Post by Damon Graves on Jun 26, 2016 13:30:02 GMT -5
Scene opens backstage at the Viejas Arena in San Diego, California, just after Damon Graves’ “match” against Levi Daugherty at Vendetta. As Damon makes his way back to the dressing room currently in use by the Angelz of Destruction, the Angel of Chaos does not seem to be in a good mood. Before he can make it 20 feet, his attention is caught by a giant of a man leaning up against some equipment cases. He’s dressed completely in black; black boots, black jeans, and a sleeveless black t-shirt that shows off his massive arms, which are folded across his chest. Even the long, thick mane of hair spilling over his shoulders is black. Fans of pro wrestling recognize him as wrestling legend Jason Perry, the husband of Aurora Knight’s manager, Alicia Perry. The two men lock eyes, but Damon seems as if he’s trying to stare THROUGH the veteran grappler rather than at him.
Damon: Look, man, I’m not really in a good mood right now….
Jason slowly nods his head, reaching up to scratch his goateed chin.
Jason: I can tell by the look on your face that you were itching for a fight.
Damon: You’re god-damned right I was! If I could find that Aussie shitstain right now, I’d rip that toothpick he calls a spine right out through his asshole…
Jason chuckles, prompting a look of annoyance from the younger superstar.
Damon: What’s so fucking funny?
Jason: I’ve used that exact same phrase on a few occasions.
Damon: So?
Jason: Look, you have every right to be pissed off. But let me give you a bit of advice… Anger is a double-edged sword. It can totally fuck up your gameplan, or you can use it to your advantage….
Damon: Great, I’m talking with the world’s largest philosopher….
Jason smirks.
Jason: Yeah, I’m a regular Sun fucking Tzu… Look, don’t dwell on what just happened. Take that anger, stick it in your back pocket, and save it for the next guy you face…. Besides, I did say that I was bringing some beer to help you celebrate….
Jason taps his heel against a large cooler sitting next to his feet.
Damon: Please don’t tell me that you brought a cooler full of Coors…
The big man looks as if he’s been wounded by Damon’s words. He shakes his head.
Jason: Coors?!? Are you fucking kidding? What kind of Mongoloid idiot drinks that Rocky Mountain panther piss?
Damon: Dirk Bentley, apparently…
Jason: (chuckling softly) Oh, yeah, that dipshit… anyway, if I’m gonna drink beer, it’s got to be the best!
Jason reaches down, opens up the cooler and pulls out two ice-cold bottles of Trooper Ale. He pulls a bottle opener out of his pants, pops the tops, and hands one to Damon. Instantly, Damon’s mood improves immeasurably.
Damon: Oh, hell yeah! Now THIS is some good shit!
Jason smiles broadly.
Jason: I was hoping you’d say that. Say, isn’t your girlfriend’s match up next?
Damon: Yeah, but I have a feeling that by the time I get back, her match will be over.
They pause for a moment as they hear Aurora’s music blaring over the sound system.
Damon: And there she goes… Give him hell, Harley.
Jason: “Harley?”
Jason snickers at the sound of Damon’s nickname for his girlfriend. Damon shrugs, a faint smirk on his face as he takes a drink of his beer.
Damon: She’s a Harley Quinn fan… she rides a Harley…
Jason: Ah, she’s a biker chick too? She sounds like a rare breed.
Damon: And I don’t plan on letting this one getting away…
Jason: Good to know. Anyway, I told you I wanted to talk some business with you, so why don’t we go someplace where we can talk?
Damon: The dressing room’s right over there…
Damon motions toward the dressing room door. Grabbing the handle of the cooler and wheeling it behind him, Jason follows him into the room, which is currently empty. Both men take a seat on a pair of chairs around the monitor that is showing Aurora’s match, or rather, the aftermath. He sees the wicked grin on her face as she looks down at what’s left of Drake Hunter being carted out of the arena. He can’t help but smile at the sight.
Damon: That’s my girl…
Jason nods approvingly both at what he sees on screen and at Damon’s reaction.
Jason: Girl’s definitely got some fire. You sure you can handle her?
Damon cocks his head to the side, giving him a look that says “very funny”.
Damon: I’ve done rather well so far. Or at least, I like to think I am. So, what sort of business did you want to discuss with me?
Jason: Considering that your next match is going to be held in Las Vegas, Alicia and I talked it over, and we would like to invite you to use our place in town as a home base of sorts. It’s fully stocked, and better yet, it has a full gym with a ring.
Damon’s eyes light up.
Damon: That… would be phenomenal! It’ll save us a ton of money AND it’ll keep us away from all of the tourist traps…
Jason: There’s nothing saying that you guys CAN’T enjoy yourselves while you’re there…
Damon: True… in fact, I did have a couple of diversions in mind while we’re in town…
Jason: Good. So, I’ll leave it to you to let Aurora know about our offer…
Damon: I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.
Jason: I don’t doubt it. Anyway, I need to get back before the wife sends out a search party. Tell the others they’re welcome to help themselves to the beer. I am gonna need that cooler back, though.
Damon: Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get it back in one piece.
Jason: Alright, then. I’ll catch you two on the flipside. Just one more thing….
Damon: What is it?
Jason: As far as the house is concerned, you guys have free reign. Just don’t do anything we wouldn’t do…
As Jason extends his hand to the young superstar, Damon gets a twisted smile on his face. Before long, the red-nailed hands of Aurora Knight find their way onto Damon’s chest as the Angel of Rebellion approaches from behind.
Aurora: Boo!
She steps out from behind her boyfriend, who greets her with a smile and a congratulatory kiss as Jason looks on. The veteran clears his throat as the two turn their eyes toward him.
