“Do not throw rocks at a man who's got a machine gun.”

”Rowdy” Roddy Piper

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Velma watches as the rest of the gang splits in two groups and heads in opposite directions. She watches Fred drag Daphne painfully by her wrist into the dark tunnel to the left and watches Scooby sniff the pocket that Shaggy is retrieving more drugs from, most likely, as they head towards the right.

As she is left alone and the doctor ominously stalks her from the shadows… the bitter smell from his cigar stings her nostrils, causing her to cough and sneeze. The warmth of his breath when mixed with his icy stare chills her bones and gives her a shiver.

I know you’re here… SHOW YOURSELF!

She yells out to the darkness, not sure who or what she’s trying to provoke or kick from the shadows. Not only did Velma love solving mysteries with her rag-tag motley crew, but for years has believed herself as a medium. They would stay in haunted mansions and pass through ghost towns. They would revisit crime scenes or find a village bearing a terrible secret or horrifying past. When the opportunity would arise (and when Fred pressed her to), Velma would use her “power” to find closure for people at a loss, “solve” murders, and uncover mysteries all while making a little scratch on the side. While Velma was very intelligent and book smart, she was also very naive. The gaslighting from Fred in these situations made her truly believe she could communicate with the deceased. She would do his bidding, like the others, all while suppressing a dark secret of her own. The doctor could smell it and it made him eager to see what bringing this to light would do to such innocence.

From the shadows Doc snaps his fingers expelling a fireball to the ground. It engulfs and a trail of flame runs from her to the entrance of the center tunnel where it forms a pentagram on the floor.

I see you demon!

Doc chuckles as Velma narrows her eyes and readies her stance, as if something otherworldly was about to reveal itself and pounce. She waits. Doc waits. Doc snaps his fingers again and lines the inside walls with little torches on scances just like the tunnel to the right, lighting the way for the girl. As inviting as it appeared, Velma stood her ground and did not approach the tunnel. Doc, becoming impatient, claps his hands and a large blinking neon sign appears above the entrance saying "This Way!!" and points down with a series of blinking arrows.

Don’t be shy……

A gust of wind from absolutely nowhere pushes Velma forward and finally she begins to walk. When she steps inside, the torches flicker violently and appears like they could go out any moment. They barely light the way, but unlike the other tunnels, there is a door only a short twenty yards away. Relieved, Velma speed walks her way, still assisted by the wind, towards it and immediately grabs the handle rattling it back and forth. A rustling noise from behind her gets closer.. Like a swarm of bees or static from a television. After a short panic the door swings open dropping her on the ground as she passes through. The door slams shut and Velma finds herself on her knees in a patch of grass and flowers. Polin flies in her face and causes her to have a short sneezing fit… But afterwards she felt a sense of comfort and relaxation… Almost a sense of euphoria… And she seemed to have forgotten she went from a sewer tunnel type environment to a forest environment from simply going through a door..

She looks all around her and besides the ground which she lay it is only darkness. No moon, no stars, no sky. A red, hazy glow displays how heavy the air was and creates a different sight for the girl. It gave each plant and every tree an outline and the moistness in the air almost made everything glow.

Whuh--- Where am I?

Picking herself up from the ground she moans as a pain in her stomach almost brings her back down. She breathes heavy for a few moments then begins walking through the luscious, red brush ahead of her.

She walks for what seems like forever in this dark forest. Aimlessly, without a purpose, with no sense to where she was now. Finally, she approaches an edge to the brush and notices a small flickering glow upon a hill. At the bottom of the hill beside a tree she notices Fred’s van parked and a warm feeling accompanies the pulsating pains that are coming and going in her stomach now.

F-Freddie….

A sigh of relief crosses over her. Fred is here too… And maybe the others, but who cares? With Fred here, she will feel safe and everything will be better. She runs up the hill and notices three tents and a dying campfire between them all.

Fred? Freddie?

She calls out looking around… The place seemed very familiar, but she was unsure.

A noise from behind causes her to turn completely around and she almost gets a crow square to the face. She screams and ducks as it flies past her kamikaze’ing itself into the fire. Bursting into flames it lets out one final squawk before perishing. Velma follows the bird with the death wish and decides to take a closer look at the camp.

