Friday, May 24, 2013 - 11:11 AM EST



I slept in today for the first time in a very long time. Yesterday, I know I woke up feeling lost and confused. I'm still wondering if I was suffering a nightmare or if it was just the stress finally getting to me. It'd been a long grueling few months with Jonathan on the loose. He's gone now and even still, I have some lingering, mixed thoughts on that subject. I just... I just don't know why.


After rolling out of bed, feeling very well rested, I make my way downstairs to have my coffee in the library. Eager to get things back to normal. Although, some thing will never be the same. Lucas was gone for good and never coming back. Stephen, too. Now that the nightmare of the last few months is finally behind us, our losses can be reflected upon.


I enter the library and I'm happy to see my father along with the absolute best friend I've ever had in my life enjoying their coffee with smiles on their faces. Laughter in the air. I would like to think that everything was getting back to normal.


I take a seat in my chair without saying a word and I stay silent with my thoughts for minutes. Jacob and my father continue to chat and laugh. Something is on my mind and I can not, for the life of me, figure out why.


Croaton.


Is it a place? A city or a town, maybe. A person? What? Who? Where?


It never even occur to me that I’d heard the name before until I saw it scrolling on the big new ticker in Times Square when I was watching the news yesterday morning. Why do I know it? Where did it come from. It’s bugging me so much, I just have to say something.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Does the word Croaton ring a bell to either of you?”

JACOB: “No. Should it?”



Asmodeus excuses himself from the conversation and walks toward the outside wall. He leans, staring out the window.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I don’t know. Yesterday morning I was watching the news and I saw the name Croaton. I’m not sure if it’s a place, person, or what.”

JACOB: “Why does it matter?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I guess it doesn't really. There’s just something inside of me telling me I should know the word.”

JACOB: “You okay?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Yeah, why?”

JACOB: “You look pale.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I’ll be fine. Asmo?”



Asmodeus never looks away from the window.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “What about you?”

ASMODEUS: “Never heard it before in my life.”



I stand up and begin to head to my office. I have an important phone call I need to make. Something is peculiar about Asmodeus right now. Something tells me he has an idea of what I‘m trying to find out. For now though, I let it rest.


I enter my office and take a seat behind the desk. I hit the speaker phone and dial up a number. Someone on the other end picks up, but says nothing. All I can hear is crunching and chewing.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Shane?”



No answer. Just more chewing.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Shane mother fucking !”

SHANE : “I know who I am, asshole!”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “What the hell are you eating?”

SHANE : “Snyders Pretzels.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Snyder of Hanover?”

SHANE : “Is there anything else?”



The guy loves his pretzels.



SHANE : “So, I’ve been thinking. When you beat Mr. Satellite tomorrow, I’m thinking we change the title.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “To what?”

SHANE : “A potato.”



Huh?



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “You want me to wear..... a potato.”

SHANE : “Yeah. You wear a cape and guyliner. And you’re going to complain about wearing a potato?”



Oh.... oh, no he didn’t. More crunching.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “How’s your eye?”

SHANE : “Fuck you.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “About the title. It his a stipulation I’m not liking.”

SHANE : “What’s that?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “The time limit.”

SHANE : “You can’t beat Mr. Satellite in 15 minutes?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Oh, I can. I just don’t want to. I want to take my time and rip him apart piece, by piece, by little piece. I want to show him just who the Angel of Darkness really is.”

SHANE : “What does that mean, anyway? Angel of Darkness.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Shane, I’ve explained this to you like thirty times.”

SHANE : “Did you ever get the secrets of the ya ya brotherhood figured out over there? Or whatever the hell you call it.”



He’s much more incoherent then usual. I need new friends.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Yeah, it’s fine. Anyhow, I need you to change that ruling so when I win after the time limit, I still get awarded the television title.”



Silence.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Hello?

“Shane?

“You there?”



Son of a bitch hung up. I hit redial. After a ring:



VOICE: “The person you are trying to reach has a voice mail box that has not been set up yet.”



Mother fucker.


As I sit there shaking my head I receive a text from Caitlyn.



CAITLYN: "HEEEYYYYYEYEYEYYEYYYYYY!"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Hey, what's up?"

CAITLYN: "Am I going to see you again today?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I have some things to take care of first. I leave tonight for Vegas."

CAITLYN: "You have a match?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "It's not much of a contest seeing as I'm the best there is, but yeah."

CAITLYN: "Who are you facing?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "A man by the name of Mr. Satellite."

