And Your New Mid-Atlantic Legacy Champion Is ...
Dec 17, 2014 1:50:10 GMT -5
Post by Danny Diamond on Dec 17, 2014 1:50:10 GMT -5
[Quick note, but the flashbacks in this RP are being written for the first time, by me. They're all things that have happened, in character, but were never actually written. Just so you don't think I'm recycling old work.]
Memory Lane
Location: The Mind Of A Psychopath
OFF CAMERA
|dannyDIAMOND| "Why do it? Why kidnap his sister?"
|MIRAGE| "Why not? It taught him a lesson. He now knows I mean business. I plan on getting what I want from him, one way or another."
|dannyDIAMOND| "But the poor girl--"
|MIRAGE| "Silence, Daniel. Remember who's running the show, here. You're in my mind, now. This is my body. I can, and will, do with it as I please."
|dannyDIAMOND| "She didn't do anything to you!"
|MIRAGE| "Do you really think that makes a difference to me? What about Alicia? Jason's family? Your father? Did any of them do anything to me? Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?"
|dannyDIAMOND| "Fuck. You."
|MIRAGE| "Excellent. Let's start with Adam's story."
It's Friday night at the Wembley Stadium in London, England. The date is August 20th, 2010. 2WWF Breakdown is on the air. The arena is filled with cheers as an action-packed show is around mid-way through. Those cheers soon dissolve into jeers at the sound of a few words.
"He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the paaain of bein' a maaan."
A loud inhalation scream echoes throughout the arena, as Avenged Sevenfold's "Bat Country" hits the PA System. Donning his then-orange and black swirl mask, Mirage steps onto the stage. He's not alone, however. The masked man is holding onto the arm of a woman, whose face is covered by a black bag, as her hands are tied together. He looks out at the heavily booing fans, tilting his head ever-so-slightly to the side as if confused by the response he's getting, despite being very used to it by now. As the woman tries to break free of his grasp, the madman begins marching to the ring, pulling her with him.
|deanRICHARDSON| "What the hell is going on? Who's that woman Mirage is forcing out here? I have a very bad feeling about this."
|joeyMILES| "I have a very bad feeling about those tacos I ate earlier, right in the pit of my stomach."
As Dean, one half of the 2WWF commentary team, looks at his broadcast partner in disgust, Mirage rolls the girl into the ring and then slides in after her. She quickly tries to make an escape, but Mirage grabs her by the leg and drags her into the center of the ring. He places one foot on her ankle, to keep her from moving, before shouting "Somebody give me a damn microphone!" One of the stage hands grabs a microphone for Mirage and rolls it into the ring, fearing to actually get in with him in there. Mirage bends over, keeping his foot on the ankle of this mystery woman, and grabs the microphone.
|MIRAGE| "Ladies and gentlemen, I regret to inform you that Minkaro is not in the building tonight. However, I did find someone snooping around backstage, looking for him. That brings me to my guest at this time."
Mirage bends over again, grabbing the girl by the shoulder as he steps off of her ankle. He yanks her, violently, back to her feet whilst screaming "get up!" Once she's standing, he wraps his arm around her neck to keep her from going anywhere.
|MIRAGE| "For those who don't know, Adam - or Minkaro as you like to call him - has been in a relationship for quite some time now. What was it, seventeen months, I think? I'm not going to bore you with the details of this loveless relationship, but I do want to introduce you to someone. Everybody, say hi to Alicia!"
Mirage quickly rips the bag off of her head, revealing the face of a beautiful, yet dreadfully scared, woman. Duct tape covers her mouth, so she can't speak, although muffled gasps and screams are heard through it.
|MIRAGE| "Alicia here is Adam's fiancé. The two got engaged only a few weeks ago, after being together for so long. How sweet, right? Not really. See, Alicia here is what one would call a whore. Oh yes, if her mouth wasn't taped shut right now, she'd definitely have a dick in there. Adam knows of her cheating ways, yet he still stays with her. Well, tonight, I plan on doing Adam a favor. I think him and I got off on the wrong foot, so I want to make it up to him, and what better way to do that then, well, beating the ever-loving fuck out of his cheating fiancé? Right?"
The fans jeer heavily, as the girl continues to look frightened and tries to pull herself away, although Mirage's grip just gets tighter the more she does that.
|deanRICHARDSON| "Come on, Mirage! This isn't necessary! She's an innocent girl!"
|joeyMILES| "Innocent? She's a whore, Deano! Haven't you been paying attention?"
|deanRICHARDSON| "You can't possibly believe what this monster says, can you?"
|joeyMILES| "I can and I do."
|MIRAGE| "Where do you think you're going, dearie? Do you think Adam will save you right now? He's not here and, even if he was, why would he save the slut who broke his heart? Now, come. I have a present for you."