Jason: Alright… the old third wheel is gonna make himself scarce now. Aurora, great job in there. Alicia would be proud of you. And Damon, remember what I said.
Damon: Gotcha!
Damon and Aurora wave the big man off as he turns and heads off down the hallway. Once he’s out of earshot, Aurora turns to Damon with a curious look in her eyes.
Aurora: What was that all about?
Damon: Well, we won’t have to worry about a hotel once we get to Vegas….
Aurora: How so?
Damon: I’ll tell you once we’re on the road. For now, let’s kick back and have some of this beer…
Aurora smiles as Damon reaches into the cooler and pulls out a bottle. He pops the cap off, handing it to his lady as the scene cuts away.
Scene shifts to a dimly-lit game room, where the only thing visible is a red-felted pool table, with a full rack of 15 balls, unbroken. As the camera pulls back, two figures come into view; one male, one female. Their faces aren’t visible at this point, but the heavily tattooed arms of Damon Graves are unmistakable.
Damon: Ladies first, Harley…
Aurora: Why don’t we hold off on the game for a bit… you know, until you’re done with Avery?
Damon: Not a bad idea, sweetheart. But we may need to turn up the lights just a bit….
Aurora: Hmph… so much for mood lighting.
Aurora moves out of sight, and the lights come up, illuminating the rest of the game room, including a row of classic arcade fighting games along one of the walls. Damon looks on as he watches Aurora walk toward the one labeled “Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3”.
Aurora: And while you’re doing that, I’m going to play a few rounds as Princess Kitana.
Damon nods his head before turning toward the camera.
Damon: Heya, Avery…
A cocky grin creeps across the face of the Angel of Chaos. He sits on the edge of the pool table, the pool cue still in his hands, albeit pointed upward.
Damon: I’m gonna be straight up with you, man. This is most definitely NOT how I expected my first title match in NGW to pan out. Well, at least, not as far as the people standing on the other side of the ring were concerned. I pretty much knew I’d be facing whoever with that gorgeous blonde over there…
He points his thumb over his shoulder, off in Aurora’s direction, as he smiles.
Damon: But I’d be lying if I said I pictured things panning out the way they did. Now, the way I see it, this could play out one of two ways. You know that Aurora and I have been preparing ourselves to face you and Levi for the titles. Hell, Daugherty made it clear that he wasn’t going to make it easy for us. But wait! He’s not in the picture anymore, is he? So there goes half of our preparations right out the window. With half of the Tag Titles now vacant, you had the opportunity to hand pick someone to stand with you when the time came to defend the titles at City of Sin; an opponent completely unknown to us. Advantage: you.
On the other hand, Aurora and I have been a solid, cohesive unit since we debuted.
He pauses, a mild smirk on his face.
Damon: Okay, so Aurora wasn’t exactly my biggest fan at first, but things happened and well, you know the rest. The bottom line is that we’ve been there for each other ever since. And in the short time that I’ve gotten to know her, I can read her better than anyone else, and vice versa. I know you had a partner like that once. Hell, you and Levi were like brothers before he cut and run. But it seems like you’ve got one hell of a full plate right now.
Gotta tell you, pal, you’re spreading yourself pretty damn thin. I mean, I know you want to prove how much of a hardass you are, but for fuck’s sake, are you going to have anything left when you face me and Aurora? Not only are you fighting a never-ending battle against that peroxide-headed plastic prima donna Persephone, you’re kicking off City of Sin by defending the Marquee Championship against Candice Turner. Not that I give a shit about that match, but are you going to have enough left in the tank when you defend the Tag Team titles later the same night?
As if you weren’t at enough of a disadvantage, your partner and so-called best friend abandoned you, Avery. He waited until AFTER the match against me was announced to fade into the background, knowing that Aurora and I were coming after the NGW Tag Team belts. So he tucked his tail between his legs, spouted some lame shit about “family problems”, and ran away like a little bitch! Frankly, I don’t give a fuck about what personal issues Levi Daugherty has to take care of; he needed to take care of business with me first. By doing what he did, he pissed all over my singles debut in NGW, but I’m not gonna pout in the corner over it. I’m going to make up for that disappointment by teaming up with the most badass woman on the planet, and we’re going to make our mark by taking those tag team belts away from you and your “partner” for the night Kenzie Rydell.
A sarcastic smile takes over his face as he shakes his head.
Damon: Yeah… the great Avery Miles III… he changes tag team partners more often than a porn star changes positions on camera! Yeah, it’s an exaggeration, but whatever. Maybe you thought that by picking a former Angel as your tag team partner, you’d get under our skin. Well maybe if you had picked someone that had actually done something notable while part of the group, that might have worked. But no. You picked the one that just couldn’t quite cut it as an Angel, who just blindly took something on without really thinking it through.
Yeah, Avery, Las Vegas IS the City of Sin, but you have things all wrong… your sin isn’t one of greed. No, you’re guilty of pride, Miles. You’ve got so many irons in the fire, with all of your matches outside of NGW, opening up your wrestling school, even preparing for a child to become a permanent part of your life, but with all of that, you’ve neglected something very important… Aurora Knight and I are right here, up in your face, and we sure as shit won’t be ignored! Try it, and we WILL get your attention, in the most painful way possible.
On the other hand, you could look on the bright side. After this is all over, your load is going to be a hell of a lot lighter, because even if you DO manage to get past Candy and retain the Marquee Championship, you can still bet on going home with a little less hardware than you will when you walk into the Thomas and Mack Center. But hey… at least it’ll leave room for some more souvenirs for your soon-to-be daughter. Congrats, by the way. Let’s just hope the plushies from Circus Circus make up for the fact that Daddy’s short at least one title belt. But don’t worry… Aurora and I will make sure to give the belts a nice new home… around our waists!
