AGGRESSION 53: Michael Bastard & Donovan Astros vs. Karl Brown (c) & Shawn Hart (c)

[DBrunkGXW]

AGGRESSION 53: Michael Bastard & Donovan Astros vs. Karl Brown (c) & Shawn Hart (c)

If Michael Bastard or Donovan Astros pins or submits Karl Brown or Shawn Hart, that person will get a title shot against the man he pinned on the next Aggression.

Post all RP here.

 

[TH]

Re: AGGRESSION 53: Michael Bastard & Donovan Astros vs. Karl Brown (c) & Shawn Hart (

The scene is a truck stop outside of Interstate 35 south of the Twin Cities. Michael Bastard and The Amazing Logan are standing outside their beat up pick-up truck, finishing up refueling it.

TAL: If you want me to sit here and make excuses as to why Michael lost his first round match in King of the Cage, you're going to be sorely disappointed. If you want me to disparage Layne Winters for it being a fluke, you're going to be sorely disappointed. You see, for that one moment in time, Layne Winters was the better man. Michael, for as intense and destructive as he is, is but human. He will get his recourse on Winters, and it will be spectacular, but for now, he must lie in wait. But you see, where Michael failed in King of the Cage, he showed the world something very, very important. Something that should be very scary. You see, Winters did not have an easy time taking out Michael at all. It took eight German suplexes to take him out. Eight. A mind-boggling number if you ask me. In my career abroad, I've taken a German suplex or two. It's not fun. I've never taken eight in a row though. Ever. Three in a row, and I felt the stinger for months afterwards.

But Michael... do you want to know what Michael said to me after we got back to the locker room after that defeat? Michael, tell them.

MB: snorts I... I...

He pauses.

MB: I WANT BACK IN!

Logan smiles.

TAL: That's right folks. He wanted back in that cage. There was no way that Lindsay, Dan or anyone else in that front office would let him, but he wanted to prove that he could win in that environment, that it really was home to him. You see, lesser men would have gone to the hospital, put an ice pack on, went tail between their legs and went onto the next challenge. Michael didn't want that. However, after hours of talking him off the ledge, telling him that his efforts wouldn't go unnoticed, I got him to calm down. And you know what? I was right. You see, everyone took notice, and he was rewarded.

Karl Brown. Shawn Hart. A shot at gold. You see, this is the kind of thing that Michael has wanted all along. A chance to prove against men who hold gold that he belongs, his kind belongs. The Stalkers, Dahakas, the other garbage wrestlers of the world are the old model. Michael is the new one. And now, with his defeat in King of the Cage looming over him, he has a chip on his shoulder.

And by God, do you all have an immense price to pay because of that fact.

Take heart into knowing that Michael is not out to end your careers. You see, it's not personal, at least not yet. You might get welts, bumps, bruises, contusions, even some minor broken bones. A concussion if you're unfortunate, and really, I have no way of controlling the beast inside Michael once that bell rings. So while I'm confident that you will escape with your careers, well, there's no way of guaranteeing that you'll be in any shape to retain your title the next week, whichever one of you eats the pinfall. Believe you me, one of you is eating that pinfall.

In the short time we've been here in the Empire, we've turned heads, but turning heads is only good enough if you're happy with preliminary matches, destroying the nobodies or drawing a minor amount of heat by harassing the washed-up or the never-will-bes. Instead, Michael will be out to make sure that no one forgets him, that no one will dare underestimate him ever again because he's one of those icky hardcore wrestlers. If I were either one of you, I'd make sure you're tagged out of the ring when Michael begins his rampage, because that's the only way your title will be safe.

And as for you, Donovan Astros, well, I imagine you have your own title aspirations. Normally, in a tag match, I try to put it through Michael's head that the man in his corner is his ally and not someone to get caught in his wake. Here, well, I can promise it'll start out like that. When the end is in sight? Well, that's different. I'm not going to say that I would condone the wanton decimation of a teammate in the name of personal glory, but Michael? Well, he's got a singular focus, and that's getting his hands on a title belt sooner rather than later. If you're in the ring about to get the pinfall, well, don't count on Michael standing idly by. Again, nothing personal. I mean, in addition, I'd never tell someone to sit back and let someone else take a shot at glory at their expense, but Donovan, well, I don't know what advice I could possibly give you that would leave you with your body intact.

