Dream Sequence: Demons Killing Demons
Cole: Do you think that they will buy it? You’re not lying! It would be a travesty if they thought otherwise.
As we stood outside the Tribunal Chambers awaiting their verdict, I couldn't help but wonder if I was about to face my demise. Cole was shaking in his boots. His life wasn’t on the line, but his reputation was another story. Not only is Cole my best and most loyal demon, he’s also my legal counsel both in the Underworld, and in the realm of earth. He was depending on this win. Hell, I was depending on this win! But, Cole? He needed to let the Underworld know that they can use him as their attorney, going up against the Tribunal, and be able to make it out alive. Cole's days as an attorney have been littered with ups and downs, a rollercoaster ride of success and failure. To me, regardless of his reputation, his loyalty means more. I know he’d fight for me, even if it meant his death.
Havok: Who knows? If not, then I guess you can try to take power. Cole, if they kill me, you need to steal the throne as soon as possible. No sticking around to mourn my death, no pit stops on the way back to the Source’s Chambers…
Cole: I get it, I get it.
The awkward silence between the two of us, was broken up by the Chamber doors swinging open. There he stood, Wayne… A pipsqueak of a human, chosen to mediate the Tribunals affairs. His story was very unique, to say the least. Once a nobody on earth, now a mediator for the highest of neutral powers in the magical community. What a twerp, a little douchebag, if I’ve ever seen one.
Wayne: They’re… They’re… They’re…
Havok: Spit it out, pizza face.
Wayne: They’ve reached a verdict. They’re ready for you.
As I walked back into the Tribunals Chambers, I couldn’t help but think about the rollercoaster ride that my time as the Source of all Evil had been. I had built a dynasty, but I had killed it as well. At one time, I had shifted the balance of power in the favor of the Underworld. Evil was winning the battle, and good had no choice but to sit back and watch as I took over their world. I was overthrown, though. At least, they thought they had overthrown me. Demons began seeing my reign getting better and better. To my loyal followers, I was the greatest Source of all time. A few of them however, didn’t really like those results.
Greed runs through the Underworld, like blood through the veins of a human being. Everybody wants to be the Source, everybody wants the power. To do that though, you must kill the Source and take his throne for yourself, followed up by a ceremony to anoint yourself as such. Luckily, it didn’t make it that far. Aiden Payne was the demon who attempted to overthrow me. Once a mere human, I befriended him, gave him the recycled powers of a vanquished demon, and attempted to utilize his intelligence to assist me in building above-said dynasty. Once he became the Demon of Illusion, it all went to his head. He figured that if he made a great demon, a great asset to the Source, then HE should be the Source. He tried, and thought he had succeeded. Shortly thereafter, I returned to let him know that he had failed.
Around this time, I really didn’t know who to trust anymore. I knew that I could trust Cole. After all, he had gone into hiding with me. But aside from Balthazar (Cole in his demon form), I had no clue who was on my side, or who wasn’t. They weren’t all shocked to see me alive and well. A few of my former demons had hunches that I was alive all along. They figured that I was too stubborn to die, that I wouldn’t go down without taking somebody with me. And while Cole had gone missing at the same time I did, they knew that I wouldn’t lay a hand on him. I couldn’t, he’s been too loyal for far too long. They also knew that he would never sell me out. It’s that loyalty peeking through, they knew it was impossible.
After coming back, rallying the troops, and vanquishing Aiden Payne once and for all, I had come to discover that we had a leak within our ranks. Someone was not only telling other demons my plans, but they were also telling “the other side”. Good was on to me, on to my plans. That’s when I knew I had a major problem. I couldn’t very-well accuse every demon in my regime of treachery. If that were the case, I could have just kissed the throne goodbye right at that very second. Cole and I devised a plan… Kill them all, and start from scratch. Recycle their powers, recruit the foulest of humans, and give them everything they’ve ever desired in exchange for their loyalty to the Underworld.
I was stunned to find out that the Charmed Ones knew of my plans, stunned that someone in my ranks had turned a blind eye to the goal. Were they having a change of heart? Were they tired of being hunted by the other side? Or were they waiting to pounce on my vulnerability, taking the throne for themself? Either way, I knew what I had to do. Regardless of who was behind this “plan”, I had to take them all out. Even the ones whom I thought would never turn on me. All of them except for Cole, that is. He had never left my side, not even once. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Cole was by my side. Loyalty at its finest, if you ask me.