Damon stands up, making a motion across his waist with his hands, right where a championship belt would go. The cocky smirk on his face spreads into an equally cocky smile as he then clenches his fists, placing them side by side.
Damon: I know I don’t have to spell it out for you, Avery. See you soon….
Damon lowers his fists, then slowly backs away from the pool table. After a few steps, he turns around and with a final smirk into the camera, joins Aurora at the Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 machine.
Damon: I call Sub Zero!
Scene fades out to black….
Scene fades in inside the Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip. The mall is packed with tourists looking to escape the scorching desert heat. We linger here for a moment before transitioning to the center of the mall, where we see AoD member Damon Graves walking out of the Hot Topic store. He looks toward one end of the mall, scans the scenery for about as far as he can, then does the same thing in the other direction. Breathing a sigh of relief, he quickly stuffs a small bag into the pocket of his pants.
Damon: Good… she didn’t see me. Now, all I have to do is wait for her.
As if on cue, his phone goes off in his back pocket. He pulls it out and sees that Aurora has sent him a text message.
Damon: Now, I wait.
A few minutes pass by, and while Damon leans against the railing looking down at the lower level of the mall, he’s approached by a young woman, roughly the same age as him, give or take a year.
Woman: Hi there.
Not wanting to be rude, he turns to the woman and smiles.
Damon: Hi, yourself…
The woman is undeniably attractive, with pale blonde hair and ice blue eyes. She’s dressed in white denim shorts and a black Black Veil Brides tank top, with dark red lipstick and a single star-shaped tattoo beside her left eye.
Woman: Um, I’m from out of town, and I was wondering if you knew where the Victoria’s Secret is?
Damon gives the woman a nervous look as he puts his hands on the railing, drumming his fingers against the metal.
Damon: I’m afraid I’m here from out of town, myself. I’ve never even been to this mall before, so I wouldn’t be much help.
The woman looks obviously disappointed, to which Damon offers an apologetic smile.
Damon: Sorry.
The woman smiles back at him, batting her eyelashes as she takes a step closer. Out of instinct, Damon likewise backs away from her. This girl is starting to send up a serious red flag that could turn out disastrous, for the girl, anyway, if he couldn’t find a way to ditch this chick before Aurora shows up.
Woman: Maybe we could go find it together? I could really use a guy’s input once I’m there.
Alarms are going off inside Damon’s head at this point. He immediately pulls out his cell phone, fussing around with it in an effort to find an excuse to extract himself from the situation.
Damon: I’m kind of waiting for someone at the moment.
Woman: If you’re that worried, you can send him a text telling him where you are.
Damon: Her.
Woman: Excuse me?
Damon: Her. The person I’m waiting on is female.
Woman: Let me guess… you’re here with your little sister.
Damon: Not exactly.
The sound of a woman clearing her throat can be heard from behind as Damon cringes. He turns around to find Aurora staring daggers at the other woman, who looks at Damon, confused.
Woman: You two don’t look related at all… are you adopted?
Aurora glares even harder at the woman, as Damon puts an arm around Aurora in an effort to calm her down.
Aurora: I’m NOT his sister…
Damon: She’s my girlfriend. I tried to tell you, but…
The woman looks mortally wounded as she looks back and forth between the two of them. Finally, she turns to Damon, looking like her heart had just been stomped on.
Woman: You… you PIG!
The woman storms off in a huff as Aurora follows her with her eyes, not looking away until the woman disappears around a corner. As Damon lets out a deep sigh, he turns to find Aurora staring at him with her arms crossed.
Aurora: You mind telling me what the hell that was all about?
Damon: Just some random girl asking if I knew where the Victoria’s secret was. When I told her I didn’t know, that’s when things started to get weird.
Aurora: Hmph…
Damon tilts his head to the side, a sly smirk on his face as he catches Aurora’s expression softening a little bit.
Damon: Oh come on… don’t tell me you were jealous of that girl….
With a look of disbelief plastered on her face, Aurora shakes her head.
Aurora: Jealous? Damon, why in the hell would I be jealous of that little skank? If anything, SHE’S the one that’s jealous.
Damon: Oh?
Aurora: Please… I know you’d never ditch me for some tramp like that.
Damon: Of course I wouldn’t!
He pauses, gently putting his hands on her shoulders as she stood in front of him. He looks into her eyes, a nervous smile on his face.
Damon: Look, there’s only room for one woman in my heart… and I’m looking at her right now.
Aurora smiles, then jokingly looks around as if to see if there’s another girl standing around.
Damon: Very funny… I’m talking about you, Harley. I…
For a moment, he goes silent, as if unsure of how what he is about to say will be received. He shakes it off, looking Aurora in the eyes.
Damon: I got you something…
Aurora looks up at him, slightly confused, as if that wasn’t what she was expecting him to say.
Aurora: You did?
He reaches into his pocket, pulling out the bag he had stuffed in there earlier. He reaches into the bag, pulling out a black and silver choker, the word “PUDDIN” spelled out in silver letters.
Damon: I know it’s not the angel wing ear cuffs you wanted, but I saw this and immediately thought of you.
Aurora: That’s so sweet! Thank you!
She throws her arms around his neck and plants a kiss on his lips that catches him by surprise. The momentum nearly sends them both falling backward, but he grabs the railing to regain his balance.
Damon: Whoa! I guess that means I did good?
Aurora: Of course you did, silly! I love it!
She removes the choker from the packaging, then hands it to Damon with a smile on her face.
Aurora: Help me put it on?
Damon: Twist my arm, why don’t you?
Aurora turns around, and as she pulls her hair out of the way, Damon reaches around, bringing the choker around her neck. He lowers his head to get a better view of the clasp, then leans in, moving his mouth toward her ear…
Damon: I love you, Harley…
Upon hearing those words, Aurora turns around, a look in her eyes that suggests that that’s the first time any man has ever said that to her.
