CAPOREGIME
Eddie Cross stalks the halls of Ball Arena with his mentor, Dave Gibson.
Suddenly he sees a motion to his left, but it is too late as he is sent sprawling as C. Mortgomery Byrnes clocks him in the face with the Alias title that Eddie tried and failed to win during the match aired earlier in the night.
From the ground he looks up to see Frank and Dom muscle Dave up to a wall, kicking and cussin’ the whole time. From the shadows steps a sinister form, a harbinger of trouble… The Grin, Tony Gamble.
Tony Gamble: Oh, hey, fancy meeting you guys here.
Calm and collected, Tony stops a foot or so away from Eddie as Mortgomery stomps a boot into his back.
Eddie groans and looks up at Tony, his gaming glasses cracked.
Eddie Cross: I should have known.
Frank lays into Dave with a hard cross and knocks some of the fight out of the Carolina boy.
Tony Gamble: You should’ve; but let’s face it, you’re not really the sharpest knife in the drawer. Because if you were, you would have realized that I gave you the opportunity of a lifetime last ReVival. That was your first mistake.
Tony squats down in front of Eddie, as Morty locks him in a camel clutch.
Tony Gamble: Your second, was holding back. I get that it would be hard for you to hurt me, considering how much you adore me. I understand the conflict in your heart when you decided to hit me, Anna egging you on after she kicked me in the head from behind. I know now, that you held back then too.
Tony pulls a marker out of his pocket, and takes the cap off.
Tony Gamble: After all these years, you’re still a fan…I’m touched.
He presses the marker against Eddie’s forehead, and starts to sign it.
Tony Gamble: So I at least owe you this much.
The Grin is now written on Eddie’s forehead.
Dave Gibson: Hey dipshit, how about you leave the kid out of this and fuck around and find out with me?
Dave struggles but the two GAS members hold him back to the wall.
Frank Pastore: Boss, you want us to rough the old man up? Teach the kid a lesson?
Tony doesn’t answer verbally, instead allowing the right side of his lip to curl into a sinister grin. Frank smiles in return and headbutts Dave. With a prolonged groan, the old wrestler shakes his head and looks up at Eddie. He opens his mouth to say something, but Dom doubles him over with a body blow. The two work over Dave with body blows until he is no longer able to stand.
Tony Gamble: What do you think Eddie? Does this remind you of when you were a kid, staying up late in your Tony Gamble PJ’s with a scar you painted on your face with mommy’s lipstick?
Eddie struggles against Mort’s iron grip, growling and flecking spit even though he can’t talk. Morty wrenches again and Eddie nearly passes out from the pain.
Tony Gamble: Come on now, Eddie, we can’t have you dozing off before the main event!
Frank Pastore locks Dave into a Powerbomb and as he lifts him high in the air, Domingo leaps up and drops Dave into a Lungblower. Gibson arches his back with pain and rolls onto his stomach before letting out a prolonged exhale.
Tony nods and Mort chuckles while dropping Eddie to the ground. The youngster reaches out toward Dave, though he just doesn’t have the energy after being trapped in Mort’s clutches for so long.
Tony holds his hand out to Mort.
Tony Gamble: The belt, give it to me.
Mort does and The Grin walks back to the thorn that has been buried in his side for weeks and grabs him by the hair, picking him up to his knees. He shoves the Alias title in his face.
Tony Gamble: This title? It’s GAS property.
He points at Dave Gibson who is on the floor with a puddle of blood forming from his forehead.
Tony Gamble: Your coach? He’s GAS property.
The Grin leans down eye to eye with Eddie. Blood runs from the young man’s nose.
Tony Gamble: We own this title, we own your mentor, but I own YOU. I did all of this without lifting a finger. Imagine what I will do when we are in the ring, kid.
Mortgomery Byrnes: And if he uses any of that barbed wire shit on your mouth, I got the name of a good orthodontist. The best in Albuquerque. Fix you right up.
He wipes his hands off on Frank’s shirt symbolically.
Tony Gamble: Remember, you asked for this. You wanted the real me.
Suddenly, there is a commotion as Kohime Mori and Anna Daniels run into the frame. Anna punts Domingo in the testicles like Ronaldo, and Mori chases Mort off the screen. Gamble drops Eddie and flashes his wicked grin before retreating with the Alias title in hand.
After all the GAS members have left, Anna kneels down to inspect Dave Gibson and Mori grabs a towel to help Eddie clean his face.
Anna Daniels: He needs a medic now!
Mori nods and runs off quickly while Anna is trying to tend to Dave. He starts to cough and spits up a little blood.
Anna Daniels: Oh no… HURRY UP, MORI!
Eddie reaches out and rasps…
Eddie Cross: Dave… please…
…And passes out with the towel that Kohime brought him stained red under his cheek.
The scene changes to the ring where, no doubt, Tony Gamble is now headed.