And if you try to stop him, well... I can only point to last Aggression for what it's going to take. Eight German suplexes. That's a lot of punishment. I doubt any of you have that kind of offense in your arsenal, especially now that Michael has the unbearing pressure of burying that failure and taking what's his... a spot in the Empire's pantheon.

Sucks to be all three of you.

Logan smirks at the camera before knocking it over with his cane, sending the screen to static.

 

[TH]

Re: AGGRESSION 53: Michael Bastard & Donovan Astros vs. Karl Brown (c) & Shawn Hart (

The scene is a local gym in the Twin Cities. The picture quality on the video is very low-rent, think Youtube home video, as the cameraman is hidden from view underneath a bunch of gym mats, using a handheld digital camcorder. Inside the ring are five men. On one side of the ring is Michael Bastard and The Amazing Logan. On the other is three "local talents".

TAL: Alright Michael, today we're going to try to add something different to your repertoire, especially in the light of last week's debacle. I know you like to absorb pain and all that, and you have no problem letting a guy wail on you like you're some kind of punching bag, but at some point, you're going to go up against a guy who can really hurt you. Furthermore, if you take eight Germans in a match on a regular basis, you're going to end up six feet under in a box. You have to learn how to defend yourself if you want a chance to succeed in this business. Do I make myself clear?

Nothing.

TAL: I said, do I make myself clear?

MB: ...yes.

TAL: Good. If you can learn how to defend yourself, you'll be nigh unstoppable. I'd say that aside from your anger issues, this is the only thing that is holding you back from reaching the upper, upper echelons of the Empire. Not bad for a guy with no more than five matches under his belt, right?

Bastard snorts.

TAL: Of course. Now, I've assembled some "local talents" here to spar against you. They're going to come at you with some light offense and you're going to learn how to block them, avoid them, do whatever it takes to not take damage in that situation. First thing's first, Rudy here is going to throw a punch at you. You will block it. Is that understood?

MB: Yes.

TAL: Alright Rudy, have at it.

Rudy tosses a light punch at Bastard, who violently blocks it and then takes the poor jobber's head off with a lariat. Rudy goes limp on the canvas.

LT #2: What the f*ck is wrong with you, you animal?

TAL: Angelo, you'll speak when you're spoken to, alright? turns to MB What the hell did you do? You're only supposed to be blocking, not laying him out like a wrecking ball.

MB: ...I... I guess I just don't know wh... what c-came over me.

TAL: Oh very funny. You know, you remember that when you're a dead-man walking like you were when I found you in that gutter. Do you want to go back to the way you were when she left you there? When you were going from fix to fix, not knowing which one was going to be the sh*tty batch that would finally put you out of your God-damned misery?

MB: ......no.

TAL: Then you'll take this seriously. This is your career, Michael. You wanted this. Now do it the right way. turns to Angelo You're up. back to MB Alright Michael. Angelo is going to come at you with clotheslines. You're going to duck them. Is that clear?

Bastard nods.

TAL: Alright Ang, when you're ready.

Angelo comes jogging in at Bastard, arm outstretched. Bastard makes no motion of ducking, and Angelo bounces off him with his weak clothesline. Angelo looks at Bastard with a "what the hell" kind of look, then comes in with another clothesline a bit faster. Again, Bastard doesn't duck again, this time budging at the impact. Angelo takes a few more steps back.

Angelo: What are you doing, you slow bastard? Duck! Dammit!

Angelo comes in at full speed. This time, Bastard starts coming at him with a full-force lariat of his own. Angelo ducks at the last possible second, just avoiding Bastard's impact and slides out of the ring.

Angelo: You... you're crazy! Logan, you can find some other guy to feed to him, because he's f*ckin' crazy! I'm outta here!

Angelo rushes towards the door and lets it slam behind him. Logan incredulously goes up into Bastard's face.

TAL: What the f*ck is wrong with you? Seriously, are you trying to piss me off? Not that it matters anyway, no, it only matters to your career! You're getting into the f*cking ring with two Champions and a guy on your side who doesn't want you to be the one getting the pinfall. I'm trying to make you better so you have more of a chance to win, and this is how you f*cking repay me? F*ck you, alright? You're a mental case. You belong in a God-damned straitjacket! You belong back out on the streets where I f*cking found you. Is that what you want? To be homeless again? You want to be a f*ck up your whole life, you worthless...

