Bulldogs Locker Room

[Bulldogs (Duncan + Genesis)]

Duncan + Genesis had arrived at the arena earlier than most and wait for Monday Night's matches to be announced. Everybody has been avoiding the two men since their defeats on Friday night, DMD's mood having taken a sharp turn for the worse - and his mood is never good to start with.

Genesis: We talk to purty lady tonight? Or we go hurt man?

Mike's phone rings again, and he checks the caller ID and disconnects the call without answering it - the twentieth time at least he has done it in the past hour or so.

Duncan: Eric the Torture again! I've nothing to say to that PUNK until I've spoken to Kelly. If she doesn't get here soon, I'm going to talk to Xantaxm about trying to arrange a special match for her and her new boyfriend! I reckon he had a lot to do with her showing up here!

Genesis: Mike not happy see purty lady? You always say water not as thick as blood, should be happy see her!

Duncan: Course I'm happy to see her - I just wish she would have come clean to us when she arrived instead of sneaking around behind our backs with HIM!

Genesis sighs deeply, then walks over to the punch bag and starts beating the crap out of it, leaving Duncan to his thoughts ....

[Eric The Torture]

* In his own locker room, ETT shuts his cell phone, frustrated at being diverted directly to DMD's voice mail for perhaps the twentieth time today. *

ETT: That's it! I can't raise him on the phone - I'll just go see him face-to-face!

* ETT storms through his locker room door, then heads down the hallway, out into the concourse, up a flight of steps to the mid-level of the empty arena, out another corridor into the south entryway plaza, down an elevator to the first floor... *

ETT: Damn, why did they have to make this maze of an arena so complicated to get from one side to the other!?

* Finally arriving at his destination, outside DMD's door, ETT goes to knock, but stops short as he hears the sound of what reminds him of a man punching a manatee through the heavy steel and wood door. Getting up the nerve and shaking off the horrid thought, ETT knocks on the locker room door of Dyna Mike Duncan, his former partner and former arch-nemesis. *

DMD: Blast it!!! I thought I told you there were to be NO visitors, PUNK!!! I -

* Mike is cut off, his face turns white, then a shade of red that no man's face should ever be. His eyes go mad wide, clearly filled with the desire to reach out and strangle the man standing in front of him. *

ETT: Mike, we need to talk...

[amazon]

Mike jumps up from his seat and sends the coffee table flying as he tries to get to ETT. Genesis manages to get to his aggrevated mentor before he reaches the door though and holds him back.

Duncan: You've got a damn nerve showing up here PUNK! Get out before I do something you'll regret!

ETT: Hold on a minute Mike! I don't know what your problem is but ...

Duncan tries breaking Genesis' hold on him in another attempt to vent his anger at his former tag partner, the man he believes is 'taking advantage' of his sister, but the thickset masked man somehow manages to restrain him.

Genesis: You better go! May let Mike go!

Eric looks at the two men and shakes his head sadly.

ETT: All I want to do is talk! Can't you just listen for a min..

Genesis screams in rage ... and releases his hold on Duncan! The Arrogant Englishman dives across the room and hits ETT with a shoulder tackle sending both men crashing back through the open door into the corridor. Genesis quickly follows and aims a kick at Eric, barely missing him as he tries to pull away from DMD.

A shout from down the hallway freezes the action almost instantaneously.

Valk: Mike! Eric! Stop it!!!!!

Kelly Duncan runs down the hall and grabs her older brother by the hair, dragging him away from ETT and glaring at the three brawling men!

Valk: Just bloody well calm down the lot of you! Eric, sod off! Please!

ETT climbs to his feet, looks at her questioningly, but she smiles weakly at him as if to say 'Leave it to me' and he does as he is asked - reluctantly. Genesis bows his head, embarassed + upset at having upset the 'purty lady' and slinks off back into the Locker Room, leaving Kelly + Mike alone.

Valk: Just what the hell do you think you're playing at Mike? I've got my debut match tonight - I don't need this!

Duncan: You don't know him as well as I do! I know what he's like - I'm just looking out for you!

Kelly smiles warmly at her brother's rare show of emotion, but the anger is still in her features + voice.

Valk: You think there's something going on between me + him? Even if there was, I'm big enough and old enough now to look after myself! Yes, I know, it's what big brothers do for their baby sisters - but I stopped being a baby years ago Mike! Eric's been a big help to me, somebody outside of the family, outside of the Bulldogs, who I can talk to - he's a friend for god's sake! He used to be your friend too, or have you forgotten that? Just leave us alone!

Mike leans back against the wall, his hand going to his head to check that his sister hasn't pulled any of what's left of his hair out .. again.

Duncan: You said leave 'us' alone - so there is something going on between you? Look Kel ..

Valk: If there is - and I'm not saying there is - that's MY decision, not yours! Let me make my own choices Mike - and should anything happen between him and I, and if he hurts me, then you know you'll be the first person I come to for help! Blood is thicker than water after all!