Aurora: I love you, too…
They pause for a moment, looking into each other’s eyes until a group of grungy teenage boys walk by…
Boy: Eww… get a room!
Aurora turns around and with a wave of her hand, shows that she thinks that guy and his cronies are “number one”. With a mutual scoff, they laugh as they watch the cluster of dweebs walk off into the distance.
Damon: Now THAT guy was jealous! Come on… I saw a couple of other things in there that I wanted to pick up.
Aurora: Why didn’t you get them while you were in there?
Damon: I wanted to pick up that choker first before you caught up with me…
Their conversation trails off into the ambient noise as they walk hand-in-hand back into the store and the scene cuts away.
Scene fades back in with a shot of the interior of California Pizza Kitchen. Damon is sitting at the bar, a half-filled glass of water in front of him and an empty stool next to him. Or rather, it’s empty of any human occupant, as a few shopping bags can be seen in the seat. Damon puts a foot up on the bar near the base of the stool beside him, turning to face the camera.
Damon: Nothing like a day of sightseeing with the most beautiful badass in professional wrestling in one of the busiest cities in the world to work up an appetite. One of the things I love about this city is the fact that you can pretty much go around the world just by going up one street. But as much as I’d love to stand outside and snap pictures of everything I see while sweating a river down my back… that’s sarcasm, folks… there are more important things to take care of. And since I’ve already thrown a few words at Avery Miles III, I guess I should do the same for a now FALLEN Angel, Kenzie Rydell...
Damon rolls his eyes at the words “fallen angel” as he sneers into the camera.
Damon: You know Kenzie, I seriously wonder what the fuck was going through Corey’s head when he wanted to bring you into the Angelz of Destruction. Luckily, he came to his senses, and you’re on the outside looking in. The Angel of Forgiveness? What made you think that you had what it takes to hang with the rest of us? I tried to play devil’s advocate and give you the benefit of the doubt, but you proved that everything floating around about you is true, Kenz. You’re soft… no use denying it. There’s no way you’d ever be able to keep up with the rest of the Angelz, so we cut you loose. Think of Malone cracking you with that chair as a mercy killing. Believe me, it could have been a hell of a lot worse.
But just like Avery, you wanna be all greedy and go after two belts in one night. Sorry to burst your bubble…. Actually no, I’m not sorry at all! You won’t be in any condition to contend for the title of “breathing human being”, let alone trying to regain the Five Lakes Championship from Ashleigh Jericho. That twat is too damn egotistical to admit it, but she’s fucking stoked to the moon that you’re facing me and Aurora first. It makes things a lot easier for her. If you can find the strength to drag your ass to the ring, all she would need to do is lay into you with her patented “Resting Bitch Face” maneuver, and you’d drop to the canvas faster than the panties on a $2 hooker.
Yeah, by the time Aurora and I get through with you, all that Ashleigh Jericho is going to have to do is TWEET about you and you’ll be tapping out. Don’t know if you’ve seen her tweets lately, but she’s convinced that you’re running scared, knowing damn well that you’re in way over your head not just with her, but with us. Not too surprising, since this isn’t the first time you’ve signed up for something without thinking. But then again, whose fault is that? Certainly not ours.
Damon snickers at his last comment. At that moment, a waitress comes by, topping off his glass of water. He thanks her with a silent nod, takes a sip, then continues.
Damon: It’s real cute how you think that you’ve already got this match in the bag, though. Talking about “WHEN we win,” like beating us is some sort of foregone conclusion. But don’t kid yourself. You’ve seen us in the ring. You know DAMN well what Aurora and I can do once we step through those ropes. As for you? The one thing we know about you is that you’re a choke artist. Sure, we had your back for a while during the Manifest Destiny tournament, as you were repping NGW. But what happened? Oh, that’s right… YOU LOST! What’s the matter? You couldn’t handle the pressure of knowing that everyone was counting on you to show those other clowns up? And then, you… the second longest-reigning Five Lakes Champion in NGW’s history… what do you do then? You drop the belt to someone that couldn’t even defend the title once before losing it. I guess maybe most of those title defenses you had were against scrubs that Devlin knew you could handle with no problem. Some champion…
Damon scoffs as he downs his glass of water. As he sets the glass down, the ice cubes rattle against each other. Off in the distance, he spots his girlfriend and tag team partner, Aurora Knight, make her way through the crowd from the far end of the restaurant.
Damon: I’ve heard the whispers… I know what they’re saying about you, Kenzie. They’re saying you’re afraid; that you don’t have it in you to step up to the plate. We’re out to prove that they’re right about you; that you’re just as soft as I said you were, and that Avery is a fool to trust you with half of the Tag Team Championships.
City of Sin isn’t the beginning of some great quest for vengeance against the Angelz of Destruction, nor is it the beginning a new version of the Genesis, or whatever the hell you two expect to call yourselves IF you manage to win this match. No, the only thing beginning in Las Vegas is the rise of the Angelz of Destruction, and our Launchpad is going to be the sad sacks of shit known as Avery Miles III and Kenzie Rydell. From there, nobody is going to underestimate our resolve to take everything that Devlin Scott has tried to force down the throats of the fans, and make HIM choke on it!
July 2, 2016… both you and your tag team partner need to remember that day as the day the Angelz of Destruction ripped those championship belts out of your hands before you even had a chance to see your name engraved on the nameplate. You’re going to wish that when Avery was looking for a tag team partner, you had told him to just keep on walking. You’ve choked before… you’ll choke again. The only difference is that this time, you’re going to wind up screwing someone else besides yourself.
