Flying high at 41,000 feet, the plane slightly shakes from the turbulence as the pilot keeps the small aircraft moving across the beautiful mid-day sky. Inside the hold of the little plane are four people sitting on the two benches that run along the opposite walls. Three of the men look nervous as the plane shakes and flies. The fourth is bouncing up and down in his seat and laughing as if being at the edge of death doesn’t even phase him. The bouncing gentleman gets up and slowly saunters into the cockpit and takes a seat beside the pilot and gazes through the window as the air and clouds dissipate around the sides of the plane. The sunlight fills the sky on this absolutely gorgeous day. The man attempts to kick his legs up on the console, but is quickly swatted away. The man laughs. The man quite naturally is Hysteria.

So pilot. Or Mr. Pilot. Well which would you prefer?

My name’s Tobias. You can just call me that.

Well Toby, how long have you been employed by Mr. M? Also how does it feel to be helping us go to New Zealand to find some more willing followers? Surely you’re being paid handsomely for doing us this favor?

Well the pay is there, but I would do anything for Mr. M. He saved our marriage. Did he ever tell you the story?

Who, me? Did Mastermind tell me the story of how he saved the marriage of one of his many pilots? Was that a serious question for me?

I… suppose not, but yes Mastermind saved my marriage with my wife, Cathy.

Well how did he manage that? Did he tell you to add another sexual partner to spice things up?

Hysteria laughs while massaging his cheeks through his mask. The pilot begins laughing too at the bizarre suggestion from Hysteria.

No, nothing ridiculous like that. I was hitting the drink pretty hard and was distancing myself from her. I didn’t know why, but Mastermind seemed to have all of the answers. It was like he could read me like a book. He took a seat across from me and met my gaze. That piercing gaze held me in check long enough for him to tell me that I needed to forgive her for making me leave a day later to go meet my dad. What happened was that my dad was on his deathbed. Stomach Cancer that had spread from his colon. I was supposed to go up to see him, but Cathy asked that I wait a day because the weather was bad. We did that. We woke up the next morning to weather similar to this.

He motions towards to the sunny weather outside of the plane.

We got in our car to make the five hour drive. But that’s when we got the text. My dad had passed away just before we left. I never got to talk to him. I never got the chance to say goodbye to him. I guess I blamed her for it. It was her fear for me that kept us from leaving the night before. Mastermind saw all of this grief without me having to tell him anything. He told me how to repair my marriage and how to move on from the sadness. He knew just what to say. He ever help you with that kind of stuff?

Hysteria thinks back to the time when LH Harrison fought Mastermind in the main event of Warfare in a Submission match. He remembered that being the only time he’d used the Second Fall Stretch. His thoughts extended to post match when LH had bloodied Mastermind and wrote a 2 on his back. Perhaps Harrison should complete the trilogy… anyways.

I can’t say that he has. However we’ve been running in different circles the last week. He came in around a time where I was a little preoccupied.

Yeah you were knocked unconscious by some CorVus guy? Mastermind said he was going to kick his ass last week. Didn’t that guy end up disappearing?

Hysteria scoffs at the ‘knocked unconscious’ line, but began looking around the cockpit for literally anything else to talk about.

Yeah… look. Let me know when we get close to our destination, Toby. I’m a busy man don’t you know? I don’t want to waste a single second more in the air.

Roger.

With that the pilot turns back to his consoles and looks over his assortment of gages and maintains his altitude. Hysteria walks out of the cockpit and retakes his seat beside the larger body of Cory Scarecrow. Across from them are two of the newest members of The Asylum. Two new foot soldiers. Hysteria hadn’t actually made their acquaintance yet as he had slept once they got on the plane. Hysteria adjusts his weight forward and begins laughing while looking over the two newbies. He continues staring them over as the ink stains on his mask continually shift in formation on the white background.

I’m afraid we haven’t been properly introduced. My name is Hyssssssssssteria. You probably were already educated on that if you’re in this plane with me. My question is what brought you here. What brought you to our little family?

The man on the right clears his throat and squeaks out a response. Hysteria looks at him and laughs under his breath.

Now, now there’s nothing to fear but fear itself. Isn’t that what that old geyser said, Cory? Well anyways, I won’t bite. Please speak up.

My name is Shawn Moore. I-

Wait, before you proceed, how do you spell that name? The traditional spelling or…?

S-H-A-W-N. How the fuck else would someone spell it?

Oh well, I’m sure there are other ways. Proceed.

