Location: T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada.
Date: 29th September 2019
Skrabal headed up the ramp with one thing on his mind. Robert Mack. In the days leading up to ThrowDown's return episode Skrabal had wondered, with little evidence to support his suspicions, if his employer was scheming to relieve him of the gold he cherished so much. Skrabal had even gone so far as to promise that he would wait in the ring at the end of episode twenty three, daring Robert Mack to confront him if he truly did have a problem. Now though, with Meozha Zhanae's announcement ringing in the ears of the fans in attendance and Solomon Cain's bearded face on the big screen Skrabal found himself marching to the back impatiently, with a MHW title belt in each hand, on a collision course set for confrontation with the man in charge.
"Yo bossman where you at fam?" Skrabal called casually as he walked in to the backstage area.
Now with a title belt slung over each shoulder Skrabal continued walking through the backstage area, his movements slightly stiff as the physical match he'd just emerged victorious from took it's toll on his body. He scanned his surroundings on his way towards Robert Mack's office as the muffled sounds of "Made With hate" by Prophets Of Rage, which had begun playing loudly out in the arena, penetrated the walls. Skrabal arrived at Robert Mack's office and without knocking immediately reached for the handle only to find the door locked, frustrated he pounded on the door.
"Nah, you ain't leave yet. You here somewhere." Skrabal muttered to himself as he turned and continued his search.
As he walked through the backstage area he heard the distant sound of steel on concrete and as he rounded a corner, in the distance right by the entrance way, Skrabal saw a crowd of MHW officials and security guards pleading with someone to stop. Skrabal couldn't see the person they were speaking to, the only thing he saw was a blood covered steel chair laying on the floor but the second his gaze fell upon it it was snatched from the ground and carried away.
Pre-occupied with his search for Robert mack, Skrabal continued on his way, making a left turn into a corridor and walking away from whatever commotion the officials and security dealing with. Skrabal's search lead him past a makeshift communal area made up of a few sofas and a TV hanging on the wall and standing silently by the TV, with they eyes fixed on the screen and in a clear state of disbelief was a group of MHW staff members.
"Yo any a you seen the bossman?" Skrabal asked the group as a whole, but nobody responded.
"I said..." Skrabal started to repeat himself but was quickly interrupted.
"SSSSSHHHHH" A few of the group members told him without taking their eyes off the TV.
"Oi who said shush? Dont fuckin' shush me fam! Skrabal responded with frustration building.
"Just shut up!" Jessica McDaniel barked at him without looking in his direction.
"The fu..." Skrabal went to speak to her but stopped himself as he noticed that everyone had their eyes glued to the TV. Skrabal looked around for a second before focussing his gaze on the LED screen as well, just in time to see Solomon Cain forcing another kiss on a motionless Samantha Hamilton. Skrabal shook his head and continued watching as everyone in the ring stood and turned towards the hard camera. Huruka Ihari, Emily Falls, "The War Queen" Leah, "The Lost Child" Solomon Cain, Jansen Myrrh, Maho, and Muriko Ihari stood there as “Made with Hate” by Prophets of Rage once again begins to play across the arena and the tron lights lit up with the logo for The Coven.
"OH MY GOD!" Someone in the group let out, shock evident in their tone.
"I can't believe this." Someone else added, their voice trembling with emotion.
"Yeah, me neither fam." Skrabal said nonchalantly as he turned and walked in the direction of his dressing room with both MHW title belts still on his shoulders.
Location: Skrabals Motel Room, Paradise, Nevada
Date: October 4th 2019
Time: 7.25AM
A tired and inebriated Skrabal Stanzas carelessly shoves the motel room door closed behind him , causing it to slam and rattle it's rotting and warped timber frame, as enters the cheap rented room after another night of debauchery. He lazily pulls his black hoody over his head and tosses it on the floor as he slumps down on the sofa. He leans back on the ocean blue sofa and sighs as his hands raise to rub his eyes. His phone begins to ring in his hoody pocket and he leans down to pick it up. The screens brightness stings his bloodshot eyes but through his squint he can just about make out the words 'video call from TY'.
"Wassup fam, how you doin'?."
"I'm good brudda, can't complain anyway. You lookin' real rough there though."
"Long night innit"
"How long?"
"Shit.. what day is it?"
"That long huh?"
"Yeah..."
"It's Friday bredda."
"Nah..."
"Yeah..."
Skrabal squints as he focuses on his phones screen, swiping down from the top of the screen to check what day it is.
"Oh shit it really do be Friday."
"I told you!"
"Sorry fam."
"It's all god ya know. You deserve to celebrate after that big five way bit anyway."