As soon as I started the mass assault on my own people, I was summoned here to the Tribunals Chambers. The Tribunal is a unique bunch. The Tribunal is a neutral council consisting of powerful Elders and upper-level Demons. Not only do they monitor Magic to insure that its existence is never discovered by the mortal world, but they also ensure the balance of power isn’t shifted either way, by the treachery of those IN power. That’s why I’m here. I’ve been charged with treachery. They’ve accused me on the grounds of attempting to kill my own people, to shift the balance of power in favor of good. But before condemning me and outright killing the Source of all Evil, they allowed me to state my case. Hopefully, my defense was good enough. Hopefully, I can live to see another day.
There I stood, humbled by the neutral powers that could very-well be vanquishing me in a matter of minutes. I had no clue what to say, what to do, or even if I should say or do anything. Thinking that it was best to keep my mouth shut, I stood in the middle of “The Circle of Truth”, while they all looked on with judgment on their faces.
Crill: Before we state our decision, need you say anything else?
Havok: I stand by my defense. The Underworld was in shambles. Too many demons could no longer be trusted. My actions were not intended to help the other side. They were to aid my success as the Source of all Evil. I had no intentions of shifting the balance of power. It was all a part of my plan to build a stronger, more dominant Underworld.
I stand here in the Circle of Truth, to show you all that I have nothing to hide. I have stated my case, telling you truthfully of my intentions, my plans, as well as what will happen once the plan reaches the next phase. Should I make it out of here this evening, I pray my plans won’t be shared with the other side…
Adair: How dare you accuse us of such a thing! I should vanquish you this very second!
I could tell that I had angered them. It wasn’t a matter of me throwing stones, I was just ensuring that IF I made it out alive, that I could follow through with my plans.
Havok: Not you, Adair! I wasn’t talking about you or Crill! I was talking about Aramis and Thrask! They’re the Elders! They’re the good guys in all of this!
Aramis: I can assure you, nothing of the sort will take place. You have our word.
Thrask: But back to the matter at hand, Mr. Havok. We have deliberated, facing a hard decision in the process.
…Congratulations, Mr. Havok.
We understand that you’ve done nothing but tell the truth, today. You stated a solid case, proving that your actions were not of treachery, but of intent to advance.
Aramis: Good luck, Mr. Havok. As elders, Thrask and I know the strenuous task ahead of you. So from our side to yours, we wish you good luck.
Crill: Adair and I, we’ll be watching you closely. As demons, we want to ensure that you haven’t fooled us here today. However, for the time being, you’re free to go.
____________________
Dawn of Extinction I: Political Debuts
>[The scene opens up in Indianapolis, Indiana. Nathaniel Havok has made his way home, for a radio interview with Dave Smiley. These two are no strangers. Smiley has followed the career of Nathaniel Havok, since Nathaniel was still a kid trying to break into the business. Being a hometown hero of sorts, Nathaniel always finds time to make his way back home for media appearances. Obviously, this time around, Nathaniel has much more to talk about, than just a match. This time, he’s under a new employer, a new banner, and has a fresh start. We listen in as the radio interview begins…]
Smiley: Welcome back to the Smiley Morning Show! As always, I’m Dave Smiley. With me today, is none other than the hometown sensation himself, the Enforcer of Sorrow, Nathaniel Havok. Nathaniel, it’s great to see you, man. Thanks for coming to the show today.
Havok: Not a problem, Dave. We’ve got a lot to talk about today!
Smiley: Yes, we do! A lot has happened since the last time you and I had a sit down chat, a lot of JUICY news to get into! You recently asked for a release from your contract with Action Packed Wrestling, after being suspended for some very interesting reasons. Also, it seems as if you were able to rebound quickly, signing just a few short days later, with Sin City Wrestling. Now, let’s start from the beginning. What exactly got you suspended from Action Packed Wrestling in the first place?
Havok: Firstly, allow me to correct you, Dave. I actually signed with Sin City Wrestling, before I even asked for my release from APW.
Smiley: Oh, you did? You can do that? How’s that possible?
Havok: All professional wrestlers are, are independent contractors. We reserve the right to make money, when the money isn’t coming in. I was suspended WITHOUT pay. Therefore, I reserve the right to seek my fortunes elsewhere. That’s what I did. And believe me, Sin City Wrestling understands my star power, and they’re paying me much better than APW ever did.
Smiley: So what caused the suspension?
Havok: Politics. Plain and simple, politics started everything that has transpired over the last couple of weeks. I was getting sick and tired, man. Sick and tired, of being sick and tired. Going out there, busting my ass, and having nothing to show for it. The usual “keep working hard and you’ll get there” speech that I had heard countless times was getting really old. We had started the League in hopes of abolishing the politics in APW, but we all know how that turned out.
Smiley: How did that turn out? I know that you leaving, or at least being suspended, had something to do with your partner Evan Envi. What happened, Nate?