There’s a yellow tent, a green tent, and an orange tent that sit away from the fire and from each other just into the darkness outside the perimeter. Velma knows she remembers this place, but cannot place it. Looking down into the flames she sees a burnt baby doll, completely destroyed and charred from the flames. A sinking feeling now accompanies an even worse pain in her stomach as she’s forced the ground and lets out a painful groan.


She looks up again, with tears welling up, and grabs a nearby stick to pull the baby doll from the flames. After several and several more failed attempts, she reaches down with her bare hand and pulls it out, immediately dropping it on the ground after doing so. She waves her right hand frantically as the burns instantly set in, but never pays any more mind to it. She rips her own sweater off and picks up the scolding hot, melted, broken baby doll in it and cradles it in her arms. Cold in just a tee shirt, she scoots herself closer to the fire and holds the baby doll close to her in the sweater.

Shush…. Shush, baby….

Velma shushes it like a crying baby. She sobs, dropping tears onto its face that sizzle with each one from the heat still radiating from it. Her sobs come from both within her head and the excruciating pain from her stomach that only gets worse and worse. From the orange tent in the distance comes a tall, shadowy figure. It closes up the tent and appears to adjust itself before walking towards Velma and the baby.

No…

Velma holds the baby doll tightly against herself, scorching her chest from the doll’s scolding hot head. She crouches forward from her knees and closes her eyes as a cool breeze blows through making the flames flicker and grow higher and hotter than before.

STAY AWAY!

Her scream echoes over and over again in the half-void, half-forest. A strong gust of wind comes in now, extinguishing the flame beside her leaving her in complete darkness.

The stench of a cigar, much like earlier, crosses her nostrils once again and makes her nose tickle through the sobs. She opens her eyes to see that the ground she once lied on was no longer there. The campfire, not just out, but gone. A complete void of darkness surrounds her aside from a light shooting straight down over her from an unknown source from above. She looks over her shoulder and sees a dark figure behind her. Her attempts to scream fail… It is like her body no longer had the ability. The figure takes shape and leans down towards her, revealing itself.

Hello, my dear.

Velma, unable to speak, sniffles again and looks down at her baby.

I know you’re hurting. I know you’ve BEEN hurting… And you’ve been for a long time, am I right?

Velma again is unable to speak.

Why don’t you come with me…? Let’s see what it is that’s troubling you so very much.

Doc reaches his hand out. Velma looks up from the doll and stares for a moment at the doctor’s hand before looking up to him. What a warm, welcoming smile she thinks to herself. Something about this fellow… feels safe.

He made me do it, you know… He made me…

She breaks down, sobbing harder than before.

But… It’s still my fault. I let him.

Doc says nothing and continues to hold his hand forward, waiting for her to accept it. She sniffles once more and smiles before reaching out and touching the doctor’s hand… In an instant she is overwhelmed with a cold feeling that starts deep in her stomach and quickly works its way all through her body. The darkness is consuming her. She fights at first as it takes her against her will… but then embraces it. The cold turns to warmth. The pain in her stomach becomes a feeling of pleasure. She squeezes Doc’s hand as tight as she possibly can and with her free hand she wipes the tears from her cheek. She looks down once more to the baby doll in her arms… Which is actually the crow she watched fly into the fire all burnt up and dead. It *SQUAWKS* at her before it flaps away from her, and flies away into the darkness. She pulls herself up to her feet with help from the doctor and holds a smile, unphased by the horrors she’s been succumbed to.

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Once Fred had enough strength, with Daphne’s assistance, Fred managed to roll out of the ring and onto the floor. The cage collapsed to the side after Fred slayed the beast which left them the perfect opportunity to get the hell out of there.

*GAK*

He spits out a mouthful of blood and it splatters on the floor. Hunching over, he holds his hands on his knees while Daphne stands behind him with minimal to no sympathy or compassion.

Fred is really beat up. He’s covered in blood, sick to his stomach, confused, and can barely walk. Refusing Daphne’s help, he only manages to take a couple of steps before puking up a red, gooey vomit.

Jesus, Fred… Are you alright?

DO I LOOK OKAY?!



Daphne gives Fred the hand and starts walking ahead of him.