The third local wrestler intervenes.

LW #3: Whoa, whoa, what the hell, man? No wonder he doesn't listen to you, you treat him like sh*t... you're a real asshole, you know that, right?

Logan turns to the third wrestler.

TAL: Who the hell told you to butt in, Jerry? I didn't ask you for tips on how to handle my wrestler, I just asked you to help me train him.

Jerry: Yeah, well, any decent human being would step in here. I don't care that you didn't ask me, I'm interjecting.

TAL: Oh, really? Well, that's nice, but you see, I'm not a decent human being and neither is Michael, so please, shut your mouth.

Jerry: And what will you do if I don't?

No sooner does Jerry finish uttering the word "don't" then does Logan smack him across the face with his cane. Jerry falls to the floor, and Logan grabs a pair of handcuffs off his belt, slapping them on Jerry. He helps Jerry, now cuffed with hands behind his back, to his feet and shoves him towards Bastard.

TAL: Alright Michael, you wanted to dish out some pain? Well here you go. Destroy him.

Bastard looks Jerry up and down and then shakes his head.

MB: ...I don't take freebies.

Logan turns toward Jerry and chuckles.

TAL: You just got lucky, scrub. Now get the hell out of my sight.

Jerry: But... but what about the cuffs?

TAL: You can keep 'em. Just get out of here before I tee off on your skull again.

Jerry mouths "sheesh" before rolling out of the ring and bolting through the door, using his shoulder to press against the push-bar.

TAL: Well, that was an epic fail. I'm going to go find you some more sparring partners and you will get this right if it...

The cameraman tries to adjust himself underneath the gym mats but slips, causing an audible sound. The camera falls with the amateur cinematographer, but as soon as he rights himself, he doesn't have a view of the ring as much as he has a close up shot of Logan holding up to the top gym mat.

TAL: A viral documentographer, are we? Well, I'll just have to put a stop to that...

Logan yanks the palm-corder out of the guy's hand and holds it to his face.

TAL: Hello, Youtube. If the memory card on this thing survives, consider yourselves lucky.

With that, Logan launches the palm-corder. The dizzying spiral shot of the gym is the last thing seen before the screen goes completely black at the point of impact.

 

[EpyonMarx]

Re: AGGRESSION 53: Michael Bastard & Donovan Astros vs. Karl Brown (c) & Shawn Hart (

[FADE IN. “The Dragon” is standing, casually dressed, in front of an Empire Pro Wrestling backdrop]

Karl: You win some, you lose some. That’s pretty much the only thing to say after losing to Anarky last time out. I know some people think cage matches should be about who stays in the cage the longest – who makes their opponent run away, but not me. Anarky escaped the cage and advanced in the tournament. The only saving grace for me is that he didn’t pin me or make me submit, he just escaped first. He’s certainly tough – I never felt he would be anything else. But… there’s still something nagging at me about him. I guess I’ll have to add him to the list of people I want to meet in the ring again. Does that mean I respect Anarky? Not in the slightest. My respect isn’t so easily earned. But I will concede that he won the match, and say that I hope we meet in the ring again – under any rules.

But that’s not what’s happening this week. Instead, it’s my… third tag team match. And I’m teaming with Shawn Hart, a former TV champion and current Intercontinental Champion. Sounds like it should be quite the experience, especially against two men who’re looking to make a name for themselves. The fun thing about being champion – and if you talk to other title holders they may say something different – is that you’re a target. You’ve either got veterans who want to rise through the ranks, rookies to the business looking to make a name for themselves, or you’ve got someone coming in having spent years wrestling elsewhere, wanting to make a name for themselves here. I’m surprised the title belts don’t include an archery target on them or something. But like I said, it does make being a champion incredibly fun. Having that pressure on you, knowing that someone wants to use you to elevate themselves, it forces you to give it everything you can each and every night. It keeps you from getting complacent, because as soon as you make one tiny slip – bang. You’ve lost the match, your title, and been made to look like a fool.

It’s the kind of challenge I enjoy. The best thing about nearly two years with the Intercontinental Championship was going out and proving to people that they weren’t as good as they thought. That they weren’t going to use me as a stepping stone, that they couldn’t just turn up and take the title – that they would have to work damn hard if they wanted to be seen by others how they saw themselves.