After dropping the microphone, Mirage forcefully yanks Alicia over to the ropes, before pushing her through them, causing her to fall to the outside of the ring, thankfully not on her face, but rather landing on her elbow. The masked man exits the ring and heads over to the steel steps, proceeding to yank the top half off and reveal a baseball bat underneath it.
|deanRICHARDSON| "What the hell is he going to do with that?!"
|joeyMILES| "I believe he used the term 'beat the ever-loving fuck' out of her."
As Mirage turns around, baseball bat in hand, Alicia sees it and her eyes widen in fear. She desperately tries to get back to her feet so she can run away, but Mirage grabs her. She tries to fight him off of her, but it's to no avail. "Get the fuck back in the ring!" he shouts at the poor girl, before rolling her back in. He slides in after her, continuing to hold the bat as he does so. With Alicia lying on the canvas, she tries to crawl to the other side of the ring to get free, but Mirage steps in front of her path, pointing the bat down at her face.
|deanRICHARDSON| "Come on, Mirage! Don't do this! She didn't do anything to you! Leave the girl alone!"
Mirage stares down at the girl, continuing to point the bat at her, as she first looks up at the bat and then up at the head of the masked man. He turns his head ever-so-slightly to the side, as if he was confused at what was going on. He's not confused in the slightest, however, as he knows exactly what he's doing. With the audience still booing, Mirage walks around Alicia and heads toward her lower body. She turns her head to watch everything he does, as he lifts the bat into the air as high as he can. Muffled screams are again heard from Alicia, before the monstrous man swings the bat and crashes it into Alicia's right leg with as much force as possible! The fans' boos slowly dissolve into quiet shock, as Mirage repeatedly nails Alicia in the legs with the bat. "Turn over!" he shouts, before kicking her so hard in the mid-section that it causes her to flip onto her back. Now laying the other way, the screaming Alicia is beamed repeatedly in the kneecaps with the bat! Fans continue to look on in shock at the horrible display Mirage is putting on.
|deanRICHARDSON| "Somebody stop this!"
|joeyMILES| "Holy shit."
"The Illusionist" doesn't let up in the slightest, landing as many shots as he can get to the knees of Minkaro's fiancé, whilst violently shouting, "You're not gonna get down on your knees for anyone else, you fucking cunt!" It's obvious Alicia didn't cheat on Minkaro, but in Mirage's demented mind, maybe he does believe it. Maybe, just maybe, he feels the need to justify what he's doing to this girl right now. Regardless, officials and backstage workers finally run to the ring. As soon as one hops onto the apron, however, Mirage takes notice and swings the bat at him, cracking the referee in the jaw with it and knocking him back out of the ring! "Who the fuck else wants to interfere?!" he barks, holding the bat out at various officials and backstage workers. Everyone stands still, Mirage included, as everyone outside of the ring is too afraid to enter. Realizing they're not going to interfere now, Mirage turns his attention to Alicia.
|deanRICHARDSON| "What the hell?! Somebody get in there!"
|joeyMILES| "Why don't you try to stop him, Dean?"
|deanRICHARDSON| "..."
|joeyMILES| "Exactly."
Looking down at Adam's fiancé, Mirage grips the bat tightly. He raises it, ready to begin swinging again. Alicia, with tear drops coming from her eyes, lies on the canvas, both of her legs absolutely destroyed. Mirage does perhaps the most shocking thing of all at this point. He drops the bat. Realizing he had done enough damage, the masked man turns away from Alicia and walks towards the ropes closest to the ramp. "She's had enough," he says to the officials, continuing, "have fun with her." Mirage exits the ring, as the officials and backstage workers quickly move out of his way. Once he's half-way up the ramp, and they notice he isn't even looking back, they finally enter the ring to help Alicia. Of course, it's far too late to stop all the damage her legs had taken.
|deanRICHARDSON| "I can't believe what we just witnessed. All I can say is I hope Minkaro watched this and I hope he uses all the anger he's built up to destroy that monster."
|joeyMILES| "Damn, man. That was ... Jesus."
As medics and staff tend to Alicia, Mirage walks away, not taking a single glance behind. The flashback ends.
|MIRAGE| "Of course, she never walked again after that and Adam ended up getting what he deserved when we met in the ring."
|dannyDIAMOND| "Yes, I know what happened. Although, there's one thing I don't know. Why did you stop? Did you, for once in your miserable existence, actually feel remorse for your actions?"
|MIRAGE| "I'm not a monster, Daniel. Contrary to popular belief, I do know when to stop."
|dannyDIAMOND| "And your definition of when to stop is after you destroy a person's life?"
|MIRAGE| "It varies."
|dannyDIAMOND| "God, you're fucking sick. If it wasn't for you, I'd be a happy, married man right now."
|MIRAGE| "Again with this Diana Valentine bullshit? You just never quit bitching."
|dannyDIAMOND| "I loved her!"
|MIRAGE| "Trust me, I did you a favor. Now, can I continue?"
|dannyDIAMOND| "I'd prefer if you didn't."
|MIRAGE| "Duly noted. How about the time we burned Jason's dog?"
|dannyDIAMOND| "You mean YOU burned his dog."
|MIRAGE| "Never a team sport, I swear."
