MONDAY NIGHT METAL S02/E11 04/06/20

Sophie stands in front of the penthouse door. Its ominous energy feels miles away though only several feet from her reach. A tepid stroke of the handle finds it already unlocked. Furthermore, someone cut through the caution tape and seems to be investigating one of the Italianate marble countertops. Sophie approaches this tall, feminine figure and her full-length jacket with red and black plaid for extra flair. Mystic steams from her cautious observation, when the middle-aged woman turns and replaces a wide brim hat of matching color. For some reason—even in the modern days of investigation—she brought along a brass magnifying glass, whom Sophie now assumes is the private investigator hired by her late lover’s law firm. Someone they trusted for strict and swift result while ensuring confidentiality.

Sohpie: Who are you?

Madame V: I’m the Marquis for The Isle of Dunbar, but my card says differently.

Sohpie: Okay, but WHO are you?



She presents an embossed business card with a half-bent curtsy.

Madame V: I might be of noble birth, by way of Montenegro, but friends and clients call me “Madame V”.

Sohpie: V?

Madame V: Not one for mystique, are you?

Madame V waits for a moment before breaking that uncomfortable silence.

Madame V: Very well… shall I show you the clues I’ve surmounted thus far?

Sohpie: Please.

V brings them both towards one of the tables Zion originally set for his gaming marathons, one solely used for holding energy drinks and random snacks. Madame V, however, has staged a number of items procured from the crime scene with numerical placards. Among the items is a different business card made from inferior craft. The kind someone orders online without the skill of true card makers.

Madame V: I see you’re interested in that card. It has a logo I’m not familiar with, personally. an you discern it?

Sohpie: Where did you find it?

Madame V: Where amateurs forget to pace. A nook unseen by a common rook.

Sohpie: Seriously, can you just tell me already?

Madame V produces it for Sophie to inspect as well. The name, while unfamiliar at first, points towards a shady deal that went sour months before. Yet its cardholder leave Sophie scratching her head.

Madame V: You don’t recognize the name on their card?

Sohpie: I know that logo. It was this low-tier wrestling company. They were trying to afford random appearances from Zion. Its promoter, and this is what makes it so weird, was this guy with vampire tendencies.

Madame V: And what, pray tell, is his name?

Sohpie: Wait… I do remember now. That promoter’s name is Vincent Pryde.

Madame V: Well then, looks like we have someone to chat with tonight. Shall you accompany me?

Sohpie: No, V, I think I’ll sit this one out. If you find any useful from Pryde—because trust me, he’s a giant slime ball—send it my way.

Madame V: Well, looks like I’ll have to acquainted with this man. I shall bid farewell then. I’ll be in touch.

We fade from the scene with both shaking black gloved hands.

The arena lights go out as smoke machines begin filling the entrance tunnel and stage. Black and White strobe lights begin illuminating the area as the ring announcer begins to introduce Aaron.

Jessica Kaine: "From Seattle, Washington...weighing in at One Hundred and Eighty-Seven pounds (187 lbs.), he is the "Prince of Pain"....Aaron Blaze"!!

Clearwater: There is, the young heartbeat of the Bloodline.

Remi: Bro, Aaron is so hungry for a dub he’ll do anything to make it happen.

Clearwater: Even team with the Bloodline?

Remi: Step off, my dude. You know they’re the force of nature no one’s talking about.

As the introduction ends, a man is seen through the strobe lights and smoke dressed in a long Black trench coat stands at the top of the entrance ramp with his back to the ring. As "Broken Hands" begins, he waits until the [:28] to open his coat and reveals a hidden skateboard. Stepping on the board, Aaron slowly rides the skateboard to the ring and around the [:51] mark, he enters ringside and hops off the skateboard that he let glide under the ring before sliding under the bottom rope and into the ring himself. In the ring, Aaron runs to the other side of the ring and jumps up onto the Second turnbuckle and stares out at the crowd. The crowd boos and cheers him as he starts to remove his coat and it falls across the top rope. Stepping onto the top rope next to him, he turns and drops down to the mat and then squats down leaning backwards onto the ropes as he stares at his opponent. By now the [3:48] music fades to silence as Aaron waits for his match to begin.

