The Final Countdown. Final RP for EOD Final
Oct 25, 2018 5:14:21 GMT -5
Jack Diamond and The King like this
Post by Bobby Barratt on Oct 25, 2018 5:14:21 GMT -5
We open scene in the fields of Ohio. Bobby's prized mode of transport, Icon-1 lays in a wreck. The sun is up and people are working on the site, trying to find any survivors.
Reporter: We are live here in Ohio, where the wreckage of local Wrestling star Bobby Barratt landed rough last night. Witnesses describe the scene as absolute chaos as the chopper crashed last night, but not before putting on rather the display.
The screen shows mobile phone footage of Icon-1 in the sky. It's swaying back and forth erratically in the night, trying frantically to stay in the air. The nose of the chopper pitches downwards as the footage cuts.
Reporter: There is more footage, but we deemed it potentially too distressing to show. Workers are clearing the scene as we speak, but right now, the man formerly known as the Prodigy is presumed dead. What that means for his End of Days Final matchup with Killa Kai in Croke Park, Ireland this week is not yet known.
Bobby: They say that when your life is about to end, the moment right before it is an endless loop of the moments leading up to that point. You whole life replays over and over in your mind and if you aren't a believer of an afterlife, then those memories are yourself judging your life actions. Them replaying in your head is your own personal Heaven or Hell depending how you perceive them. Effectively, you pass your own judgement.
The scene opens with a flashback of Bobby pulling on his gear. He looks younger, fresher and the signs of age have yet to start showing on his face. It's 2012 in London. He takes a few deep breaths before getting up and heading over to the curtain. No production values here, this is an Indy show as low tier as it gets. Bobby's music starts to play as he looks out through the curtain, before tossing it aside and walking out to the roars of the crowd. A brief montage of an incredibly brutal match plays as Bobby ultimately comes up short in his encounter. Following the match, Bobby snaps, laying a beat down on his opponent. The man is left a bloody mess at the hands of Debra, Bobby's trusty black bat. Bobby storms back through the curtain to an irate looking booker.
Booker: What the Hell was that?! I told you guys to have a clean match! Then you pull this shit?
Bobby: I'm fed up! This high fiving the fans and kissing babies approach just isn't me! You've seen the streak I've been on lately! Loss, loss, loss! Sooner or later something has to give! This is me now! Like it..
Bobby points Debra into the chest of the Booker.
Bobby: ...Or lump it.
With that, Bobby walks off shot. The Booker is left looking perplexed as to why a decent level babyface just decided to change his whole outlook on things.
Bobby: Thing is.... life isn't all about good guys and bad guys. Sometimes you need to look along the line that separates them. See that it's not just a thick Black line and rather it's more of a blurry Grey one. If you want to succeed at life, sometimes you can't be afraid to have to cross that line.
The scene comes back a few days later. Internet new sheets are buzzing with word of a young rookie in England who went crazy on a guy with a bat. Footage is starting to surface on Youtube of the incident. Bobby's phone has been off the hook all morning with calls and messages from Bookers who have turned him away in the past. They want a piece of this newfound aggression Bobby has found. Bobby can't believe the response to him simply losing his temper. He answers his phone.
Booker: Hey! Have you seen the reaction with the IWC?
Bobby: Too right! See? I knew what I needed. I'm putting arses in your seats now! I think on the back of this, it's time you start coughing up a little bit more!
Booker: What? You're lucky you still have a job with what you did to that guy!
Bobby: You're holding me up?
Booker: I'm telling you that I can't afford to pay you more. I gave you your start in this business and now you're asking for more?
Bobby: You know as well as I do that this business is based on draw power. Right now, I can bring in more punters to your shows. You'll be able to pay more based on that. If you don't like it, then maybe someone else will?
Booker: No fucking way are you blackmailing me, right now! You know what? Go! See how you go it alone! See how you do!