He looks over at Aurora, who is waving him over. He starts gathering the bags that were sitting in the chair, but just as he hooks the last one onto his fingers, he takes one final look into the camera, his trademark smirk on his face.
Damon: Don’t get too comfortable, Kenzie. You never know when the rug is going to be pulled out from under you. Don’t think no one will laugh when you fall flat on your ass.
You bet your ass we will…
Damon hoists all of the day’s plunder and settles them over his shoulders before making his way over to the table Aurora has reserved for them. Fade to black.
[/i]
Damon: Look, man, I’m not really in a good mood right now….
Jason slowly nods his head, reaching up to scratch his goateed chin.
Jason: I can tell by the look on your face that you were itching for a fight.
Damon: You’re god-damned right I was! If I could find that Aussie shitstain right now, I’d rip that toothpick he calls a spine right out through his asshole…
Jason chuckles, prompting a look of annoyance from the younger superstar.
Damon: What’s so fucking funny?
Jason: I’ve used that exact same phrase on a few occasions.
Damon: So?
Jason: Look, you have every right to be pissed off. But let me give you a bit of advice… Anger is a double-edged sword. It can totally fuck up your gameplan, or you can use it to your advantage….
Damon: Great, I’m talking with the world’s largest philosopher….
Jason smirks.
Jason: Yeah, I’m a regular Sun fucking Tzu… Look, don’t dwell on what just happened. Take that anger, stick it in your back pocket, and save it for the next guy you face…. Besides, I did say that I was bringing some beer to help you celebrate….
Jason taps his heel against a large cooler sitting next to his feet.
Damon: Please don’t tell me that you brought a cooler full of Coors…
The big man looks as if he’s been wounded by Damon’s words. He shakes his head.
Jason: Coors?!? Are you fucking kidding? What kind of Mongoloid idiot drinks that Rocky Mountain panther piss?
Damon: Dirk Bentley, apparently…
Jason: (chuckling softly) Oh, yeah, that dipshit… anyway, if I’m gonna drink beer, it’s got to be the best!
Jason reaches down, opens up the cooler and pulls out two ice-cold bottles of Trooper Ale. He pulls a bottle opener out of his pants, pops the tops, and hands one to Damon. Instantly, Damon’s mood improves immeasurably.
Damon: Oh, hell yeah! Now THIS is some good shit!
Jason smiles broadly.
Jason: I was hoping you’d say that. Say, isn’t your girlfriend’s match up next?
Damon: Yeah, but I have a feeling that by the time I get back, her match will be over.
They pause for a moment as they hear Aurora’s music blaring over the sound system.
Damon: And there she goes… Give him hell, Harley.
Jason: “Harley?”
Jason snickers at the sound of Damon’s nickname for his girlfriend. Damon shrugs, a faint smirk on his face as he takes a drink of his beer.
Damon: She’s a Harley Quinn fan… she rides a Harley…
Jason: Ah, she’s a biker chick too? She sounds like a rare breed.
Damon: And I don’t plan on letting this one getting away…
Jason: Good to know. Anyway, I told you I wanted to talk some business with you, so why don’t we go someplace where we can talk?
Damon: The dressing room’s right over there…
Damon motions toward the dressing room door. Grabbing the handle of the cooler and wheeling it behind him, Jason follows him into the room, which is currently empty. Both men take a seat on a pair of chairs around the monitor that is showing Aurora’s match, or rather, the aftermath. He sees the wicked grin on her face as she looks down at what’s left of Drake Hunter being carted out of the arena. He can’t help but smile at the sight.
Damon: That’s my girl…
Jason nods approvingly both at what he sees on screen and at Damon’s reaction.
Jason: Girl’s definitely got some fire. You sure you can handle her?
Damon cocks his head to the side, giving him a look that says “very funny”.
Damon: I’ve done rather well so far. Or at least, I like to think I am. So, what sort of business did you want to discuss with me?
Jason: Considering that your next match is going to be held in Las Vegas, Alicia and I talked it over, and we would like to invite you to use our place in town as a home base of sorts. It’s fully stocked, and better yet, it has a full gym with a ring.
Damon’s eyes light up.
Damon: That… would be phenomenal! It’ll save us a ton of money AND it’ll keep us away from all of the tourist traps…
Jason: There’s nothing saying that you guys CAN’T enjoy yourselves while you’re there…
Damon: True… in fact, I did have a couple of diversions in mind while we’re in town…
Jason: Good. So, I’ll leave it to you to let Aurora know about our offer…
Damon: I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.
Jason: I don’t doubt it. Anyway, I need to get back before the wife sends out a search party. Tell the others they’re welcome to help themselves to the beer. I am gonna need that cooler back, though.
Damon: Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get it back in one piece.
Jason: Alright, then. I’ll catch you two on the flipside. Just one more thing….
Damon: What is it?
Jason: As far as the house is concerned, you guys have free reign. Just don’t do anything we wouldn’t do…
As Jason extends his hand to the young superstar, Damon gets a twisted smile on his face. Before long, the red-nailed hands of Aurora Knight find their way onto Damon’s chest as the Angel of Rebellion approaches from behind.
Aurora: Boo!
She steps out from behind her boyfriend, who greets her with a smile and a congratulatory kiss as Jason looks on. The veteran clears his throat as the two turn their eyes toward him.
Jason: Alright… the old third wheel is gonna make himself scarce now. Aurora, great job in there. Alicia would be proud of you. And Damon, remember what I said.
Damon: Gotcha!
Damon and Aurora wave the big man off as he turns and heads off down the hallway. Once he’s out of earshot, Aurora turns to Damon with a curious look in her eyes.
Aurora: What was that all about?
Damon: Well, we won’t have to worry about a hotel once we get to Vegas….
Aurora: How so?
