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Andrew Logan · (08-29-2020)

~The shot slowly rises on what appears to be an empty house. We start in the foyer, where every piece of furniture has been removed. The camera moves through into the living room, once again a barren wasteland. The camera circles around the house, heading in towards the dining room, or what we would assume would be the dining room due to the shape and the large windows to the outside. A left turn later and we're in the kitchen, which at least has some of the expected tools of the trade there. No kitchen table, no utensils, but a stove and a refrigerator still remain. Standing in the middle of the kitchen, looking as still as a statue, is Andrew Logan. This time, he seems a little less stressed out, as he almost seems to be meditating. He slowly opens his eyes.~

Andrew Logan - Someday I'll know the truth... someday...

~Andrew closes his eyes again, not seeing anything inside the kitchen where he stands. He flexes his arms, and it almost seems like the room flexes with him. After a second, Andrew opens his eyes, as the world around him seems to erupt, breaking off into pieces that disappear into a black void underneath him. Andrew stays where he is, staring straight into the camera...~

~We focus on Andrew Logan as he steps out into darkness, having just gotten out of his truck. He walks towards the door in front, pushing it open and stepping into a sparsely-lit location. The sounds of shooting, explosions, and other violence can be heard in the distance. Steeling himself, Logan steps up to the counter.~

Lady At Desk - Hello, and welcome to Halo eSports! Are you here for an hour's... oh, it's you! Malcolm's friend!

Andrew Logan - Andrew Logan, yes.

Lady At Desk - Did you ever find Malcolm? He hasn't been here in a while, unless he's coming in when it's not my shift.

Andrew Logan - Actually... Malcolm's missing. He seems to have dropped off the face of the earth.

Lady At Desk - What? That's terrible!

Andrew Logan - Yeah... I was wondering, if you know if there's... some way to get hold of him, if he's around online...

~The lady's eyes lower for a moment, thinking, before she turns to the side.~

Lady At Desk - Simone! Come and watch the front desk, will you?

~A younger teen nods and walks over, as the lady gestures for Logan to follow her. They head towards a back door, which the lady unlocks. They step through to an immensely quieter room, causing Logan to make an audible sigh of relief. The lady smiles, knowing what Logan's feeling. It's strange, considering that Logan wrestles in front of massive cheering crowds all the time, but the noise level felt much greater inside the eSports room.~

Andrew Logan - I'm sorry, I don't think I've gotten your name yet.

Michelle Cuthers - Michelle. You can call me Michelle.

Andrew Logan - Okay, Michelle. Do you think there's any way to send out a message?

Michelle Cuthers - I assume you don't mean sending an email or text to him...

~Logan feels slightly uneasy about the question, but he's decided to be truthful... to a point.~

Andrew Logan - The police have seized a lot of his stuff. And knowing Malcolm, he would have ditched his phone if he was being followed. If something DID happen to him, well, sending a message either way might just alert the people who removed him from the board.

Michelle Cuthers - I know a couple of FortNite message boards that I know Malcolm frequented. We can send out a couple of casual messages, see if they catch his eyes.

Andrew Logan - I'd appreciate that. Just a message from him saying he's alright would be helpful.

~Michelle goes to send off the messages, while Logan brings the flash drive out of his pocket, studying it again. He's kept it safe from his uncle, from the police, and from the world at large. But he still hasn't made any headway on it. He makes a decision, the only one he can see in front of him.~

Andrew Logan - There's another thing. Malcolm... left me this. But it's got some password protection on it.

Michelle Cuthers - Let me see...

~Michelle takes the drive and plugs it into a nearby computer, booting up the files inside. The program begins to run at start-up, showing the same messages that Logan had seen at home. Michelle reads the first line and starts to laugh.~

Michelle Cuthers - Malcolm always was a corny bastard.

Andrew Logan - He could be, yeah, but I don't understand what that has to do with the flash drive.

Michelle Cuthers - This, using old jokes to hide his code. What a goofball. You didn't recognize this one?

~Logan looks over Michelle's shoulder, seeing the original question: "What's the difference between this computer and Stephen Hawking?"~

Andrew Logan - I remember seeing it. I found a Stephen Hawking calendar in Malcolm's place, but it didn't tell me much.

