The X-Tron in the arena and TV behind DNS flickers to life for the live fans in attendance as the words “Recorded Earlier” fill the massive screen.
We cut to a hazy scene in a pitch-black parking lot and see the outline of two figures in hoodies. They’re illuminated by standard-issue street lighting, but save for that, it's the dead of night.
They walk towards a giant warehouse with two huge garage doors side by side. There’s a high-tech-looking lock on the left-hand side of both doors.
The rain is battering both figures as they approach - the camera gets closer to them as the right-hand figure taps the left and points. The camera spins, following the direction of the pointer.
A flickering green light is leaking from the bottom of one of the garage doors - a gap. Just enough to fit hands through… an opportunity you might say.
An opportunity created by an empty bottle of MD20/20, wedged in the bottom of the garage door - the remnants of someone having a great time for sure. As the men get closer, they exchange a short, barely audible conversation.
Figure 1: Lucky us eh?
Figure 2: Lucky us…
Both figures grab the bottom of the garage shutter and, in unison and with all their might, they haul the door open. A huge clattering echoes around the parking lot as the mechanism clicks in and opens the door fully. Surely it was enough to cause a stir.
They wait for a second, then a second more.
Nothing.
Silence.
Figure 1 pats the other on the shoulder, this time pointing at the bottle on the ground. It’s clearly fallen from a bigger trash bag of other bottles just inside the garage door. Both men chuckle as they step inside.
We pan out and see all manner of computer screens, lights, cameras and server cases. This is the home of DNS. The camera follows them into the facility, but immediately Figure 2 stops.
Figure 2: Wait…
The other figure freezes
Figure 2: Let’s not make the same mistake
He turns around and grabs a piece of rope hanging from the garage door - a surprisingly analogue tool in an otherwise lavishly technical wonderland.
As he yanks down, the pulley system clicks into action, pulling the garage door shut tight. Another almighty racket, but again, the place seems deserted.
As the figure turns around to continue down the hallway, we catch a glimpse of a familiar face. Rust Cohle’s face. The scene fades as he continues into the next room.
OCW NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP
C-NOTEvs. TELOS*
The lights at the Barclays, as bright as they could be for the season premiere of Turmoil, suddenly shut down as people got excited to see what surprise was preparing in front of them.
When they come back on, in a ruckus thunderbolt-like sound, only one man stands in the ring.
That man challenged and came up short against CCW Champion B-17 at On Deadly Ground, Satohiko “Aisu” Hitta.
The booing raining down on OCW Combat Center’s head teacher as the crowd didn’t forget the terrible actions following his loss, once again attacking Bingo and putting him on the shelf while requiring surgery this time.
Aisu: I don’t care about how you feel; this isn’t about you all. It was never about you all; it was about professional wrestling—it always has been. But some of you are only here for the fireworks and a good laugh.
Aisu: I dedicated my life to this business and this art. Meanwhile, B-17 made a career of mocking his opponents, making this sport a joke with his antics. He disrespected me even when I invited him to my domain, our domain, the heart of this company or any other, the Combat Center. He was more preoccupied with making the crowd chuckle than actually putting his educated techniques to good use. He mocked me.
Aisu: At that moment, I knew. He said he respected me, but I saw it, in his eyes, he was seeing me as he was seeing everybody else: Beneath him.
Aisu: I was just another puppet, playing wrestling at a lower level than he was, always looking down on people, even on me. His well-known cockiness...
Aisu: I want y’all to thank me for what I did. Many people have already reached out, people you know and would be surprised to hear, thanking me for TEACHING B-17 some respect. What you got on Deadly Ground was the REAL BINGO. A savage, a focused demon, no pandering to the crowd, no flashiness, not even a human thought..
Aisu: Basically just.. A Machine.
Aisu: But just like any other machine, it can be dismantled. As I proved to you all. I might not match his physical power and destruction, but I mastered the art of observing and being meticulous..