With that, the call ends. Bobby is now officially a free agent with regards to his old promotion. He looks out of the window in his room. Taking a deep breath he looks down at his phone.
Bobby: I guess it's time to start seeing what these places can do outside of the little box I've been in for the last few years. I always wondered how I'd do alone.
A montage of Bobby driving to shows and showcasing his new, more aggressive style is shown. "Kickstart My Heart" is playing over it as Bobby lays waste to many a man both in and out of the ring. The shows get bigger and bigger. The production values get more and more, the crowds get bigger and bigger. People start to show up to shows with mock bats and sunglasses. In becoming a bad guy... Bobby became the Anti-Hero. Bobby's car gets a little bit nicer, the payouts are getting bigger and his name is spreading across promotions across the UK.
Bobby: See that one action. The one act of defiance and standing up to those who I felt held me down? That was my defining moment with regards to my career. That was the moment it all changed for me. My career skyrocketed. I learned that people don't always want to see the most agile guy. They don't want to see the babyface prosper at every given opportunity. Sometimes, they just want to see someone get beaten up. In that moment, The Prodigy was born.
We come back and we are backstage at a fairly large scale UK show. The venue looks as if it holds a couple of thousand people, rather than the venues that were lucky to attract 50 paying customers earlier. People are getting ready for their matches, some are even getting ready to go home after their matches, so we are around the mid show mark. Suddenly, in walks Bobby. Sunglasses still on and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He pulls his bag over to the far corner of the room and starts getting ready. Almost instantly, another angry looking booker gets in his face.
Booker: Nice of you to show up! You know when you make bookings like this, we expe-
Bobby: You don't get to expect shit! You wanted me at the show for my match? I'm here! What's your problem?
Booker: My problem is that every show you're here late. You don't help with the ring, you don't help set up the room, then you turn up with a cigarette lit! That's illegal!
Bobby: This is what you pay me for! You want the badass! You want the guy that people wish they could be!
Booker: I want that guy inside the ring! I don't want you thinking you fucking own the place! What kind of example are you setting to the trainees?
Bobby: To be quite frank, the trainees don't pay my bills so I don't give a fuck what kind of impression I set for them! They're their own people. They make their own choices. If they decide to kick arse and take names later, so be it.... If they decide to try and hold people down to still remain relevant in the business...
Bobby looks the Booker up and down.
Bobby: ....Well there you go.
Booker: You think you're something, huh? Well I'm letting you know that this is your last gig here. After tonight, I'm not taking your antics anymore!
Bobby ignores him. He carries on getting ready. The Booker continues trying to berate Bobby until eventually Bobby is ready. He stands up, blows smoke from his last drag of his cigarette in the Booker's face and throws the butt at his feet before casually walking past him and out to the ring as his music plays.
Bobby: Do things like that make me a bad guy? Does standing up to the man when he tries to berate you and make you feel like that same trainee that rolled through the door all those years ago make me someone not to work with? Thing is, promoters in this business are by large, guys who didn't make it. Guys who want to continue to live the dream but they're too old to continue the grind. So they manipulate trainees into working for free. Telling them their love of the business and exposure should be payment enough. All while laughing their way to the bank with the entire takings for the evening. Who's the bad guy there? A little after that show, I got a call from Shawn Rossdale. He flew me out to Stillwater, MN for preliminary talks about joining ICW. That whole series of events is what brought me stateside. Again.... I got what I always wanted. I worked for it. Who's the bad guy?
Saturday October 27th
We come back and we are in a Cathedral mid way through what appears to be a Funeral. Quite an ornate looking building. The room is packed to the rafters with guests here to pay their respects. A single casket lays in the middle of the room, Purple flowers draped across it.
Vicar: We are here today to remember this man. He lived a colourful life, but it all started back here. Humble beginnings. He was a man that was never afraid to grab what he wanted with both hands and never let go. That afforded him many opportunities in his life. It's one thing we always tell our children... That if they set their mind to something... They can achieve anything. He was testament to that fact. Living proof of the fact that if you work hard enough... You'll get there.