Now… what has any of this got to do with Michael Bastard and Donovan Astros? Quite a lot. They both want to climb the ranks. They both want to belong, to carve a notch in the cliff face of this company that shows they were here, that they mattered, long after they’ve gone. Michael’s manager has already said that Bastard wants to prove that his kind belong, whatever his kind is. To be honest I haven’t paid much attention to him as yet. I will before Aggression, though, no need to worry about that.

But, Logan – there is something you should worry about. The fact that I don’t scare nearly half as easily as you’d like to think.

Michael wanted back in to the cage after losing to Layne? Bully for him. I’d expect nothing less of someone who’s desperate, and Michael definitely seems the desperate type.

Laughing yet, Logan? I wouldn’t blame you for that. You probably think that Michael wanting back in to the cage, for the match to be restarted after taking eight German suplexes shows just how tough he is, just how strong, just how mighty. But I’ll let you in on a secret. Are you ready?

It sounds less like he’s tough, and more like he throws a tantrum the same way a two year old does. He wanted to win, he didn’t, wah. Truth be told, part of me wanted Anarky to come back into the cage after he escaped. Part of me wanted to show, to myself, that I could get through the sting of that loss – and loss does sting slightly – and take more punishment. That’s normal. But crying about it, needing to be calmed down? That doesn’t show any toughness. That doesn’t show that he’s going to be big. It doesn’t make him better than anyone else on the roster, because I should think about the only person who was glad they didn’t have to wrestle again that night was High Flyer after he’d been put on a stretcher and sent to A&E.

If Michael wants to show he’s tough, whining and demanding to be let back in doesn’t do it. It’s a part of his job, and you don’t get special credit for doing your job.

Am I under-estimating him? No. Because he’s a stiff shot. When he’s got his head on straight I should think he’s going to have little wasted energy. But you know he doesn’t have his head on straight. He makes mistakes, and it doesn’t matter how much punishment you can take. One wrong move – one wild shot too many – and you’re done. That’s what separates people like Michael, the guy who can take punishment but has a temper, from people like me, and I’m guessing Shawn.

We rarely lose our temper.

Now, I’m not going to count on Michael losing his temper. I think it’ll be far easier if he does go on one of his rampages, because a maddened opponent makes more mistakes and could get himself disqualified, but if I put all my eggs in one basket you just have to steal the basket and you’ve got all my eggs, so to speak. And I’m not going to count on Shawn – not because he’s not talented, but because I don’t rely on other people if I can help it. You’re less likely to get let down if you don’t expect anything from someone. Rather, I’m going to go to the ring and do what I always do. I’m going to rely on my own strengths, my own talents, and my own abilities. If Michael does lose his temper – well, that’s a bonus for me. A dangerous bonus, because he will hit harder, but it’ll be easier to spot his mistakes. And as I’ve proved time and time again, I just need someone to make one mistake.

But – we’re assuming something, aren’t we, Logan? We’re assuming Michael’s going to stay in the ring. He does have a partner, and that partner could be the one starting the match. Or is Michael going to take Donovan out before the bell and try to beat Shawn and I single-handedly?

If he wants immediate respect, that might be the quickest way to go about it. After getting attacked backstage and doing nothing about it, beating two champions on his own might just do the trick. But I suspect we’re about to get another guy throwing a temper tantrum. I hope I’m wrong about that, but from experience?

I doubt it.

[FADE OUT]

 

[TH]

Re: AGGRESSION 53: Michael Bastard & Donovan Astros vs. Karl Brown (c) & Shawn Hart (

The scene is a shared hotel-room in Minneapolis, a suite. The door one of the bedrooms is closed. Logan stands in front of it.

TAL: If you haven't noticed by now, Michael has a really deep, dark past. I don't know if I've intimated any of this before, but if I have, I didn't go deep into it. Yes, when I found Michael, he was addicted to heroin, PCP and horse tranquilizers, otherwise known as ketamine or Special K. I picked him up out of that gutter and saved him from that life, one that would have ended badly for him. But the fact that he survived as long as he did is a testament to both the hardiness of his body and to the superior discipline I provided him in his recovery. Now, Michael is clean.

