil spirits... we aren’t going anywhere.
(Deathless turns back to the mirror to take in his outfit. Organs on the outside.)
(He’s all heart.)
(WHITE FLASH.)
(The backstage area of the New Davao Matina Gallery is less fit for athletes than fowl. Deep bruising has already begun to show on Deathless as medics that normally mend broken beaks attempt to patch up a whole new species. The Beast questions neither their medical training, nor their love of animals, but is concerned by the veterinarian’s attempts to tape blades to his feet. Trying not to wince with every pass of dressing around fractured ribs, The Sacrificial Idol can’t remember the last time he took the kind of damage that Top of the Class dished out. Perhaps when Timeless dropped a building on him? A haze fogging his vision, Radu Matei needs time to heal. The worst always passes with time.)
(...But he has a red eye to catch from Manila to Jakarta.)
(As the XHF spent the fourth leg of the tour promoting cockfighting, it seems only fair to conclude this wave of violence at the Chicken Church. Gereja Ayam. A prayer house to bring a calming End of Days. Holding crooked fingers up to a flickering light source, Radu Matei find that the splints on his fingers have been arrange in a wing pattern. The vets are trying.)
(WHITE FLASH. Big black eyes circled in gold, stare into the camera. Giant white teeth. Bright red skin. Tuffs of white hair.)
(The face of a Barong.)
(The friendly smile soon lowers to find the far more gruesome mug of Radu Matei. Deathless turns the mask over in his rough paws. The Balinese spirit resembles a panther. It’s a good look, but Matei was searching for something closer to an insect. Deathless wanders the shops of Jakarta seeking out costumes to use in the upcoming Monster Mash.)
Radu Matei: You can’t look past opponents. And with the quality of tag teams currently performing on the XHF Network? No matter how polished our singles careers are, it would be conceited to look past the first round of the tag team annihilator, let alone the finals. I honestly don’t know how we got past Death Trap and Mistress – super human spite on the part of my partner, perhaps? He was riveting to watch in action. While I am conflicted on aspects of the tournament, I couldn’t have been prouder to be a part of it – and look greatly forwards to a rematch of the finals. I mention this because not knowing if the Purple Emperors would be victorious in the tourney, I am only now looking for my Monster Mash costume.
(Deathless takes a second to admire the Barong again, before putting the mask back.)
Radu Matei: Not as much time to prepare as Dodo-a-Gogo. Perhaps my greatest challenge this month – trying to find a Brundle Fly outfit in Indonesia.
(Walking past some clothing stores, Deathless notices some masks in a window, and hoping this is a costume shop, heads in.)
Radu Matei (shuffling through Yu-Gi-Oh outfits): Dodo-a-Gogo. Your reputation proceeds you. I hope that the Tag Team Annihilator brought more attention to XHF’s fantastic duos division, but you two certainly set the scene during J-ROK’s Tokyo Dome show at the start of the month. The level of technical prowess, made me question why we were beating ourselves into hamburger to promote the division. Just incredible work. ...Now, the people who finally defeat you for those straps will be the 50th champions of the division, and I certainly can’t think of a stronger challenge than yourselves for that distinction.
(Giving up on a rack of princess costumes, Deathless smiles politely at a clerk.)
Radu Matei: Indonesia doesn’t really celebrate Halloween to the same degree that we do. You still have expats, tourists, celebratory pockets – but culturally, they have their own traditions. So I am hoping to find a costume that will excite the viewers at home, while courting local culture – to make the live audience feel included. (A clerk approaches) Excuse me sir; I am trying to find a scary outfit. A monster – preferably of the Indonesian variety.
Clerk: Leyak.
Radu Matei: Le-yak? Ah. Yes. Excellent. Do you have any Leyak costumes?
(The clerk hands Radu a wooden mask of Rangda.)
Radu Matei: Exquisite craftsmanship! Unfortunately, I won’t be able to use wood. They will break it, and use the shards to stake my heart, should they not simply gouge out my eyes. <nods at clerk> You know how it is. Do you have another Leyak costume in less dangerous materials?
(The clerk hands Radu a plastic bag with a few items in it to get the same desired effect.)
Radu Matei: Perfect. Leyak it is...