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?! DON’T LEAVE ME HERE!!!

Fred’s voice is raspy and hoarse and it squeaks as he yells after Daphne. He gimps along behind her hacking and spitting along the way. They walk through another doorway that leads to an open area. Daphne can’t believe her eyes as she sees a live carnival happening before her eyes. Lights and music, the whole nine yards. Merry-Go-Rounds and ferris wheels that climb into the darkness that is the sky. Fred limbs up behind her and sees the childlike amusement on her face.

What?

Fred looks past her and sees nothing but a bunch of broken down, wanna-be carnival rides that look like they haven’t moved in a century.

Don’t you see, Freddie? Don’t you see the lights?

Daphne can’t take her eyes away. Fred looks back again, shakes his head, and snaps his fingers a couple of times in front of her face.

HELLO?! I don’t know what kind of bullshit you’re on THIS time, but now’s not the time!

She slaps Fred’s hand away, but actually does snap out of it. The light and music are gone and she now sees what Fred has seen all along. A ride called Route 666 but all it appears to be is a car wrecked into a brick wall with a crash dummy in make-up sprawled out over the hood.



Oh my God…

HEY DAPHE?!

Fuck you, Fred!

Fred looks at her like if he wasn’t maimed he would shut her up. Daphne walks away from him, allowing him to slowly gimp behind her. There’s a couple destroyed tents, some train tracks, and one of those giant swinging boat rides in the shape of a dark horse that’s nearly burnt to the ground called “Duke’s Fury”.

Daphne approaches a tent and pulls a corner apart taking a pole from it. She weighs it with arms and swings it like she’s practicing her softball swing.

Yeah, right… What are you going to do with that?

Daphne smirks back to him.

Nothing like what you did back there…

Fred reaches out and grabs her by the throat.

Don’t you EVER bring tha--

Daphne uses the pole like a hockey stick and cross checks Fred across the chest. He lets go of her and stumbles back gasping for air. He stares back at her and points.

I mean it, Daphe!

She says nothing and continues across the midway between all of the ruin. Fred rubs his chest and follows slowly behind her. Daphne notices a large door on the far side opposite of where they came in. She moves towards it while looking back to Fred.

I think I see a way out…

Daphne says out loud to herself and partly by mistake.

I see it.

The image of her wrapping the pole around his head crosses her mind, but at this point if another monster-like being emerges from the shadows… Fred’s awful slow target right now.

Daphne approaches the door and investigates it. She looks it up and down when finally Fred approaches.

What are you waiting for?! Open it!

There’s no handle! I don’t see a way to.

What the FUCK?!

Fred gags again and spits. Daphne steps out of the way from it and scowls at Fred just as the door swiftly swings open right into him sending him flying back several feet and landing on his back. A fog emerges from the doorway as two silhouettes step forward from inside the room. Daphne readies herself with her weapon while Fred looks terrified and remains on the ground like an injured turtle on its back. Laughter can be heard as the two figures emerge.

*COUGH* *COUGH*

Like, I told you Scoob… I’m a master at Ski Ball… Well, I guess Scat Ball now, huh?

Rah!



The two share another laugh as they all make contact with each other now.

SHAGGY!!

Daphne runs forward and leaves her feet jumping into Shaggy’s arms.

Like… Zoiks! Where did you get that RAD dress, Daphe? You’re looking hot!

I might have failed to mention that Daphne and Fred are still wearing their wrestling attires from earlier. Fred in the skimpy, Nature Boy attire and Daphne with the long, sparkly dress, hair, and make-up.

Fred scowls from the ground and slowly picks himself up. Shaggy chuckles a bit.

What happened to you, big guy? Nice, uh, like, nice--

Don’t fucking ask…

Scooby puts a paw up and sniffs at some of the pukey remnants that Fred left on the ground. Scooby snarls at it then gives Fred a funny look.

What? Fuck you, you stupid mutt.

Ree hee he hehee.

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Doc paces back and forth.

Back and forth, Doc paces.