I came to The Asylum because I was ostracized from my family home. I had nowhere left to go and then I saw on XWF where your group had won the Universal Championship and revealed your leader as none other than Doctor D’Ville. How could I not be drawn by the allure? The power and the love that your group exuded. I wanted to serve and be a part of something bigger. To reach out under your influence as well as The Higher Power’s.

Hysteria ponders this as he looks at Cory. Cory looks glumly ahead and nods approvingly.

So what made you decide to leave your home?

Well my mom got married to this prick named Jeff. Basically he came in and turned my mom into a junkie. They would try to beat the crap out of me every time I would enter the room. I got fed up with it. Mom wasn’t listening to reason.

Hysteria nods, snaps, and points at the man on the left.

What about you? Who are you?

My name’s Joe Buckner. I was a police officer. (That makes Hysteria shuffle in his seat slightly.) Nonono! I wouldn’t dare try to turn you in. That was just my profession. I saw way too much shit. I know that those kids who I saw on the corners toting guns and knives could have been saved from that kind of life if they’d just been nurtured better. If they’d had a group like The Asylum watching out for them. That’s why I joined. To help kids receive the attention and teaching they need.

No family, Joe?

None at all. The only family I have is a brother who runs a comic stand.

A comic stand? Think he delivers?

Hysteria begins laughing which causes the others around him to laugh as well.


WHOOOOOOOOOOSH



What the fuck?

The first words out of the mouth of Cory Scarecrow this entire trip, but they couldn’t have summed it up any better. The loud noise seemed to be something pushing right by the side of the jet they were travelling in. Hysteria gets to his feet and makes his way out into the cockpit.

This Mind-Liner 43…. Yes we are transport-

Yes.


Okay.


No but I-


What do you mean?! Why can’t we just land and handle this through negotiations? You can’t ju-



KABOOOOSH!



Suddenly the left motor goes out! The entire plane shakes with the impact!

What the hell is going on Toby?!

Hys! They’re shooting us down!

WHAT?! What for?!

Apparently we treaded onto some illegal airspace yet there’s nothing in miles of here! I’m not sure who these people are, but they seem dead-set on trying to take us out of the air as you can see! Holy crap! It’s then that you can see two fighter planes up ahead. Both of them seem to be doing a specific pattern which seemed choreographed.

Hysteria begins to growl, but it’s barely audible over the loud noises coming from the downed turbine and the other trying to do the work of two. The plane begins to shuffle left and right as the wind sends the plane down in a spiral pattern. All of the three men in the back have buckled themselves down into their seats. Hysteria is holding on to the pattern of the door. The console has erupted in flames and the pilot is doing his best to hold onto the steering wheel while keeping it pointed towards a small bit of land amongst the blue ocean surrounding it.

TOBY! Get out of here! NOW!

Toby turns to look at Hysteria and shakes his head.

I can’t! Or else we’ll all die! Do me a favor, Hysteria! Tell my wife I’m sorry that I can’t be there. Tell her how much I love her! Tell her-

Shut up! You’re going to tell her yo-



BOOOOOOOOOOSH!


The console explodes as Hysteria is blown back! He reaches out towards the door as his body hits the back of the plane.



Blackness.





TSSSSSSSSHHHHH….





TSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH…..






The screeching sound brings Hysteria back to the living. He feels the warm sunlight breaking through the fabric of his mask as he’s yet to open his eyes. The mask is completely white before he comes to consciousness. Beneath his arms where his sleeves had moved up, he felt warm sand underneath his skin. Hysteria sits up and feels his head throb. After a few moments of recuperating, Hysteria stands up on his wobbly legs. He begins to take in his surroundings. Everywhere he looks he sees plane parts and smoke and fire. It’s then that he notices the back half of the plane still largely intact. He walks through the opening and sees his fellow three members sitting in their seatbelts held in place. It’s then that he notices the very front of the plane. He skips over to it and looks within.

Instantly, he pulls his face out with disgust after viewing the charred remains of Tobey, the pilot. He hangs his head before reaching into the cockpit and removing the nametag on his shirt. He wipes the smut off of it and places it in his pocket. Hysteria sighs and walks back towards the three men in their restraints. He unbuckles the two newbies before turning around and unbuckling Cory Scarecrow. Cory leans forward and sighs.

What… the… fuck….

Hysteria begins laughing maniacally as he nods his head furiously.

What the fuck indeed.


Fade Into Nothingness…