One Ring: Television Title Match

[President Hudson]

"The Original" Easton Hall vs. Bret Masters

5 RP Max

Deadline is Sunday, June 18th, at 3 pm EST.

[hall]

Once again, Easton is found driving in his Mazda MX6 with his friend Brian Jackson in the passenger seat. Easton is wearing a black shirt with the Superman logo on it. Brian is wearing a plain blue shirt with stripes on the sleeves. “The Straight Life” by Mudhoney is playing through the car as they drive down the highway. Easton has a slight smile on his face. This isn’t the smile of a typical humor. It’s a grin that holds knowledge behind it, some secret that shouldn’t be let out just yet. Brian has been baffled by this smile, but he just ignores it like he’s been ignoring all the strange things Easton’s been doing as of late.

Driving to wherever he was going is going to be fruitful for Easton, he knows it. Maybe he’ll play at Masters’ own game. Messing with people’s heads was what Masters was best at. Attack people’s strengths, went the old adage. Easton knew that if he could beat Masters at his own game that’d be an advantage he could hold onto. Psyche him out, like he was trying to psyche Easton out. And Easton had the perfect plan.

Easton drives for a while, then pulls into, of all places, a hospital. He steps out and looks around, taking a deep breath. His grin grows wider. Brian steps out, a little confused, but doesn’t say anything. Easton walks towards the hospital and Brian follows him. Once they get inside, Easton walks up to the clerk.

Easton Hall: Hello. I’ve come to see a Mr. Masters.

Clerk: Alright, he’s up on the second floor, room 201.

Easton Hall: Thanks.

Brian gives a start at the name “Masters,” but shakes his head. He thinks it’s a coincidence, someone that Easton knows that happens to have Bret’s last name. But Easton still wears that knowing grin, hiding something. They haven’t spoken at all in the drive to this place, so Brian has no idea what’s going on. Easton was the only one with this knowledge. Curiosity itched at Brian’s head. What was going on?

They use the elevator to get to the second floor, and then walk a little bit until they reach room 201. Easton knocks on the door and a gruff voice from inside answers it.

Voice: What the fuck do you want? I’ve already taken the painkillers!

Easton Hall: I’m not here to give you painkillers.

Voice: Better not be from that bastard brother of mine.

Easton Hall: No. Can I just come in?

Voice: The door’s been open the whole time.

Brian is getting a little better picture, but not clearly. When Easton opens the door, though, Brian is very startled. On the edge of the hospital bed sits Bret Masters. Or... wait... it isn’t Bret. But it looks very much like him. A little younger, though, and smoother complexion. But who was it then? It seemed like the very question the man wanted to ask them.

“Mr. Masters”: Who the fuck are you?

Easton Hall: I’m an OTB wrestler, Serj. Easton Hall.

Serj Masters: Easton Hall, huh? Never heard of you.

Easton Hall: Doesn’t really matter. I came here because I’ve got a match with your brother, Bret.

Serj Masters: Hmpf, good luck. Now if you wouldn’t mind, you could leave me—

Easton Hall: That bastard brother of yours. Now I know you trained under him as well.

Serj Masters: Guess you could say that. But what does it matter? Do you not see where I am right now. Bret’s not too be messed with. Where are you fighting him anyway?

Easton Hall: OTB Pay Per View One Ring. We’re fighting for the Television Title. Soo, your brother broke your leg, huh? Don’t feel angry...

Serj Masters: Like I said, what does it matter? He’ll never be able to—

Easton Hall: He killed your career, Serj! Killed you! Killed everything you worked for and you’re not even going to—

Serj leaps up and rushes towards Easton, stumbling for a step. He grabs Easton by the collar, shoving him into a wall.

Serj Masters: Listen here, Hall! Don’t tell me I didn’t try! Don’t tell me I didn’t give it my all! I tried to beat him, but he beat me, took me out, and now I can’t wrestle in the US at all! But if I ever see him walking down the street, I will fucking kill him. Why don’t you tell him that for me? Tell him that he can pretend to be “The Innovator of Offense” all he wants, but if we run into each other there’s going to be a serious misunderstanding.

Easton smirks and pushes Serj off of him. He looks Serj dead in the eyes, a light grin on his face. Unfortunately, the grin is not reaching his eyes.

Easton Hall: I ain’t gonna lose to Bret. And I’ll tell him you said that.

Easton walks out of the hospital room and down to the elevator. Brian follows, extremely shaken up. Serj Masters slams the door shut and sits back on the bed. Easton and Brian take the elevator down to the lobby as we fade to black.

[masters]

[Non-Televised]
[Thursday, June 15, 1:23 p.m.]