Damon: I’ll tell you once we’re on the road. For now, let’s kick back and have some of this beer…
Aurora smiles as Damon reaches into the cooler and pulls out a bottle. He pops the cap off, handing it to his lady as the scene cuts away.
Scene shifts to a dimly-lit game room, where the only thing visible is a red-felted pool table, with a full rack of 15 balls, unbroken. As the camera pulls back, two figures come into view; one male, one female. Their faces aren’t visible at this point, but the heavily tattooed arms of Damon Graves are unmistakable.
Damon: Ladies first, Harley…
Aurora: Why don’t we hold off on the game for a bit… you know, until you’re done with Avery?
Damon: Not a bad idea, sweetheart. But we may need to turn up the lights just a bit….
Aurora: Hmph… so much for mood lighting.
Aurora moves out of sight, and the lights come up, illuminating the rest of the game room, including a row of classic arcade fighting games along one of the walls. Damon looks on as he watches Aurora walk toward the one labeled “Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3”.
Aurora: And while you’re doing that, I’m going to play a few rounds as Princess Kitana.
Damon nods his head before turning toward the camera.
Damon: Heya, Avery…
A cocky grin creeps across the face of the Angel of Chaos. He sits on the edge of the pool table, the pool cue still in his hands, albeit pointed upward.
Damon: I’m gonna be straight up with you, man. This is most definitely NOT how I expected my first title match in NGW to pan out. Well, at least, not as far as the people standing on the other side of the ring were concerned. I pretty much knew I’d be facing whoever with that gorgeous blonde over there…
He points his thumb over his shoulder, off in Aurora’s direction, as he smiles.
Damon: But I’d be lying if I said I pictured things panning out the way they did. Now, the way I see it, this could play out one of two ways. You know that Aurora and I have been preparing ourselves to face you and Levi for the titles. Hell, Daugherty made it clear that he wasn’t going to make it easy for us. But wait! He’s not in the picture anymore, is he? So there goes half of our preparations right out the window. With half of the Tag Titles now vacant, you had the opportunity to hand pick someone to stand with you when the time came to defend the titles at City of Sin; an opponent completely unknown to us. Advantage: you.
On the other hand, Aurora and I have been a solid, cohesive unit since we debuted.
He pauses, a mild smirk on his face.
Damon: Okay, so Aurora wasn’t exactly my biggest fan at first, but things happened and well, you know the rest. The bottom line is that we’ve been there for each other ever since. And in the short time that I’ve gotten to know her, I can read her better than anyone else, and vice versa. I know you had a partner like that once. Hell, you and Levi were like brothers before he cut and run. But it seems like you’ve got one hell of a full plate right now.
Gotta tell you, pal, you’re spreading yourself pretty damn thin. I mean, I know you want to prove how much of a hardass you are, but for fuck’s sake, are you going to have anything left when you face me and Aurora? Not only are you fighting a never-ending battle against that peroxide-headed plastic prima donna Persephone, you’re kicking off City of Sin by defending the Marquee Championship against Candice Turner. Not that I give a shit about that match, but are you going to have enough left in the tank when you defend the Tag Team titles later the same night?
As if you weren’t at enough of a disadvantage, your partner and so-called best friend abandoned you, Avery. He waited until AFTER the match against me was announced to fade into the background, knowing that Aurora and I were coming after the NGW Tag Team belts. So he tucked his tail between his legs, spouted some lame shit about “family problems”, and ran away like a little bitch! Frankly, I don’t give a fuck about what personal issues Levi Daugherty has to take care of; he needed to take care of business with me first. By doing what he did, he pissed all over my singles debut in NGW, but I’m not gonna pout in the corner over it. I’m going to make up for that disappointment by teaming up with the most badass woman on the planet, and we’re going to make our mark by taking those tag team belts away from you and your “partner” for the night Kenzie Rydell.
A sarcastic smile takes over his face as he shakes his head.
Damon: Yeah… the great Avery Miles III… he changes tag team partners more often than a porn star changes positions on camera! Yeah, it’s an exaggeration, but whatever. Maybe you thought that by picking a former Angel as your tag team partner, you’d get under our skin. Well maybe if you had picked someone that had actually done something notable while part of the group, that might have worked. But no. You picked the one that just couldn’t quite cut it as an Angel, who just blindly took something on without really thinking it through.
Yeah, Avery, Las Vegas IS the City of Sin, but you have things all wrong… your sin isn’t one of greed. No, you’re guilty of pride, Miles. You’ve got so many irons in the fire, with all of your matches outside of NGW, opening up your wrestling school, even preparing for a child to become a permanent part of your life, but with all of that, you’ve neglected something very important… Aurora Knight and I are right here, up in your face, and we sure as shit won’t be ignored! Try it, and we WILL get your attention, in the most painful way possible.
On the other hand, you could look on the bright side. After this is all over, your load is going to be a hell of a lot lighter, because even if you DO manage to get past Candy and retain the Marquee Championship, you can still bet on going home with a little less hardware than you will when you walk into the Thomas and Mack Center. But hey… at least it’ll leave room for some more souvenirs for your soon-to-be daughter. Congrats, by the way. Let’s just hope the plushies from Circus Circus make up for the fact that Daddy’s short at least one title belt. But don’t worry… Aurora and I will make sure to give the belts a nice new home… around our waists!
Damon stands up, making a motion across his waist with his hands, right where a championship belt would go. The cocky smirk on his face spreads into an equally cocky smile as he then clenches his fists, placing them side by side.
Damon: I know I don’t have to spell it out for you, Avery. See you soon….
Damon lowers his fists, then slowly backs away from the pool table. After a few steps, he turns around and with a final smirk into the camera, joins Aurora at the Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 machine.
Damon: I call Sub Zero!
Scene fades out to black….
