Magic (Arik Holt Night Of Honor RP)
Aug 30, 2021 15:48:52 GMT -5
gothmother and Brandon Hendrix like this
Post by CallMeRobert on Aug 30, 2021 15:48:52 GMT -5
June 3rd, 2021
Movistar Arena
Bogota, Colombia
Unaired Footage
We open somewhere in the back halls of the Movistar Arena, in a small, barely used broom closet. Fallout had been off the air for maybe thirty minutes and people were hustling and bustling around in the main areas, trying to disassemble the Fallout signs and Project: Honor items. The door to the broom closet opens and we briefly catch sight of the hall lights shining on a red hoodie, before the door shuts. The light in the room switches on and we see Arik Holt standing in the closet, surrounded by shelving with cleaners and paper towel rolls. But directly in the middle of the room is a fold-out metal chair set up in front of a piece of blue luggage sitting on its back. He pulls off the red mask, revealing his clean shaven bald head. Tossing the mask onto the ground next to the luggage, he sits down hard on the chair, letting out a sigh.
ARIK HOLT: That...was...awesome!
Leaning forward, Arik opens the front compartment of his suitcase with a loud metal zip noise and fishes out his laptop.
ARIK HOLT: All this time spent on Kasey...helping her...forming her...pushing her...and she continuously pushes me away? Her and that Warstein asshole learned their lesson tonight though, didn’t they? All the times that I tried to reach Kasey and she refused me. Where did that get her? It got her smashed face-first into a fucking metal chair, that’s what it got her!
Arik opened his laptop and set it up on top of his suitcase, hitting a button to turn it on. The laptop roared to life and Arik was quickly met by his laptop background...a picture of Kasey Winterborn holding up the Ascension Championship. He reaches out and runs his finger along the Ascension Championship image.
ARIK HOLT: Oh Kasey...how quickly the mighty fall. And until you recognize the role I have played, I will make sure you continue to bow at my feet. I will continue to make you feel the pain that you make me feel on a daily basis.
With a quick click of the mouse and a tap on the keyboard, Arik manages to pull up his ESPN+ app and opens a stream. Immediately he clicks on a video clip, highlighting the night that was Fallout.
MALE ANNOUNCER: And we have breaking news! Tonight on Project: Honor presents Fallout Seven: Undisputed...we all watched as the show ended with Kasey Winterborn and Lesley Adora securing the win over Logan Burgess and Mason Destruction. But before that happened, we all watched in horror as Redd made an appearance again and not only did he bring out a large group of purge masked individuals to stop Shawn Warstein from making it to the ring to protect Kasey, but Redd himself attacked Winterborn herself. With the rest of the people in the ring watching on in confusion, Redd planted Kasey with a sitout facebuster onto the metal chair. It busted her open and knocked her out just long enough for Redd and his minions to disappear into the darkness.
Arik smirks.
ARIK HOLT: You gotta love when a good plan comes together.
MALE ANNOUNCER: But that’s not really the breaking news. It has been reported now that Kasey has sustained an injury and a severe one at that. The report coming out of the Fallout locker room is that Kasey Winterborn will be vacating the Ascension Championship…
With his jaw slowly dropping, Arik’s eyes widened in shock. His heart starting to beat in his throat.
MALE ANNOUNCER: ...and she will be taking an indefinite leave of absence from Project: Honor itself.
ARIK HOLT: Son...of...A..BITCH!!!
Jumping to his feet, Arik grabs the nearest shelf of supplies and ransacks it...throwing everything off the shelf onto the floor in a mini-fit.
ARIK HOLT: SHE WASN’T INJURED ENOUGH TO LOSE THE ASCENSION CHAMPIONSHIP! SHE IS A COWARD! SHE WASN’T INJURED THAT BAD! SHE IS JUST FUCKING RUNNING FROM THE TRUTH!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!!!
As Arik rages on, the clip ends and starts on the next Fallout clip. The announcer begins talking about the previous match.
MALE ANNOUNCER: The headliner was a bit of a Disputed Territory re-match, pitting Pyro, Kayla Richards, and Valkyrie against Julius Fairweather, Pixie Sloane, and Savannah Sunshine.
ARIK HOLT: THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! MOTHER FU-
Arik stops his tantrum as “You’re The One That I Want” by Lo-Fang begins to play.
ARIK HOLT: -cker…
The alternating musical keys play as Arik slowly walks over and kneels down in front of his laptop screen.
# I’ve...got...chills,
They’re multiplying.
Arik reaches out and touches the monitor as they highlight the team of Fairweather, Sloane, and Sunshine. But Holt could care less about Julius and Pixie, it’s Savannah he is fixated on.
# And I’m loooooosing control,
‘Cause the power...you’re supplying…
Is electrifying.
Just as softly as he was outlining the Ascension Championship when he started his laptop, Arik runs his right index finger along the hair of a still image of Savannah Sunshine.
