BattleZone in Columbus was a night of shocks. The return of Benedict Auslander. The unveiling of Gabriel Gambino as Executive Director. And the appearance of August Joyce, almost 18 months since last being seen on an MWA show.
August Joyce has been through a lot in those 18 months. It all began when he lost the MWA Millennium Title in May 2009. He disappeared right after the show without a word to his friends or family. Between then and now those same friends and family have been searching for him, from the Rocky Mountains to Las Vegas and everywhere in between. And not once did they come close to finding him.
Wild goose chases, wind ups, mistaken identities. All stopped August being found. And his friends believe it was all deliberate.
———————————————–
Benjamin Doi is pacing up and down in the office of Zhen Xu, new Public Relations officer for the MWA and former manager of August Joyce.
“I don’t understand it, Zhen, I really don’t. “ Doi says as he paces.
“And you think I do?” Zhen responds in her Canadian Chinese accent. “We were looking for August for over 18 months. Not once did he try and get in contact with us, and then he finally shows and assaults you in the middle of an MWA ring. Only August understands what happened.”
“I just want him home before George’s first birthday.”
Xanthe Giannakopoulos-Joyce steps into view. She is looking tired and forlorn. Seeing her husband on BattleZone has only made her feel worse about his disappearance. But seeing him bruised and bloodied has had one positive effect, it has strengthened her desire to have her husband return home. For months she was worried that he may be dead, but something inside her knew he was alive. Now, having seen him alive, she is determined to get to the bottom of the whole situation.
“That’s real soon, right? Doi asks.
Xanthe nods. “Yea, the 16th.”
“The night of Rising Sons.” Zhen states.
“Fitting.” Benjamin mutters to himself.
“Do you guys intend to be there?” Zhen asks. “I can make the travel arrangements for you…”
Benjamin and Xanthe look at each other, neither knowing whether they should make the trip to Japan.
“I think you should, like.”
A thick Liverpudlian accent comes from off screen. The others turn towards David Spikey as he steps into view.
“I mean, if der’s any chance dat August will show up, yous should be der.”
Doi nods. “Spike’s right. Count me in.”
“Me too.” Xanthe adds. “And George. I think it’s about time August met his son.”
———————————————–
August Joyce is sat on a chair facing the camera. He is wearing his wrestling gear, the same dirty gear he was wearing at his most recent BattleZone appearance. And, incidentally, the same wrestling gear he was wearing the night he disappeared. His face is still bloodied and bruised, as if he has been severely beaten. One eye is so badly hurt it has swollen shut.
“A lot of people want to know what happened to me. But, to be honest, I don’t care to tell them. It’s my business, no-one else’s. As the old saying goes, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.“
August smiles, a wicked glint in his one good eye.
“Not that I was ever in Vegas, mind. But some people seemed to think I was. And they thought I was in Vancouver, or half way up a mountain in the Rockies, or in New York, or Madison, or Toronto. Truth is… well the truth is irrelevant.”
“All that matters is that I’m back in action. The Great Ba-Boo hasn’t exactly set the world alight since he arrived in the MWA, but he’s a dangerous monster and I know that needed to be on my guard. I messed up.”
“But he, and everyone else, need to be aware that this is not the August Joyce of old. I’m not the goody two shoes family man that you came to know as the Peoples Choice. I’m not the same honest, clean and fair wrestler that went on to be the MWA Millennium Champion. I’m the August Joyce that has been sleeping on wet concrete floors. The August Joyce that has been wearing the same clothes and has been used as a punching bag every day for the past eighteen months.”
Joyce looks around the room. It’s a cold and damp looking room, bare concrete walls seem to surround him closely on every side. A single dim lightbulb dangles above his head providing minimal light.
“I’m also the same August Joyce that has no fucking clue where he is right now.”
He glances off to one side briefly. His eye catches sight of something and there is suddenly a look of fear on his face. He turns back to the camera.
“There are people that have caused me to be here. People that need to be punished. I will punish them. There will be no mercy. I will show the world what I am capable of. At Rising Sons I will strike down those that deserve it. I will serve vengeance. I will have retribution.”