He is still shacked up in the office with the big portrait of Shane behind the desk, but it has a much darker aura about it now. A large fireplace in the distance that wasn’t there before now blazes, which has made the room extremely hot and it reaches with its fiery tentacles across the room… following the good doctor in his mindless strides. A red, cigar flavored haze fills the room that would make you cough and gag… The walls have what look like flesh wounds and they bleed profusely down the wall and onto the floor. Several stalks of asparagus rot away and hang over the side of a flower pot on the desk. The portrait of Shane , which now haunts Paul Heyman, has paint beginning to run and drip from the canvas giving the appearance that the former owner is crying.

Doc stops and brings a cigar up to his lips. He taps his chin and ponders for a moment before making his way back over to the series of television screens across the room. Even the screens seem to have changed… The crisp clean pictures before have now reduced to flimsy, black and white still images. Doc is obviously distracted by something else that his session with his new found friends has seemed to have fallen on the back burner.

He looks at one screen to see Fred beating the shit out of Daphne. They’re not in XWF Land during this, instead in a kitchen. It updates slowly, one still image at a time. Doc reaches out and touches it and it begins in full motion. Daphne’s already on the floor, hiding beneath the kitchen table when Fred throws the tables aside. Doc removes his hand from the screen and it freezes again.

No control…

Doc moves to the next screen to see Daphne and Shaggy together. He taps the screen for about half a moan before moving on.

No loyalty…

Onto the next he sees Velma watching Fred from a distance. Always watching him. Always.

You’ve taken to the dark so well, my dear… You let it consume you. You welcomed it. You embraced it. How do I get the boy to do the same?

Doc steps back and takes a long draw from his cigar before a screen that was fuzzy turns on. In the picture is a young Thaddeus Duke. I mean, I younGER Thaddeus Duke. The little fifteen year-old curly-haired goldilocks tyrant who spent his summer days decimating populations of people rather than joining the local soccer team Thaddeus Duke. Doc walks over to the screen and, like a child, holds his nose against the glass. Infatuated, he stares at the screen and all the others go to a snowy gray static. Doc leans back and presses the screen with his hand and it lights up with bombs going off… Screaming… Murder…. War…. War……. And war……. The images reflect in Doc’s big ol’ eyes and a bit of drool just manages to drip from his mouth in his deep stare.

It appears the darkness is already inside of you, young Duke… I just have to find it.

Doc stares deeply into the screen and blows a plume of cigar smoke into the air. His eyes water from staring so hard into the picture… Looking closer, he sees a tall shadowy figure standing behind him with its hand on little Duke’s shoulder. Closer and closer the doctor looks, unable to make out the mysterious figure.

Sebastian…?

He snarls and takes his hand from the screen. Turning away he heads on a straight B-Line towards the blazing fireplace across the room. Doc steps into the flame and disappears as the room is then sucked in like a vacuum behind him until there is nothing.

Seeing that portrait meant something. Doc felt the anger within the image. He felt the pride.

He knew what needed to be done.

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You know what the main headline today is, don’t ya?



Ain’t that just a giant jar of pickled dicks?



You boys’ ENTIRE story is that you’re this unstoppable force. You’re the best duo tag team to EVER grace this FINE federation. You’ve placed yourself upon this pedestal that no one even pays attention to. They hear you, unfortunately, but pay no mind to the words of a couple weirdos who completely put themselves over way too much. You gentlemen have not shut up about becoming the longest reigning tag team champions in the modern era. Okay, what modern era? This year? Boys, I was an XWF Tag Team Champion for 415 consecutive days. And guess what? No one cares. I didn’t get a trophy from President LOVERBOY deeming me the greatest, most glorious XWF Tag Team Champion ever, or even until a couple of fools show up and manage to break MY record. If you DO manage to beat the boy or myself up a ladder then you still have a long way to go… I’m just saying. Throw as many technicalities my way as you would like, but I know what happened back then… and you apparently do not. The titles were never stripped from me. Nor were they threatened to be. I had an option and it was to find a new partner in order to defend them or I was to relinquish them. What would either of you two boys have done? Tell me, Chris Page, if Robert Omega would flake on you, what would you do? Same question to the Omega! You can dishonor me and attempt to take away my credibility all you like, but everyone around you is just laughing behind your backs when you’re not looking.

