{Our scene opens with Roxi standing outside on her bedroom balcony. The sun is shining and Roxi takes a moment to just take in the lovely scenery around her house. The grass, the wind, the birds still chirping as more head down to the south to stay warm. Roxi closes her eyes, leaning forward over the balcony railing and taking a breath. She inhales and lets out the air with almost a feeling of relief washing over her. It isn’t too long she’s by herself however. Keira eventually finds her way outside too, and hugs Roxi around the waist from behind.}Roxi – Hey.
Keira – Hey.
Roxi – You doing okay?
Keira – As good as can be expected. And as I was about to ask you the same question.
Roxi – I was about to give you the same answer then.
Keira – Very funny. I went and got the Halloween decorations out. You think it’s too early to put them up and out?
Roxi – I wouldn’t think so. People like their Christmas lights up all year. What’s the difference between that and Halloween?
Keira – Good point. I just… I’m wondering about Halloween itself.
Roxi – What do you mean?
Keira – I mean… there’s not going to be any kids out trick or treating or anything, right?
Roxi – Probably not. Not with all that happening.
Keira – Yeah… Whole world’s gone crazy.
Roxi – It’s why you have to do things like this and relax every now and again.
Keira – You can afford to. I can’t.
Roxi – What are you talking about? Of course you can relax.
Keira – Let’s see, I have SIN attacking my friends, my family and people I work with. I have Mark and Christian on the verge of firing me, and I have a deadline to figure something out before the whole world ends because of it! So no. I really don’t have much time to sit back and take it easy!
Roxi – And you’re not going to make any progress if you don’t take a step back to see where you are.
{Keira looks at Roxi and shakes her head.}Keira – Have you lost your mind? I don’t have time for the peaceful relaxing route. And if you haven’t noticed, Sin is targeting YOU.
Roxi – I know that.
Keira – Well I’m glad you do. Just please be careful this week.
Roxi – You need to be careful too.
Keira – Sin is not after me. Sin isn’t trying to suck a demon out of me. She’s trying to suck a demon out of YOU. Do you not get it?
Roxi – I get it, and I completely understand your concern. What do you want me to do? Live completely in fear? You want me to sit here at the house like a scared rabbit the entire time? I’m not afraid of Sin. I know exactly what she wants, and how far she’ll go to get it. I know I’m in danger. It’s not new to me. I can handle it.
Keira – This isn’t any normal danger.
Roxi – I know that. But I refuse to live my life scared of something that threatens me.
Keira – Unless it’s needles.
Roxi – … That’s not funny.
Keira – Sorry, but the point is, the brave face you have, this relaxed stuff… you can’t think that it’s okay to just do and not be worried.
Roxi – Of course I’m worried. Why do you think I have gray hairs?
Keira – I wasn’t going to bring that up…
Roxi – The point is… There’s always something else. Always a problem or an issue that needs to be addressed. Always something new. Some new challenge or foe. If Sin wants to come after me, then fine. I’m not going to run and hide.
Keira – I’m…
{Keira sighs.}Keira – I’m not asking you to run and hide. I don’t even want you to fight this week. If I had my way you’d be here and I’d be able to take care of Sin myself. But we run the risk this week of having something happen to you and I can’t just be expected to like it.
Roxi – I’m not asking you to like it. But we have a job to do. We have to fight. I’ll be fine.
Keira – I know you’re thinking of doing something crazy.
Roxi – What? Why would you think that?
Keira – Because I know you, Roxi Noelle Johnson. I know you like the back of my hand. And you will do something crazy because you think it’s the right thing to do.
Roxi – I could say the same thing about you.
Keira – … That’s not the point. I will not watch you throw everything away to prove you’re brave. Sometimes the hero thing… I think you become too wrapped up in it.
Roxi – If you know me… then you know that’s what I do. Now, there’s no need to dread what’s going to happen. If it happens, we deal with it.
Keira – Why can’t we start preventing it?
{Roxi stops, and arches an eyebrow.}Roxi – That… that actually is part of my plan.
Keira – WHAT PLAN?
Roxi – There’s a plan in place for Sin.
Keira – I’d like to know about it?!
Roxi – When the time is right, yes.
Keira – Don’t you continue to give me that! What’s the problem with me knowing the plan?!
