The scene begins:
We see Keeper sat behind a table dressed in a black loosely fitting Jekyll Brothers t-shirt. Slouched with his elbows on the table he smiles into camera. The picture however is very blurred and slightly pixilated. Keeper reaches for a marker
Keeper: What’s the name bud?
(From behind the camera) Unknown: Jasper, Jasper Dunaway
Keeper smiles and signs the portrait in front of him
Keeper: There you go. Just pay at the register. Look after yourself kid
Jasper: Erm… Can I ask you something?
Keeper nods slowly
Jasper: Why the cameras?
The camera turns from Keeper to see a full broadcast team stood off to the side with the lenses trained intently on Keeper and Jasper
Keeper: Oh they are filming for the bonus shit for the Border Clash DVD. Just ignore them. Oh if you want to keep that video on your phone it’s an extra $5. Like I said just pay at the register
The camera phone scene abruptly cuts on and we cut to the camera crew’s perspective. The picture is much better from this stupidly expensive TWC camera. From this angle we see that Keeper is sat in a comic book store. Jasper is 5’4”, 150lbs soaked through. With his index finger his pushes his thick rimmed glasses up his nose. Hesitantly he reaches out a hard and shakes Keepers. Slouching away the camera pans to see a cue of another 10 or 11 people lined up behind him. The next to step forward is a young man. His chews his gum. It is obvious by the blank gaze there isn’t much going on behind his eyes. He is dressed in a red and white striped apron with red baggy pants and white shirt with a red baseball cap. Along the top of the cap is the logo for somewhere called Potato Palace
Keeper: Hey bud. What’s the name?
The young man chews his gum in silence before answering
Man: Keith
Keeper: Keith?
Keith: Yeah, Keith
Keith hands Keeper a TWC trading card
Keeper looks confused for a second
Keeper: That’s Jeremy Adonis on the card
Keith: Yeah
Keeper breaths in deeply before signing the card
Keeper: Just pay at the register. Hey before you go I’m getting rather hungry. What would you recommend from Potato Palace?
Keith: Don’t have the Mexican Explosion
Keeper: Why? Too ****y?
Keith: No, I spit in it.
Keeper: What about the Tomato Treasure
Keith: No that’s got spit in it as well. Oh definitely don’t have the Vegetarian Supreme
Keeper: Spit in it?
Keith: No. It’s got beef… and pork… and spit
Keeper: I’m suddenly a lot less hungry. See you about
Keith slowly turns and walks off towards the register. Keeper reaches under the table and grabs a notice reading “Back in half an hour”. The remaining people all start murmuring amongst themselves in disgust as Keeper walks over to the director
Keeper: We can cut that bit out right? That was a bit to gross
Director: Keeper, Keeper, dear Keeper. That cannot be taken out. It’s all part of the rich tapestry of human life. The best and the worst of what society is all about
Keeper: If that goes on air Potato Palace will sue your ass and take your house, BMW and jack russell Phillip
The director pauses
Director: Perhaps you are right. We shall cut that piece. As you said “gross”
Keeper flashes a sarcastic smile and leaves the director discussing camera angles with the producer. He steps over to a rather large collection of Spider-Man comics. Under his breath he runs along the shelf
Keeper: Got it, got it, got it…
On and on until he reaches the last one. He sighs and turns back around. Picking up a bottle of Gatorade from the table he looks into the ever increasing crowed. He takes a huge gulp followed by an even more impressive belch
Keeper (to the cameraman): You know what I love about Spider-Man? No? It’s the fact he’s just an ordinary guy. Sure he can climb walls and has his spidey sense but any punk who took a lucky shot in a fire fight could kill him but he still fights the likes of Venom and Mysterio. Whereas in the world of DC you got Superman. Can’t be shot, can’t be stabbed. Can fly at super stupid speed. No one can hurt him. What the hell is the point? Sure he’s vulnerable to Kryptonite but it’s not like you can find that at the bottom of your garden. Na its Spider-Man for me all the way
Voice: You and your god damn comics
Keepers head spins towards the crowed just in time to see Mr. Balls step through. A number of people look almost distressed as he pushes his way past them. Keeper looks cautious as his one time friend and brother of his opponent steps towards his
Mr Balls: Calm yourself down Keep’s. I’m just here to talk. Somewhere we can go a bit quieter?
Keeper slowly nods and the pair walk to the back room. Mr Balls beckons the cameraman inside as well. Mr Balls closes the door behind them. The back room is a mess of dusty old boxes. They stand in silence for a second
Mr Balls: I’m not here to fight you Keeper. In my position I’m not permitted to touch the staff unless provoked
Keeper stands silently. Looking at Balls with deep su****ion
Mr Balls: How long have we known each other Keep’s?
Keeper: Around about 10 years
Mr Balls: My God. 10 Years? Time flies. Do you remember your first match in the TWC?
