(( VOICE OVER: " A time has come. The past has returned. The shadows have grown deeper. For one man, these shadows of a past incase him. This man, Zero.
For weeks now, this past has come to haunt him in the form of two individuals. These individuals, the closest Zero has ever come to an actual relationship in his life."
Clips of Simon are shown. Images of him sitting in the stands, to his interference in a Zero match, which lead to the initial confrontation between the two.
These images fade to images of Simon standing behind Zero, holding a chair high in the air. Zero turns, sees this, and applies the Level Zero onto him. Simon lays in the ring motionless.
The images quickly go from there, to Zero, laying prone in the ring. Havoc smashing a chair across Zero's head. When suddenly, Simon jumps in the ring, and hits Havoc with a chair. He then proceeds to help Zero up, but Zero shakes him off.
These images come to the scene in the locker room. Zero, smashing Simon with a chair, and throwing him into a wall of smashed items. The words of Simon ring through the image.... " Lint, Zero...can't you understand? I'm here for you? I'm not the enemy. I'm here for you. Can't you understand? Zero..... "
VOICE OVER: " For weeks now, Simon, astranged friend from Zero's past, has returned to Zero's present. His bid? Simply for a renewed friendship, which was somehow lost ten years ago. The details are still cloudy on what exactly happened those ten long years ago.
Now, Zero has hindsight to better able him in his judgements. And, he feels he doesn't trust Simon. That, he can't forget Simon for what happened those ten years ago.
Despite Simon's protests, Zero still shakes his former friend off, always determined not to let Simon back in close to him. What is it that has come between these two punk rockers? Will it ever be resolved?
And now, another figure from Zero's past has now re-arisen. "
An old archive from the HEW flashes across the screen. It shows a woman, Karen, climbing from out of the stands, and hitting PAIN across the back with it. Then, walks away with Zero into the back.
Images of Karen coming ringside with Zero are shown. Images of her using a chair on the outside on any fallen opponent that Zero had thrown to the outside. Many more images flash across the screen, showing Zero and Karen backstage, driving to the arena, and being at ringside together.
These images fast forward a few months. Karen, seeing the tape Zero had left J-Smooth, along with the battered Hardcore title that he had had to vacate. As images of Karen, with tears rolling down her eyes, appear on screen, they slowly fade away.
The screen fades into Karen's return. The eye contact of Zero and Karen. Then, the betrayol. The chair shot that spoke more than any words could ever. Karen stood behind Zero, chair in hand, as Havoc knocked Zero to the ground with another chair shot.
They go from there, to Karen's bitter words recently spoken towards Zero. Words that had cut deep. From there, all the images slowly fade, crack, and scatter away.......
.......to San Fransisco, California. Right along the beach, as the bay washes up onto it. The moon has been up for hours, and it is shining a strong light onto the San Francisco bay. This light illuminates everything surrounding the ocean.
Along the bay, docks are lining it every hundred hards. The view comes in closer to a rather large dock, extended out over the bay. It has a short, wooden barrier along the edges, but that is the only protection from falling over.
Along the dock, in the far corner, out over the bay, a figure sits, surrounded in a cloud of smoke. His hair is bleached, but the dark roots are starting to grow out longer, showing that the care has been disregarded to his hair here recently. From that, to the facial piercings, to the tattoo sleeve, it becomes apparant that this man is Zero.
As he sits in the corner, the view zooms into a close up of his face. Strain, weariness; apparant by looking at merely his eyes. As he inhales the smoke of his cigarette, his eyes wearily close, opening up in a oft gaze.
The view zooms out as Zero blows a cloud of smoke out of his mouth.... ))
" It seems, Simon, that you are persistant in making sure that we will always be friends. But yet, again, you always forget that you yourself closed that door off ten years ago. You made it impossible for us to ever return to that stage of where we were. You have no one to blame but yourself. "
Zero:
(( An image of Zero shrugging of Simon's attempts of helping Zero out of the ring flash across the screen. ))
" The harder you try to make this a union, the further you drive the stake through the fence that seperates us. Your persistence only makes me resist ever further, Simon. I don't trust you. And, with the way you are acting, you are almost forming a hatred inside of me towards you.