You boys like to reflect so much I figured you would know more about the history of the straps you claim so much glory from. It appears all you care about is the praise and the fact you can CALL yourselves something. Give yourselves meaning. It makes sense. Chris Page IS indeed in the Hall of Legends and I had NO idea who he was before he returned after his 8 to 10 year hiatus. If you could even call it a hiatus…

So, if you’re in the Hall of Legends, CCP, then where are you on the XWF Top 50 of ALL Time list? I’m failing to see you. I may have missed it, but it appears you’re not on it. So I would think so far in the dick measuring contest, I’m winning it. I said it before, I think ranking systems and lists are worthless, I DO enjoy seeing my name at the top of most, but I like to prove my worth with not a number or tallies or previous accolades, but with the thunder and lightning that I bring with every blow....

Doc balls his fists and holds them up.

Anyone could look at something like that and easily disregard someone just based off statistics and rankings. What I bring is something far more painful than reading from a list. So, while CCP may be absent from an ALL TIME GREAT list.... I won't hold it against him too much.

Let’s reflect some more, shall we? My new patien--- PARTNER. MY TAG TEAM PARTNER… and Chris Page have seemed to have been putting on QUITE the show these last couple of months, am I right? Well… Can I just say that Mister Chronic and Mister Omega have NOT been kind to this poor boy. There’s the relentless attacks that the two of them would conduct, the burying of his father, and not just beating him down but beating down everything the boy has accomplished in his short time here. He's held championships, including the one that Main JUST lost; and there's nothing more negligent than allowing yourself to get caught in a random roll-up. Whether that list be short, fitting in the palm of my hand or it be a mile long, what difference does it make? You two have managed to stay in the same exact place since March and pick up a few scraps here and there, but name one thing that you’ve done that’s changed the XWF. Name something that caused waves that everyone felt.

Anything?

The only thing that this extensive miracle called your Tag Team Title reign has done is pet your own egos and make you believe something in your heads that just isn’t true. You boys are far from untouchable, far from anything fearful, and definitely need a break to bring you back to reality. You’ve placed yourself above everyone else based on the little bit of success that you’ve stretched over eight months. So, compared to my partner, you may have THAT… But honestly, I’ve noticed the boy on every poster for every show for quite some time now. I suppose the two of you have been on a few yourselves, but that’s kind of my point.

The elevator dings and Doc’s eyes light up as the doors open. His face saddens when it’s apparently not the person he was looking for and his unintentional growl sent the person stepping back instead of forward. The door closes again and Doc remains alone.

This constant stalemate and back and forth with the kid and the time that it has taken for you to one up him is pathetic according to everything you two have been yammering on about. If Young Duke is SO awful then why…. Why, why, why is ye SUCH a thorn in your side? And the way you try to drag him down about his everyday living is just humorous to watch… You know the boy is only twenty-something years old, right? For him to be curious about a few things and have an overactive Twitter account isn’t so uncommon, is it? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m no tweeter, myself, however, I don’t find it unhealthy for a young boy like him to play with his little friends on the social media. Maybe it’s you boys who need to grow up instead of sitting around smoking pot all day or playing Sons of Anarchy out in the drive-way. And forgive me for saying this, but I think you’ve had it kind of easy for quite some time here. You boys have spent most of this year basking in your own glory so much that you’ve forgotten the fear! You’ve gone unchallenged for so long that you’ve forgotten what it is like to be threatened with such a force that there is literally nothing you can do to stop it. I say forgotten because Robert the Omega knew three years ago, NOT ten, that I was a KING and he’s going to remember real quick that I still am. He is going to remember the feel of my stranglehold and recall the time when he was trapped losing titles to jesters, not Kings. Statuses like that don’t go away like getting pinned randomly after thirteen weeks and working on the final defense to gain the 24/7 Briefcase. I don’t have to tell you how stupid THAT looks right now, do I? You talk yourself up so much Omega Man… You talked yourself up so much that when you fell, you fell flat on your face.

