- Event: Refueled XVIII
Darkness, nothing but darkness surrounds our eyes as we fall on a droplet of rain, dancing through the sky as we join with our friends, our family, together we are united but own our own we cannot master the universe. We must work together, we must be strong for our kingdom or we will crumble.
We find ourselves falling, forever falling to the ground only to be caught in the palm of a hand, the fingers in the palm grasp the rain droplets as they fall and crash around a figure who stands looking up at the sky. It’s a very starry night one that you would dream about when you’re either a pair of young lovers looking up at the sky or maybe a child looking at the stars wondering what is up there. The hand closes on the droplet as we see Lucian Santangel standing all alone in the middle of the carnival site.
There is nothing around him just emptiness and a few trees but not a forest by any means just a few scattered about in the nothingness of his surroundings, As we focus more on Lucian we see a rare smile from the corners of his mouth through his mask as he continues to catch the rain droplets falling from the sky above.
Lucian – “ I remember as a child I would always come outside and play with the rain, the touch of it flowing through my fingers was ever so satisfying, I remember thinking to myself once that I wonder if I caught it all would I have enough to get what I wanted? But just like hopes and dreams, they all shatter in the end”
Lucian throws the water from his hand and looks up at a branch in a tree.
Lucian – “No matter what you have in life, something always seems to slip right through your fingers, you could be going through life ready to collect something but right at the last minute a swerve-ball happens and you don’t get what you want.”
Lucian ponders in deep thought for a moment.
Lucian – “Last week I got everything I ever wanted, a name to my father, after all these years searching for the man I was standing opposite him in a ring where I was legally allowed to beat him down to an inch of his life. I was legally able to give him all the pain and suffering that he has given me over all the years and I truly saw him for what he is.”
The smile on Lucian’s face has disappeared and is filled now with an emotion that can only be described as HATE.
Lucian – “My so-called father is a coward. The lowest of the low, a cheat, a scoundrel and a victimizer. I used to wonder what I had done wrong for him to leave, what had I done so much to shame him to walk away from me, but I know now it’s not what I did, it’s more like what he did.”
Lucian grimaces in pain as he wipes some rain from the side of his face brushing past bruises on the side of his face under his mask.
Lucian – “I gave you a war father, but what did it achieve? Do I know the answers I was looking for? Am I any closer to finding out the truth. Hardly but least I know where to find you now, at least I have a name to a face, and thanks to Woodson at least I was able to stand in the ring with you. For what it’s worth father, I forgive you for leaving, just so I could get my hands on you.”
As Lucian pauses he looks up into the tree, suddenly he sees a bird sitting there on a branch, a blackbird but not a rook or a raven, it’s more like a magpie, a thief of the sky, the least trustworthy bird there is, it’s known that these guys will rob you blind and only look out for themselves, strange to see one this late at night just sitting there on the wood
?? – “Son! Do ya think I’ll get it?”
Words are spoken quietly into the ear of Lucian as standing next to him is a figure we know from HOW as Hughie Freeman, As crafty as the pikey is he travels in mysterious ways, holding a gun in hand he aims up at the bird.
Lucian – “Where did you come from?”
Hughie – “Me dad’s nuts, anyways reckon I get it?”
Hughie slowly places his hand on the trigger, he steadies himself before pulling the trigger.
BOOM
Hughie – “Gotcha, ya little bastard. Sneaky fucker these birds. They see what they want and grab it, no loyalty in em at all mate, none.”
Lucian smiles at Hughie as he continues to shout abuse at a poor bird who has had his head blown off, as blood slowly falls out of the dead magpie Hughie turns to Lucian and tilts his head at him.
Hughie – “You alright big man?”
He speaks with a sharp tone in his voice.
Lucian chuckles to himself
Lucian – “I was sold a good story, come to HOW and find your father, come to HOW, and join HATE. Come to HOW and all your dreams will be answered, and are they? Hell No. We came here Hughie to make a name for ourselves, the pikey and the carnie and what do we find ourselves doing? Fighting people with egg fetishes”
Hughie nods in agreement.
Lucian – “How are we going to be respected if all we do week in and week out is make someone other than us look good? What’s Woodson done for you lately? He offered me a chance to get my hands on my father however it was behind closed doors, no-one saw that. No-one will ever see it, he sold me a lie and I think he needs to be taught a lesson about not keeping his promises”
Hughie – “Well he does have big balls”
Lucian – “No Hughie, He thinks he has big balls, but all he has is small little balls, and don’t get me wrong Hughie when he found us he thought that he hand landed on his feet. He thought he was onto something big, but we both know that true talent will only follow a leader until it’s time for a new one.”