“I have nothing. I have no-one. And soon the people that have caused me to be in this shithole will feel the same pain and emptiness that I feel now.”
Suddenly the light cuts out and the cameras stop rolling.
———————————————–
The light flickers back on and August Joyce is soon grabbed by his arms by two men in balaclavas. They pull his arms behind him and tie his arms behind him.
“You happy now?” August says.
“Delighted.” A deep voice echoes out from the darkness. “You’ve done good work this week.”
“Go fuck yourself!”
There is a tutting coming from off screen.
“Now now Mr Joyce, what have we told you about that attitude. Keep that up and we’ll be paying a visit to your lovely wife.”
“You keep your hands off Xanthe!” August yells out in anger.
The man laughs. “I will keep my hands to myself… as long as you continue to do as you’re told.”
“I’ve done everything you’ve asked. I appeared in the Any Given Night match and made sure Ben didn’t win. I stole Andersen’s clothes and interrupted the Jackie Sweets and Vivien match. I let myself get brutalised by Ba-Boo.”
“And we appreciate your compliance,”
“Enough to let me go home?”
“Oh good lord, no. We’re not done with you yet Mr Joyce.”
August looks down at the floor, a broken man. “But, I’ve missed Christmas. I want to be with my friends and family.”
There is a long silence as the two men drag the chair into the corner of the room, turning August to face the damp concrete wall.
“I know you love your family and you missed Christmas. And you will receive a gift from us. We’re going to leave you alone for the weekend. No random beatings for you, we’re giving you some time off.”
“You’re going to leave me here…”
The man chuckles briefly. “You’re a smart man, Mr Joyce. We have families and friends that we want to spend the weekend with and we intend to do just that. But, rest assured, we will be back in time to take you to Japan. We wouldn’t want you to miss your date with destiny now, would we?”
“How do you know that, given the air time on Rising Sons I’m going to get, that I won’t spill the beans, tell the world who you are and what you’re up to?”
“The same way that you know I’m not going to molest your wife and torture your friends.” The man has a sinister tone to his voice. “It’s called trust. I trust that you will do the right thing.”
“And you think I can trust you? After everything you’ve done to me?” August tries to look over his shoulder to see who he’s talking to.
“I’ve never lied to you, Mr Joyce. All this time you’ve been our guest I’ve never once lied to you. We’ve kept a roof over your head and food on your plate for the past eighteen months. We’ve stayed away from your beautiful wife and your friends. I told you that your friends were looking for you, I’ve even let you watch BattleZone every week just to show you how little the world cared about your disappearance. In all those times I’ve brought the television in and put the MWA on for you, how many times did they even mention your name?”
There is silence as August shakes his head, not wanting to answer.
“How many, Mr Joyce?”
“None.” He answers with a great sadness, defeat evident in his voice.
“That’s right. None. Not once did the MWA mention your disappearance. Not once did they put an appeal out for information, despite the efforts of your agent. The agent that now works for the MWA, by the way.”
August looks up at the man. “What?”
“Yea, you heard. She gave up on you. Zhen Xu gave up her dream, the Children of Xu and her agency are both things of the past. Xanthe took a job at Mrs Doi’s shop to help pay the bills. Benjamin took to working alongside Mr Spikey at the local wrestling school and has even started taking independent bookings again. Solo.” The man seems to be taking great pleasure in telling August what’s been going on. “They all moved on. None of them need you. None of them care.”
“THAT’S NOT TRUE!” August screams. “YOU LIAR!”
The man motions to his cohorts who move in and begin to beat August.
“Goodnight Mr Joyce, have a great weekend!”
“You still haven’t told me why I’m doing all this?” August cries out.
The man leaves, choosing not to answer the question, and he is swiftly followed by his muscle. Soon August is left alone in a dark and damp room. As the door closes behind the men the room is plunged into total darkness.
———————————————–
“So, that settles it.” Benjamin Doi says. “We’re going to Japan.”