# You better shape up,
‘Cause you need...a man…
And my heart is set on you.
MALE ANNOUNCER: And there was no lack of tension between Pixie Sloane and Savannah Sunshine…
ARIK HOLT: ...Savannah…
Arik says her name as if he can taste it, enjoying each syllable like a drop of honey.
# You better shape up,
You better understand,
To my heart I must be true.
ARIK HOLT: ...you are...the next one I need to help. Not just for you...but for me...for my heart...my soul...my everything. I must show you your true potential!
# Oooooh, you’re the one that I want,
The one that I want,
One that I need.
The clip from the match ends and the queue begins to count down to the next clip, but Arik quickly closes out the stream and is left staring at his laptop background again. The image of Kasey holding up the Ascension Championship changes his look of awe to that of a look of enraged anger. The music fades out of his mind as he grabs the laptop, stands to his feet and turns, SMASHING it on the metal chair. Hit after hit, smash after smash, parts break and go flying off the laptop...before Arik stops and stands there huffing and puffing...holding nothing more than the laptop keyboard.
ARIK HOLT: The Kween has fallen. It is time to help the rise of the new Queen…
Arik drops the laptop keyboard and reaches down, picking something else up off the ground...his Redd mask. He slides it on as it flickers to life, covering the room in a red hue.
ARIK HOLT: ...the Candyland Queen.
August 28th, 2021
Gunma Flower Park
Maebashi, Japan
Aired Footage
We open on a beautiful Saturday in the Gunma Flower Park, located in Maebashi, Japan. The sun is trying to poke through the clouds, but it’s not having an easy time at it. But never-the-less, a large number of people are calmly walking through the flower displays. Purple flowers give way to yellow flowers, give way to red flowers, give way to white flowers. All of them together create some sort of elaborate design, meant to be beautiful and awe inspiring. Standing right in the middle of one of the paths surrounding the flowers, is Fallout General Manager Assistant, Arik Holt.
ARIK HOLT: Flowers are such beautiful creations, truly one of God’s magnificent designs. While a majority are beautiful and designed for many things, some hold a secret. Some look beautiful and you just want to reach out and caress each petal...gently sniff at its grand aroma...only to find out they are as deadly as a rattlesnake.
A smirk crosses Arik’s face as the camera view changes to as if we are standing directly in front of him.
ARIK HOLT: Aconitum, a beautiful blue flower, better known to the world as wolfsbane. A flower from the buttercup family, it hides away the deadly knowledge that a few drops from its roots could cause heart failure and cardiac muscle paralysis for those who ingest it.
Arik starts walking along the path, the camera following in front of him.
ARIK HOLT: Or what about the Oleander? A pink flower that usually is kept as an ornamental shrub or a magnificent hedge. Not only does just ingesting any of it could cause stomach issues as well as seizures, coma, and death...but even just TOUCHING it could lead to severe skin reactions.
While stopping dead in his tracks, the smile on Holt’s face slowly fades away.
ARIK HOLT: It’s easy to confuse these flowers for unmatched beauty to only get bitten by their poison...believe me, I’ve done it myself. You see, I believed in the beauty of Savannah Sunshine. I believed in her beauty, her power, her ability, and her intelligence. And what did I get in the end?
He reaches up; and touches the small wound on his cheek, being held together by a few stitches.
ARIK HOLT: I gave her everything I could. I gave her my assistance. I gave her the best push my limited powers could. When she lined up against Pixie Sloane...where was Jason Long? He was too busy pussy-footing around about having to face Kayla Richards. He was too busy worrying about how it was affecting HIS life. But she still wouldn’t leave his side.
With a head shake of disbelief, Arik begins to walk again.
ARIK HOLT: Whether it was Kit Darling, Nathan Connor, or Jason...I tried to point out to you, Savannah, how you could do so much better. I tried to point out where you didn’t need the distractions, you didn’t need their disbelief in you. Yet...you still reached out to them. You still hesitated when I offered my hand. And when I saw you continuously go back to Jason after he shunned you...after he ignored you...AFTER HE LEFT YOU…
The Flower Park visitors around Arik stop and look at him disapprovingly for yelling.
ARIK HOLT: ...I knew what I had to do. You couldn’t be your own person with Jason hanging around. You couldn’t be the Champion that I knew you could be with Jason simply pulling you along as his female trophy. I knew I had to take him out. I knew I had to get rid of Mr. Long, if I was going to be able to watch you grow...watch you flourish. And that is why I stabbed him. Not once...not twice...but THREE times. Despite the sadness you would feel for a bit, there was never a doubt in my mind that you would be better for it. You would use it to fuel yourself. You would use it to fuel that fire inside, to become bigger...to become better...to become the warrior I knew you could be.
The disapproving look on his face becomes a scowl.