"You seen that?"
"I ain't miss a show yet. I saw that video ting ya put out before it too."
"Allow it fam."
"Naw, I gotta tell you again like I told you last time. Cut that shit out before your boss really do have a problem with you."
"Blad have you see..."
"Stop it. Get a grip on yourself. Ya needs to see the bigger picture."
"Nah liste..."
"Naw, you listen. I got a question for ya. Dont you feel like an eejiat yet?"
"How ya mean?"
"I mean a week after ya gone accused your boss of bein' out to get ya again he go put your face on the cover of that MHW game they got comin' out."
"Point taken..."
"For real?"
"Kinda."
"Think about it like this my G. He put your face on that cover coz it be the biggest ting he could do."
"Yeah..."
"And he put you in that five way for the same reason. For real the dude probably ain't give a shit who at the top, but at the moment you are, and he ain't doing shit to bring you down."
"Yeah but the Phoeni..."
"Yeah but, yeah but... you sound like a fuckin' baby right now bredda, listen to yourself. Yeah he retire the Phoenix title right after you won it.... You still go it though right?"
"Yeah, somewhere. I see what you're sayin' fam so ya can stop wit' the lecture whenever ya ready."
"Aight then. Stop questionin' motives and just deal with whatever he throw your way from now on. This wrestling shit your calling my G, don't fuck it up."
"You done?"
"Yeah. I got some good news for ya though. Nash getting out next week."
"For real?."
"For real, early release for good behaviour, he been sweeping up and shit, playin' the female but it keep him outta trouble in there."
"Seen, seen."
"I got some more news too. I got a release date, I'm thinking we drop that shit the same day the game released."
"Yeah okay, whenever you want innit, that's been in your hands for time."
"It's comin' bredda, don't sweat it. Look I'm a let you go get some rest. Take it easy brudda, and remember what I said yeah? It's your calling, you were made for the ring and that's all ya gotta stay focused on."
"Seen. Take it easy fam, and hit me up when Nash back."
"Will do. Toll."
"Toll."
Skrabal taps at his screen ending the call and leans back on the sofa. He sits quietly, Ty's words of advice repeating in his mind as he drifts off to sleep.
Location: Skrabals Motel Room, Phoenix, Arizona
Date: October 10th 2019
Time: 3.25AM
The video begins with a shot of Skrabal Stanzas wearing a S.E.X “Sex is better with three people” T-shirt and holding a bottle of beer in his right hand as he sits on the mustard yellow sofa in his Arizona motel room. Positioned on the sofa’s backrest either side of him on full display are the MHW Ultimate and Phoenix championship title belts. His gaze is set low, just below the scratched glass coffee table in front of him where his phone rests, propped up recording the video.
“Ya gonna have to allow it if man seem a lil out of it coz for real I still be a lil’ wavy from that triple dose a dub I caught back in Paradise.”
He takes a sip of beer before continuing.
“It’s been a while since I been to Phoenix ya nah. My bags be a lil heavier this time ‘round though, coz last time I came to claim a strap and this time I brought two along wit’ me. S’funny how tings changed ya nah. I mean back then e’ryone say I ain't have a chance a walkin’ out wit’ the strap, they still on that shit now but dif’rence is they believed it back then. Not now though, not after that five way ting.”
He leans forward and picks up a bottle of beer from the glass table in front of him.
“I even surprise myself, nah not really but did ya see it?
He twists the lid of the bottle.
“Did ya?”
He drops the metal lid on to the floor.
“Did it make ya sick?... I mean that’s six shoulders ya nah, nine seconds in total and that’s a long time when ya count it out blad, watch!”
He takes a mouthful of beer.
“One.”
He takes another drink from the bottle.
“Two.”
He holds three fingers up on his left hand.
“Three.”
He holds up a fourth finger.
“Four”
He takes another sip of beer.
“Fi… Nah I’m jus’ fuckin’ witchu.”
He laughs and finishes the beer before dropping the empty bottle on the floor next to the last one.
“I got a question though innit, since I done beat Bandit and Sam on my ones and they the tag champs ain’t that mean I should have another couple a straps in my collection?... Nah I’m jus’ playin fam, I’m a let ya keep those.”
He laughs smugly and continues.
“Despite that five way ting there still always be someone ready to try step up nex’, this time it be Jansen Myrrh tweetin’ about how she gonna do what nobody else could and take man’s strap. I had to hit her up with a lowercase K coz that lowercase shit take three taps a the screen and that be jus’ enough effort to show her how lil’ man like Skrabz think a her chances.”
He leans forward and picks up a glass doob tube from the coffee table.