Aisu: Now that your bionic arm is being repaired, I want you to know something: When you come back, I’ll do it all over again. Any time you show up in public, I’ll rip your limbs out of their sockets until you have no choice but to retire and leave. And people will have no choice but to witness a real PRO WRESTLING CHAMPION.
A new song washes over the arena…the crowd murmurs excitedly.
B17 has arrived—a much different-looking B17! His hair is cut, his beard is gone. A revitalized B17 has arrived. Unfortunately, old wounds appear to remain. His right arm is in a sling, but in his left, he holds a microphone.
B17: Woah, woah, woah. Wait…
Pyro goes off behind him.
B17: I had to wait for the fireworks!
The crowd laughs.
B17 begins to saunter down to the ring.
B17: Look at you! The Profesional Wrestler that tried to rip B17’s arm out off. The Professional Wrestler that I knew was so dangerous that I wanted the challenge of fighting him for this CCW Championship.
Bingo pounds the title around his waist with his closed fist.
B17: And now you want to talk to me about teaching respect. My god, I hate how people have been using that word lately.
B17 gets closer to the ring.
B17: Let’s talk about respect. Let’s talk about how you disrespected a future Hall of Famer. Let’s talk about how you disrespected a three-time Wrestlelution Main Eventer. Let’s talk about how you disrespected the current CCW Champion!
B17 walks up the steps.
B17: Let’s talk about how you disrespected a man who lost two years of his career to injury, returned, and is still standing at the pinnacle of OCW!
Bingo enters the ring.
Aisu: That is precisely the PROBLEM, BINGO!
Aisu: Me, me, me, look what I did, look what I accomplished, look at the list of things I did for myself!
Aisu: Kudos to you and your career, B. Really impressive. A true HOFer..
Aisu: But what did you do for this business? What did you do for people who put food on the table? What did you do to the performers who passed by and gave everything to this mat, except MOCKING THEM and their accomplishments?
Aisu: I have a better one for you! Where is the B Community ?.. Where are the Lost Boys? Where is... TY Sparks?
Aisu: Oh, I could go on, but on your path to glory, you continually stepped on younger, talented people, allowing them to provide you with all the benefits while they vanished in the background.
Aisu: All Hail our Champion!
Aisu: They might chuckle and see you as the Hero of this company.. But I know the truth.. My good friend, Wrex, knows the truth...
Aisu: You are a mascaraed. And since you took your balls to come out to this ring, probably just to pander to the crowd and play the victim in front of all these people, I advise you to go back to where you came from before I easily rip your arm once and for all.
B17 looks taken back momentarily by the spew of hatred pouring from Aisu’s mouth.
B17: That’s what this is? You invoke Wrex, but let me remind you where Wrex and I came from. Remember who I’ve crawled over to get to this spot?
Bingo holds up a finger as he goes.
B17: Jacob Trance. Austin Lee. Aries.
The crowd pops. A small Invictus chant starts.
B17: Malu.
Crowd: Gorilla Noises
B17: Mugen.
Crowd: MOOOOOOGENNNNN!
B17: I can keep going, but I’ve pinned legends to get to this spot! Wrex pinned legends to get this spot. You don’t get to compare yourself to Wrex.
B17: Where is TY Sparks? He’s in college, you dummy. Where is the B Community? All around you!
B17: Holds the mic into the air and lets the crowd chant fill the arena.
Crowd: B Community! B Community! Community!
B17: What you’re mad about is not that I stepped over people to get to the top; what you’re angry about is that you failed to climb yourself!
B17: As for the arm. I was cleared last week!
Bingo lashes out, his arm no longer hanging within the sling. Aisu, caught by surprise, is too late to respond.
Aisu eats a Bingo Punch right in the middle of the ring before rolling out. Bingo rips his shirt and rails up the crowd, which explodes in cheers at the sight of the fully recovered Champion!
B-17 gestures to Aisu to return to the ring with euphoria, while the Japanese superstar points at him while backtracking out of the stage, leaving a JUICED B17 screaming, like a wild man in the ring.