Havok: I have been advised by my legal counsel not to discuss this matter. But to hell with it, Dave! I’ve got the truth, and the people deserve the truth. The “talent” of APW will tell you another story, and I use the world talent VERY loosely. They’ll tell you that I bitched and moaned until I was forced to go home, which isn’t the case at all! I’m a man of my word, Dave. You know that I live and die by my word. I’ve always been that way, and I’ll always STAY that way. On the flip side, I expect those around me to show me the very same respect, and that’s not what happened.
Everybody with half a brain, knows that this business is as close to an athletic soap opera as you can get. They’re not stupid, and I’ve never played them for fools in that aspect. I was told that one thing was going to happen in my last main event with APW. I went to the ring expecting one thing to happen, and was legitimately screwed by “the powers that be”. I had no clue that things were going to happen the way they went down. And that’s what happens, when you have wrestlers playing the role of booker, and wrestlers that ARE bookers, also playing the role of “creative”. It’s not too creative when you know someone is never going to lose a match. Not too creative, at all.
Smiley: Evan Envi had asked for his release, hadn’t he? Is that what this was all about?
Havok: Yeah, you could say that. Evan had asked for his release, which was one thing that pissed me off. However, at that time, I understood. I was fine with it, and was going to continue rolling with the punches. Now, when I had gotten to the North Charleston Coliseum in North Carolina that night, I was approached by a member of creative, and told that Evan wasn’t going to be in the match at all. It was only going to be Tommy and myself in the main event. I was told that they were writing him off of TV with an attack, or some shit like that.
Later in the day, I was told that they were going to write him off with an injury in the match. I was fine with that, too! Either way, he was going to be written off of TV, and either Tommy or I were going to walk out as champion. Either way, I was cool with it. The fans were going to get a new champion, and most of them already knew that Evan was saying goodbye, anyways. When I got to the ring, we still didn’t know who was walking out as champion. Now, firstly, if you’re a professional wrestling company on live television… You don’t allow your talent to go to the ring, not knowing what the end result of their match is going to be. That makes for a crappy ending, to what could very-well be an excellent match. That’s not the right way to do business. It’s not how I do business.
Towards the end of the match, Tommy and I still didn’t know what we were going to do in the finish, and Evan wasn’t helping out too much. He was mainly out there concerned with having himself be the highlight, in what we thought was his last go-round in an APW ring. Turned out to be my last go-round, but not his.
Smiley: So what happened?
Havok: You saw it on your screens at home, you know? Evan rolled me up, pinned me, and wouldn’t let me kick out. As far as I knew, Tommy as well, I was supposed to kick out. But Evan took matters into his own hands, and refused to drop the belt. Neither Tommy nor I were ever told. Had I been told, even as a last second decision, I wouldn’t have been so pissed about it. But we were lied to, fed a bunch of bullshit, and here we are today. I’m not an APW Megastar, now. I’m SCW’s ONLY star!
Smiley: So whose decision was it to have Envi stick around? Do you even know?
Havok: Envi was the one booking the shit. He’s been the one booking his entire Overdrive Championship run, the one booking his buddy Terry Marvin as Undisputed Champion with his run, even moving Terry to Asylum, to avoid having a one on one with Lester Only. The fans didn’t take that one too well, so he booked Terry to screw Lester over at the Test for the Best pay per view, ripping the fans off in the process. Not to mention, he’s been the one booking his little crushes push, too. So many more people deserved to win the Test for the best Tournament, than Aubrey J. Parker. But Evan could care less what’s good for business. He only cares about what his buddies are getting, or not getting.
Smiley: But you were one of his buddies, weren’t you? I mean, towards the end of your tenure in APW, you and Evan had developed a friendship, hadn’t you?
Havok: I thought. Then, I found out that Evan had only done that, to hold me back. If we’re friends on screen, nobody is going to want to see us face off. That’s what happened. He can tell you anything he wants to tell you. But the truth is that he befriended me, only to hold me under him. But enough about stale wrestling and stale promotions. Let’s talk SCW, Dave!
Smiley: You’re not one for Segway’s, are you?
Havok: I’m a here and now kind of guy, Dave. You know that!
Smiley: So you signed with SCW. What made you sign?
Havok: Honestly, the way they approached me. After the news broke that I was suspended for my backstage altercation with Evan and Terry, the whole world knew that my days with APW were probably numbered. Either that, or I was going to have to eat a ton of shit for what I’d done. I’m better than that, way better than eating shit for some bullshit reason. Phoenix Wrestling wanted to fly me out to Rome and court me. They wanted me to sign right away. They knew that I wouldn’t be happy, and they tried to capitalize on it. Same goes for Full Circle Wrestling, as well as a few other places. When I was approached by SCW, it wasn’t a “we won’t do that shit to you” kind of deal. It was more of a “well, we understand your situation, and are letting you know that we support you” type thing.