ARIK HOLT: But instead Jason survived and you have become nothing more than a shell of the girl I saw that night. One moment you are taking down people like Drago Santiago and Pixie Sloane...the next you are getting choked out by Slade Castle and barely even making a showing during that Ascension Championship Match. And before you go spouting off about how you drew first blood in the ring with me the night after your pitiful own match...realize it’s easy to do when you blindside someone. Even then, you left but merely a scratch.
Reaching out as he continues walking, Arik grabs a blue flower and picks it from the garden. Looking at it as he continues walking, visitors around him give him dirty looks for picking one of the flowers.
ARIK HOLT: But at Night of Honor, Savannah, there will be no blindsiding. We both know...well...I know what we are getting into. No Jason to help you. No Kit or Nathan to get in our way. It will be you, me, and the horror movie massacre around us. I can finally punish you for your ignorance. I can finally punish you for you taking everything I gave you and throwing it out the window. I offer to help raise the queen...to lend a friendly helping hand...and while you pretend to take it, you spit in my face at every turn. Why? Because some blocked-headed little boy? Because you felt some sort of need to stay true to a man who didn’t stay true to you? You had someone willing to give you everything they had...give you everything they were...and you shunned me for a man who worried more about his own feelings, than your mental health.
Stopping in his tracks, Arik holds the flower up and inspects it closely.
ARIK HOLT: But I’m the bad guy, right? I'm the one who needs to be stopped. I’m the one who needs to be taught a lesson, right?
With a tight grip, Holt grabs the flower with both hands and smashes it between his palms.
ARIK HOLT: If that’s what you want to believe, Savannah, then believe it. But like this flower here, I know I must crush the most beautiful flower in all of Project: Honor. I know to get you to see what I see, I must open your eyes. And If I have to do that by force, then that’s what I must do.
He opens his hands, letting the petals fall from his palms. Gracefully the broken and bent petals cascade down, gently flipping in the air on their way down to the pavement.
ARIK HOLT: But I want you to know that I still have faith in you, Savannah. I know there is still a part of you who can be redeemed. I know deep down in your soul, that you see the truth about Jason and you know what I did was right. So it is a shame that it’s come to this. It’s a shame that I’m going to have to take you down, to raise you up. But I’ll do what needs to be done, Savannah. I’ve done that since the moment I became part of Fallout’s authority. I’ve pulled strings, I’ve pushed people down, I’ve called in favors...all to get the right pieces into place. And this match will be no different.
Arik dusts his hands off, before squatting down and looking at the broken remains of the flower. He observes them for a moment before picking them up and placing them in the palm of his left hand.
ARIK HOLT: So I ask that you come prepared, Ms Sunshine. Prepared to open your eyes...prepared to open your mind...prepared to look at things from a whole new perspective. Because once you experience that moment...I know you will understand. And for once, I will know you are a true friend. It's just a shame that it had to come this far for you to wake up. But again, I have no problem doing what needs to be done….
He closes his fist and blows gently on his fingers, before opening his hand once more. Suddenly the flower is whole once again and is as vibrant as ever.
ARIK HOLT: ...to make you beautiful once again.
August 30th, 2021
Somewhere in the United States
Unaired Footage
Our scene opens in what looks to be a bedroom. The room looks to be kept really clean. The gray walls match the dull gray comforter on the bed, with its dark oak colored footboard and headboard. There is an uneasiness in the room as the sun fights to shine through the dirty window, and dusty blinds. Even the alarm clock that is sitting on the dark oak end table, is gray...with exception to the soft blue numbers that show the time. The numbers change from ‘7:59’ to ‘8:00’.
*Click*
Suddenly the quiet protection from the honking outside the window is super charged. ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ by Weezer begins to billow out from the speaker on the side of the alarm.
The drums begin to beat as a body arises from under the comforter, on top of the bed. Sitting there is a groggy looking Arik Holt, his eyes barely open as he pulls the covers off of himself and barely is able to hop out of bed. We can see he is dressed in a black with white polka-dotted collared pajama set.
# Sun is shinin’ in the sky
There ain’t a cloud in sight.
He makes his way to a set of broken dark oak doors, opening them to reveal a closet full of clothes that are sloppily hanging off the hangers and are in no order at all. He slowly begins to touch the hangers, trying to decide what to wear for the day.
# It’s stopped rainin’
Everybody’s in the play.
Arik’s eyes open completely as he stops and pulls out a hanger that has a black t-shirt on it, before picking up a pair of jeans off the floor that were balled up.
# And don’t you know,
It’s a beautiful new day, hey hey.
Arik shuts the doors to the closet, making sure not to break it any further. Turning to his left, he nearly trips walking towards the bathroom.
# Runnin’ down the avenue
See how the sun shines brightly…
Our scene cuts to the bathroom mirror. It’s just a normal circular mirror, a light shining down from a single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room. The bathroom walls look like they used to be white, but are now a little dusty and could use a good wipe down. Arik stands in the mirror, inspecting himself.
# ...in the city
On the streets where once was pity.