The opening chords of “UltraNUMB” by Blu Stahli fills the arena as the lights go dark. Several flashes of blue and green lights illuminate various parts of the arena and entrance ramp to the beat of the song, all stopping with a cascade falling at the top center as Blue Stahli screams…

YOU WANT IT ALL RIGHT NOW!!!

At this point, the fans begin roaring as Jaice Wilds is spotted on a platform a few feet above the ramp. He raises his arms into an X, taking a moment to watch the crowd respond in kind before…

3! 2! 1!

Wilds flips forward off the platform, landing superhero style on the ramp below. He looks up, removing the hood from his face and tossing his shades into the crowd. He starts down the ramp, taking some time to slap random fives and bump fists.

You want it full frontal, over-stimulation
So say a benediction, For a new addiction
In voyeuristic overdrive
(Here comes the countdown)

Jessica Kaine: Ladies and gentlemen, making his way to the ring!!

(Three)
This is the new flesh

Jessica Kaine: From Puerto Vehlo, Brazil; weighing in at one hundred and eighty-four pounds!

(Two)
This is the open door

Jessica Kaine: He is the Final General and YOUR Xtreme Aerialist!!

(One)
We've got everything you wanted…

Jessica Kaine: He is JAICE! WIIIIIIIILLLLLLDSSSS!!!

Wilds stops at the bottom of the ramp, taking in a deep breath and signing the rosarie before launching forward, corkscrewing himself to fly between the top and middle ring ropes and rolling to his feet once inside the ring. He looks to each side of the ring, the fans on their feet as he heads for a turnbuckle.

Clearwater: Look out!

Remi: Aaron Blaze from behind, throwing Jaice into the corner!

Clearwater: And there’s your opening bell… with Aaron Blaze throwing blows into the body of Jaice Wilds.

Remi: He’s bodying him up, bro—oh yeah! What a rebound!

Clearwater: Wilds just slingshot his entire body off the corner padding, hitting a beautiful monkey flip!

Both men recover and engage in some classic mat wrestling with wrist holds until Wilds takes advantage with a couple low kicks. They wear down the defenses of Aaron Blaze to where Jaice can hit the far ropes. He returns with a twisting head scissors that send Blaze half across the ring. Both men rise again with neither have gained full advantage as of yet.

Clearwater: What a dexterous exchange by these agile fighters.

Remi: How’s that word-a-day calendar treating ya?

Clearwater: Quite serendipitous, to be honest, but look at the rage between these two fighters.

Remi: It’s not rage, bruh, it’s hunger. These dude need W’s bad and will tear each other apart to get them.

Fans boo when Aaron counters a clean leapfrog with his, acting as a high angle atomic drop. Exposed, Blaze goes behind and attempts a pumphandle backbreaker, yet the quicker Jaice Wilds slips over the top before shoving Blaze into the far ropes. He then dropkicks Aaron into the middle ropes.

Remi: There he goes!

Clearwater: Blaze escapes—stun gun from Aaron Blaze!
1!

2!

Clearwater: Barely two before Wilds gets a shoulder up… but the “Prince of Pain” is just going to work.

Remi: He’s stomping those legs, trying to slow Jaice Wilds down for now.

Clearwater: And he’s getting it from these fans tonight.

Remi: Play by the rules or not, these people won’t recognize talent even if they came with free nachos.

Clearwater: Hey! That might not be such a bad idea!

Wilds crawls to his knee, and narrowly avoids an incoming dropkick, when he stumbles for the turnbuckle. He rebounds with a disaster kick to the dome of Aaron Blaze. He follows that with a resounding corkscrew legdrop off the middle rope.

1!

2!

3—

Clearwater: Just in time!

Remi: JAice is ninja jumping those ropes, bro. Blaze needs to wake up before he gets too froggy.

Clearwater: That’s for sure!


Winner: Jaice Wilds

Wilds ducks an errant clothesline, and on the reverse attempts a crowd-popping pele kick. Blaze times it just right, when he dropkicks Jaice Wilds out of the air. Both men hit the canvas immeasurably hard. Fans love that too with all their cheers going to the daredevil style of Wilds. Others simply clap their asses off upon seeing both men rise from the canvas.