The rest of the room, Zhen Xu, Xanthe Joyce and David Spikey all nod in agreement. Just then there’s a beep from Zhen’s computer.
“Ooh, sounds like someone’s got mail.” Dave says. “I think we better leave Mrs MWA to her job.”
“Wait…” Zhen sounds concerned as she skim reads her email. “I think you all ought to hear this.”
Xanthe gets excited. “Is it about August?”
“Yea…” Zhen nods. “There’s been a match booked for Rising Sons…”
“Well don’t leave us in suspenders, like. What’s the match?” Dave is, like the rest of the room, eager to find out.
Zhen pauses before responding. “It’s those new guys, Black Hollywood, against… The Children of Xu.”
There is a silence in the room.
“But there is no Children of Xu any more.” Xanthe says.
“Is it me an’ Yana?” Doi asks.
Zhen shakes her head. “No. It’s you and August.”
“Oh… fuck.” Doi rubs his head as he begins to pace around the room. “Who in the blue hell made this match?”
“No idea.” Zhen reads and re-reads the email. “It’s come from Gambino. Sounds like someone asked him for this.”
“Well that makes the trip all the more interesting!” Doi is still pacing.
———————————————–
Three men, dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, walk out of an old abandoned warehouse. The man walking in front suddenly stops as his mobile phone starts to ring.
“Yea? Ok. Brilliant. Good job.”
The call is short but sweet.
He turns to the others. “Make sure Joyce is ready to move on Monday morning. Just had confirmation of his match at Rising Sons. Looks like things just turned up a notch.”
The two others nod before all three men walk away.
———————————————–
Mitch Weinberg is stood outside the Egg Dome waiting for his interview subject for the days update on MWA.com. After a few mic checks and getting the camera into position he is joined by Benjamin Doi, one third of The Children of Xu.
“Mitch, long time no see.” Ben says as he walks into view, shaking hands with the MWA interviewer.
Mitch smiles. “Too long. Good to see you. How’s that knee holding up?”
“Back to full health, man. Dat German surgeon is a frickin’ genius.”
Mitch turns to the camera and nods, signalling for the interview to begin.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, Mitch Weinberg here in Tokyo, Japan. Right outside the Egg Dome, venue as always to the Rising Sons pay-per-view which airs this Sunday. Joining me now is Benjamin Doi. Ben, how does it feel to be appearing here in Japan?”
Doi pauses a while before responding, thinking back to his adoptive parents.
“I may have been born Benjamin Finidi. I may have been born in Nigeria. But from the age o’ three I been a Doi. And the Doi’s were from right here in Tokyo, Japan. So to me this feels like a homecoming.”
“I expect that you would have wanted this homecoming to be under better conditions?” Mitch asks.
Doi nods. “You could say dat. The search for August Joyce has taken me from Vancouver to Las Vegas to Madison to Columbus and now to Tokyo. But this time I know I’m guaranteed to find him.”
“Because you’ve been paired together for the first time in… well, a long time!”
“Too long.” Doi begins. “It’s been far too long since The Peoples Choice and the Omega Man fought together. The Children of Xu were just getting’ started when August disappeared and I know that, together, we got the ability to take on any fools here in the MWA.”
“Even with the way things have been between you both recently? I mean, he attacked you at Any Given Night and got you eliminated. Then you distracted him at the last BattleZone, costing him the match. How do you expect to be able to work together?”
Doi pauses again, thinking about what has happened.
“I got this feelin’ that August is bein’ made to do these things. I think dat once we in dat ring, y’all will see the real August Joyce.”
“And what of your opponents, Black Hollywood?” Mitch changes direction.
Doi shrugs. “Gotta be honest, man, I know jack about them. But they got a rep. And you don’t get a Pay-Per-View debut in the MWA unless you’s damn good. But these brothas better understan’ that the MWA represents the best of the best in this business. So they can bring their rep, bring their A game… it won’t matter.”
“Well, folks, the Children of Xu reunite to take on MWA’s newest team Black Hollywood right here at Rising Sons, only on Pay-Per-View!”
Scene fades.