The sound of an opening drawer can be heard as Arik pulls a hair brush out from somewhere beneath the mirror. He lifts it up towards his bald head, but shakes his head as he notices that stubble has started to appear.
# Mr. Blue Sky is living here today, hey hey.
Arik grimaces as he tosses the brush back into the drawer The sound of the drawer can be heard slamming shut before he walks out of the bathroom.
# Mr. Blue Sky, please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long (so long).
We follow him down a small hall to a door at the end, that could easily be mistaken for a hall closet. The music slowly fades out as he grabs the door knob, unlocking a deadbolt placed slightly above the knob.
ARIK HOLT: God, I can’t wait to grow my hair back out.
Slowly he opens the door and steps into the room, quickly shutting it behind him. The deadbolt can be heard relocking from the inside.
Our view changes to show Arik Holt standing inside the surprisingly large room. He looks around, a little confused, but then laughs softly to himself.
ARIK HOLT: You know, I never planned it like this. I didn’t expect them to all buy it, hook-line-and-sinker. I thought one of them would be able to pick me out. I thought one of them would be able to point at me and call me out on my bullshit. But nope...not even DeMarco.
Arik puts his arms behind his back and begins to slowly walk around the room.
ARIK HOLT: Who would have thought that shaving my head and just not talking, would be able to fool everyone. Does it show they are gullible? Or does it show that Arik Holt is just that forgettable? I mean, after all...no one pays attention to the quiet little bald guy. No one feels threatened by the man who was oh-and-three in his Project: Honor career. No one bats an eye when little Arik Holt walks past. Instead, it was almost like I could move invisibly through everyone.
Arik walks up to a small door. He grabs the handle and quickly opens it...but nothing happens. Inside is a small shower, a toilet, and a sink. He pears inside, before shutting the door again.
ARIK HOLT: I could walk past any of them...and nobody would even think twice about turning to see if I would stab them in the back. Hell, even Savannah slurped it all up. DeMarco didn’t think twice when I would follow him around. No one suspected a DAMN thing.
As Arik walks around the room, we see small items that show someone was recently in there. A plate with a half-eaten peanut butter sandwich on it, a pair of socks sitting on the floor, and even a small stack of books.
ARIK HOLT: After all this time, I could have sworn that I had blown my cover. I couldn’t possibly pull this off, could I? But then, it kept getting easier and easier. One moment I’m Arik Holt...the next I’m Redd...the next I’m back to being Arik Holt again. No one was the wiser. I guess it really shows you, who exactly cared about you.
Arik stops and grabs the handle of another small door.
ARIK HOLT: Isn’t that right…
He swings open the door and smiles. Sitting there on the floor reading a book, is Arik Holt.
ARIK HOLT: ...Arik?
The real Arik looks up at the fake Arik and scowls. He grabs a marker and notepad next to him, scribbles on it then holds it up. It reads ‘WHY ANDREW?’.
ANDREW HOLT: Why not? I mean, you had the perfect life. Perfect routine, perfect job, perfect lifestyle...and what did I have? Constant money issues, a family who didn’t love me, a spotty criminal history. I needed a new start, a fresh start. And I saw you WASTING your life away!
Arik shakes his head in disapproval.
ANDREW HOLT: But now...now everyone fears me, well...fears you. And none of them realize a goddamn thing. None of them see that I am playing them all like a FUCKING fiddle.
Andrew laughs as he turns and starts walking out into the bigger room.
ANDREW HOLT: Sure! The quiet guy, the one that looked like a fucking walking-talking Cue Ball just suddenly begins to grow a set of nuts and has the entire Project: Honor locker room shaking in fear!
Slowly rising to his feet, Arik makes his way out of the bathroom as Andrew stops in the middle of the room and turns to him.
ANDREW HOLT: And these people are supposedly competent enough to run a wrestling business? A SUCCESSFUL ONE?
Turning back around and making his way back to the door, Andrew chuckles.
ANDREW HOLT: You sure know how to pick your so-called friends, Arik. Ones that are so easily fooled by a twin shaving his head and simploy shutting his mouth. But don’t worry, brother, I’ll take care of them all soon enough. Once I take care of Savannah at Night of Honor...I’m going to make sure that pay-per-view is going to end in a way that NONE of the roster are going to forget.
He finally makes his way to the main door to the room, before turning and looking back at Arik who had sat down on the floor next to the stack of books.
ANDREW HOLT: But you just enjoy yourself in your little room, Arik. This is exactly where you’ve always belonged anyway...behind a fucking cage like the goddamn freak you are.
The smiles to a scowl on Andrew’s face.
ANDREW HOLT: I never understood why our parents babied you so much anyway. I just wanted a crumb of attention and only ever got ignored and pushed to the side...because I was the normal one. But now, I've got all the attention I crave. And while you read your books and eat your little sandwiches...I’m going to tear Project: Honor down brick-by-brick. Starting with little Ms Sunshine...then that idiot boss of yours.
He opens the door and takes a step out, slamming the door shut and quickly bolting the deadbolt.