Clearwater: A mid kick from Wilds! Now low kicks from Aaron Blaze! Who wants it more?

Remi: I got my pick, bro, but why don’t you tell us?

Clearwater: How can I—not while these dudes are kicking each other to pieces!

Wilds upends their exchange with a toe kick. He then pulls back Aaron’s head and contorts their entire body into a violent spiraling impact.

Clearwater: Ordo Ab Kao!

Remi: That’s all folks!

1!

2!

3!

Jessica Kaine: And your winner… Jaice Wilds!

Clearwater: In a flash, it’s all over, and another great win for Wilds.

Remi: Aaron Blaze will be back soon. He knows this isn’t his last chance at the brass ring.

Clearwater: And there’s more Metal when come back. Stay tuned!

As every light in the arena goes red, her theme song begins.

/I am like, begging for you baby
Makes you wanna party
Wanna break up
Baby it's violence, violence
Baby it's violence/


After those crimson spotlights roam around the arena, they find a new target: the woman behind the cheers and jeers from the crowd, and the woman behind the gauzy, dystopian Violence (original mix) by Grimes blasting throughout the arena: Red FREAKING Riot. She’s facing the entranceway, so those red lights focus on the spikes, the studs, and the patches from the wars she’s had in her career, with empty spots to add more victories to the list. She’s only focused on the fight on her way to the ring, past any high five attempts or waves. After Riot slides underneath the bottom rope and into the ring, she showcases a few blazing fast jabs, hooks, crosses, and after SCREAMING her opponent’s name, shows off a sharp, high knee for a little forewarning about how tonight’s ending.

Jessica Kaine: On her way to the ring by Richmond, Virginia… the Crimson Killer, Red Riot!

Clearwater: Baby it’s violence, in the shape of one brunette with an aptitude for kneeing people in the face, Red Riot! Will she continue her path as a breakout talent? Or will she be a sharp tool in Bloodline’s toolbox?

Remington: Bro, stakes or not, these two are going to murder one another, and that’s just good tv.

The lights dim down as a series of lights are pointed at the stage. People wearing white Phantom of the Opera masks and blood stained black suits. They walk down the entrance ramp and stand to the sides.





The most despised man in APW has arrived with a whole new look. The boos are deafening as fans chant in loud angry voices “ Die Jason die! Die Jason die! Die Jason die!” Jason stands on the stage and tells the APW fans they’re number one with both middle fingers. Jason walks down the ramp, as he passes his associates kneel. Jason is a religious man, he worships himself. Jason heads to the ring as fans begin to throw things at him. Jason gets in the ring and marches to Red Riot. He digs in his jacket pocket and pulls out a large roll of money. He removes the rubber band and throws the money at her then gets in her face, flipping her off with both fingers while Red Riot laughs at the clown and dares him to do something. Take the money bitch, screams Jason, before he backs off to the opposite corner and removes his jacket. Strapped to his back is his beloved steel rod he calls Helga. Jason grabs it and holds it high in the air. He begins to pace in the ring yelling for Aaron to ring the damn bell.

Remington: Even with a quarter million on the line, Jason Ryan doesn’t miss a beat.

Clearwater: It’s Aaron’s money, not his, but knowing the guy with the money on the line is the ref doesn’t bode too well with me.


Remington: Or he wants to be the one to raise the hand of the winner, or pat the back of the new stablemate. Besides, Jason promised to let the beast unleash tonight, I don’t know if you should worry about Aaron getting involved, you might need to worry about him not being able to hold his teammate back.

