We open to a small studio where Shaun Hart sits at his station and Iron Wolf in the guest chair. There is a countdown on the wall before they begin.
Shaun Hart: And we are back. I have a very special guest. He is the man who saved me from a gang of motorcycle riding clowns. Yeah, you heard me. He is Iron Wolf! Thanks for coming on the show, but did you really need to come in full wrestling gear and mask?
Iron Wolf: Thank you for having me. Of course I need to go onto the show with full wrestling gear and mask. It is who I have chosen to be. I cannot be who I am not.
Shaun Hart: I wish I could play a recorded clip of the attack, but I will just have to describe it for you fans out there. See, I was leaving the arena at night and walking out to my car alone. Four motorcycle riding clowns surrounded me as I was almost to my car. They weren’t circus, happy clowns. They were demented, leather wearing clowns more in common with Killer Klowns from Outer Space. They didn’t really talk to me as much as honk their noses like it was some kind of clown morse code. They stopped their motorcycles and dismounted with bike chains and brass knuckles that said PIE on them.
It was then that they finally spoke. They wanted the gate for the night as if I might be the one transferring it to the bank. Of course, I told them I did not have that and they settled for all of the money I had on hand, which was still a tidy sum. Then, they said they was going to “fuck me up” for not having more money on me. That’s when I began to fight back, because I’m no slouch when it comes to that department. But of course, it was a numbers game and I was brought down to my knees from a few well placed blows.
I thought I was a goner when a motorcycle rider doing a wheelie took out one of the clowns. He leapt off of the motorcycle and took down another clown with a swipe of a tire iron. The remaining clowns got on their motorcycles and left their unconscious friends behind for the police to deal with. The man was in a mask and complete ring gear, despite the fact that I knew that I hadn’t hired him. Yet. I did hire him right on the spot and put him in the International title battle royal. I asked him his name and he said Iron Wolf. Is that about how you remember it, Wolf?
Iron Wolf: That is about how I remember the action that went down, sir. It was crazy for a moment and I thought for sure that the final two clowns would fight until the bitter end, but they proved to be cowards when having to fight someone armed.
Shaun Hart: So the International title battle royal. You face JoeMontuori, Fred Debonair, Anthony Phoenix, Andy Donahue, Anthony Tudor, and TJ Alexander. Do you have a game plan going into this event?
Iron Wolf: I don’t really know any of my opponents in this match. That is, except for Anthony Phoenix. He’s the loudmouth of the bunch that likes to talk smack to the entire roster if he could and set up matches every day of the week against people who are probably his betters. It’s pathetic and I think I’m going to eliminate him first for that reason. Outside of that, I believe it’s “stick and move” and help people out of the ring where I can. It would be something else for me to win a championship on my first match in the company. A high honor indeed.
Shaun Hart: You do know that this would put a target on your back from all of the people who think that you might be easy pickings.
Iron Wolf: I relish the competition. I would be a fighting champion and defend my championship every single show against all comers. I would honor the title with my life’s blood if need be.
Shaun Hart: I don’t think that it would come to that really. Now that is all the time that we have for this week. Iron Wolf, thank you for the save and for coming on the show.
Iron Wolf: You are most welcome for both. Thank you for the opportunity to prove my mettle in the ring.
Shaun Hart: You more than earned it.
Later on that evening at a local coffee shop, Iron Wolf walks up to a table with two coffees in his hands. He hands one of them to none other than Venessa Martinez, famed manager of Bear-O-Dactyl, and sits down with the other.
Iron Wolf: Thank you for meeting with me, Miss Martinez.
Vanessa Martinez: Please, it is my pleasure and call me Vanessa.
Iron Wolf: So, we’re here to talk about you representing me in IIW.
Vanessa Martinez: Well, yes. We’re here to talk about it. My father urged me to contact you after you spoke in support of my other clients. I think we might be able to negotiate a trial run for representation.
Iron Wolf nods and sips at his coffee. It’s pretty apparent that he doesn’t really like coffee, but he keeps at it before setting it down.
Iron Wolf: Well, I’m sure I can prove myself a great client when I win the International title on my first match in IIW. I earned that sh-shot.
Vanessa Martinez: Yeah. I’m not sure that it was the wisest to go all in like that for your first match. It’s a lot of pressure weighing on your shoulders for the first time around. Where did you say that you wrestled before?
Iron Wolf seems to consider it for a while before answering.
Iron Wolf: I wrestled at. Well, I can’t really say since it might give away who I was before I became the Iron Wolf. Fresh start and all of that. Besides, I learned a whole new move set so I’m really different.
Vanessa nods, putting a note into her smartphone.