Camera Operator: A disembodied head that flies around dragging its organs behind it. Falling apart, but you can see its heart.
Radu Matei (warm nod): That sounds very much like me. Almost inside out, but still ticking. I’ll take two, a spare - just in case the costume gets damaged during the course of the contest.
Camera Operator: ALSO the Leyak flies around trying to suck foetuses out of pregnant women. You ever see Mystics in Bali?
Radu Matei (flinch): JESUS. No. Just no. I respect my opponents. That kind of tasteless gender specific horror won’t track. I guess me and Caffrey will just have to dress as Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan. Olympic Athletes! (scratching the back of head) But he’s no doubt already acquired a costume...
(Deathless looks at the floor, feeling like he’s let his partner down. The offensive baby-eating witch in the plastic sack might be his best option. No.)
Radu Matei: No. (passing bag back to the clerk) Thank you anyway, sir. This costume needs to be tasteful! This is for championships that have almost two decades of history behind them. Even if in recent months, the belts have felt like a hot potato, this victory will provide them the stability they need. It is a major contest requiring dignity. Our opponents have won the Sakura Tag League, and had an undefeated streak that almost rivalled my own...
(...My own…)
(...undefeated steak…)
(Memories come flooding back, then fading away. Perhaps the Tag Team Annihilator has given Radu one too many concussions? Or something far more insidious such as a poultry disease. WHITE FLASH. Pre-recorded footage.)
(Caffrey knocks on Radu’s hotel door, a bottle of lamanog in hand to celebrate their annihilator win. As the door swings open, Deathless looks worse than usual – no easy feat.)
Radu Matei (running a broken paw through unkempt hair): Caffrey – am I not the SWAT heavyweight champion?
(Beat. Did Matei celebrate a little too hard on his own? The Sacrificial Idol looks too upset for this to be a hangover sequel. The question is sadly earnest.)
Anthony Caffrey: Uh… you haven’t been for as long as I’ve known you.
Radu Matei (furrows brow): Something is going on here.
(Caffrey slyly slides the bottle of lamanog behind him, trying to figure out whether Radu’s seen it or not.)
Anthony Caffrey: You alright, old man? Please don’t tell me I need to put you into the Romanian equivalent of Quail Park.
(Retreating back into his hotel, Deathless produces his cellphone. Punching keys with a crooked thumb, a quick search soon confirms the worst. Battleground 20 images appear on the phone, as Radu Matei drags an unconscious Suzi Spitz on top of him for the three count. His only singles loss since coming to the XHF Network came in a multiman match, with a finish he orchestrated. Still, from the frustration in his tired eyes, viewers get the impression it wasn’t suppose to go down that way.)
Radu Matei: ANNA. GOD. DAMNED. DANIELS.
(This is going completely over Caffrey’s head.)
Anthony Caffrey: Huh?
Radu Matei (holding up phone): Suzi Spitz never pinned me. I went to bed last night well into my third year as the SWAT heavyweight champion.
Anthony Caffrey: You think that was Anna? Man, I was looking forward to winning the titles with you too. I guess a beat-up old timer whose brain is going is better than that time I teamed up with a broom--
Radu Matei: Didn’t you show me a picture of a mop last week?
Anthony Caffrey: What?
Radu Matei: There was definitely a mop in your trophy case photos.
Anthony Caffrey: I mean I did show you pictures, in between me telling you about how I fought my ass off for W and AXW--
Radu Matei: That guy was definitely named V.
Anthony Caffrey: Oh come off it. Yes, Anna’s a time lord, but she didn’t--
Radu Matei: What kind of mask did the man wear?
Anthony Caffrey: Oh, you know, one of those V for--
(Caffrey’s eyes go wide. He quickly plants himself in a chair.)
Anthony Caffrey: Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooah.
Radu Matei: Someone is messing with our timelines, and we’re only wrestling ONE Time Lord this week...
Anthony Caffrey: You don’t think she could take away my Death Trap submission? I worked my ass off for that!
Radu Matei (shakes head): I don’t know if I can save my title or your mop, but we can certainly replace them with Dodo-a-Gogo’s titles! Anna Daniels just messed with the wrong timelines! Dropping her on her head may not close the temporal anomalies, or make me feel better, but it’s worth trying! SO GIVE ME THAT DAMNED LEYAK COSTUME!