It takes almost no time for two very large egos to realize there isn’t enough space in one ring for the two of them. Aaron Blaze calls for the bell, and we’re off! Riot eyes that steel rod and barks out something about ‘whether or not everyone in the Ryan family needs to find a bigger, sturdier rod to get the job done’, which only makes Ryan scoff, set the rod down and prompt him to reach both hands out as if daring her to tangle up with him. His grin’s almost as huge as the six-inch, one-hundred pound height difference between the two fighters as he inches forward, which Red Riot OBVIOUSLY rolls her eyes at and brushes the mere idea off, which only makes Jason’s grin even bigger. It’s hard to hear over the crowd noise but he mouths something about ‘not needing that rod to fight a disgrace’, and ‘do I need to get on a knee to make you fight?’ Red smiles, winks at Ryan, reaches for the crotch of her wrestling trunks, and with a motion of the hand, invites him to get on a knee to see what he can make her do. Ryan immediately rushes across the ring with a clothesline that Red ducks underneath, and he turns around to get caught with an elbow to the jaw! Followed by a kick to the leg! She takes her turn to run to the ropes and rebound while he’s off-balanced for an armdrag, but Ryan rolls through! She scoffs and rushes with a cross body, but Jason uses her momentum to catch her, grab her by the hair, and yeet her halfway across the ring! Red lands on her stomach, where she looks up to the Scourge with a look that could kill. Aaron Blaze, impressed with his teammate’s showing, offers Riot a hand up, which she thoroughly denies to the amusement of both men.

Clearwater: Red can’t exactly treat this matchup like she’d treat others. Jason’s big, but pulls off moves you don’t see from men with raw athleticism. Plus, after his matchup with Jaice, I don’t think he’s letting another high-flier run away with a match anytime soon.

Remington: I don’t know, getting tossed and dropped on your ribcage IS still high-flying, isn’t it?

Riot doesn’t get a chance to reevaluate her plan of attack. Ryan rushes her the second she starts to stand with fists flying and stiff punches to the chest that sound like a mallet hitting meat when they land. A hook to the cheek gets blocked by both forearms. The scourge switches from punching at her upper body to an uppercut to the stomach, so he can step back and try kicking her head clean off her shoulders! By the skin of her teeth Red ducks underneath again, and uses a leg sweep to knock Ryan on his ass. She immediately drops a knee on his stomach and beats him with hammerfists while he’s wheezing for air! Ryan shoves her off after getting his bearings, but stands up into an arm drag! He pops up again. Hurricanrana! Riot hooks the legs!

ONE!

TWO!


Ryan kicks out, but Red’s eyes never leave Aaron Blaze.

Remington: Surprise pinfall almost gets the win there!


Clearwater: I don’t know if this was about that, even. I think Red just wanted to see whether or not Blaze is gonna call it down the line. Seems like we have an answer.

Riot rises to her feet and begins to measure Ryan. . . he stands up and a hesitation dropkick puts a boot on his cheek and sends him out of the ropes! Riot looks at the ring ropes as she prepares to take a leap of faith and turns to see . . . Aaron applauding her? Saying something about good job, stablemate? In the few seconds she’s trying to figure out which Bloodline member to throttle, Ryan yanks both of her legs from underneath the bottom rope, and rings her bell by throwing her head-first into the ringpost! He slides back to the corner of the ring, grabs his steel rod of choice, Helga, and shoves it underneath her throat then yanks back! After about ten seconds of strangling, he makes the pin:

ONE!

TW-


Red kicks out, and Ryan glares at Aaron, which gets a shrug in response.

Clearwater: Of course, if you engage in three-on-one maulings after a match, calling it down the line might not be enough for you.

With a grip on her hair, Ryan’s taking Red to task : first, he throws her stomach-first into the barricade. He continues by whipping her into the ring apron, again, aiming the hardest part of the ring at her midsection. He tries slamming her midsection onto the steps to the ring, but Red jumps atop them, plants both feet, and comes crashing down on Jason with a moonsault! She drags him up to his feet to whip HIS midsection into the barricade at the near the timekeeper for revenge!

After a second of holding her head and trying to check for blood, she eyes J-Ry draped over the barricade like perfect prey for the huntress and taps both of her feet and charges right at him. . .

Remington: Bro, I think that barricade’s done for.

But the second she gets within striking range, the prey playing possum tosses Helga, his steel rod, at her midsection and lands like a thunderclap! The crowd gasps!

Clearwater: If she loses because of that, I wonder if she’ll remember the stakes of this match!

Ryan quickly dives on top of her for a cocky pin, one knee on her stomach and an elbow holding her down by her chest.


ONE!

TW-


Red kicks out, and Ryan rises to yell at a member of the crowd complaining about the steel weapon almost bouncing off of Riot and hitting that crowd member. In response, Ryan grabs the metal pole as if he’s thinking of trying to correct the mistake by not missing. . . instead, he buries that tool into Red’s stomach as soon as she tries to stand up and leaves her howling. Another smug pin.

