We cut back to Cort Marshall, still handcuffed to the bench after attempting to interrupt Shepherd’s promo. He’s looking despondent as he talks to the guards in a more muted voice than usual.
Cort: This is more than I can take… you know what, guys, I’m out. Not in the mood for the rest of the show after this.
The guards glance at each other.
Billy: You know we’ll have to escort you out.
Cort waves his free, albeit busted, hand.
Cort: Yeah, fine.
Chuck produces the key and unlocks the handcuff, keeping careful watch on the attempted escapee. Cort doesn’t make even a ghost of a move, though, seeming to have given up.
The three men walk together through the backstage area, with a few wrestlers greeting Cort; he mumbles back noncommittal replies. They finally reach the parking garage, and Cort turns to Billy.
Cort: Surely you don’t have to escort me to my truck?
Billy: All the other doors are locked or guarded. Employees have been notified of your current status. So… I suppose not.
As Cort goes to leave, Billy puts a hand on his shoulder.
Billy: We’re not against you here. Just doing our job.
Cort frowns.
Cort: Uh-huh. Well your “job” is making me look like a fool in front of thousands of fans.
The men part as Cort heads towards his old, rusty pickup in the parking garage.
The camera pans to the announce team.
And that's that!
It's for his own good!
The Xtron Flickers On!
Doc Green lays in the middle of the ring; exhausted, in pain, and defeated. The applause for the heart shown by the rookie is loud, as the CQC stand together outside the ring, arms around each others’ shoulders and scrambling for their title belts.
They begin to make their way towards the ramp, but as they do this, a familiar figure appears at the top of the stage, walking towards the ring, Coolidge.
Cohle and Quartz stop in their tracks, observing with grins on their faces as the man who they encountered earlier slowly makes his way into the ring, having grabbed a steel chair from under the ring.
By this time, Doc had begun crawling towards the ropes, trying to escape the same fate as his tag team partner, to no avail. Coolidge treads on Green’s fingers, trapping him while talking inaudible smack as CQC make their way back onto the apron, laughing and shooting looks at one another before turning their attention to Doc in the ring.
The atmosphere of the crowd has shifted on a dime, as the cheers and applause transforms into boos and jeers directed at CQC and Coolidge. Still controlling Doc by the fingers, he allows the rookie to rise to his knees, holding onto Coolidge’s right leg with his free hand.
Quartz walks to ringside and grabs a steel chair from the time-keeper. Coolidge looks over at Quartz, gesturing at him to give him the chair, which he happily obliges. Coolidge wastes no time, laying a savage chair shot across Doc’s back, causing him to yelp out in pain having been unable to brace for impact.
Rust Cohle and Quartz grab an arm each of the rookie shouting in his face. The tag champions hold Green still in the ring as Coolidge prepares to end the rookie’s career.
As Coolidge raises his arms for a second chair shot, a loud cheer booms around the arena, causing him to hesitate, and then quickly look towards Cohle who is pointing towards the ramp and shouting French words neither Quartz nor Coolidge can understand.
They both turn around to face the ramp and see an incensed Antonio Everrett making a beeline towards the ring, steel chair in hand and taped-up due to the attack earlier in the night. Quartz, taking initiative, quickly drops Doc Green to the mat and grabs Cohle before rolling out the ring to protect himself and his tag team partner, and leave Coolidge to defend for himself in the ring as they watch on.
Coolidge attempts an escape as well, but Doc, still reeling from the chair shot, is able to grab his leg to stop him moving, allowing Everrett to deliver a flying knee, essentially rendering Coolidge out on his feet, giving him the time to hit Coolidge with a vicious bicycle kick, sending him unceremoniously out of the ring.
The crowd erupts as Everrett helps Doc to his feet, and chairs in hand, they stand tall together, shouting inaudibly at CQC and smashing their chairs into the ground before Doc grabs a microphone from a nearby stagehand and turning his attention to Coolidge, who is leaning against the barricade outside the ring, holding his face.