ANDREW HOLT: You’ll realize this is for your own good too, brother. You’ll see, I promise you.
Movistar Arena
Bogota, Colombia
Unaired Footage
We open somewhere in the back halls of the Movistar Arena, in a small, barely used broom closet. Fallout had been off the air for maybe thirty minutes and people were hustling and bustling around in the main areas, trying to disassemble the Fallout signs and Project: Honor items. The door to the broom closet opens and we briefly catch sight of the hall lights shining on a red hoodie, before the door shuts. The light in the room switches on and we see Arik Holt standing in the closet, surrounded by shelving with cleaners and paper towel rolls. But directly in the middle of the room is a fold-out metal chair set up in front of a piece of blue luggage sitting on its back. He pulls off the red mask, revealing his clean shaven bald head. Tossing the mask onto the ground next to the luggage, he sits down hard on the chair, letting out a sigh.
ARIK HOLT: That...was...awesome!
Leaning forward, Arik opens the front compartment of his suitcase with a loud metal zip noise and fishes out his laptop.
ARIK HOLT: All this time spent on Kasey...helping her...forming her...pushing her...and she continuously pushes me away? Her and that Warstein asshole learned their lesson tonight though, didn’t they? All the times that I tried to reach Kasey and she refused me. Where did that get her? It got her smashed face-first into a fucking metal chair, that’s what it got her!
Arik opened his laptop and set it up on top of his suitcase, hitting a button to turn it on. The laptop roared to life and Arik was quickly met by his laptop background...a picture of Kasey Winterborn holding up the Ascension Championship. He reaches out and runs his finger along the Ascension Championship image.
ARIK HOLT: Oh Kasey...how quickly the mighty fall. And until you recognize the role I have played, I will make sure you continue to bow at my feet. I will continue to make you feel the pain that you make me feel on a daily basis.
With a quick click of the mouse and a tap on the keyboard, Arik manages to pull up his ESPN+ app and opens a stream. Immediately he clicks on a video clip, highlighting the night that was Fallout.
MALE ANNOUNCER: And we have breaking news! Tonight on Project: Honor presents Fallout Seven: Undisputed...we all watched as the show ended with Kasey Winterborn and Lesley Adora securing the win over Logan Burgess and Mason Destruction. But before that happened, we all watched in horror as Redd made an appearance again and not only did he bring out a large group of purge masked individuals to stop Shawn Warstein from making it to the ring to protect Kasey, but Redd himself attacked Winterborn herself. With the rest of the people in the ring watching on in confusion, Redd planted Kasey with a sitout facebuster onto the metal chair. It busted her open and knocked her out just long enough for Redd and his minions to disappear into the darkness.
Arik smirks.
ARIK HOLT: You gotta love when a good plan comes together.
MALE ANNOUNCER: But that’s not really the breaking news. It has been reported now that Kasey has sustained an injury and a severe one at that. The report coming out of the Fallout locker room is that Kasey Winterborn will be vacating the Ascension Championship…
With his jaw slowly dropping, Arik’s eyes widened in shock. His heart starting to beat in his throat.
MALE ANNOUNCER: ...and she will be taking an indefinite leave of absence from Project: Honor itself.
ARIK HOLT: Son...of...A..BITCH!!!
Jumping to his feet, Arik grabs the nearest shelf of supplies and ransacks it...throwing everything off the shelf onto the floor in a mini-fit.
ARIK HOLT: SHE WASN’T INJURED ENOUGH TO LOSE THE ASCENSION CHAMPIONSHIP! SHE IS A COWARD! SHE WASN’T INJURED THAT BAD! SHE IS JUST FUCKING RUNNING FROM THE TRUTH!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!!!
As Arik rages on, the clip ends and starts on the next Fallout clip. The announcer begins talking about the previous match.
MALE ANNOUNCER: The headliner was a bit of a Disputed Territory re-match, pitting Pyro, Kayla Richards, and Valkyrie against Julius Fairweather, Pixie Sloane, and Savannah Sunshine.
ARIK HOLT: THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! MOTHER FU-
Arik stops his tantrum as “You’re The One That I Want” by Lo-Fang begins to play.
ARIK HOLT: -cker…
The alternating musical keys play as Arik slowly walks over and kneels down in front of his laptop screen.
# I’ve...got...chills,
They’re multiplying.
Arik reaches out and touches the monitor as they highlight the team of Fairweather, Sloane, and Sunshine. But Holt could care less about Julius and Pixie, it’s Savannah he is fixated on.
# And I’m loooooosing control,
‘Cause the power...you’re supplying…
Is electrifying.
Just as softly as he was outlining the Ascension Championship when he started his laptop, Arik runs his right index finger along the hair of a still image of Savannah Sunshine.
# You better shape up,
‘Cause you need...a man…
And my heart is set on you.