Roxi – Because Sin uses you Keira. Your thoughts, your memories, your actions. If you know, then it’s possible that Sin knows. Sin going after Angelica and Keri wasn’t by accident.
Keira – I…
Roxi – I just need you to trust me. Don’t worry about Sin until Sunday. Sunday, I’ll do what I need to do, and the plan will be put into action.
Keira – Don’t you dare, Roxi. Don’t you dare try to take on Sin by yourself.
Roxi – You said it… I’m the one she’s after. Just trust me.
Keira – ….
Roxi – Good. Now let’s put up those decorations you bought.
Keira – But…
Roxi – Nope. Come on. We’re going. It’s the spooky season, let’s keep the spirit alive anyway.
{Roxi walks past Keira into the bedroom, leaving Keira scratching her head before she sighs and follows Roxi.}Keira – … Okay…
{Roxi and Keira have finished putting up decorations and we are later in the night. The family has had dinner and Nate sits on Elizabeth’s lap quickly falling asleep. His head rests against Elizabeth who rocks back and forth humming a song to help Nate sleep. Roxi and Keira are looking at their phones when Roxi’s wrist communicator goes off. The noise startles Nate.}Nate – What’s that noise?
Roxi – It’s okay baby, it’s just Mommy’s watch. Just an alarm I set for some things I was waiting for. I think it’s about time for you to go to bed anyway, huh?
Nate – I not tired.
Roxi – Uh huh. You were sleeping right there on Gramma. I can your little drool on her shirt.
Keira – I think you’re ready for bed, Nate. You wanna go lay down?
Nate – I’m just gonna sit here with Gramma.
Keira – Okay.
{Roxi finally gets up and walks to the bedroom, finally answering her wrist communicator.}Roxi – Vision?
Vision – Rox, what took you so long?
Roxi – Sorry, I kind of have things to do that I can’t always answer you right away. There’s a little boy that’s getting more and more curious to noises.
Vision – Okay, okay, I got you.
Roxi – What is so urgent?
Vision – Lt. Murphy put in a call for you.
Roxi – What for?
Vision – Some kind of crime scene, say it may be “super” related.
Roxi – Alright, I’m on the way. Just forward me all the information.
Vision – You got it.
{Roxi is soon dressed in costume and reads all the information off her wrists communicators display. She soon arrives at 1000 Mission Street in the city, landing and seeing the police caution tape and Lt. Murphy, outside smoking his cigarette. She walks up to him, her hand extended for a handshake, which Murphy hesitates at first, but does eventually shake it.}Lt. Murphy – Super.
Roxi – Cop.
Lt. Murphy – Really cute.
Roxi – I thought if we’re just going to keep calling ourselves by our jobs then it fit.
Lt. Murphy – I don’t want to know your name.
Roxi – That’s fine. But, are we going to sit here and argue semantics or are you going to let me know why you called me out here?
Lt. Murphy – We’ve got a body in there. Well… bodies… possibly.
Roxi – What does that mean?
Lt. Murphy – We don’t know if they’re the same person. Pieces.
Roxi – Oh. That makes more sense.
Lt. Murphy – I hope you’re not squeamish.
Roxi – I think you know me enough by now to know that I can handle seeing a corpse. You’ve brought me out to a few of them.
Lt. Murphy – Very well. Pieces are inside.
Roxi – Lead the way.
{Murphy and Roxi head into the house and the sight inside is indeed gruesome. There is an overpowering smell of something dead inside. There is blood splattered in a few places and there are arms and some pieces of flesh all over the place.}Lt. Murphy – Cozy little place isn’t it?
Roxi – I’ll say. What makes you think that I’m needed and you don’t just have some whacko?
Lt. Murphy – Well, we always need to check with your people in this type of situation.
Roxi – Right. Does… anything ring a bell to M.O.?
Lt. Murphy – Doesn’t look like it. House has been abandoned for a few years. We’ve had a few vagrants over the years take shelter, but nothing of value was ever here.
Roxi – How’d you guys find out about it?
Lt. Murphy – That wonderful aroma around you. Neighbors called it in.
Roxi – No one in or out?
Lt. Murphy – Obviously there was. Front door was unlocked. But, nobody saw anybody come in or leave.
{Roxi looks around, examining body parts, and checking out an arm detached from its owner at the shoulder.}Roxi – Well, someone cut this person up. Cut right through the humerus. There… also looks like pieces of flesh missing.