“Ya nah up nex' man was s’posed to be catchin’ that Lance Mikes dub. Yeah the bossman done lined me up a sweet one there, I can't fault it, but then Mikes ain’t pass a medical or suttin…”
He shakes his head, his face a portrait of disgust.
“Ya nah what rhymes with Lance Mikes?”
He opens the doob tube and removes the pre-rolled Jungle Boyz grown Mimosa #26 joint from inside.
“You suttin’ from the past Mikes, Ya long since been surpassed Mikes. You ain’t near my class Mikes, Ya didn’t stand a chance Mikes.”
He places the joint in his mouth and lights it then inhales deeply, savouring it’s earthy citrus flavour.
“Yeah… and ya know that shit too true.”
He takes another puff on his joint before continuing.
“So jus’ like that, after all a this time spent runnin’ his mouth Lance Mikes is outta the match and in less than a day the bossman done found a replacement. Says a lot about Mikes innit, yeah. But who the replacement though? Spacelord innit, I mean why ya think I’m wearin’ this shit for?”
He gestures to the S.E.X “Sex is better with three people” T-shirt he has on
“Shit I can agree with that, three, four, five or six but I can’t fully pick up what ya puttin' down fam coz man like Skrabz gonna need jus’ himself and a sack full of a gyals ya feel me? But shit the three a you do you innit, enjoy ya Slim Jims I ain’t 'bout to judge.”
He shakes his head and laughs.
“I knew it’d be you takin’ Mikes spot though, I mean it make sense coz you jus’ the right man to take another man’s shit wit’ that cover band tribute act ting ya got goin’ on other there. Yeah don’t think I ain’t notice blad coz that Shazam app givin’ hits for e’ry other word that come outta ya mouth. I mean the fuck ya think it’s bredrin? Karaoke?”
He shakes his head and takes another puff on his joint.
“But that’s jus’ one a many di’frences between me and you fam, coz man like Skrabz is pure organic and freshly squeezed e’ry time I pour it out but you that from concentrate trash innit, room temperature and diluted to the point a blandness."
He leans forward again and retrieves a third bottle of beer from the glass table.
"Don’t think I ain’t seen you though, man has been watchin’ ya for time and shit you had a name for yaself there on the tag scene for a minute or two. E’ryone out here had the two a you down to take the straps with ease, but as I already done proved e’ryone out here wrong a lot more often than they right and when ya shot came you and Terry Marshall ain’t have what it takes.... Ya seen what I did though innit, I nah ya remember fam it weren’t that long ago…. I did on my ones what the two a you couldn’t do between ya when I pinned the Mi’ High Wrestlin’ Tag team Champions on the same night, one after the other in the middle a that ring. All you had to do was get that three count on a single one a them and ya couldn’t do it. Ya feel me?”
He twists the lid of the bottle and drops it on the floor then takes a logn drink from the bottle
“Well if ya don’t ya soon will fam and man has been meanin’ to slap that paint of ya face for a second and right now I’m comin’ in aggy off this Lance Mikes fuckery too, so ya gonna get what I got for you and him both, trust. Ya got one ting goin’ for ya though, one tiny lil’ ting I gotta give ya some respect for. Ya want what I got and I can’t blame ya...”
He places the bottle of beer on the table then turns around and takes the MHW Ultimate Championship belt from the back of the sofa and holds it in his right hand.
“Ya want it and ya told me, you aint’ on that Tyke Index go talk to the bossman tip, nah. But if ya think you ever gonna get anywhere near it then not only are ya outta this world but you out ya fuckin’ mind too blad, serious! I mean I ain’t nah if it’s whatever supplements you on rottin’ ya brain or all that mass ya carry ‘round with ya restrict the blood flow but you dizzy as fuck fam, on the real. So when we step into that ring in the Talking Stick arena ya can shout and scream, shake the ropes and cover any a ya favourite tracks from the past and it ain't gonna help a bit.”
He shakes his head and silently mouths "Nah"
“Coz he can copy nex’ man’s moves and it get him paid, but he ain’t built for War-he-a poor man’s Renegade!”
He pauses and looks straight in to the camera as he takes a long, slow draw on his joint.
"Yeah... So I'm a roll on into the Talkin' Stick arena wit' a strap on each shoulder like the Mario brothers, on a dungarees tip, ya feel me?... And that's the closest ya gonna get to either of 'em coz I'm a tell ya now fam, one time, on the level. It ain't matter how high you and that crew a yours go man like Skrabz always gonna be outta ya reach but on episode twenty four I'm a descend to your level for jus' a second to knock you straight back down to earth, standard!"
He leans forward and taps his phones screen ending the recording.