MALE ANNOUNCER: And there was no lack of tension between Pixie Sloane and Savannah Sunshine…
ARIK HOLT: ...Savannah…
Arik says her name as if he can taste it, enjoying each syllable like a drop of honey.
# You better shape up,
You better understand,
To my heart I must be true.
ARIK HOLT: ...you are...the next one I need to help. Not just for you...but for me...for my heart...my soul...my everything. I must show you your true potential!
# Oooooh, you’re the one that I want,
The one that I want,
One that I need.
The clip from the match ends and the queue begins to count down to the next clip, but Arik quickly closes out the stream and is left staring at his laptop background again. The image of Kasey holding up the Ascension Championship changes his look of awe to that of a look of enraged anger. The music fades out of his mind as he grabs the laptop, stands to his feet and turns, SMASHING it on the metal chair. Hit after hit, smash after smash, parts break and go flying off the laptop...before Arik stops and stands there huffing and puffing...holding nothing more than the laptop keyboard.
ARIK HOLT: The Kween has fallen. It is time to help the rise of the new Queen…
Arik drops the laptop keyboard and reaches down, picking something else up off the ground...his Redd mask. He slides it on as it flickers to life, covering the room in a red hue.
ARIK HOLT: ...the Candyland Queen.
* * * * *
August 28th, 2021
Gunma Flower Park
Maebashi, Japan
Aired Footage
We open on a beautiful Saturday in the Gunma Flower Park, located in Maebashi, Japan. The sun is trying to poke through the clouds, but it’s not having an easy time at it. But never-the-less, a large number of people are calmly walking through the flower displays. Purple flowers give way to yellow flowers, give way to red flowers, give way to white flowers. All of them together create some sort of elaborate design, meant to be beautiful and awe inspiring. Standing right in the middle of one of the paths surrounding the flowers, is Fallout General Manager Assistant, Arik Holt.
ARIK HOLT: Flowers are such beautiful creations, truly one of God’s magnificent designs. While a majority are beautiful and designed for many things, some hold a secret. Some look beautiful and you just want to reach out and caress each petal...gently sniff at its grand aroma...only to find out they are as deadly as a rattlesnake.
A smirk crosses Arik’s face as the camera view changes to as if we are standing directly in front of him.
ARIK HOLT: Aconitum, a beautiful blue flower, better known to the world as wolfsbane. A flower from the buttercup family, it hides away the deadly knowledge that a few drops from its roots could cause heart failure and cardiac muscle paralysis for those who ingest it.
Arik starts walking along the path, the camera following in front of him.
ARIK HOLT: Or what about the Oleander? A pink flower that usually is kept as an ornamental shrub or a magnificent hedge. Not only does just ingesting any of it could cause stomach issues as well as seizures, coma, and death...but even just TOUCHING it could lead to severe skin reactions.
While stopping dead in his tracks, the smile on Holt’s face slowly fades away.
ARIK HOLT: It’s easy to confuse these flowers for unmatched beauty to only get bitten by their poison...believe me, I’ve done it myself. You see, I believed in the beauty of Savannah Sunshine. I believed in her beauty, her power, her ability, and her intelligence. And what did I get in the end?
He reaches up; and touches the small wound on his cheek, being held together by a few stitches.
ARIK HOLT: I gave her everything I could. I gave her my assistance. I gave her the best push my limited powers could. When she lined up against Pixie Sloane...where was Jason Long? He was too busy pussy-footing around about having to face Kayla Richards. He was too busy worrying about how it was affecting HIS life. But she still wouldn’t leave his side.
With a head shake of disbelief, Arik begins to walk again.
ARIK HOLT: Whether it was Kit Darling, Nathan Connor, or Jason...I tried to point out to you, Savannah, how you could do so much better. I tried to point out where you didn’t need the distractions, you didn’t need their disbelief in you. Yet...you still reached out to them. You still hesitated when I offered my hand. And when I saw you continuously go back to Jason after he shunned you...after he ignored you...AFTER HE LEFT YOU…
The Flower Park visitors around Arik stop and look at him disapprovingly for yelling.
ARIK HOLT: ...I knew what I had to do. You couldn’t be your own person with Jason hanging around. You couldn’t be the Champion that I knew you could be with Jason simply pulling you along as his female trophy. I knew I had to take him out. I knew I had to get rid of Mr. Long, if I was going to be able to watch you grow...watch you flourish. And that is why I stabbed him. Not once...not twice...but THREE times. Despite the sadness you would feel for a bit, there was never a doubt in my mind that you would be better for it. You would use it to fuel yourself. You would use it to fuel that fire inside, to become bigger...to become better...to become the warrior I knew you could be.
The disapproving look on his face becomes a scowl.
ARIK HOLT: But instead Jason survived and you have become nothing more than a shell of the girl I saw that night. One moment you are taking down people like Drago Santiago and Pixie Sloane...the next you are getting choked out by Slade Castle and barely even making a showing during that Ascension Championship Match. And before you go spouting off about how you drew first blood in the ring with me the night after your pitiful own match...realize it’s easy to do when you blindside someone. Even then, you left but merely a scratch.