The Tag Team Champions have hastily grabbed their belts and scurried up the ramp with terrified looks on their faces.
Doc: You know what, Coolidge? You got what you wanted. There’s nothing left for you to do to make me want to fight you more, name a time and a place, and you’re on. Then, when I’m done with you…
Doc turns his attention to the ramp as CQC have stopped on the stage, listening to Doc.
Doc: The Uncrowned are coming for CQC. This isn’t finished. You may have left me and Ev beaten and battered, but you will trust me when I say; We’re not finished!
The OCW universe roars with cheers for the feisty rookie duo as Doc drops the mic in front of him with a thud.
The Uncrowned victoriously pace around the ring, rallying the crowd as CQC stand furious on the stage pointing towards the ring shaking their heads. Rust Cohle inaudibly mouths “never” whilst pointing to his tag team championship.
Coolidge says nothing, but is laughing and smiling to himself having succeeded in getting what he was after for so many weeks, as the camera cuts back to the announce team.
The camera pans to the announce team.
YEAAA!
Careful kid! don't go in over your head!
#1 Contender
BOURNISTICO vs OTAKRU
The camera pans to the announce team.
Oh my!
Word!
The scene opens on segment of the hallways backstage. Seated on an equipment case while staring at a shirt in his hands is the One Man Revolution, Bobby Minio.
His brows are furrowed down low, as if he were squinting while trying to solve a magic eye puzzle. Footsteps approach from out of frame and after a moment, Kid Ego himself Paul Pugh approaches Minio, slapping a familiar palm across Minio’s lowered shoulder.
Pugh: See me out there kid? I think I really let them all know where they stand. Somewhere well below me.
Minio glances up acknowledging Pugh but his attention never truly breaks from the shirt in his hands. Pugh is pre-occupied and does not read this.
Bobby Minio: Gave em hell?
Pugh: A healthy serving, like always.
Bobby Minio: Ha, guess I should have been out there with ya.
Pugh: Don’t sweat it brother, you get to come out with me tonight and watch up close while I show him a glimpse of the future, me standing over him. No matter what.
Bobby Minio: Yeah, sounds like a real blast, I dunno thou-
Pugh: You’re not following kid, that’s alright I’ll slow it down for ya. NO. MATTER. WHAT. Heh, maybe I wasn’t blunt enough but, I’m not bringing you out there for the very. Get it?
Bobby Minio: Listen, Paul, Harvey… he’s the real deal. I know you’ve seen it out there, I know I saw it a few times. He’s not just another overrated egomaniac pissing lava… He’s authentic. If I’m being honest, if things were different, we’d probably be handing the guy one of these.
Minio holds up the shirt he had been studying, a classic “Then. Now. C4Ever” shirt. Pugh gently removes the shirt from Minio’s hand before discarding it over his shoulder, his voice becomes measured.
Pugh: Kid. I didn’t come back here to talk shop. I just need you to look me in my face and show me that you get it.
There is a pregnant pause as Minio’s eyes remain locked on the shirt, now in a pile on the ground. After the moment, with an unfamiliar expression his face, he meets Pugh’s eye line.
Bobby Minio: Yeah man. I get it.
Pugh: There we go. You know kid, you really gotta work on editing. We wasted a good two full minutes there.
Bobby Minio: My fault Paul.
As Minio chews on his teeth and looks away, Pugh is already somewhere else, his mind having wandered to his next move. He absent mindedly pats Minio on the shoulder, nodding to his long time partner.
Pugh: Good stuff. Look, I’ll see ya out there.
Minio silently nods up at Pugh as he walks away down the hall as quickly as he arrived. Minio sits in contemplation for a moment before sliding down from the equipment container, kneeling down beside the C4 shirt to retrieve it.
He looks in the direction that Pugh had exited and for a brief moment, he smirks and nods, before turning and walking out of frame in the opposite direction. The scene cuts to the ringside area.
We cut back to Cort Marshall, still handcuffed to the bench after attempting to interrupt Shepherd’s promo. He’s looking despondent as he talks to the guards in a more muted voice than usual.