I have a history with a few people in SCW, and a lot of people there admire my body of work. They agreed, you don’t treat someone like myself, the way APW had treated me. I hadn’t been given a shot in 2 years, I was jobbing to guys in Evan’s circle, that couldn’t even lace my boots! I was waiting, and I got tired of waiting. THEN, I got screwed! SCW didn’t even ask me to come to SCW. I called SCW back, and asked them what they thought about me coming to their organization. I was so impressed with them, BECAUSE they didn’t try to hop on the “sign Nathaniel Havok” train. I was just told that if I needed anything, to call them. So, that’s exactly what I did.
Smiley: So now you’re debuting this Sunday on Climax Control. Funny name for a wrestling show, isn’t it?
Havok: It’s Sin City, Dave. Sex sells, Sin City sells, and so does professional wrestling. You do the math!
Smiley: True, true. So, you’re debuting this week against Damien Kingston, and Jericho Hill. Is this a match that we should be looking forward to?
Havok: Anytime Nathaniel Havok is in the ring, you can bet your ass that it’s going to be a match to look forward to! Now, I don’t know too much about these guys. Personally, I have to sit back and think… “Kingston and Jericho”? Sounds like a couple of rip-off wrestlers, if you ask me. Nevertheless, I’m going into this match, knowing that this is my first impression. Not only am I going to go out there to impress the SCW’s loyal fanbase, but I’ve also got something to prove to management. They’re paying me an awful lot of money to wrestle in Vegas, and I’m going to show them that I’m worth every penny!
Smiley: But what happens if Kingston or Jericho takes advantage of the three-way rules? I mean, you don’t even have to be pinned to lose! It could easily spoil your SCW debut.
Havok: This isn’t my first rodeo, cowboy. This type of match, just comes with the job! I know what I have to go out there and do, and I’m going to do it. There’s not a man or woman in this business, that DOESN’T know what Nathaniel Havok is capable of doing. Do you think that either of these two slobs could go out there and beat an established SCW star like Goth? Me, I’ve beaten Goth! Neither of these two asshats could say that! Hell, the majority of SCW can’t say that! It’s like I said, I’m going out there Sunday night with something to prove. And come hail or high water, I’m going to prove that I’m in SCW for the top prize, and no one is going to stop me!
When opportunity came knocking at my door, I answered! I’m not going to let two rip-off wrestlers ruin my debut match in SCW. If they were smart, they’d concern themselves with getting me out of the match first! Then they could go to work on one another. However, even if they tried that, they’re still not going to stop me. Nathaniel Havok is on a personal crusade! I’m on a crusade to show the wrestling world that I’m still the top star in this business! SCW hit the jackpot, when I signed with them! They know it already, but it’s up to me to prove it to the world! Damien and Jericho just so happen to be the unfortunate two, the two men who I’ll be facing in my debut match as a member of the SCW roster. No matter how you want to stack it up, it just means that these two men are in for a very bad night.
Smiley: So what’s the plan? Got any good stratigies against these two guys?
Havok: The strategy is the same as it’s always been. I’ll get into the ring and fight, just like I always do. This business is all about who wants it more. As far as Nathaniel Havok goes, Nathaniel Havok wants to be the SCW Heavyweight Champion. And trust me, Dave! Starting with Damien Kingston and Jericho Hill, all the way up to the top… Like it or not, Nathaniel Havok IS a future SCW Heavyweight Champion. I’m going to prove it, and I’m going to start by beating the hell out of these two men in my debut match. No matter how long it takes me, Dave… Whether I fight to the top in three months, three days, or three years… Somewhere down the line, Nathaniel Havok is going to get that title shot! And after it’s all said and done, you’re going to be able to say that you watched it all start, when Nathaniel Havok took out two men in his debut match.
This Sunday, you, just like everyone else, are going to witness history! All eyes are on me right now, with everything that has happened over the past few weeks. And rightfully so, Dave! All eyes should be focused on the Enforcer of Sorrow! I seemed to have made a rather large rumble in the professional wrestling world. It’s time that I gave the people reason to buy into the hype. That just spells bad news for both Damien Kingston, as well as Jericho Hill.
Smiley: You heard it here, folks! Nathaniel Havok making his debut in Sin City Wrestling, this Sunday night! If you’re in the Laughlin, Nevada area, make sure you go out and watch as Nathaniel Havok plans to make history. If not, make sure you tune in live, as it’s sure to be a spectacular show. Nathaniel, thank you for being here with us today, taking time out of your busy schedule to pay your respects once again to your home town. Ladies and gentlemen, you’re listening to Smiley in the Morning! We’ll be right back after these brief messages.