Reaching out as he continues walking, Arik grabs a blue flower and picks it from the garden. Looking at it as he continues walking, visitors around him give him dirty looks for picking one of the flowers.
ARIK HOLT: But at Night of Honor, Savannah, there will be no blindsiding. We both know...well...I know what we are getting into. No Jason to help you. No Kit or Nathan to get in our way. It will be you, me, and the horror movie massacre around us. I can finally punish you for your ignorance. I can finally punish you for you taking everything I gave you and throwing it out the window. I offer to help raise the queen...to lend a friendly helping hand...and while you pretend to take it, you spit in my face at every turn. Why? Because some blocked-headed little boy? Because you felt some sort of need to stay true to a man who didn’t stay true to you? You had someone willing to give you everything they had...give you everything they were...and you shunned me for a man who worried more about his own feelings, than your mental health.
Stopping in his tracks, Arik holds the flower up and inspects it closely.
ARIK HOLT: But I’m the bad guy, right? I'm the one who needs to be stopped. I’m the one who needs to be taught a lesson, right?
With a tight grip, Holt grabs the flower with both hands and smashes it between his palms.
ARIK HOLT: If that’s what you want to believe, Savannah, then believe it. But like this flower here, I know I must crush the most beautiful flower in all of Project: Honor. I know to get you to see what I see, I must open your eyes. And If I have to do that by force, then that’s what I must do.
He opens his hands, letting the petals fall from his palms. Gracefully the broken and bent petals cascade down, gently flipping in the air on their way down to the pavement.
ARIK HOLT: But I want you to know that I still have faith in you, Savannah. I know there is still a part of you who can be redeemed. I know deep down in your soul, that you see the truth about Jason and you know what I did was right. So it is a shame that it’s come to this. It’s a shame that I’m going to have to take you down, to raise you up. But I’ll do what needs to be done, Savannah. I’ve done that since the moment I became part of Fallout’s authority. I’ve pulled strings, I’ve pushed people down, I’ve called in favors...all to get the right pieces into place. And this match will be no different.
Arik dusts his hands off, before squatting down and looking at the broken remains of the flower. He observes them for a moment before picking them up and placing them in the palm of his left hand.
ARIK HOLT: So I ask that you come prepared, Ms Sunshine. Prepared to open your eyes...prepared to open your mind...prepared to look at things from a whole new perspective. Because once you experience that moment...I know you will understand. And for once, I will know you are a true friend. It's just a shame that it had to come this far for you to wake up. But again, I have no problem doing what needs to be done….
He closes his fist and blows gently on his fingers, before opening his hand once more. Suddenly the flower is whole once again and is as vibrant as ever.
ARIK HOLT: ...to make you beautiful once again.
* * * * *
August 30th, 2021
Somewhere in the United States
Unaired Footage
Our scene opens in what looks to be a bedroom. The room looks to be kept really clean. The gray walls match the dull gray comforter on the bed, with its dark oak colored footboard and headboard. There is an uneasiness in the room as the sun fights to shine through the dirty window, and dusty blinds. Even the alarm clock that is sitting on the dark oak end table, is gray...with exception to the soft blue numbers that show the time. The numbers change from ‘7:59’ to ‘8:00’.
*Click*
Suddenly the quiet protection from the honking outside the window is super charged. ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ by Weezer begins to billow out from the speaker on the side of the alarm.
The drums begin to beat as a body arises from under the comforter, on top of the bed. Sitting there is a groggy looking Arik Holt, his eyes barely open as he pulls the covers off of himself and barely is able to hop out of bed. We can see he is dressed in a black with white polka-dotted collared pajama set.
# Sun is shinin’ in the sky
There ain’t a cloud in sight.
He makes his way to a set of broken dark oak doors, opening them to reveal a closet full of clothes that are sloppily hanging off the hangers and are in no order at all. He slowly begins to touch the hangers, trying to decide what to wear for the day.
# It’s stopped rainin’
Everybody’s in the play.
Arik’s eyes open completely as he stops and pulls out a hanger that has a black t-shirt on it, before picking up a pair of jeans off the floor that were balled up.
# And don’t you know,
It’s a beautiful new day, hey hey.
Arik shuts the doors to the closet, making sure not to break it any further. Turning to his left, he nearly trips walking towards the bathroom.
# Runnin’ down the avenue
See how the sun shines brightly…
Our scene cuts to the bathroom mirror. It’s just a normal circular mirror, a light shining down from a single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room. The bathroom walls look like they used to be white, but are now a little dusty and could use a good wipe down. Arik stands in the mirror, inspecting himself.
# ...in the city
On the streets where once was pity.
The sound of an opening drawer can be heard as Arik pulls a hair brush out from somewhere beneath the mirror. He lifts it up towards his bald head, but shakes his head as he notices that stubble has started to appear.