Lt. Murphy – As in?
Roxi – As in… hang on…
{Roxi studies the arm and begins taking off the blood stained shirt sleeve that was there. Roxi studies it for a moment.}Roxi – As in somebody ripped out pieces of this person.
Lt. Murphy – For what?
Roxi – I can’t tell for sure but this person was hacked up, presumably quartered. I’d need time with this and an actual lab to look at it better but…
Lt. Murphy – What?
Roxi – Hold on…
{Roxi looks at the other side where there are clear teeth marks, bite marks and ripped flesh from the arm.}Roxi – There weren’t any animals in here, were there?
Lt. Murphy – No.
Roxi – Well… I don’t wanna say for sure, but you may have a cannibal.
Lt. Murphy – Oh shit.
Roxi – I assume there were defensive wounds, but this arm has had hunks bitten out of it. And if you’re saying there wasn’t an animal… then the killer did this.
Lt. Murphy – Then we have… a copycat?
Roxi – Copycat? Of who?
Lt. Murphy – There was a guy… years ago… I had… maybe 3 years in. Name was Matt Frank. He… was a cannibal. They locked him up years ago. He’s gotta be dead by now. He was… in his 50’s when they caught him, and that was… back 20 years ago.
Roxi – I mean… he may still be alive. Why does that name sound familiar?
Lt. Murphy – He’d be an invalid. They crippled that son of a bitch. But he was pretty notorious for that spree he went on.
Roxi – Well, I’d need Matt’s file. But there are teeth marks here. Dental records should confirm whether or not it’s your guy, or a different one. There are some pretty good impressions there. But so far… I’m not seeing anything that would mean superheroes are necessary.
Lt. Murphy – Well... thanks for checking. Wait…
{Murphy pulls out his radio.}Lt. Murphy – Dispatch, this is Murphy. I’m gonna need to a file run for me.
Dispatch – Go ahead Lieutenant.
Lt. Murphy – A Matt Frank. Individual could possibly be our culprit, need to know last known location.
Dispatch – Just a moment.
Roxi – I would suspect that this may just be a dump site… or a dinner location, I guess.
Lt. Murphy – Very funny.
Roxi – If the coroner is able to match up the dental records, you should have at least something to go on. Fingerprints could also help identify your victims.
Dispatch – Lt. Murphy, dispatch.
Lt. Murphy – Go ahead.
Dispatch – Records on file for 2 persons matching Matt Frank. One is 18 Caucasian male and currently a senior at Freedom high school.
Lt. Murphy – That’s not our guy.
Dispatch – The other was a 68 year old Caucasian male, deceased in 2018 after heart failure.
Roxi – So he is dead.
Lt. Murphy – Thank you for the assistance dispatch.
Roxi – Sounds like a copycat then.
Lt. Murphy – I’ll have people look into this and hopefully come up with something. Thanks for the help.
Roxi – You got it. I mean… unless you’ve got a zombie Matt Frank, then I’m sure you can handle it.
Lt. Murphy – That’s real cute too.
Roxi – Hey, it is the season.
Lt. Murphy – Yeah. You’ve done your job. We’ll call you if we need you.
Roxi – I’ll be here.
{Roxi turns and heads out of the house.}Roxi – Happy Halloween Lieutenant.
{Roxi then flies off as the scene fades.}
"This battle we're fighting, it can't be won if we fight it with conventional weapons. If we're going to save Gotham, we have to use instruments more subtle than fists and brute force."
- Batman (Batman Chronicles Vol 1 17)
Hello SCW.
I honestly should be in a better mood than I am, but obviously, there’s always a damper on things these days. It just seems that now when there’s one good thing that happens, there’s two bad things that happen. 1 step forward, 2 steps back indeed. I should be happy and excited to get back into the ring, but of course, ghosts from the past don’t want to let handle things and get my priorities in order. I want to just handle one thing at a time, but you know, life never really lets you do that if it has anything to say about it.