Is it rewarding to pretend that your UNIVERSAL Title reign was any better than anyone else’s? You know and everyone else knows you didn’t win it fairsey squaresy’s or in an epic battle like a warrior. You cashed in like 90% of the rest of us. I did the same thing! My reason behind it wasn’t underhanded and sneaky because I couldn’t get it done the first time or face-to-face, it was because no matter who won the UNIVERSAL Title that night, whether it was Gator or Morbid Angel, I was taking it from one of them…. Because I hated them. My boyhood dream then came true, I beat Gator for the UNIVERSAL Championship! Your turn Omega. Let’s hear your victory. Everyone is waiting…

Bah! Allow me. You did it because you couldn't get the job done in your first match with the Engineer, so you cashed-in immediately afterward. Smart, but talk about looking weak. So if you're disgusted by the few jokes that followed YOUR title reign, imagine how I feel. Scully, Gilmour, Chaos, YOU and that's just to name a few. And while I sat atop the mountain... were you even here? I know you were during my extensive reign as Tag Team Champion and you were drowning. You could barely stay afloat and you were taking water, my friend. You were stuck and sinking and nothing was pulling you out.



Do you know what it took?

Do you know what had to happen in order for Robert Main to have a chance to lift and carry the XWF on his shoulders as he claims? I had to step aside. The KINGS had to go home. That's about the time the water level in the pool got low enough for him to handle. That's when the undertoe wasn't pulling him under and out to sea… That's when Robert Main's feet could touch the bottom. You boys love giving us history lessons. You love reflecting. Let's reflect again on the good doctor stepping aside for a couple of years to Chris Page being in the Hall of Legends and me having no idea who the guy was six years ago. Trust me. I wasn't gone that long and what does it matter? You think I need practice mauling someone or what? Maybe I had more important things to take care of. Maybe I was filming a movie. Maybe I was just giving the XWF a chance to catch their breath before I just appear again through the flames and do it all over again.

And to have the gal to claim that I'm not man enough? Maybe I'm not man enough. Am I MONSTER enough? Am I BEAST enough?????

Can I go ahead and say what I joke that is in my eyes? Main, the Omega, the Monster. Page, the Beast, The Monstrosity. Or is Main the Monstrosity? Really? I mean, don't get me wrong boys... I'm not going to bash your slasher flick blah blah blahs.... It's all the same to me. Both of you sharing a triple personality disorder is rare. I'm a little clueless in regards to the whole thing. Like you said, I've been gone forever so.. You can't blame me for being out of the loop right? How'd it happen? Did Page buy some weird strain of the D'Ville's grass and Main caught a contact buzz? Did you save your bar from a bunch of hooligans from out of town, fall for the same girl, catch syphilis from said girl, and lose your minds? I can write you boys a 'script, if you'd like. We COULD knock those demons away.

Or do we rely on them now?

Does Cataclysm need these monsters if they can't get the job done? And if the Omega or Beast can't get it done do we evolve into Herman Munsters? Are we going to wrestle six different opponents November 29th? Cuz I'm only training for two. Kidding. Let me ask you this... Do all these weirdos get along? Can the Omega coexist with Page? Can Main share a bike ride with..... Ugh..... My point is, you boys have gone through and bounced around all kinds of transformations to fit your narrative for whatever day, right? Hmm. You know ONE thing that has held true regardless of the weather outside or certain circumstances? One thing that was certain the entire FOUR HUNDRED PLUS days that I was Tag Team Champion? The one thing that has never changed since my GLORIOUS debut in August of 2014 is I was Doctor Louis D'Ville the entire time. The same entity. The same BIG BAD WOLF. The same MONSTER that preys on critters like you.

Robert Main, you haven't been shy to admit the amount of respect that you have for the good ol' doc. You speak truths when you say that this isn't going to be easy, yet, you lie when you say your presence here overshadows my own. I don't share the same respect for you, sir. To me, you're still a little bug. You're still the pathetic little worm that ran and hid from me all those years ago. You're still the little dog with a bite far worse than his bark that still doesn't even come close to breaking skin. No matter who shows up at High Stakes, Omega... Beast... Monsters... Regardless! You know who is definitely going to be there? Doctor Louis D'Ville. Me. It's always been Doctor D'VIlle and it always WILL be.

I know you're afraid. You boys are shaking in your boots because ALL could be lost come Sunday. Everything. Gone. Some due to negligence, others bad luck, and the rest because crushing hopes and dreams is just my thing. With or without the boy, I'm going to rip you two from thirds into sixths. From sixths into twelfths..... I'm going to shred you to pieces.