The shot switches to Maverick and Jack Diamond on one of the rafters. They both have their heads bowed out of respect.
Maverick: It's what we've always been about, right?
Jack: It's what we'll always be about.
Maverick: By any means necessary.
Vicar: So we come to the end of our ceremony. When we commit the body of a man to the afterlife, to remember that though we may not see them again, we will always remember them. To remember that this is never Goodbye... But more of a "See you soon."
The casket begins to become surrounded by a curtain as a Church music is played by the organ. Jack and Maverick smile to themselves.
The scene cuts to a flashback. Bobby is in Icon-1 again, fighting the controls. We see the panic in his eyes as he realises that this could be the end. Icon-1 is spinning almost uncontrollably as Bobby decides that his time is up and it's now or never. He leaves the seat and grabs a bag from off the wall of the chopper. He heads to the doors and throws one open as quickly as he can. He takes one more look inside the chopper.
Bobby: So long old friend...
With that Bobby leaps from the chopper, throwing open the parachute he just picked up. It opens and Bobby glides down through the darkness. He's never had to use one of these before, so he's hardly an expert in parachute operations, but what better time to learn than when you're facing imminent death? He glides down and is stopped by a tree as the scene switches to Bobby hanging from a branch by the cords which attach him to the parachute that saved his life. In the background, there's a crash and an explosion that illuminates the night sky for a brief second. Bobby decides not to investigate and further and that it's time he laid low for a while. He wriggles free from his backpack and gets out of there.
Bobby: Fuck. I better let the boys know I fucked up again.... Wait.
Bobby checks his pockets and realises his phone just went up in the crash. He has no way of contacting Jack or Maverick. He's going to have to hope they trust he's ok until he can reach home. Though the flight takes only 15 minutes, the walk is much longer when you can't call a cab. Bobby arrives home around early evening the following day, crashing out on his sofa. A few hours later, he awakens with a start. Switching on the TV, he sees the local news covering his "death".
Bobby: Fuck! I didn't let the boys know!
Bobby hops onto the computer and starts typing a quick email to Jack and Maverick, letting them know he's ok. He gets a mischievous grin on his face.
Bobby: Well they know I'm fine now. I think I can use this to my advantage. Kai is going to think I'm dead, all while I can now prepare for the match with absolutely NO interruptions, no press conferences or bullshit!
Bobby adds to the email, letting the boys know not to tell anyone that he is alive and well. He hits the send button.
Bobby: So now I'm a few days out. The press will hound Kai, trying to find out his thoughts on me being dead, trying to find out what he plans to do. They'll keep him busy enough. As for me? It's time to get ready for this! One more match! One more fight between me and immortality! Let's fucking do this!
We are back to the funeral. The curtain has just finished closing and people are hugging, shaking hands and shedding tears at the remembrance of this man.
Vicar: We now commit you to the afterlife, John Barker.
The scene flicks back to Jack and Maverick. They smile before heading out of the back of the rafters into a private room.
Jack: Nice idea with the random funeral.
Maverick: Yeah. That should keep Kai busy, especially as End of Days is tomorrow.
They head through further into the room as they see someone sitting at a counter, a glass in hand. We get closer and see that the man at the counter is swilling a glass of bourbon, the shadows from the flat peak cap he is wearing obscure his face for a few seconds. Eventually, he turns to shot, takes a sip of his drink and his face is revealed.
Bobby: Imagine their faces. Most of those fans won't know until bell time who Kai is facing....And when they find out? It'll be way too late to stop me. End of Days. The Haunted Hall of Fame match.... Killa Kai, you're going to feel as if you're being haunted by a dead guy when you see my face. You're going to think the dead have risen to beat your arse and by the time you realised I fooled you, I'll be being crowned End of Days Champion 2018. Icons.... Out!