This thing with Sin… I let it go for way too long and people got hurt. Keira feels bad, and I feel bad about the whole thing. Things were not supposed to be like this, and I am partially responsible for that. So, again, as I said on social media, on Sunday, I’m going to handle that. If nothing else, at least those who don’t like me may get a show out of it. But I’m going to make sure that this thing comes to an end. The good news for all of you, is that you no longer have to worry about Sin doing anything to you. Sin is after me. And I’m fine with that. I’ve said a bunch of times that I’d rather have the weight on my shoulders than anyone else’s. And now, that’s where we stand.
But, that’s just the start of my list of issue isn’t it?
As if things weren’t scary enough, now I have a tag team match with an injured partner and two pretty scary opponents.
I’m not sure what I ever did to Andrea Hernandez, but we’ve gone from a level respect of skill, to a level of dislike because… well, I don’t know why. Andrea doesn’t like my wife. Well, I would say join the club. I’m sure they cookies and everything and talk all the time about how they don’t like Keira. If it’s a personal thing between the two of them, then that’s between them, of course I would prefer we all get along at least on some level, but Andrea obviously has chosen something different in this scenario. I mean, Keira gave Andrea the vote of confidence she was looking for when she was coming after the championship originally. And yet, that gesture didn’t get a thank you or a thumbs up or anything like that. And looking back on it, maybe Keira should have been a poor sport and harbored ill will towards Andrea, because it seems that all she does at this point in her life is throw any advice, guidance or encouragement out the window because she clearly knows better. Maybe I was preoccupied with other matters, but I was paying attention to Andrea and how she went about her business. I was hoping that hey, you know Andrea goes through a tough time and she picks herself back up and she does the right thing and we don’t have any issues.
It seems now my hopes are all but dashed given what’s happened.
Crystal may not be the person who should 100% go to for advice and guidance. Crystal has made several bad choices that are constantly put on full display in front of the whole world. But that doesn’t mean Crystal doesn’t have valuable experience to share with people. She can be very helpful in certain situations. You would think that Andrea, if she wanted to reclaim the spot she was at, would actually listen to Crystal and try and better herself. But obviously, Andrea knows better. Obviously Andrea is doing just fine with her life, and I guess attacking Crystal was enough to prove that point, right? Because that senseless attack did nothing but make Andrea feel better. So it must have been right. Right? It’s been clear from Andrea recently that she feels no remorse or regret from doing something like that. She’s proud of it. It made her feel like she really did something important. I must have missed the class where a cheap shot on someone makes you better. Because where I come from, and through everything I’ve experienced it only makes you one thing.
A coward.
And more of more of those traits are showing up. I was trying figure out what exactly Andrea was going through in this whole deal, and through her words and actions, it has become readily apparent what this is.
I figured that Andrea was too old for this, but she literally has become an angsty teenager.
See? I told you it was scary. Any parent know this is a scary time. But, honestly, there’s really no other way to explain it at this point. It’s all right there in front of us. A woman who has done nothing but complain about how unfair everything is, whine and cry about not getting what she wants, and then makes some choice that temporarily makes her feel good and now her whole life has changed. I was unaware that Andrea was 18, I thought she was older than that. But the truth is right there in front of all of us, Andrea is now starving for attention and going through the phase of rebellion that all teenagers do. She has become insanely jealous and petty, bitter and resentful of people who were just trying to help her. Are we going to hear now that people who were trying to help her ruined her life next? I wish I could put it into better words or a better analogy, but it’s all right there. Andrea has shunned personal responsibility and blamed everyone else for her problems. She has mocked and ridiculed those who are doing good things because… it’s just not cool I guess. None of us really understand her. We don’t know Andrea anymore. All because she believed in her heart that if she didn’t do something drastic people would forget about her.
And maybe I helped a little with that.
I encouraged growth in Andrea. And maybe there was a misunderstanding somewhere. Since… what March? Andrea had been stuck in her “bridesmaid” And I said that hey, you have to show something different, give these people a different Andrea and build on what you’ve accomplished already. I believe this was simply interpreted as I thought Andrea was boring or unimpressive. Which isn’t true, but when you have a narrative I guess you can run with it. But make no mistake, this isn’t about Andrea becoming “new” or “improved” or “free”. This is a desperate act of a woman who simply refuses to pick herself back up from failure, and wants to blame everyone else for her problems. I’m sure it’s Crystal fault Andrea attacked her. I’m sure it’s my fault she’s not a fan of mine anymore. That’s all well and good. Andrea can be mad at the world all she wants. It will not change what’s going to happen on Sunday.