Keeper: Yeah you crushed me. But I am not that kid anymore Balls. You want a fight and I will give you everything I have
Mr Balls: Old friend I told you I’m just here to talk. For old times sake it’s a warning. Hawkeye will hang you Thursday night
Keeper: That’s your opinion. I have my own. That being that I’m going to hit him with the Flaming Meteorite then wrap that barbed wire noose round his neck and hang him from the rafters
Mr Balls: He’s beaten you in a barbed wire noose match before and quite frankly you were at your best then. You were younger, fitter and had no ring rust. You’ve only been back a few weeks
Keeper: And look at what I’ve done in that time. I’ve beaten Cady and Deabs. I’ve become a TWC legend and Hawkeye and I gave one of the best matches in living history at Re-Genesis
Mr Balls: I’m not saying call off the match. I’m saying put it off a month or two till you are in better shape. Give me the word and I will change it. No use knowing the boss unless you can get favours is there?
Keeper: 3 years I was away from the TWC Balls and I came back in beat ex TWC Streetfight Champion Andy Deabs by smashing him in the face with the flaming meteorite then I beat Brian Cady with the Tombstone. What more do I need to prove? I’m better than I ever was and come tomorrow night I will give Hawkeye the match he has waited years for
Mr Balls: Is there nothing I can do to get you to postpone it?
Keeper: Blow Raven
Mr Balls: So that’s your final word on it then?
Keeper: No my final word on it is: Ain’t no bitch to fat, ain’t no bitch to whack, ain’t no bitch to ugly for Superballs whoop whoop
Mr Balls lowers his head and starts chuckling to himself
Mr Balls: Ok Keeps I get the point. Anyway business now. You have a promo to cut for the pre show build up. Here’s your camera. Here’s your dark, damp, dingy room. Do what you do best and cut a promo. Look after yourself Keeper
Mr Balls turns and leaves the room. The door slams shut behind him. Keeper hangs his head deep in thought. Standing in silence letting memories flood him of the old TWC days when he and Mr Balls fought alongside each other. Slowly Keeper raises his head and stares into the camera
Keeper: Tonight I face a man who has beaten me twice in the space of a month. Every other person that has been put in front of me I’ve beaten to within an inch of their lives yet for some reason Hawkeye seems to be my Kryptonite. Perhaps it’s because he’s like a walking skyscraper, perhaps he’s lucky or perhaps it’s because I didn’t give him the credit he deserved. Tonight will be different. Tonight I bring my game to the table. That game isn’t Monopoly or chess. That game is hang Hawkeye by his stupid fat neck from a rope wrapped in barbed wire and let him bleed like a pig.
A brief history of the barbed wire noose match for anyone who hasn’t been following the story here. 12 years ago I was wrestler in a company called the IWA. My first federation in fact. Then along came an old school friend of mine called Beast. He saw me winning titles and taking the woman he wanted so the green eyed monster came and pushed him to attack me night after night. We fought in some hellashish matches but things just kept getting worse and worse until the night I awoke from a nightmare, bathed in sweat with an idea for a way to end it once and for all. The match would be known as the barbed wire noose match. A simple stipulation really. A rope is hung from the rafters wrapped in barbed wire. The first person to wrap the rope around the throat of your opponent and have it raised till his feet are a foot from the ground wins. Needless to say I won. As I stood there watching as he swung lifelessly from side to side, the blood running down his chest in rivers eventually to his feet and dripping onto the mat in pools I knew this was what would make my career. Frankly it did. Until the day I faced Hawkeye and he beat me at my own game. Next to the barbed wire ropes match against Big Shank that was the most damaging match I have had in my life.
A month I was away from the sport. Was it worth it? Of course it was. As I hung there unable to breath, slowly passing out as the barbs dug into my throat I looked down to see Hawkeye looking up at me. I looked into his eyes and saw regret. Maybe it was the lack of oxygen to my brain but that pushed me to come back even sooner. The realisation that I was more of a monster than Hawkeye. I could hang people everyday and watch them almost bleed to death but the first time he does it he feels regret.
He knows I will hang him yet I do not know if he can do the same. Can he hang me once again? Can he watch as the blood runs down my body and in good faith say he enjoyed it. Hawkeye this match will be an end to our war one way or another. It’s been emotional
Cut
Keeper takes in a deep breath and exhales deeply
Keeper: Jesus H Christ doing those things is bloody tiring. Come on let’s find a bar
Keeper and the cameraman make their way back out into the comic book store. The crowed has grown to around about 30 people. All standing impatiently. A young girl at the front notices Keeper coming out of the store room and screams out in excitement. The rest of the crowed turn to see him and start shuffling about excitedly. Keeper raises his hand to the crowed and waves as he reaches for his coat. A man from the crowed steps forward
Man: Hey your not going? We’ve been waiting for ages
Keeper: Hey I only get paid till 2 o clock
Man: Well you’ve still got five minutes left so get signing
Keeper bites his bottom lip before his old sadistic smile breaks out
Keeper: Ok your right. Come on over
The man smiles to himself and puffs out his chest as he strides forwards. Keeper reaches out for his black marker as the man hands over a Keeper t-shirt. Keeper slowly shakes his head. As fast as it appeared the smile disappears from the mans face. Keeper wraps his arm around the mans neck locking in a headlock. The mans head almost disappears beneath Keepers biceps as he writes something on the mans forehead. Keeper releases the hold as the man drops to the floor gasping for breath. With a smile Keeper grabs his coat and leaves. The red faced man looks up to reveal “I LOVE DAN FIERCE” scribbled across his forehead