Mike finally laughs as his sister uses one of his favourite sayings, and the tension seems to disappear from the pair of them.

Mike: So, who are you up against then? Want me to be at ringside?

Valk: Kid Soldier - thanks, but I want to do this one on my own tonight. Get a taste of GHW action on MY terms. Besides which, you're in a Cage Match with Duece - you need to get your head on that match. Go beat him!

Mike smiles again, leans over and kisses Kelly on the cheek, and they both walk into the Locker Room, arms linked.

[Travis Truth]

Some time later. Travis Truth is walking down the corridor. He is dressed in an immaculate tailored Saville Row number, whistling "Bring Me Sunshine". He pauses outside Mike Duncan's locker room and raps sharply on the door. He listens intently for a moment, relieved that neither Mike or Genesis seem to be venting their anger on a helpless piece of gym equipment. After a second or two Mike calls

Come in, Travis.

Travis is confused for a second, not realising that Mike has had CCTV installed. He glances up at the camera and waves.

Are you coming in or not?!

Travis checks himself, slightly embarrassed and enters the room. Mike is sat in an antique oak chair sipping a cup of Yorkshire's finest. Genesis is nowhere to be seen. As if he knows what he's thinking Mike says:

He's off to the gym with Kelly. He's not been his best lately, so I thought it best that she took him in for a session. What can I do for you? Nice suit by the way...

I've arranged a meeting with the press for World Warz. A promotional "declaration of war" if you like. I need everyone on the team to be involved, which is why I splashed out on suits. I didn't get you one because, well, you have your own tailor...

And you need me why exactly?

Travis looks taken aback.

Well, you're the number one draw on the team, right? And its for Queen and country and all that...

Duncan smiles and looks into his cup.

I've seen this look before Mike. Whats going on? Have you got a plan in mind for World Warz?

TBC DMD

[Bulldogs (Duncan + Genesis)]

Mike carefully places the delicate china cup down on its saucer and nods at Travis to sit down. He waits til his team mate at World Warz is seated and then the smile disappears from his face.

Duncan: My main plan for World Warz is to defend my Captain Title, then move on to bigger things. That's my personal aim for the PPV anyway. I'm bored banging around the Captain Division. As far as Team UK goes, from what I hear, UK won the first two Warz and were narrowly defeated last year - so it's time to redress the balance and bring that trophy back home where it belongs! As long as the weaker elements of our team don't let us down on the night - and there'll be hell to pay if they do - none of the other teams worry me! Well, that was until Xantaxm announced his own team - crafty bastard that he is!

Mike picks up his cup once more, the fragile piece of crockery looking out of place in his battle-scarred hand, and sips from the contents.

Mike: Xant has pulled a swift one I think - something I'd have probably done myself had I been in his position - so they're the only ones we have to be wary of. And you can bet your life, he's not gonna put any weak links in his team, not like we've got in ours! JH has already lost one of the World Warz matches, not a good start!

Mike throws the cup against the wall behind Travis' head and it smashes into a thousand tiny pieces ..

Mike: Get my drift?!

[Travis Truth]

Travis jumps in his seat as the china hits the wall. He knew Mike was right, there was something not quite right about JH777. He had been a different man lately, a shadow of his former self.

So what are you saying? There's not a lot we can do about JH, I mean surely Xantaxm's word is final on the teams? There's no way he'd let us find a sub, unless he was...

Travis' face drops.

Unless...?

Unless he was injured. Come on Mike, you know Xant would see straight through a cheap trick like that! Plus JH might not be in the form of his life, unlike the rest of us...

Mike smiles

...But he's representing our country in this. Now, look at it this way. We have a choice. Number one, we stick with the team we have and risk a beating from the others. Or, number two, we, ahem, "arrange" for JH777 to be replaced. Both risky strategies Mike. This is your call

TBC DMD

[Bulldogs (Duncan + Genesis)]

Duncan: You're right - no way will Xant let us make any changes. Especially not now he's putting his own team together - he's probably even hoping a few will pick up injuries and then still insist on them taking part! No, we'll just have to keep an eye on JH and, if we're worried, make sure he doesn't set foot in the ring. I may have a quiet word with him myself ...

Duncan pauses, thinking how he'd approach the topic with the recently unstable JH777, then looks back across at Travis.

Duncan: No, let's just leave him be for now. His defeat may work in our favour in the long run, and his fragile mental health may come in handy too. The rest of the team are big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves - especially that Tag Partner of yours and Skull. I'm still surprised that the majority of the other teams are quiet - I don't like that at all.

Duncan reaches for the tea pot on the table, then remembers what he did to his cup and laughs to himself.

Duncan: Come on, let's go down to the sorry excuse for a restaurant they've got here - I'll let you buy me a coffee ...