You see, I’m a lot more reserved that Crystal, and I’m a lot more patient than Crystal is. And when I tell you that Crystal has been chomping at the bit and slowly building up her anger and rage to unleash on Andrea, it’s not something I’d take lightly. When Crystal is motivated, she can be hell to deal with.
Me? I guess I have to take on another role for Andrea. I have to be the parent that speaks to her and tells her the harsh truth. But I have to be firm, and since I’ve been in SCW longer than anyone in this match, I guess that makes it… my house. And since it’s under my roof, it’s my rules and if Andrea doesn’t like it, she can get grounded like any other unruly child. Maybe a loss with help Andrea realize how much she still has to learn about how to be adult.
Anyway, I guess I have to move on to… Amber.
It seems that I have upset Amber recently, having a little fun in our most recent encounter. Now, again, it wasn’t my fault that Amber opened that box full of glitter. She was the one who did it. Nobody made her do that. It was actually supposed to be a cool little thing for Candy since she really likes glitter. Amber cost herself the victory and I suppose that is also my fault. Because everything else is as well.
Now, I can’t fully explain the lights flickering on and off, maybe it was divine intervention. At least, that’s what I’m going to chalk it up as. But now Amber is every sports fan complaining about a bad call or a missed call like it was the only reason she lost. Perhaps it was simply a little gamesmanship on my part, but Amber probably won’t give me that much credit. No I had to rely on help and otherworldly things happening to beat her. That has to be right because Amber isn’t going to admit she was outplayed, even if it was for one match. That’s truthfully what happened.
You see, Amber played her role and I didn’t bite, and so she resorted to drastic measures. And in that instant that I wanted to believe, she struck. And that was the story. But you know what happened? I simply reversed roles. I was giving Amber exactly what she wanted, let’s fight, let’s take each other down, brawl all over the building, get fined, get all of these things to show Amber that I was willing to go where she wanted to go.
And then… just like that… poof. I pulled it back and left Amber with egg… okay, well… glitter all over her face. She bit the line and I reeled a big fish in. And at the end of all of it, maybe I kicked a hornet’s nest. I saw the look in Amber’s eye when after all that we’ve done to each other, I tried to shake her hand. And I saw the look of the chess player in her head. That while this move won me a game. It wasn’t a killing stroke. I put the King in check, but was only check. It was the look of Amber being angry, disappointed, frustrated and embarrassed. And more importantly, the look that I will have hell to pay for what happened at Violent Conduct, because it didn’t go the way Amber wanted it to.
But you guys know me. If that was enough to intimidate me, I’d of been gone a long time ago. But I’m still here. Amber’s not the first person to be angry with me, nor the first person to want me to be in as much pain as possible. Heck, if I think back hard enough, she may have not even been the first person to set me on fire, either. But it’s been a while. I am not afraid of pain or hardship, so whatever Amber wants to plan to take me out, I hope it’s a good plan. I have never backed down from a fight and I’m not about to start now because Amber Ryan is mad at me.
But I can trust that Amber has several fists with my name on it for Sunday. I have given Amber the fights she has asked for, and this Sunday will be no different. I do not fear “making it” to a third match with Amber. I have survived, in fact, thrived in this environment. She has burned me, beat me, hit me with everything under the sun and my only response is, and always will be the same.
Is that all you got?
As far as disappointing Amber goes… I don’t recall having to live up to the standards set by Amber Ryan. That seems to be another issue multiple people have with me. That because I am by nature a nice person, that I can’t get upset or challenge the way people do things. That somehow, I am exempt from opening my mouth when the situation calls for it. And now, with Amber, that I am hiding the emotion and ruthlessness that she has. We’re all capable of it. I just never felt the need to go to that place. Will it come soon? Perhaps this tag match will be the opening salvo to the third act of this epic.
I know what this is leading to. I know that this is just a warm-up to the real main event coming soon. But Crystal and I will be ready. No doubt the challenge is there, and the task is tall. I don’t know if Crystal is 100% and I would hedge my bets that she is not. But, given the history that both Crystal and I have in big match situations… would you bet against us?
We both have proven time and time again that when the pressure is on, we come through, I think 7 SCW world bombshell’s championships kinda speak for themselves. I know we’re in for a fight, but it is the spooky season after all…
See you there.