Zero:
Simon, you need to go back to Shreveport, keep receiving money from your parents, and stay out of my life, and the HEW. It would do everyone a favor. "
(( The view zooms out as Zero raises up, and sits down on the railing to the dock. He raises his cigarette to his mouth, inhales a deep drag, and then flicks the cigarette into the bay. A loud hiss is heard as the water extenguishes the fire.
Zero then lowers his head, almost appearing to be concentrating on something before he speaks. He takes his time, running his hands periodically through his hair. From the look of his eyes a moment ago, and now to this solemn body expression, it appears as though he has come to the part which brings him the most pain to speak.
With his head still down, he begins to utter words, spoken quietly, but containing a definite edge to them. ))
" Havoc......Havoc, it appears as though we will finally meet. Will it settle this between us? Definately not. Will it help to cool the flames? Most assured, it will rekindle them. Finally, after the actions of yourself, and the woman who you hold, it will finally reach a point.
Zero:
Sunday night, at Terrorized '99, we wrestle for the Hardcore championship. A belt that I am associated with most dearly. A title that has been my career here in the HEW. And, most definately, something that I treasure more than anything else here in the HEW. "
(( Zero slowly raises his head, although he still hangs it a little. His voice becomes a little louder, and more profound. ))
" This will not be the first time that we have met. Not the first time that we have met, with the HEW Hardcore championship on the line. This is only our second match, one on one. And, so far, I hold the record, as being undefeated against you. Your first attempt at beating me for the title was a fruitless attempt. You could not beat me then. "
Zero:
(( An image of the first time Zero and Havoc met flashes across the screen. A great match, but, in the end, with Zero for the cover in the back of the locker room area, and the three count. ))
" But, I understand that you are not the same person that I had faced back then. You are no longer the rookie, asking for the scraps that the leaders of the HEW, people like myself, would toss off to those below us. No longer the star eyed kid who had respect for everyone, and merely wanted a chance.
Zero:
No, now, you consider yourself to be that superstar, the one who everyone looks up to. You think you are the one in complete control now. I realize this. Your emotions and desires have changed. But, your hardcore wrestling skills have not. While wasting your time in the front offices, you have not realized how you can no longer take a hardcore beating. "
(( Now, Zero raises his head straight up, and stares straight ahead. His solemn eyes become focused, determined. But, the hint of strain is still there. Lurking, deep inside, trying to be hid. ))
" But, is this really about the belt? Is that what the match between you and I is really focused on? Is that what has truly driven us to this point? I know, and I know you know, the answer to that.
Zero:
Ever since your involvement with Karen, it has lit a new match inside of me, with it's mission being to burn the very existence of Havoc. You had no right bringing Karen into this. That is when you crossed the line. That.....is when you made this match REAL! Not just for the sake of a title, or for the name. No, but a reason to fight.
Whether it be good, or whether it be for the bad, Havoc, I am coming for you. I might not be able to take back what was mine, but I can release these angers that you have created inside of me. These actions, the state of mind, all which have been a direct result of you. And I can release them onto you.
It had started with your ruling ways, making sure I was stuck at the bottom of this company. Making sure that I couldn't reclaim that establishment that I had once had in this company. You tried to hold me down, but you saw that you couldn't. No one in this company can hold me down, push me back.
When you saw that wasn't working, you brought Karen into this. In hopes that that would make me lose focus even worse.......but, your idea has backfired. I am now a man who has something to proove. No longer just for myself. I have to proove it to everyone.
Zero will, one day, be a headliner for this company, and there's nothing you can do about it, Havoc. It all starts Sunday, you and me. "
(( Zero stands up from where he was sitting on the rail. He starts to walk off, but stops where he is standing. He looks off, and too the ground, then, finally raises his head back up slowly. ))
" But, one more thing. Blade, I do not ever want to see that happen again. You raised a chair to strike Karen. And, even though she has turned her back to me, I will not give up on her. I will protect her. And, Blade, keep that in mind. It would be terrible for us to part because of Havoc's own mind games. "
Zero:
(( Zero stands still for a moment, thinking about what he had just said, replaying the words in his head. They didn't sound right when he had first said them. But, as he repeated the sentences again to himself, they began to make more sense.
Zero then turns his head off, towards the beaches. He puts his hands in his pockets, and begins a slow, lonely walk.......... ))
midi: "Infected" by Bad Religion