Why am I telling you all this? Well Karl, you see Michael is fast asleep in the room behind me, approaching four in the afternoon, Central Standard Time. Did he have a late night last night, partying and reveling? No. Did he relapse? No, he did not. Then why is he asleep? He was bored so much by your latest promotional video that he passed out. Think about it, a man who was addicted to ketamine, one of the most powerful tranquilizers known to man and survived, was knocked out by your promo. You are a Weapon of Mass Sedation. Why am I not asleep? Well, I too am an addict, although my drug of choice is caffeine. It would take a promo twice in length and thrice in dryness to put me out. Thank our lucky stars that Cameron Cruise wasn't in this match, or else maybe I'd have fallen victim. Thankfully, I'm not, and I can address your concerns, especially those about Michael being desperate.

You see, Karl, Michael is desperate. I won't deny that; he's always at his wit's end. Have you ever been in the ring with a desperate man, though, Karl? Well, of course you have. Facing a desperate wrestler is commonplace in this industry full of desperate men, be they washouts looking to hold onto fleeting glory or never-will-bes trying to prove to the world that they have talent when they clearly don't, guys coming back from injury et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. They can bite you if you're not careful, but for a techincal marvel like you, Karl "The Dragon" Brown. See, for the regular hapless case, you can scout out them going for a big move early, or counter a wide punch and it's all over, right?

But you see Karl, Michael is a different kind of desperate. He can do things that those other men can't, that quote-unquote sane men wouldn't even think of doing because he can do them. He fights with a spirit of desperation, but there's someone home. He knows the score at the very least, and for the things he doesn't know, I'm there to back him up, bestowing upon him nuggets of knowledge that he can use. Even if that weren't the case, Karl, you saw it at Aggression 52 in the way it took everything including a nuclear-charged kitchen sink from Layne Winters to put him down. Or maybe you didn't, since you're admitting that you haven't paid attention to Michael until now, and that you're lying through your teeth, your crooked, yellow, English teeth about how you're not going to underestimate Michael come Aggression 53.

Either way, your patronizing attitude is going to be your downfall. I have to wonder if you've ever, ever taken a beating as vicious and ruthless as the one Winters laid out on Michael, a beating that he was barely able to eke a three count on, but would have knocked a lesser man out for a ten count. You say it's his job to want to get right back into the ring after taking eight German suplexes, but yet I have to wonder if your prissy, British body would have done the same or if it would have done the predictable thing and chartered the first jet back across the pond for your bad food and socialized healthcare. The fact is, you're woefully out of touch with the kind of person Michael is, and the sad part is, you've admitted it through the things you've said. You wouldn't have been raring to go, but Michael, well, Michael was, and he is right now.

So the question becomes, are you ready? Are you ready to go into battle with the Wrestler Your Favorite Wrestler Is Afraid of, Karl? The New Craziest Bastard in the Empire? Or are you just sitting there, counting the days until you can get this over with, because hey, it's already in your mind that you've got this in the bag. You and Shawn Hart, two decorated Champions of the Empire, sitting back, waiting for the two dysfunctional challengers to rend their partnership asunder for a chance at gold. The only thing is, Hart hasn't shown up yet, and who knows if he'll be there come Aggression 53, even if he does show up in the flesh. Of course, if he does show up, you may yet have nothing to fear, as I'd rather have his longer tenured, more prestigious belt around Michael's waist than your Television Champion. So maybe you ought to take a holiday if you can. Because while I'd rather have Michael take the Intercontinental Championship, he doesn't care what kind of gold he has, just as long as he gets to have some.

And trust me, if you think Astros is going to be a problem for us? The guy hasn't had the temerity to speak up yet either. If he's intimidated now, then just wait until we get to the ring. Michael won't have to lift a finger to get Astros to do what he's told. All it'll take is a stern command from me, and then Michael can take the both of you down himself, which as we've already established, will just end up being you anyway.

But don't worry about it Karl. Again, it is just business, and given that your partner is the one who's putting up less of the resistance here, I don't think you'll have to worry about a damn thing. But be forewarned. Your implied hubris has been taken note of. You may escape this round relatively unscathed and you may escape a date with the Reaper next week with your gold on the line, but that doesn't mean you're saved completely. No, Michael is going to make a reckoning with everyone here sooner or later.