Scene fades in inside the Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip. The mall is packed with tourists looking to escape the scorching desert heat. We linger here for a moment before transitioning to the center of the mall, where we see AoD member Damon Graves walking out of the Hot Topic store. He looks toward one end of the mall, scans the scenery for about as far as he can, then does the same thing in the other direction. Breathing a sigh of relief, he quickly stuffs a small bag into the pocket of his pants.
Damon: Good… she didn’t see me. Now, all I have to do is wait for her.
As if on cue, his phone goes off in his back pocket. He pulls it out and sees that Aurora has sent him a text message.
Damon: Now, I wait.
A few minutes pass by, and while Damon leans against the railing looking down at the lower level of the mall, he’s approached by a young woman, roughly the same age as him, give or take a year.
Woman: Hi there.
Not wanting to be rude, he turns to the woman and smiles.
Damon: Hi, yourself…
The woman is undeniably attractive, with pale blonde hair and ice blue eyes. She’s dressed in white denim shorts and a black Black Veil Brides tank top, with dark red lipstick and a single star-shaped tattoo beside her left eye.
Woman: Um, I’m from out of town, and I was wondering if you knew where the Victoria’s Secret is?
Damon gives the woman a nervous look as he puts his hands on the railing, drumming his fingers against the metal.
Damon: I’m afraid I’m here from out of town, myself. I’ve never even been to this mall before, so I wouldn’t be much help.
The woman looks obviously disappointed, to which Damon offers an apologetic smile.
Damon: Sorry.
The woman smiles back at him, batting her eyelashes as she takes a step closer. Out of instinct, Damon likewise backs away from her. This girl is starting to send up a serious red flag that could turn out disastrous, for the girl, anyway, if he couldn’t find a way to ditch this chick before Aurora shows up.
Woman: Maybe we could go find it together? I could really use a guy’s input once I’m there.
Alarms are going off inside Damon’s head at this point. He immediately pulls out his cell phone, fussing around with it in an effort to find an excuse to extract himself from the situation.
Damon: I’m kind of waiting for someone at the moment.
Woman: If you’re that worried, you can send him a text telling him where you are.
Damon: Her.
Woman: Excuse me?
Damon: Her. The person I’m waiting on is female.
Woman: Let me guess… you’re here with your little sister.
Damon: Not exactly.
The sound of a woman clearing her throat can be heard from behind as Damon cringes. He turns around to find Aurora staring daggers at the other woman, who looks at Damon, confused.
Woman: You two don’t look related at all… are you adopted?
Aurora glares even harder at the woman, as Damon puts an arm around Aurora in an effort to calm her down.
Aurora: I’m NOT his sister…
Damon: She’s my girlfriend. I tried to tell you, but…
The woman looks mortally wounded as she looks back and forth between the two of them. Finally, she turns to Damon, looking like her heart had just been stomped on.
Woman: You… you PIG!
The woman storms off in a huff as Aurora follows her with her eyes, not looking away until the woman disappears around a corner. As Damon lets out a deep sigh, he turns to find Aurora staring at him with her arms crossed.
Aurora: You mind telling me what the hell that was all about?
Damon: Just some random girl asking if I knew where the Victoria’s secret was. When I told her I didn’t know, that’s when things started to get weird.
Aurora: Hmph…
Damon tilts his head to the side, a sly smirk on his face as he catches Aurora’s expression softening a little bit.
Damon: Oh come on… don’t tell me you were jealous of that girl….
With a look of disbelief plastered on her face, Aurora shakes her head.
Aurora: Jealous? Damon, why in the hell would I be jealous of that little skank? If anything, SHE’S the one that’s jealous.
Damon: Oh?
Aurora: Please… I know you’d never ditch me for some tramp like that.
Damon: Of course I wouldn’t!
He pauses, gently putting his hands on her shoulders as she stood in front of him. He looks into her eyes, a nervous smile on his face.
Damon: Look, there’s only room for one woman in my heart… and I’m looking at her right now.
Aurora smiles, then jokingly looks around as if to see if there’s another girl standing around.
Damon: Very funny… I’m talking about you, Harley. I…
For a moment, he goes silent, as if unsure of how what he is about to say will be received. He shakes it off, looking Aurora in the eyes.
Damon: I got you something…
Aurora looks up at him, slightly confused, as if that wasn’t what she was expecting him to say.
Aurora: You did?
He reaches into his pocket, pulling out the bag he had stuffed in there earlier. He reaches into the bag, pulling out a black and silver choker, the word “PUDDIN” spelled out in silver letters.
Damon: I know it’s not the angel wing ear cuffs you wanted, but I saw this and immediately thought of you.
Aurora: That’s so sweet! Thank you!
She throws her arms around his neck and plants a kiss on his lips that catches him by surprise. The momentum nearly sends them both falling backward, but he grabs the railing to regain his balance.
Damon: Whoa! I guess that means I did good?
Aurora: Of course you did, silly! I love it!
She removes the choker from the packaging, then hands it to Damon with a smile on her face.
Aurora: Help me put it on?
Damon: Twist my arm, why don’t you?
Aurora turns around, and as she pulls her hair out of the way, Damon reaches around, bringing the choker around her neck. He lowers his head to get a better view of the clasp, then leans in, moving his mouth toward her ear…
Damon: I love you, Harley…
Upon hearing those words, Aurora turns around, a look in her eyes that suggests that that’s the first time any man has ever said that to her.
Aurora: I love you, too…
They pause for a moment, looking into each other’s eyes until a group of grungy teenage boys walk by…
Boy: Eww… get a room!
Aurora turns around and with a wave of her hand, shows that she thinks that guy and his cronies are “number one”. With a mutual scoff, they laugh as they watch the cluster of dweebs walk off into the distance.