(Before Caffrey can register confusion at this last request, a WHITE FLASH tales us back to the costume store. Here Radu is wearing his Leyak costume. A black body stocking with photos of lungs, heart, and entrails dangling from the neck. A few drops of blood, and flowing black wig transforms the kindest man on the SWAT roster into a raging beast.)
Radu Matei: Anna Daniels. Lisa Seldon. (forced smile) You don’t mix it up with the rest of the XHF. You do your own thing. Punch in. Punch through. Keep punching. Punch out. I used to be like you, keeping to myself. In fact, it is only at the insistence of my tag team partner that I am finally outside of my home, mixing it up with the rest of the talents on the network. MCCW, NPW, JROK... I have greatly enjoyed the experience. I owe him a great debt for forcing me out of my comfort zone, and may have to cripple you if you try to steal his submission victory.
SWAT is my home, and I have worked hard to be the kind of exclusive talent that helped the companies’ stock. Even as I practiced isolationism with my Syndicate family, I was damned proud to be part of the network. I appreciated the talent involved in our sister feds, and the venue it provided us. In between our shows, I would happily watch AWF and Destiny programs – knowing that we were kindred spirits.
The resources, the talents, the fellowship, the RICH history. I am fond of the XHF.
I mention this, because while its cool to acknowledge how busy your schedules are outside the Network, you make it feel like the XHF is a pit stop. Almost like all you needed to do was SHOW UP and you were handed the titles. Now, having watched that amazing contest against SKY FORCE, I can’t knock how hard you worked for the straps... but now that you have the belts, maybe pretend you care?
Because you will care.
We’ll make you care.
Even you will care, Anna. You seem to delight in mocking me for pushing my body harder than you ever have in all your countless lives combined. It almost seems like you want to regenerate again. Keep denigrating my partner, and that will be arranged. You probably have a million lives, because you strike me as a NEW WHO fan, but here’s a pro tip. Unless you want your next life cycle to be incredibly short, try regenerating into less of a dick.
I am focusing on you, Anna, because your partner seems to leave the heavy lifting to the voice in your head. Maybe she's tied up with all those singles belts she needs to unload to make space for your shelf? When I think about partnership - you two are a real inspiration.
(Finding a mirror against a dark corner, the Leyak writhes around. Even though it’s cheap, it’s actually an effective costume. Deathless won’t go through with this ensemble. Dodo-a-Gogo have annoyed Matei, but not enough for him to lower himself to their levels. No longer swaying, Radu Matei turns back to the camera.)
Radu Matei: This is it. The 50th XHF champions.
Do I want you to care about the history? Yes. Because you are a part of it. You are the extremely toxic, entitled team that held the belt the 49th time and reminded everyone how great that division once was. 50. That is a hell of a milestone. One that Anthony Caffrey and myself plan on wearing with pride. The importance of that number, of all the past greats to hold those straps, becomes all the more important when listening to your treatment of those belts.
You seem to have a lot of fly by night titles, but the XHF tag belts are the ones have been around for a long time – and will continue to be. You can brag about how many straps you’ve won, but more often than not, that just means you’ve LOST a lot. Unless the federations folded with you still as champion? That is much better. It means you weren’t good enough draws to keep them open. How many people are looking for work because you were on top?
So CARE about the fact that the only part of your LEGACY worth remembering, you weren’t fit to hold onto for a MONTH.
CARE about the fact that for all your bluster, you’re taking on two people that have been killing themselves in every sadistic match imaginable, but who still weren’t tired enough to let you steal the win.
And no matter how many times you try to win them back, CARE about the FACT that you just weren’t good enough to beat us.
(The only question is... maggots or cockroaches?)
Radu Matei: Halloween is one of those traditions that expats have brought over to Indonesia, so small circles, but in terms of a holiday of theirs that actually matches ours? You’re looking at their New Year’s Eve. The night before Nyepi – Hindu practitioners will head out into their neighbourhoods and make a lot of noise to scare away evil spirits.
I hear Anna Daniels making a lot of noise...
Only these evil spirits... we aren’t going anywhere.
(Deathless turns back to the mirror to take in his outfit. Organs on the outside.)
(He’s all heart.)
(WHITE FLASH.)