ONE!

TWO!

Red kicks out again to Jason’s annoyance, so he backs away to begin measuring the ending of this match. She uses the barricade to begin crawling to her feet. . . and Jason looks at his right arm, then at Red, and he’s a bull in a china shop while running at full speed, only for Red to roll out of the way, and his own momentum to send him over the barricade! He doesn’t even get a moment to hold his stomach and groan before Red, using the same pipe that just finished battering her, jumps over the barricade with a leaping lariat while pressing the metal to her shoulder! It acts as a battering ram, and claps on Jason’s chin.

Clearwater: Red going for the big risk and gets the big reward, ouch!!

Remington: Anything for that 250k! Do you know how many White Claws that is?

Red goes for the pin, but Jason kicks her directly in the face while he’s trying to step back, breathing, and get his bearings after a 150 pound bullet landed, but he isn’t alone. He’s caught in between a rock and a hard place: between Red Riot, holding her stomach in one hand and a chair in the other, following him, and the plebeians in the crowd getting too close for comfort. Blaze follows the duo through the crowd at a safe distance after yet another icy stare from Red Riot when he tries to get between the two. Thanks to Jason’s antics, more than a few hands that stray too close get swatted away, but he can’t shake the arrogant Crimson Killer tapping that steel rod on the ground and trying to close the gap. Eventually, this pursuit leads the two to a hallway in the backstage area.

Fed up with the antics, Red breaks out into a full sprint to make the leader of Bloodline bleed the blood that he owes. She raises Helga and swings, only for Ryan to aim a superkick at her stomach before she can unleash the guillotine. Red goes down!

Clearwater: There’s Jason’s game. He’s perpetually trying to get under people’s skin and frustrate them. You lose your temper, you make mistakes.

While keeled over and trying to hold down her lunch, Riot’s dragged to her feet by her hair and whipped back-first into a wall! Then the opposite wall! Then the opposite wall! Still, she throws pained, angry punches and slaps to Jason’s back and stomach as he keeps his grasp, but Jason’s grip holds firm and keeps leading her to harder surfaces. The second he sees concrete floors, Jason tries to seal the deal; he yanks Riot towards him, pops her up in the air, and drives her damn-near through the floor with a pop up powerbomb.

With a smug grin, Ryan grabs a Helga once again and eyes Riot screaming in agony on the floor. . . and he aims it at her head.

Clearwater: Christ, is this even about winning anymore?

Before he swings, Aaron actually grabs it and slaps Ryan on the chest! The two argue about whether or a person in a coma can be in a stable before Jason eventually decides to just go for the pin.


ONE!

TWO!

THR-


Whether willpower or instinct, Riot punches a shoulder up. Her entire face is red and she’s squirming in discomfort on the ground, yelling to try suppressing the pain. Ryan takes a moment to relish in her pain before yanking her up to her feet and trying to drape her across his back so he can put finish the match. . . only Red for to struggle enough to fall to her feet. Ryan, now empty handed, turns to face her, only to see a Red blur before she headbutts him directly in the nose!

Remington: Did you get another bag of chips, or was that crunch something else?

Clearwater: You said it better than I could. Ouch.

Ryan covers his face, and Red eyes the steel pipe then looks at her opponent. . . he stands, and she flings it with everything she’s got - and whether intentionally trying to dodge or just staggering from maybe getting his nose broken, Ryan falls - and Aaron Blaze gets a very unfortunate strike across his chest that drops him like a hot potato. She watches him drop but doesn’t seem to care! She tries to really lay it on with kick after kick onto Ryan as he’s downed, and finishes it off with a PK to the head!

Remington: PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

Clearwater: And more importantly, the only person interested in keeping some form of law in this match is out! This. . . won’t be nice to watch.

Two roundhouse kicks from an exhausted Red Riot land on Ryan’s kneeling form with sick whacks. A dizzied Ryan tries to limber away, only for a sickening slingblade to drive him back onto the concrete! The brutality only gets worse after a standing moonsault slams her chest onto his… and Riot screams after paying the cost of having her torso battered for most of the match. She looks to their downed special referee, realizes this is a street fight, and desperately crawls to her feet.

