Searchlight
D E C E M B E R 1 7 T H 2 0 1 5 ♦ 11 :1 5 P M ♦ O T T A W A, O N T A R I O
[Even after he watched the late evening news, he couldn't believe what he had heard, or what he'd seen, or what he's read. Light snow fell on the tarmac outside of the Ottawa City Hall as Jacque Leblanc reads The Globe and Mail in his office. There in the front page was his nemesis. In fact, said nemesis hasn't been seen in well over a year. Until now. Setting his untouched root beer on the table, Leblanc steeples his hands together as he leans back. The door to his office opens as a group of RCMP officers enters.]
Constable Campbell: Commissioner Leblanc, there is no word of the vigilante anywhere.
Constable Wilson: Over the last 96 hours, we've questioned citizens on her whereabouts, but no one has seen her.
Leblanc: If Lady Justice wants to play hide-and-seek, fine. We'll play. We'll do this for as long as it takes.
[The room grows silent. Constable Campbell meekly speaks up.]
Campbell: Sir, Lady Justice....
[Constable Roy takes it upon himself to finish what Campbell was about to say.]
Roy: Lady Justice is no longer in the province. With all this snow, I'm afraid it's going to take months to retrace out steps and resume the search.
[Cut to Leblanc who is alarmed at this news. He slowly reaches for his glasses and pulls them off before he looks up at his officers.]
Leblanc: Is that right?
[Constable Campbell looks around uneasily while grabbing his label in nervousness. This was not going to end well. Leblanc holds up the Globe and Mail paper in front of them with Lady Justice in the lead. The Commissioner bangs his fists on the table as his two cadets reel back. They don't like this news.]
Leblanc: IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR, BUT THAT CRAZY BITCH IS BACK. OH, SHE'S NOT GOING TO STAY FOR LONG.
Constable Renard: Sir, what more would you have us do? We've scouted the province like a fine tooth comb. We've know she doesn't stay in the same place for long. Can't she just live?
[The room grows quiet as the commissioner raises an eyebrow, then smiles at Constable Renard, the only woman in the room.]
Leblanc: Let her live, you say? Why, if we did that, we would seriously have a problem on our hands. When a vigilante is doing YOUR job to protect and serve, doesn't that make you a little ashamed as a Mountie?
Renard: That doesn't answer my question, sir.
Leblanc: Take caution in your tone, Constable. Now, I don't know about you, but this snow is driving me crazy. You want to talk about letting her live? Lady Justice, or whatever her name is, has been a menace to the RCMP and other law enforcement agencies, and I've had just about enough hearing about her *air quotes* good heroics. I run this division how I run my division. You want to question my motives, take that gamble and see how it works out for you. I've been on the service for years, Marie. So don't for a second think you're going to come in here, spout some feminist spiel, and make me flinch.
[Constable Renard steps back in line with the rest of her fellow officers.]
Leblanc: I WANT EVERY INCH OF THE AREA SCOUTED. SEND TEAMS OF TWO, THREE IF YOU HAVE TO! AND DON'T COME BACK UNTIL I GET A FAVORABLE REPORT, OR IT'S YOUR BADGES!
Constable Campbell: Let's go.
[The officers follow Campbell as they start to leave.]
Leblanc:Constable Renard will be in charge of the search party.
[Renard stops, turns around. The other officers also stop and turn.]
Renard: Excuse me?
Leblanc:You're in charge of the search party. See, Marie, I can handle people chalenging my authority, I can handle people who don't have what it takes to be one of Canada's finest. It's not that I don't want the fame or the money or any medals. What I want is you in that uniform, and with that uppity Ivy League mouth, to respect authority.
Renard: But I've only been on the job for six months.
Leblanc: Don't worry, princess. You're in good hands.
[Renard and Leblanc are starring daggers. Everyone's staring at Renard. The officers, some who had listened outside of the office, others who stood silent during the briefing. With a defeated sigh, Renard makes her decision.]