What fell through your fingertips a day ago was just the beginning to the Omega's omega. We all watched as the days ticked down to your final defense and thought in our heads what you would possibly do with that briefcase. It was inevitable, it seemed. Nothing could possibly get in your way now, right? It was basically already in the palm of your hand and all you had to do was claim it. But someone caught the little bear sleeping, didn’t they? Oh, what a day. This empire that you both claim is stronger than anything before, the bond between two adult males that cannot be broken… will all be destroyed in one swoop and everything that you boys have been talking about and looking forward to and building will be gone. In a couple of weeks, forgotten. In a couple of years, never even a thought.


The elevator dings again and the doors slide open. Doc's eyes light up as Sebastian Duke, Thaddeus's father, stands before him.

Sebastian does not share the same excitement as the good doctor, however. A deeper scowl takes over the already scowled face of this tall, dark being.

Going down?

Duke narrows his eyes and glares at the doctor, fearlessly stepping into the elevator.

What brings you here, doctor?

Duke takes a place beside the doctor looking straight ahead as the doors slide shut. Doc winks and shows a genuine, toothy grin.

Oh, you know. The boy… He seems to be a bit off as of late….

By the boy, do you mean my son?

Indeed…! The weeks upon weeks of this grueling nonsense with Chris Page and Robert Main…. His position and duties that claim his livelihood away from the XWF…. His love life…. His… love interests.

Duke snaps his head towards the doctor.

Enough riddles and games, D'Ville. While you and I have failed to ever butt heads, I know what you are about. I know that your intentions with Thaddeus cannot be righteous. I know there is a deeper, more sinister plan beyond coming to his aid and joining him in this fight…

Ohhh, you old dog, you. I would have thought you would be more welcoming of my visit today….

Why are you here? Get to the point.

Duke's tone is deep and stern. No riddles. No games. He has no time for the run-around that the good doctor likes to play.

Well, as you know, the boy and I…

Yes. I am fully aware of your match against those two worms at High Stakes
… WHAT OF IT?

Doc holds his hands out and takes a step away from Duke as if to say, "OKAY CHILL, BUDDY…." He chuckles a bit and lets his guard back down.

Alright, alright.. I will get straight to it… What can you tell me about THIS?

Doc waves his hands around in a circle and reaches through the air as if pulling something out of space.

A blurry image forms before them through what could be a portal. It is the portrait of young, fifteen year-old Thaddeus standing his proudest with the shadow figure standing behind him. Duke looks to the image then snidely to the doctor, unfazed he can pull something like this out of thin air.

Thaddeus. Again, what of it!?

The boy in this image is not the same boy I am going into war alongside with come Sunday, is it?

Duke scoffs…

Hardly…

Hardly, indeed! The dark aura within this boy… Where did it go?

Duke pulls air through his nose and breathes it out as he stares at the image of his son. Rather, what used to be his son.

Why? Why should I help you?

Doc's smile fades as a look of wholesome concern breaches the doctor's usual bearing.

It is not so much helping me, good sir, but helping the boy....

Sebastian smirks and nearly scoffs again at the doctor's remark.

Huh… How so?

Doc pulls a cigar out from his pocket and offers Sebastian Duke one as well, which he denies.

Do you mind if I smoke?

Duke doesn’t answer so Doc shrugs and lights one up.

In order for this boy to ever be anything you expect him to be… We are going to have to pry that darkness back out of him.

Duke laughs.

Good luck with that, doctor.

Doc leans a bit closer to Duke.

How do you mean?

Thaddeus’s DNA was altered to make him softer, kinder…

What?! WHY?!

The theory behind it was, “Once the war is won, we’d need to be willing to use Diplomacy.”

And how has that worked out for you? As far as I can see you’ve turned the boy “backwards” by making him more compassionate. Why give him that pain?

It wasn’t my doing.

Is THAT a fact? Heh. So WHO would do such a thing?

Sebastian reaches out and touches the portrait in front of him. More specifically, the shadowy image that Doc claimed was Sebastian. The image reveals itself.



Doc gasps.

Who is THAT?!

Doc’s eyes are glazed over staring at the picture.