This time, she drags HIM by HIS hair up to a standing position. . .

. . . and as soon as Ryan stands, her feels Riot climbing onto his shoulders from behind, and attempting to bury him head-first into the ground for her Crimson Mask Poisonrana! Standing much stronger and taller, he tries to counter balance by leaning forward! Red is irate, and empties out the kitchen sink - every direction she can think of to throw elbows, she throws elbows that nail Ry across the face and weaken his base so she can begin his funeral. Still, he fights to lean forward, only weakened by her leaning forward enough to elbow him RIGHT across his bloodied nose! His grunts fill the hallway! Sensing blood in the water, Red continues leaning forward while over his shoulders to grind his nose into bits with her elbow!

After a vigorous amount of slams and pulverizing, Ryan teeters backwards, and Red swings him into a WICKED poisonrana onto the concrete! SPLAT. Riot climbs to her feet over Ryan’s downed carcass, and with these two intent on murdering one another and Aaron Blaze hurt, another referee comes blazing down the hall to put an end to the violence. Fortunately, Red’s only got enough air in her lungs to collapse with an arm draped over Ryan.


ONE!

TWO!

THREE!


Clearwater: After a gruesome match up, Red Riot’s a quarter million dollars richer with this one, and she escapes joining Bloodline and having to deal with Jason Ryan on a weekly basis by dealing with him tonight.

Remington: Bro, Ryan definitely made her earn every penny. Ryan took her to that dark place in his mind, and a now she is going to have enough White Claws to last her a lifetime.

Cue the sappy music that often plays over segments like ones about the Make-A-Wish foundations or other programs like it. As the music plays we see the Jr. Heavyweight Champion, Eli Beazley, surrounded by a group of people. The music continues to play as we watch Eli interact with the people in ways you would expect in these kinds of segments. He is hugging the middle-aged woman with tears streaming down her face. A twenty-something young woman holds the championship belt as Eli stands next to her for a picture. He bro hugs a dude who is all smiles. We see Eli kneeling down and talking to a kid in a wheelchair. That shot ends with Eli giving the kid a hug. The last thing we see is Eli standing in the middle of this group of people as they get a group picture taken. The music starts to die down and we then go to a shot of APW interviewer Dani Applegate standing next to Eli.

Dani Applegate: Ladies and gentlemen I am with Eli Beazley and first of all Eli I want to thank you for writing these questions for me. I do pride myself on my interviewing ability but I just LOVE when the questions are provided for me."

The sarcasm on her voice seems to either go over Eli's head or he chooses to ignore it.

Eli Beazley: You're very welcome, Dani! You know me, always trying to help out my fellow man.

Dani Applegate: *Looks at the cue card Eli provided* Eli, can you tell us a little bit about your work here today with the E.B.F.L.H.P Foundation?

Eli Beazley: Of course! This is a foundation that is near and dear to my heart. The Eli Beazley for Left-Handed People Foundation is something I set up to help support those people who are unfortunately born left-handed. Dani, it is a real issue. Now I wasn't always aware of this issue. But it was brought to my attention a few months ago and I have dedicated about 7% of my life since then to helping those in need.

Dani Applegate: Being left-handed is a problem?

Eli Beazley: It most certainly is. Dani, 1 in 10 babies are born left-handed. That's about ten percent of the population that is born with this affliction. It affects them in many ways that correct handed people like you and I wouldn't dream of. Can you imagine trying to write with your left hand? What about using scissors? Dani, can you even fathom buttoning up a pair of jeans with your left hand? So this foundation is all about building a better world for those people. We're mass-producing left-handed pens, scissors and jeans."

Dani Applegate: *Sarcasm pouring from her voice* Wow, sounds like a noble deed.

Eli Beazley: Would I call myself a hero? No. But I would say that what I am doing is heroic!

Dani Applegate: Sure. Eli. Any last words for the fans out there?

Eli Beazley: "This is a cause that is very important to me. I would encourage you to donate today. We all know someone who struggles with this disease and if we can all chip in we can make the world a better place for them. And Breeziacs, I may not be in action tonight but I am sure I'll be back in front of you next week!"

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