That is, unless you can somehow garner Michael's attention with another overdose of verbal Valium during the match itself. Then, we might be in trouble. For now though, well, when this sleeping giant awakens, well, it's not going to be pretty.

Logan raises his cane to hit the camera, but pulls back, making the cameraman flinch and reflexively turn the camera off.

 

[jamesfnx]

Re: AGGRESSION 53: Michael Bastard & Donovan Astros vs. Karl Brown (c) & Shawn Hart (

Fade in to a department store of some sort. There are a lot of mannequins, dressed up in wrestling paraphernalia, various T-shirts of EPW superstars and the like. Amongst all the mannequins, a head keeps popping out from behind one of the mannequins. That head is on the shoulders of Donovan Astros.

ASTROS: Hey, can anyone see me out here? I'd like to say something!

Astros shoves through the mannequin mess to the foreground of the shot.

ASTROS: All week long, all I've heard from is the Amazing Logan. Try to get a word in edgewise? Nope, more Amazing Logan. Provide some counterpoint to the whole "Michael Bastard is so dangerous, none of us can stop him" monologue? The sum***** won't just stop for five seconds and let it all breathe!

Astros holds his hands, palms up, breathing deep.

ASTROS: So Michael really wanted to come back into the cage after he lost on the last Aggression. So did I and so did all the other people that lost. You think that attitude is any more or less special than me or the other four men who saw their chance at the EPW World Title get locked away in that steel prison? Maybe they shouldn't call you the Amazing Logan. Maybe they should call you the Obvious Logan. Just like it's obvious that Michael's not gonna just let me pin someone and take what he thinks is his title opportunity away. Logan, you need to scratch a little deeper than the surface to impress around here.

A little chuckle.

ASTROS: This isn't a tag match, it's a glorified four-way dance. Michael and I, we have very little incentive to work together, since only one of us can get the fall and get the title shot. Karl Brown and Shawn Hart? They have a little bit more incentive... if they stick together in this match, neither of them have to risk their titles against either of us. But all of know how this is going down... Shawn Hart's gonna see Karl Brown beaten down by Michael and I, and then he's gonna look down at the title belts sitting on the announce table, and then he's gonna look back over at Karl, shrug, grab his belt and exit stage right. Who'd blame him? It's not his ass on the line if Karl loses... and Shawn? I'd expect the same out of Karl. You might talk about respect a lot, Karl, but when push comes to shove and you have an opportunity to keep what's yours and put a little dent in a rival in the process? You bet your ass I'd leave you in the lurch when the time came and you reached your hand up, begging for the tag, begging for salvation.

Astros reaches over to tag one of the mannequins, before shaking his finger, giving it the ol' 'no-sir'.

ASTROS: Unfortunately, this week, I don't have that luxury. I can't just walk away and let Michael Bastard rot in there because if I'm not in that ring, I can't win the match and get my title shot. Bastard's thinking the same way... or maybe not. Who the hell knows what he's thinking? He's just got an annoying mouthpiece to talk for him. The Amazing Logan... who in the *BLEEP* do you think you are? Michael Bastard won't need to lift a finger to keep me in line? A stern command from you will do the trick? I got a stern command for ya, Logan. Michael Bastard wants to pick a fight with me, that's his business. He's a professional. He's a man, not like you, you slimy little turd. You wanna pick a fight with me? News flash, bucko, you lay a finger on me... you even look at me funny and your cane will end up so far up your ass it'll take EPW months to pay the FCC indecency fines.

Thanks for that mental image, jerk.

ASTROS: Logan, you keep talk-talk-talkin that blah blah blah. Just make sure your charge has one thing perfectly clear. If he wants to take on two champions two-on-one, he's going to lose. If he wants to stand on his own, he's going to fall. I wanna win this match. I don't wanna be second place two matches in a row here in EPW and I will do what I have to win. But the only way that's going to happen, Logan, is if you take a few minutes in your miserable life and get it through your head and Michael's head that while he and I might be in business for ourselves at Aggression, we have to work together. Just for a little bit. Otherwise it'll be his back on the mat and he can scream to you how he wants to get back in the ring again.

Astros shoves the mannequins down, laughing all the while.

ASTROS: For me? I just gotta do what I do.

Fade to black.