Hughie smiles and nods as he believes what Lucian is telling him, Hughie and Lucian are no strangers you see, although from far different backgrounds when it comes to traveling workers you often bump into a friend or two along the way. You see it was a fateful night only two months ago that Lucian got the call from Hughie that a man had visited his campsite with the offer for fame and fortune, the same fame and fortune that Lee best had offered Lucian, so of course, what do two travelers do? They followed the dream.
There is nothing more in the world these guys HATE more than lies, and it seems they have been lied to, lied to there very faces about the direction that HATE is going.
Hughie – “You wanna get rid of Woodson’s boss?”
Lucian smiles as Hughie picks up on Lucian’s Plan.
Lucian – “Come on Hughie, that guy isn’t one of us. He is a man in a suit. He portrays this big bad guy, but look at him, he’s nothing, a false prophet of lies, we can do better. I am facing Jiles this week, his old tag partner and what do I gain from it?, will I get my spot in war games? Hardly.”
Lucian snarls,
Lucian – “I mean, yes Jiles has some talent about him, but at the end of the day, he is all about the fun and games, the jokes, the pranks, the eggs. But what happens when all the jokes run out, is Jiles any different to his partner Zeb who I destroyed a few weeks back? doubtful again. I don’t believe that Jiles has what it takes for his soul not to be taken in by the HATE and fear that I possess. Will the HATE stop with Jiles? No, my little friend, the HATE is only just beginning.”
Lucian – “You see, what HOW has seen of HATE so far has been nothing short of a poor man’s attempt at pain and punishment. We need to step it up Hughie.”
Hughie – “Go for the throat?”
Lucian – “We need to chop the head off this so-called beast before it goes any further, I mean I’m not ready to play second fiddle to a man in a suit are you?, we need to get out of HATE and be ourselves Hughie, we need to stand on our own, we need to represent everything we are about. We need to be, The Carnival”
Hughie – “Like it, boss, like it a lot”
Lucian Smirks, whilst rubbing his chin as he hatches up a new plan for the future.
Lucian – “Good, what we need to do this week is to distance ourselves from Woodson and Rick but in a way that they won’t notice too much, we need to play Woodson at his own game, like just make him think we have his back and when he’s least expecting it! We cut the head off the dragon.”
Hughie – “Do you want me ringside for Jiles?”
Lucian – “No Hughie, I’m a fighter like yourself and I know I can handle myself, I mean when I get my hand raised it will be the third bandit down. don’t get me wrong I am not bashing Jiles here, I know what he brings to the table and he is a very talented fighter, but he’s just too funny for the sport. He is the guy I could see winning an egg and spoon race against children at sports day, Maybe he should focus on a career at a radio station as some of the material that comes out the guy’s mouth is gold. But as a wrestler, I’m not sold.”
Lucian – “It’s been no secret that I back my words up, hell I am still undefeated here in HOW. Imagine that, when I came no-one gave me a chance, just that creepy carnie guy, but look at me now, I am that undefeated carnie guy, when I beat Jiles I hope its a wake-up call for the eGG Bandits that they are lucky they are not facing us at War Games, as we have there number. I just wish the Carnival could show HOW what they are missing.”
Hughie – “You want a shot at the tag titles?”
Lucian – “I want a shot at everything Hughie, We deserve it. We are no pushovers and I will show them this week against Jiles that the Carnival has the talent that HATE is missing. I will show the eGG Bandits that we deserve their spot at war games, as let’s be fair week one I beat Zeb to qualify and yet he’s the one booked on the show. That’s not fair, but life is not fair Hughie, We have to make it our own!”
Hughie – “So what do you want from me?”
Lucian – “I Want you to go get that bitch O’Dell and drag his ass around with you all weekend, I want you to show people a reason why they should fear the Carnival. I want you to make Woodson believe in you, I want you to be the Hughie Freeman I know you are! Now go!, Go and watch Sleepy Hollow and get some inspiration I heard its a personal favorite from the eggscutioner himself, but more than anything go be Hughie ”
Hughie – “And you boss?”
Hughie replies in a sarcastic tone of voice,
Lucian – “Me, I’m going to do what I do best, keep promises and practice dark arts, See Jiles might as well change his name to Humpty Dumpty, however this week he won’t be able to pick himself up after he has a massive fall. I am going to make sure that I break his body, his mind, and his spirit into thousands of pieces, I will show him just how dark Lucian Santangel can be!”
Hughie Smiles and disappears into the darkness with a blink of an eye. We are left on our screen once again with just Lucian, A tree and nothing but darkness, Suddenly the rain begins to stop as Lucian looks up one last time at the sky.
— FIN —