Renard: I'll be happy to. Sir.
[Leblanc smiles.]
Leblanc: You have your orders.
ALL OFFICERS YES, SIR!
The room clears out. When the last of officer closes the door behind him, the encore of the newscast plays on a small television. From the corner of his eye, a video clip plays of several sightings of Zuri Chastain, in her Lady Justice persona, stopping crime in various major US cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Miami.]
Leblanc: I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too.
[His intercom beeps twice before he pressed the button.]
Leblanc: Yes?
[He listens once, interrupting once for clarification.]
Leblanc: Send her in.
~ ~ ~
<span style='font-family:andale mono'>D E C E M B E R 1 7 T H 2 0 1 5 ♦ 12 :35 A M ♦ O T T A W A, O N T A R I O
“And what would you say she looked like, Miss...â€
“Vargas. Charmed.â€
[Commisioner Leblanc stares back at Mercedes, who sits across his desk with a Mona Lisa smile. She's dressed in a smart pencil skirt and blouse.]
Leblanc: The feling is mutual. So, Ms. Vargas, from what you've told me, you're a professional wrestler. You've admitted to knowing who the vigilante is, no?
[In the course of the conversation, Mercedes sat back, smiles broadly, and rubbed her palms together rapidly.]
Mercedes: Uh, well, I don't know her personally, but I have seen some of her matches.
Leblanc: Matchs?
Mercedes: Well, yeah. She's a wrestler too
Leblanc: Interesting.
[Leblanc strokes his chin, growing more intrigued on this newfound information. He eases back in his chair, taking a more casual approach.]
Leblanc: Describe the vigilante. Give us a mental picture of what she looks like for the artist..
Mercedes: She's my height. So, 5'7. Blonde hair. Make that dirty blonde, But she likes changing her hair color a lot, so it's never the same thing twice. Light tan. Probably gives anyone a run for their money in the (clears her throat as she pushes her busts up and down) “well-endowed†department. Shall I go on?
[The artist is taking in all the details as fast as he can on the sketch. Leblanc turns from him back to Mercedes.]
Leblanc: Please, go on.
Mercedes: She also has this whole PVC going on with her outfit. Oh, and pink contracts. Trust me, you would definitely find her in a lineup.
[The Commissioner nods in understanding, then turns to the artist who finishes the final details of the sketch on a scrapbook. He shows both Leblanc and Mercedes, who smiles.]
Mercedes: Not bad. Do you do Rembrandt impressions, too?
[The Commissioner and the artist exchange nonplussed expressions.]
[Fade.]</span>
~ ~ ~
You're Gonna Carry That Weight!
D E C E M B E R 27 T H 2 0 1 5 ♦ 11 : 1 5 A M ♦ L A S V E G A S
[Mercedes struggles as she has a rough draft of the New Year's eve card. She draws a line into two columns, pros and cons, for the roster. Janet looks on with concern.]
Janet: Why the long face?
Mercedes: Everything is really turning to shit, Jan. The Fallen are on leave, Mikah won't make it, and now I'm being told Andrew Watts just called saying he's not going to make it either.
Janet: Well, at least you first week on the job isn't boring.
Mercedes: You can say that again.
Janet: Well, at least you first week on the job isn't boring.
[Her expression turn quickly from annoyance to a smile.]
Janet: What about Roxi Johnson? Everyone loves her. She'll be a surefire hit with the crowd on the first show.
Mercedes: You'll hear no argument from me.
Janet: I'm sensing a “but†coming.
Mercedes: But, as good as Roxi is and as much success she's had this year, maybe keeping her out one more week isn't such a bad idea. She's had the most matches this year.
Janet:So have you and Amy.
[Janet made a fair point. Amy, Roxi and I all had competed in the same amount of matches in 2015, with 22.]