# Mr. Blue Sky is living here today, hey hey.
Arik grimaces as he tosses the brush back into the drawer The sound of the drawer can be heard slamming shut before he walks out of the bathroom.
# Mr. Blue Sky, please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long (so long).
We follow him down a small hall to a door at the end, that could easily be mistaken for a hall closet. The music slowly fades out as he grabs the door knob, unlocking a deadbolt placed slightly above the knob.
ARIK HOLT: God, I can’t wait to grow my hair back out.
Slowly he opens the door and steps into the room, quickly shutting it behind him. The deadbolt can be heard relocking from the inside.
Our view changes to show Arik Holt standing inside the surprisingly large room. He looks around, a little confused, but then laughs softly to himself.
ARIK HOLT: You know, I never planned it like this. I didn’t expect them to all buy it, hook-line-and-sinker. I thought one of them would be able to pick me out. I thought one of them would be able to point at me and call me out on my bullshit. But nope...not even DeMarco.
Arik puts his arms behind his back and begins to slowly walk around the room.
ARIK HOLT: Who would have thought that shaving my head and just not talking, would be able to fool everyone. Does it show they are gullible? Or does it show that Arik Holt is just that forgettable? I mean, after all...no one pays attention to the quiet little bald guy. No one feels threatened by the man who was oh-and-three in his Project: Honor career. No one bats an eye when little Arik Holt walks past. Instead, it was almost like I could move invisibly through everyone.
Arik walks up to a small door. He grabs the handle and quickly opens it...but nothing happens. Inside is a small shower, a toilet, and a sink. He pears inside, before shutting the door again.
ARIK HOLT: I could walk past any of them...and nobody would even think twice about turning to see if I would stab them in the back. Hell, even Savannah slurped it all up. DeMarco didn’t think twice when I would follow him around. No one suspected a DAMN thing.
As Arik walks around the room, we see small items that show someone was recently in there. A plate with a half-eaten peanut butter sandwich on it, a pair of socks sitting on the floor, and even a small stack of books.
ARIK HOLT: After all this time, I could have sworn that I had blown my cover. I couldn’t possibly pull this off, could I? But then, it kept getting easier and easier. One moment I’m Arik Holt...the next I’m Redd...the next I’m back to being Arik Holt again. No one was the wiser. I guess it really shows you, who exactly cared about you.
Arik stops and grabs the handle of another small door.
ARIK HOLT: Isn’t that right…
He swings open the door and smiles. Sitting there on the floor reading a book, is Arik Holt.
ARIK HOLT: ...Arik?
The real Arik looks up at the fake Arik and scowls. He grabs a marker and notepad next to him, scribbles on it then holds it up. It reads ‘WHY ANDREW?’.
ANDREW HOLT: Why not? I mean, you had the perfect life. Perfect routine, perfect job, perfect lifestyle...and what did I have? Constant money issues, a family who didn’t love me, a spotty criminal history. I needed a new start, a fresh start. And I saw you WASTING your life away!
Arik shakes his head in disapproval.
ANDREW HOLT: But now...now everyone fears me, well...fears you. And none of them realize a goddamn thing. None of them see that I am playing them all like a FUCKING fiddle.
Andrew laughs as he turns and starts walking out into the bigger room.
ANDREW HOLT: Sure! The quiet guy, the one that looked like a fucking walking-talking Cue Ball just suddenly begins to grow a set of nuts and has the entire Project: Honor locker room shaking in fear!
Slowly rising to his feet, Arik makes his way out of the bathroom as Andrew stops in the middle of the room and turns to him.
ANDREW HOLT: And these people are supposedly competent enough to run a wrestling business? A SUCCESSFUL ONE?
Turning back around and making his way back to the door, Andrew chuckles.
ANDREW HOLT: You sure know how to pick your so-called friends, Arik. Ones that are so easily fooled by a twin shaving his head and simploy shutting his mouth. But don’t worry, brother, I’ll take care of them all soon enough. Once I take care of Savannah at Night of Honor...I’m going to make sure that pay-per-view is going to end in a way that NONE of the roster are going to forget.
He finally makes his way to the main door to the room, before turning and looking back at Arik who had sat down on the floor next to the stack of books.
ANDREW HOLT: But you just enjoy yourself in your little room, Arik. This is exactly where you’ve always belonged anyway...behind a fucking cage like the goddamn freak you are.
The smiles to a scowl on Andrew’s face.
ANDREW HOLT: I never understood why our parents babied you so much anyway. I just wanted a crumb of attention and only ever got ignored and pushed to the side...because I was the normal one. But now, I've got all the attention I crave. And while you read your books and eat your little sandwiches...I’m going to tear Project: Honor down brick-by-brick. Starting with little Ms Sunshine...then that idiot boss of yours.
He opens the door and takes a step out, slamming the door shut and quickly bolting the deadbolt.
ANDREW HOLT: You’ll realize this is for your own good too, brother. You’ll see, I promise you.