Vanessa Martinez: Why don’t we meet at the Gate City View Arena. It’s owned by some people who owe my father a favor so I don’t think they will mind us using the ring there for some much needed practice. I know Bear-O-Dactyl are only two people, but they can sort of simulate what it’s like to be in a battle royal.
Iron Wolf: I kind of like that idea. Yeah, it’ll give me a chance to try out my new moves and stuff. I’ll be there.
Hours later at the Gate City View Arena in the middle of the ring stands Pequeno Dinosaurio and Union Jack. Vanessa Martinez stands at ringside. She looks at her smartphone and sighs. Union Jack leans on the top rope over by where Vanessa is standing.
Union Jack: How long are we planning on waiting for this cunt?
Vanessa flashes him a dirty look and Jack just laughs.
Union Jack: I mean bloke. How long are we going to wait for this Iron Wolf bloke?
Pequeno Dinosaurio: It’s been thirty minutes since he said that he was going to be here. Maybe we should see about calling him?
Vanessa Martinez: You’re right of course. Lemme see.
She looks up his cell phone number in her smartphone and gives it a phone call. They can hear it ringing as they look and see a bedraggled Iron Wolf staggering down the aisle. He makes it down to the ring and rolls in. His ring gear has a number of cuts where he is bleeding from, but the mask is unharmed. He drops to his knees and to his face.
Union Jack: What the fuck happened to him?
Pequeno Dinosaurio: We can only presume that someone attacked him. I wonder who?
That question is answered as the revving of many motorcycles can be heard from the back. A clown can be seen through the darkness of the backstage area. Well, his face can be seen as he stands nearly eight feet tall with peeling face paint, needle sharp teeth that pierce black gums that ooze a black tar like substance instead of blood. Union Jack, Pequeno Dinosaurio, and Vanessa Matinez know him as Sticky the Clown.
Motorcycles speed by Sticky on either side of him as he holds his hands out like he was doing a t-pose for them. Pequeno Dinosaurio pulls Vanessa into the ring as the clowns on motorcycles begin circling the ring and honking their noses with purpose. Iron Wolf is slow to get up, but with Union Jack’s help, he stands up.
Iron Wolf: They jumped me outside of the arena. I’m sure payback for helping Shaun Hart against them.
Union Jack stands on the bottom rope while holding onto the top rope.
Union Jack: Oi, you cunts! Step into the ring and bring that fuckery!
Vanessa grabs him by the shoulder and pulls him toward the center of the ring.
Vanessa Martinez: Don’t you see that they are all armed with guns? They could kill us all!
Union Jack rubs the back of his head with a bit of a chuckle.
Union Jack: Heh, yeah. I didn’t notice those.
Pequeno Dinosaurio: What is it that you want?
Sticky the Clown steps into the light. He is a massive clown that comes straight out of nightmares for he is a foul spirit trapped in a physical form (but that’s another story). He smiles big, black ooze trickling over his bottom lip and onto his chin.
Sticky the Clown: I think you know what we want. Hand over Iron Wolf and we will be on our way. You’ll never see him again.
Vanessa Martinez: We won’t be handing over this man so you can kill him! You may as well shoot all of us and get it over with.
Sticky the Clown: Gladly.
Union Jack: Are you sure about that, ‘Nessa? I’m allergic to being shot.
Iron Wolf: I will go with them.
Vanessa Martinez: You can’t do that! You’ll die!
Iron Wolf nods and starts staggering toward the ropes to get out of the ring. Vanessa puts a hand on his shoulder.
Vanessa Martinez: Wait. What if we did a match? Pequeno and Jack against two of your clowns. If they win, we will give up Iron Wolf no questions asked. If we win, you will go away and never bother us again.
Sticky the Clown: Agreed. You will face my right and left hands.
Union Jack: So handicap match, mate?
Out from the back step another two large clowns. They are only about 5 feet tall, but they are also about that in width as well. One stands in orange coveralls with green hair and the other stands in green coveralls with orange hair. They are just as ghastly looking as Sticky, but it seems very clear that the light doesn’t go all the way to the top floor with these two.
Vanessa Martinez looks on, horrified at the prospect.
Vanessa Martinez: Hehehe and Hahaha. No…
Sticky the Clown: I don’t know when your boys are doing this tournament, but your first available match they are mine, and so will be Iron Wolf. Clowns! Let’s go!
The motorcycle riding clowns ride to the back with Hehehe and Hahaha following. Sticky the Clown stays behind to stare at each of them for a moment before heading to the back as well.
Once they are gone, a collective exhale of relief is done from those inside of the ring.
Iron Wolf: I’m sorry to get you involved in all of this, my friends.
Union Jack: Caw! We blasted them twins before. We can do it again. No sweat.
Union Jack nods and looks to the entrance as the scene fades to black.