Bret's head is spinning. In the past week, he's lived a lifetime. Strange, but true. The week leading up to Only The Best Wrestling’s first ever Pay Per View, One Ring, has been filled with highs, lows, and all of the in between. He's done so many different things, it seems like a whole year's worth. But why? Why has he done these things? There must be a reason, right. Everything you do in your life is leading to an ultimate goal. All forks in the road led to the same place. But where is Bret going...

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FLASH BACK TO MONDAY, JUNE 5, 9:20 p.m....

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It's the day that Bret Masters was met with the stark reality that his future had been determined long before he had a chance to approve it. It’s when, sitting in his office at his wrestling academy, “The Masters of Wrestling”, he saw a sight so unbearable he knew he’d have to get back in the ring again. For, on this night, and at this time, he saw the man who turned his back on the Masters of Wrestling, talking about turning having his partner turn on him. Irony was not lost on Bret, but neither was history.

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Young Wrestler: Are you seeing this?[/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Believe me, I’ve noticed.

Young Wrestler: I guess memories can be selective huh??[/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] As can promises. Un-fucking-real. Of all the places to show up, this is where he was.

Young Wrestler: You mean he hasn’t spoken to you? [/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Spoken to me! That bastard has been MIA since he left me high and dry last week.

Young Wrestler: Did you see OTB last week? Interesting first show. Anyway, Easton decided to attack TC after what TC did to him back in HIW. [/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] No, I didn’t see the show. Believe me, this is a very big surprise to me. Ha, E-Rex?? That’s who he is now. “The Original” Easton Hall. E-Rex. What a fucking joke.

Young Wrestler: He did look good against Crusher though. Nice to see he finally got down that finisher you guys were working on. [/color]

Bret Masters steps away for a moment at the sound of his office phone ringing. After a minute of talking, he comes back, in a hurry...

[/color] [/center]


[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Hey kid, I gotta run.

Young Wrestler: What’s up boss?[/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] It’s Alyssa. She got a phone call that has made things very interesting.

Young Wrestler: Oh? Where is she anyway?[/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Been away the past few days on business. Had to go to Philadelphia for some meeting. She’ll be back tomorrow. But yeah, she got a call I guess from one of her friends over in Alabama. Seems that Serj was running his mouth again about me in Deep South. I ignored the assault last week as a mistake. I’ve forgiven him. I’ll never forgive that bitch Easton.

Young Wrestler: I could have helped you![/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Sure.

So their meeting finishes almost as soon as it began. For Bret Masters the trip home meant meeting up with his lovely wife Alyssa. It also meant riding in the car, alone, reliving the beating he took last week at the BLW Pay-Per-View “Fatal Falls”. The beating he took at the hands of a 3 on 1 assault after successfully tapping out Syrius, leader of The Wall Street Gangstas. A beating that would have never happened if Easton Hall had shown up like he said he would. After all that hard work and training, Easton left him in search of vengeance. For Bret, this ride home was about more than respect. More than friendship. It was about a choice. One made by Easton. And one that needed to be made by him. Bret learned an important lesson at Fatal Falls. Something that will stick with him...

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FLASHBACK TO THURSDAY, JUNE 8th, 10:34 p.m....

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Thomas Granger: MY GOD, BIG BROTHER MASTERS HAS SNAPPED!!!!

[/color]

Jack DeVide: He’s got that vicious figure four locked around the ring post and he’s hanging from the outside wrenching down. He’s gonna rip his own brother’s knee to shreds![/color]

Thomas Granger: Serj called Bret out, said he paid The WSG to take him out at BLW’s Pay Per View. Bret’s got enemies in every damn fed, from BLW to here in Deep South Wrestling. Including his own jealous little brother who said he was going to be the one to appear at Fatal Falls and take out Bret. Now he says he would have done it himself but he was busy sleeping with Bret’s wife Alyssa. [/color]

Jack DeVide: And now he’s paying the consequences!! Someone needs to get out here quick!!![/color]

Bret Masters, incensed and out of control, finally releases the hold on his brother. The ring bell is ringing furiously, not like either of the Masters brothers thinks this thing is over. As Serj lays on the inside, his legs dangling under the bottom rope wrapped around the post, Bret goes and grabs a steel chair from under the time keeper, putting him on his ass in the process. Bret folds the chair and starts walking over to where Serj is laying.

[/color] [/center]

Jack DeVide: Masters has lost his mind!! He’s wrapped Serj’s leg around the ring post now.[/color]

Thomas Granger: No…No Bret…Don’t…That’s your brother!!!! [/color]

CRACK!
[/quote]

FLASHBACK TO SATURDAY, JUNE 10th, 3:30 p.m....

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Bret's back in Atlanta, GA. Back at “The Masters of Wrestling” Gymnasium. However, he is not working out or going over some paperwork. Instead it is time for SCHOOL; wrestling school. Bret, along with associates Mr. Nogaski, Mitch Rogan, and The Latin Assassin are all there to overlook the trainees at Bret's wrestling school. It's been about two weeks since the newest class to school has started and some students are making good progress, while others are considering whether or not to drop out. Bret can tell who will make it and who won't. That's why he pushes them so hard...