Asmodeus… Thaddeus’s grandfather.

Doc gasps even harder.

Grandpappy Duke!?!?!

Sebastian manages to scowl even harder now.

So. Where is he?

Dead.

Doc’s upper body goes limp.

Awwwww!

He wouldn’t be any help to you either. The darkness in Thaddeus is gone. There’s nothing YOU can do doctor to bring it back again.

*SIGH*

Doc regains his figure and looks closely at Sebastian.

Oh, there is actually. It’s just not as easy as I thought it was going to be. Well, hoped. Now, I just. Might. Have. To. Work.

Well, like I said before.. Good luck with that. You’re wasting your time.

Nonsense! The answer is SO simple now, you see? The answer is IN all of you. You took away his darkness because you were obviously afraid of it. So, maybe I’ll just use YOUR darkness to get to his!

Sebastian steps back and hits the emergency stop on the elevator and it stops immediately. Neither Duke nor Doc struggle to keep their balance. Doc looks up after blowing out a large puff of smoke into the already very much cloudy elevator.

Problem?

Duke steps forward and waves the smoke away from his face.

I don’t like your tone.

All I’m saying is I just have to learn how you Duke’s TICK!!

Doc reaches into Sebastian’s chest and rips the beating heart from his chest. The doctor holds it in the air in front of the two as Duke and Doc stare at it… Worshipping it……

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Paul Heyman bounces up out of a dead sleep in a cold sweat and holds his chest in fear he was having a heart attack. He pulls his legs out and onto the floor and stumbles to the bathroom next to him and flicks on the light. Staring into the mirror, he has dark circles under his eyes. He’s pale. And his remaining hair around the outside of his crown appears to be shedding. He turns on the cold water and throws a double handful against his face and takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and breeeeeeeaaaaaathes out.

I’m not crazy, I’m in control. I’m not crazy, I'm in control.

He opens them and staring back at him is Doctor Louis D’Ville!

PAUL!

Paul stumbles back as the doctor yells out to him. He catches his bearings, but then the doctor leans out of the mirror like it’s a window.

Terribly sorry to bother you, but….

Paul is in his gutchies, but grabs a hotel robe hanging behind the bathroom door which is obviously for a lady as it’s way too short.

Uhm.. Hi-- Hello, doctor! What brings you?

Paul’s last thoughts were of this guy ripping Sebastian Duke’s heart out of his chest. Paul, assuming… hoping this is just another dream gains his bearings as Doc climbs out of a mirror into his bathroom. Grabbing his head, Paul looks behind Doc as he adjusts himself after hopping from the sink.

There’s some aspirin in behind ya, Doc… Mind grabbing it for me?

Doc smiles, opens the cabinet, and grabs the aspirin. He examines it for a moment before throwing it into the toilet across the room. Paul watches as it splooshes and automatically flushes down the toilet.

Thanks.

Those are just bad for you, Mister Heyman. What you need is a martini! Make me one while you’re at it!

Paul looks tired as he stares back at the doctor with pound puppy eyes

I don’t have the stuff to--- Ugh…….

Paul stops himself knowing there’s a whiskey cart behind him. He turns around and gets to work.

Mister Heyman, what I need you to do is not bother with Thaddeus for the next couple of days.

Heyman throws the drinks together quickly and turns around.

He’s usually the one to call me so---

So, it won’t be a problem?

Paul stands wide-eyed holding the two drinks in his hands before coming to and setting them down.

Right! No. Not a problem!

Doc smiles and winks at Paulie as he takes the drink and holds it in the air.

Perfect!

Doc holds his glass out and the two do a “cheers” together!

Cheer’s Mister Heyman! This is to a wonderful weekend!

Paul goes to take a drink and the glass shatters in his hand while Doc takes his back in one drink. Paul is covered and shakes the drink and glass from his robe as Doc chuckles at him. Paul can’t tell dreams from reality at this point and assumes the worst.

So, what’d you ever do with them kids?

From the footprints where Doc stood to the mirror was a trail of fire that happened in a flash! Paul uses the little robe from his back to smother the flames quickly before they get out of control or do too much damage! He looks through the mirror and sees himself now… Assuming now that Doc is gone.

Creep…

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