Michelle Cuthers - The difference between Stephen Hawking and a computer is that the computer RUNS.

Andrew Logan - Ugh. That's awful. No wonder I didn't know the answer.

~Michelle laughs as she answers the question. A few more pop up, obviously jokes as well, and Michelle answers them quickly, knowing all the horrible computer puns. Logan doesn't know whether to be sickened or impressed at this point, so he just remains quiet as she works through them. After a few minutes, the first file pops up on the screen.~

Michelle Cuthers - Interesting. What's this? An obituary?

Andrew Logan - Let me see that...

~Logan steps closer, looking at the screen. It's an obituary for Grace Logan, lovingly written by one Andrew Logan upon her death. Logan's shoulders sag.~

Andrew Logan - So she is dead...

Michelle Cuthers - Wait, there's something wrong with this file. I can see that your boy Malcolm was running some checks on it...

~Michelle runs through the same checks, pressing a button to start up a program on the drive. Suddenly, the obituary starts to change, with the works switching around. Logan watches as it becomes an obituary for a 55-year-old woman who was hit by a bus. Sucks to be her. But Logan looks more confused than ever.~

Andrew Logan - I don't get it. The obituary was a fake? Why would Malcolm have that?

Michelle Cuthers - No idea. I feel like I'm stepping into the middle of the movie here. But there are several other files listed here that Malcolm has found, apparently altered as well. I'm guessing here, but it looks to me like... maybe a death was faked, with a digital footprint being created online to make it seem real?

~Logan thinks it over for a minute, before nodding.~

Andrew Logan - I'll accept that... for now. Thank you for your help, Michelle. Would you give me a call if you hear from Malcolm? I'm starting to think this is what got him into a mess, and I'd want to help him get out of it.

~He hands over a card that has his name and number on it, something that's always handy for a wrestler to be carrying with them. Michelle takes it, smiling in spite of everything at getting Logan's personal phone number.~

Michelle Cuthers - Sure thing, Andrew. I'll call you if I hear anything.

~Logan makes sure to safely eject the flash drive before taking it with him, heading back out the door. The mystery hasn't been solved, but new clues are now available. Eventually there will be enough to fill in the pieces of the puzzle and help Logan know what he needs to do next.~

So here we are, only a short time away from Andrew Logan meeting the Wizard. You'd best know that the only "ruby slippers" I plan to have are my tennis shoes, potentially covered in your blood. They've got a mixture of Legend and other wrestlers already on them, so you wouldn't be the first. I do like that you seem to respect me. Maybe my reputation is beginning to precede me. I've been called a beast many times, usually as an insult to my intelligence. A lot of people think that when you're as big as I am, I must not be as gifted in the intelligence department. And yet I have learned a lot throughout my years of wrestling. I'm no fool.

My ascent to the heights of which I aspire will not be denied. I will continue my climb until I hold gold in my hands, and until every wrestler in the XWF acknowledges my power. While you may be a believer, Wizard, I cannot stop short in my mission to enlighten the masses. You're still going to have to be made an example of. You're still going to have to be shown the error of your ways.

You think I haven't heard the talk from others? Most think that I'm just here as a placeholder for your 'blood feud' with Robert Main. Most are overlooking my involvement, believing that Main will once again appear to torture one of your followers, or you will be trying to get some revenge on him if he shows up to the parking lot. You want to know how I feel about your battles with Robert Main?

I don't give a shit.

I'm here to fight, Wizard, plain and simple. I fight, I win, I move up, and eventually I reach those Hall of Fame heights I see as my destiny. Your destiny, Wizard, is to be one of the stepping stones along that path. So push Robert Main from your thoughts, as tough as that may be for you. The only thing that should be running through your head at the speed of light is the thought of what I'm going to do with you when I have you out in that parking lot, with so many violent tools at my disposal.

Don't ignore me, Wizard. Don't let yourself be mowed down. Give me the fight I crave. Show me that you're worthy to be a foe I want to fight again. Give me everything you've got and more, and maybe, at the end of the day, I'll find more respect for you, and you won't miss the next PPV due to being in traction.

No guarantees.

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