[/color][/center]


[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Come on! Don't quit now! You've got a long ways to go!

Student: But I can't see, Mr. Masters! [/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Can't see?! You're lucky! You never had it so GOOD! If you want to become a professional wrestler, you have to LIVE with PAIN! Every day you will wake up and HURT! And just because you can't see NOW, doesn't mean you should lose FOCUS on your goal. You want to become a professional wrestler one day, right?

Student: Yes sir! [/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Well then you'll have to work for it from this day forward! Can you handle that?

Student: YES SIR! [/color]

Bret sees the look in the young student's eyes. The look of determination and hope. A young kid with big dreams. Much like he was. Bret remembers he was once in their VERY shoes. Training at the "REAL DEAL" Wrestling school down in Texas. Bret's come a long way since then. But he’s still got a ways to go. He still has goals to accomplish. He still has yet to win a major title. Indy feds aside, Bret has not been at the top of the wrestling industry. Maybe more hard work is what Bret needs, just like his students. Bret can take a page out of his student's playbook...

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FLASH BACK TO SUNDAY, JUNE 11, 10:16 p.m....

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[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Alyssa, are you sure about this?

Alyssa Masters: Absolutely. If I wasn’t, why would I have suggested it? Why would I have gone on the visits, handled the phone calls, and handled the paperwork?[/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] What about the school?

Alyssa Masters: The school will be fine. The Master of Wrestling Academy is going to continue while you are away, trust me. It’s why we hired Mitch and The Latin Assassin. I’ll still check on it. You’ll still get back there.[/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] I can’t leave my students.

Alyssa Masters: You can’t escape your destiny.[/color]

Bret Masters sits, fingers interlocked behind his head, as he leans back on a chair. Sitting on his lap, looking longingly but sternly into his eyes is his wife Alyssa. Bret knows this look from Alyssa. It’s the look that meant she knew what she was talking about. The look he got when she asked him to their first dinner. The look he got when she told him to move back home. The look he got when she told him to open the school.

[/color][/center]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Alright, book the flight. Call him and tell him that I..

Alyssa Masters: We![/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] That WE accept his offer and we’ll be there.

Alyssa Masters: Good, I’m glad you agree. I told him you were coming anyway.[/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] I figured as much. Well, if we’re going to do this, we need a third per..

Alyssa Masters: He said he’ll pick us up at the airport.[/color]

Alyssa leans forward and gives Bret a kiss on the forehead before skipping away to pack. The next day they boarded a flight for Newark, New Jersey. That night they assaulted Easton Hall. That night Bret Masters revealed himself as Easton’s opponent at One Ring. But, just 7 days prior to that night, the “Goons” who attacked Easton during his speech had stunned Bret and the young wrestler who sat next to him. There was no affiliation between the “Goons” and Bret…or so he thought. But watching that attack on Easton last week, Bret couldn’t help but notice the diamond cutter Easton took that night. For the life of Bret, he knew only one other person who performed his finisher with such precision that way. One other person….named Alyssa Masters.

[/color] [/center]

FLASH FORWARD NOW TO SUNDAY, JUNE 18, 10:42 p.m....

[/i] [/center]

ONE RING. Easton and Bret, trainee and trainer, enemy and enemy. Bret and Easton have fought in a technical WAR. They are bruised and beaten. Piece-by-piece they have taken each other APART. And now Bret has “E-Rex” lined up and ready for his third Widowmaker in 3 weeks. One that would give Bret the OTB Television Title. Easton slowly gets to his feet, falling pray to the vicious cutter from the Masters. Bret quickly covers as the referee and crowd make the three count… 1…2….3…DING DING DING

[/color] [/center]


Ring Announcer: Here is your winner...and NEW OTB TELEVISION CHAMPION….BRET MASTERS!!!

The images of the future get fuzzy now. They are blurry, not crystal-clear like the past. Maybe because this hasn't happened yet. But it will. Because even though the images are blurred, they can still be seen. Which means, it MUST happen. And it will...

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FLASH BACK TO RIGHT NOW..

[/i]. [/center]

Bret is suddenly awake. He is awaken by a poke at his side. He looks around and realize where he is. He's inside of a plane. The plane has just landed in Washington DC. And sitting next to him is Alyssa...

[/color] [/center]


Alyssa Masters: Bret, you okay? [/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Wha..What? Oh yeah, I'm fine.

Alyssa Masters: You were pretty out of it throughout the entire flight. You were moving about too. I didn't know if it was a nightmare or what? [/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] No, it was no nightmare. It was a dream. A VERY good dream. Actually, it was more like a vision. Dreams can be broken. Dreams sometimes don’t come true. No, this was a very good vision.