Mercedes:When Alexis found out she wasn't on the card, she blasted me on Twitter a few days ago, and even threatened to leave SCW.
Janet: Leaving? Be one less headache to worry about, wouldn't it?
Mercedes: You don't really mean that?
Janet: Wouldn't you be grateful having one less 'Mikah' in the Bombshells Division? I can't forget the time she and Mikah messed up my stuff or giggled behind my back. I haven't been so pissed off since the Mean Girls.
[As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Janet regretted it.]
Janet: Sorry, Mercedes. I know it's been a while since the breakup.
Mercedes: No, don't worry about it. We've moved on, the four of us. So, it's no big deal.
Janet: With Alex leaving, the division wold be better off.
Mercedes: It would also be the second person who would leave SCW because of me. Do you see Bliss around anymore? Maybe she should have won the Queen for a Day instead.
Janet: Now you're just being silly. The best Bombshell won. And Kahlan leaving was her decision, not yours. Speaking of the battle royal, what's with Zuri coming back during the end of it?
Mercedes: She's coming for me. Well, she said as much on the final show of the year.
Janet: She wants another match with you, I say go for it. What's the worse than can happen?
Mercedes: I can only book so many matches, but I'll think about it.
~ ~ ~
New Year, Old Habits
J A N U A R Y 1 S T 2 0 1 5 ♦ 1 : 3 5 P M ♦ L A S V E G A S, N E V A D A
[REC•]
[Scenes opens in a classroom, like in the Charlie Brown cartoons. Use your imaginations. Mercedes can be seen struggling at her desk, doing some difficult writing report. Several students are nose down into their assignments as well.]
Mercedes: There's that saying that always comes up. Something along the lines of doing the same thing over and over again? 2015 is a memory. 2016 is the here and now. And right now, I think I'm going to enjoy my first match of the new year this weekend at Climax Control.
We hear a series of flat notes, a hint that Mercedes shouldn't be talking.
Mercedes: Sorry about that. I'll use my *using air quotes* inside voice.
[Mercedes shakes her head, lowering her voice just enough not to disturb everyone else.]
Mercedes: Right, so the first card of 2016, and I'm in charge. So far, everything's is coming up roses. Well, maybe you've caught on already that the first show might have a few changes from what you saw on the card on Sunday. But one match that's hasn't changed will be me and Zuri Chastain meeting one another for what will be the fourth time. Believe it, this may be one year in the making, but for me, it doesn't get old.
[Mercedes is tapped on the shoulder. She turns around to see a brown-haired girl putting her fingers to her lips. Mouthing “sorryâ€, she turns bck to her seat. She thought about speaking again, but decided against it. She raises her hand.]
Mercedes: Ma'am, can I go to the bathr-
[A sharp reprimand in the form of a long note says otherwise. Mercedes hands goes limp as she shrugs at the camera.]
Mercedes: Now, I've done a lot of things. I've ended careers, I've ended winning streaks, undefeated streaks. But I have never forced someone to quit a wrestling promotion, least of all on Twitter. That's a first for me. It's also a first that I've been threatened by someone who's not even twice my age, but things between you and I, Zuri We've already had our “firstâ€. I defeated you in our first match, you defeated me for your first win, though that should be met with an asterisk. Now, you can at least try to get your first singles match win on the first show of 2016. Why have I booked a match between you and I? I think the fans would love to see you and me face off one more time. I'm hoping all the that time off was worth it and that I'll finally get a challenge this time, Z. You owe me at least that.
[Mercedes does her best pleading impression, even getting down the puppy dog face.]
Mercedes: Sure, I could have take the night off from competition, but I did all this for you, Zuri. The fans may have had some output, but I booked this match, as well as the others you'll see over the weekend, for you. So, Zuri, this Sunday in Vegas, don't bring anything less than your best. Because when I beat you, again, I want to say that I beat Zuri Chastain at her best.
Isn't that all we can ask for?
[Fade.]