Damon: Now THAT guy was jealous! Come on… I saw a couple of other things in there that I wanted to pick up.
Aurora: Why didn’t you get them while you were in there?
Damon: I wanted to pick up that choker first before you caught up with me…
Their conversation trails off into the ambient noise as they walk hand-in-hand back into the store and the scene cuts away.
Scene fades back in with a shot of the interior of California Pizza Kitchen. Damon is sitting at the bar, a half-filled glass of water in front of him and an empty stool next to him. Or rather, it’s empty of any human occupant, as a few shopping bags can be seen in the seat. Damon puts a foot up on the bar near the base of the stool beside him, turning to face the camera.
Damon: Nothing like a day of sightseeing with the most beautiful badass in professional wrestling in one of the busiest cities in the world to work up an appetite. One of the things I love about this city is the fact that you can pretty much go around the world just by going up one street. But as much as I’d love to stand outside and snap pictures of everything I see while sweating a river down my back… that’s sarcasm, folks… there are more important things to take care of. And since I’ve already thrown a few words at Avery Miles III, I guess I should do the same for a now FALLEN Angel, Kenzie Rydell...
Damon rolls his eyes at the words “fallen angel” as he sneers into the camera.
Damon: You know Kenzie, I seriously wonder what the fuck was going through Corey’s head when he wanted to bring you into the Angelz of Destruction. Luckily, he came to his senses, and you’re on the outside looking in. The Angel of Forgiveness? What made you think that you had what it takes to hang with the rest of us? I tried to play devil’s advocate and give you the benefit of the doubt, but you proved that everything floating around about you is true, Kenz. You’re soft… no use denying it. There’s no way you’d ever be able to keep up with the rest of the Angelz, so we cut you loose. Think of Malone cracking you with that chair as a mercy killing. Believe me, it could have been a hell of a lot worse.
But just like Avery, you wanna be all greedy and go after two belts in one night. Sorry to burst your bubble…. Actually no, I’m not sorry at all! You won’t be in any condition to contend for the title of “breathing human being”, let alone trying to regain the Five Lakes Championship from Ashleigh Jericho. That twat is too damn egotistical to admit it, but she’s fucking stoked to the moon that you’re facing me and Aurora first. It makes things a lot easier for her. If you can find the strength to drag your ass to the ring, all she would need to do is lay into you with her patented “Resting Bitch Face” maneuver, and you’d drop to the canvas faster than the panties on a $2 hooker.
Yeah, by the time Aurora and I get through with you, all that Ashleigh Jericho is going to have to do is TWEET about you and you’ll be tapping out. Don’t know if you’ve seen her tweets lately, but she’s convinced that you’re running scared, knowing damn well that you’re in way over your head not just with her, but with us. Not too surprising, since this isn’t the first time you’ve signed up for something without thinking. But then again, whose fault is that? Certainly not ours.
Damon snickers at his last comment. At that moment, a waitress comes by, topping off his glass of water. He thanks her with a silent nod, takes a sip, then continues.
Damon: It’s real cute how you think that you’ve already got this match in the bag, though. Talking about “WHEN we win,” like beating us is some sort of foregone conclusion. But don’t kid yourself. You’ve seen us in the ring. You know DAMN well what Aurora and I can do once we step through those ropes. As for you? The one thing we know about you is that you’re a choke artist. Sure, we had your back for a while during the Manifest Destiny tournament, as you were repping NGW. But what happened? Oh, that’s right… YOU LOST! What’s the matter? You couldn’t handle the pressure of knowing that everyone was counting on you to show those other clowns up? And then, you… the second longest-reigning Five Lakes Champion in NGW’s history… what do you do then? You drop the belt to someone that couldn’t even defend the title once before losing it. I guess maybe most of those title defenses you had were against scrubs that Devlin knew you could handle with no problem. Some champion…
Damon scoffs as he downs his glass of water. As he sets the glass down, the ice cubes rattle against each other. Off in the distance, he spots his girlfriend and tag team partner, Aurora Knight, make her way through the crowd from the far end of the restaurant.
Damon: I’ve heard the whispers… I know what they’re saying about you, Kenzie. They’re saying you’re afraid; that you don’t have it in you to step up to the plate. We’re out to prove that they’re right about you; that you’re just as soft as I said you were, and that Avery is a fool to trust you with half of the Tag Team Championships.
City of Sin isn’t the beginning of some great quest for vengeance against the Angelz of Destruction, nor is it the beginning a new version of the Genesis, or whatever the hell you two expect to call yourselves IF you manage to win this match. No, the only thing beginning in Las Vegas is the rise of the Angelz of Destruction, and our Launchpad is going to be the sad sacks of shit known as Avery Miles III and Kenzie Rydell. From there, nobody is going to underestimate our resolve to take everything that Devlin Scott has tried to force down the throats of the fans, and make HIM choke on it!
July 2, 2016… both you and your tag team partner need to remember that day as the day the Angelz of Destruction ripped those championship belts out of your hands before you even had a chance to see your name engraved on the nameplate. You’re going to wish that when Avery was looking for a tag team partner, you had told him to just keep on walking. You’ve choked before… you’ll choke again. The only difference is that this time, you’re going to wind up screwing someone else besides yourself.
He looks over at Aurora, who is waving him over. He starts gathering the bags that were sitting in the chair, but just as he hooks the last one onto his fingers, he takes one final look into the camera, his trademark smirk on his face.
Damon: Don’t get too comfortable, Kenzie. You never know when the rug is going to be pulled out from under you. Don’t think no one will laugh when you fall flat on your ass.
You bet your ass we will…
Damon hoists all of the day’s plunder and settles them over his shoulders before making his way over to the table Aurora has reserved for them. Fade to black.
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