Alyssa Masters: That's good. So I guess you are ready for Easton on Sunday, then. [/color]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Ready? You have no idea. No one does. Especially not Easton! I've been waiting for this moment for weeks! Everything has led to this point. What seems like just another match at just another PPV at just another arena in some town, is MUCH MORE! It's a WHOLE lifetime wrapped into THIS moment! Lessons learned and clear path ahead. You bet your LIFE I'm READY for it!

Alyssa looks at her husband with interest. She doesn't know what Bret means exactly. But she sees the smile on Bret's face and that's all she needs to know. The day that EVERYTHING changes is not that far away at all. The scene fades to black as Bret and Alyssa prepare to leave the plane to head to their hotel...

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[/center]

[masters]

The landscape is black and blasted. In the dark sky there are only two lights, red, fiery. The first is on top of a furious mountain, billowing smoke forth and raining fire and rock upon the tortured world.

The other light is on top of a tower. Between two pillers there is flame, shot from one to the other. This flame collects and forms the form of a red slitted eye.

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Dumbass!

Alyssa Masters: Shhhhh!

The scene shifts to that of a great battle between mounted 'things' and armoured men. The men are losing. The heros are dying. And people watching this have to pee.

Alyssa Masters: How long is this movie?

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] I don't know. Man this Sauron guy is a moron though. I don’t understand how anyone sat through this thing.

Alyssa Masters: Shhh. I'm trying to watch.

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Oh come on, you've read the book.

Alyssa Masters: Shhh!

The man and woman continue to converse. They are easily identified, however, by a single icon, one that identifies them. He is wearing a top hat.

[/color][/b][/center]

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Seriously. Sauron sucks. Now, let's assume that you have created One Ring to bind them, yada yada.

Alyssa Masters: sure. One Ring.

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Well, sweetheart, let's also assume that you had nine minions, unkillable by men, with flying mounts, that have the ability and drive to scour middle earth for your prey.

Alyssa Masters: Alright. Nazgul. Gotcha.

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] And let's also assume that this One Ring had a connection to you and you could tell whenever someone was wearing it.

Alyssa Masters: Where are you going with this?

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] I'm just saying that Sauron sucks. Cause it took a hobbit with a riddle to find that ring and take it from a guy who, and let's be blunt, HASN'T LEFT HIS FUCKING CAVE FOR A THOUSAND YEARS!

The woman looks at the man. They exchange glances. Glances are exchanged.

[/color][/b][/center]

Alyssa Masters: What's your point?

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Well, I'd be a little bit more proactive about the finding of the ring. I mean, Smeagol's got to have worn the ring at least once, right? The guy talks to himself all the time so he ain't terribly stealthy. So finding that ONE CAVE where Smeagol was for ONE THOUSAND years can't have been tough.

Alyssa Masters::: So you're saying you'd have the ring before then?

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] I'm saying not only would I have the ring, I wouldn't have involved Saruman, who also sucks. Mr. Gets beaten by trees. TREES!

'Hi. I live near a forest of living trees. I know them to be neutral in all things. I know them and used to talk to them. They can destroy entire nations. I know! I'LL BURN THEM DOWN!'

Alyssa Masters::: I see now why evil never wins.

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] No. Stupid evil never wins. Evil won when The Wall Street Gangsta’s decided to attack me. Evil won when Easton Hall decided that he was too good to help me, so that he could get a bit of redemption on Tommy Crusher. Hell, evil won when it forced me to break my own brothers leg just prior to joining OTB. There’s a difference though. I'm Smart evil. I’m evil with necessity. You see, there is no such thing as a “neutral” person. Neutral people are invisible. So you balance the line. Are the fans happy with me attacking Easton? Probably not. But would they be happy if I did the same attack on, let’s say, Bloodbath? Absolutely.

Alyssa Masters: Once again I don’t see your point.

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] My point is this. At One Ring tomorrow night, I’m not going to be stupid evil. I’m going to be malicious, I’m going to be ruthless, and I’m going to be unforgiving. Are the fans going to like what they see? No. Are they going to chant for Easton to break out of the buzzkill? You bet they are. But even more so, you can bet they will respect me when I walk out of the MCI Center with the Television Championship firmly around my waist.

Alyssa Masters: And you got all this from watching Lord of the Rings?

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] Oh, and another thing about that. Saruman's a known manipulator. Damn it. Instead of raising armies of orcs, renowned for their lack of intelligence, he could simply have framed Gondor and Rohan, claiming the humans burned the trees, and then the Ents do his dirty work. No need for orcs at all.

Alyssa Masters: That’s it, turn the damn movie off.

[glow=red,5,250]Bret Masters:[/glow] I mean it. Really dumb evil.