CAITLYN: "Is he any good?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "In his own mind."

CAITLYN: "Motel again?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Nah. You're much too classy a lady for that. Just come here."

CAITLYN: "K."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "See you later ;)"

CAITLYN: ":-*"

---

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "It has occurred to me that Mr. Satellite is a delusional little man living in a fantasy world. For this, we'll have to start at the beginning. Not only is he delusional, he'd also like us to be delusional as well. He'd like us all to believe that he is not a human being but some kind of entity from another world or realm. Evidence of that can be seen by his great special effects lighting and that terrible actor portraying the role of Orion.

"Men appearing from a ray of light? Women becoming invisible by wearing a belt? Devices that would survive being submerged in lava? Come on Satellite. Do you really think anyone believes that shit?

"I mean for you or that whore Liz Weinberg to suggest that Sebastian Duke belongs to anyone - or is anyones property is mind numbingly ridiculous! I am a man that makes my own choices, I take action on my own accord. I'm not a puppet on a string.

"Another piece of evidence to suggest Mr. Satellite is indeed delusional, one must look at his first promo released. Via text message to that whore Liz Weinberg, Mr. Satellite claimed to be on the roof of my Compound.

"If you were to believe in his special powers you might believe this to be true. Except for one simple fact. On the top of my Compound, stands armed snipers. If Mr. Satellite were really on that roof, he wouldn't have survived to release a second promo.

"Let me guess... He used that "magic belt" to remain invisible. Man, give me a break.

"One small detail about his visit from the actor... excuse me... man named Orion. He pointed out that he thought Mr. Satellite had a 'thing' for that gutter rat Donathan De Sade. I don't think anyone else made that connection. Is there something about his personal life he's not telling us? In fact, in a recently released promo he even physically came out of the closet. You be the judge."



I give a Mark Flynn inspired pause for effect before continuing.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Relax, people.

"It's just a joke.

"I was also somewhat shocked to learn there would be a casket in the grave Saturday night. He's so delusional he's actually taking it upon himself to combine two different types of matches. Since there will be a casket in the grave, then after I like him in that casket, I may just set it on fire and watch it burn before I bury him alive.

"It's a good thing he states he's not in this business to strike fear into anyone, because you see, that is a feat he is just ill-equipped to handle, regardless of what he'd like us all to believe. No one on this planet fears Mr. Satellite. A one-armed man full of delusional science fiction fantasies. No one fears that.

"Orion is most certainly wrong about one thing though. Mr. Satellite is not a wannabe human. He is in fact, after all, human. What he is though, is a wannabe professional wrestler in addition to a wannabe champion. A failure at it, most decidedly.

"Since he's supposedly not human, Mr. Satellite, I hope you're listening. That other whore hanging around you lately. Violet or whatever her name is. Allow me to teach you a little something about the human female persuasion.

"When they tell you not to worry? That's when you worry. When they tell you they're harmless? They're not harmless. When they tell you they don't have secrets? Trust me, Satellite, they do.

"Just for the record, you didn't have to have your robot show us what an ax looks like. We kind of already know what those are. I'm also surprised that the 'out of this world' Mr. Satellite didn't know all that there was to know about his own damn robot.

"I do find it troublesome that the man I work for, a man I consider a friend is consorting with the likes of Mr. Satellite. Although, if he is as delusional as the facts have proven to be so far, then it was probably an actor hired by him to portray Shane .

"Though I can give him credit for one thing. Shane wanting another mans package seems logical, plausible, and in all likelihood, probable. What can I say? Shane is very odd man.


"Again, I hope you're listening, Mr. Satellite, because just for you, allow me to explain what makes me the Angel of Darkness.

"I am a man that hears and sees all things. I lurk in the shadows and I wait.

"I wait and I watch and I stalk.

"Until I find it necessary to strike. You know how they say there is a fine line between good and evil? I am that fine line, Mr. Satellite. I swing like a pendulum, back and forth between good and evil and I take out the good and the evils of the world.

"It seems pretty cut and dry. Pretty straight forward, wouldn't you say?

"I take out each and everyone of those that dare to stand in my way. One worthless piece of shit at a time.

"Its High Stakes on Saturday, Mr. Satellite. You are the next worthless piece of shit on my list.

"After the dust has settled and all the smoke has cleared over Las Vegas, I'll be standing there with my title and yours, thanks to Shane Carvers ruling he has yet to announce, and you will be...

"Buried alive....

"Trust me..."



Fade to Darkness.