June 19th, 2011. We're at the Rose Garden, in Portland, Oregon. XWA Vendetta returns from a commercial break to a roaring crowd. "God's Gonna Cut You Down" by Johnny Cash hits the PA System, as the crowd's cheers get louder for the appearance of the face painted Roach Cooper, a native of Portland. The small man, standing at just five foot five and weighing one hundred and sixty-five pounds, makes his way to the ring, microphone in hand.
|tedCEDAR| "Here comes Roach Cooper, partner, and he doesn't look too happy. With Mirage playing mind games recently, leading into their street fight at In Your House, Roach hasn't been acting the same."
|chetLEMON| "Of course he hasn't. The little shit isn't used to other people playing mind games with him. It's usually the other way around. I don't know how someone that small can get into anyone's head, though."
Roach enters the ring, gripping the microphone tightly, and looking for the nearest camera.
|roachCOOPER| "Where's a camera? Where the fuck is a camera?! You! Over here!"
Roach motions at one of the cameramen to get on the apron. He does as instructed and Cooper begins speaking directly into the camera.
|roachCOOPER| "Who the fuck do you think you are, Mirage? Huh?! You step into my world and try to pull the same shit I've been doing for years? You wanna play mind games with the fucking master, huh? Well, I got some news for you. These aren't games you can win. At In Your House, I'm gonna teach you numerous lessons. Lesson number one, you do not fuck with Roach Cooper. Lesson number two, you do not fuck with Roach Cooper. Lesson number three, you DO NOT fuck with Roach Cooper! I may be small, but you seem to forget just who the fuck you're dealing with, Mirage. Remember LX-Tim? I burnt his house down. Remember Ace Acid? I kidnapped, and sliced, his son. Don't worry, I didn't kill the kid, just a little cut. But that's not what matters. What matters is why I did those things. You wanna know why? Because I can. I do shit simply because I can. There's no rhyme or reason to it. That's what separates you and me. You piss people off because you wanna get in their heads. I piss people off because why the fuck not? I don't care about getting into anyone's heads. But, here's the thing. You did it. You got into my head. Week after week of fucking with me and you did it. Congratulations, you've pissed off a very dangerous man. I hope you're ready for what comes with that. I hope you--"
|MIRAGE| "For the love of God, please shut the fuck up."
The audience bursts into jeers as Mirage is seen on the titantron, immediately getting Roach's attention. He appears to be in a room, wrecked to the core.
|MIRAGE| "We get it, you don't like to be fucked with. Jesus Christ, you're annoying. That moniker you use is so fitting, because you're like a cockroach that just won't fucking die. Not until somebody steps on you, at least. That's what I plan on doing at In Your House. But that's another week away. I've got some more, as you would say, head games to play, before then. This room I'm in look familiar, Jason? No? Maybe it's because I redecorated. Maybe this will refresh your memory."
Mirage, whom appears to be holding the camera himself, quickly spins it around to reveal an adult woman and a little girl, maybe two or three years old, tied to a bed post, with duct tape covering their mouths. In the ring, Roach's face turns to pure anger.
|roachCOOPER| "You son of a bitch, I'll fucking kill you! I'll fucking kill you!"
The camera swings back around to Mirage.
|MIRAGE| "Here, let me set this thing down so I can properly introduce them."
Mirage sets down the camera on a desk, turning it so that it's viewing the woman and child. He walks over to the obviously scared two, kneeling down next to the older one.
|MIRAGE| "Here's something I bet you all didn't know. Jason here is a family man! Yes, this raging psychopath that was the cause of so much turmoil has a wife and a daughter. In fact, you're looking at them right now. This lovely lady next to me is Lena, Jason's wife, and that adorable little girl next to her is Sarah, his daughter. You may be wondering why they're all tied up. Don't worry, Jason. I assure you, I didn't hurt them. They were just not as cooperative as I would've liked them to be. Oh! There's another Jason Gannon family member here with me! Come over here, boy! Come on!"
As Mirage appears to be calling for someone or something, a small dog, of the affenpinscher breed, happily makes its way over. Wagging its tale, the dog stands on its bottom two legs, pressing its upper two legs against Mirage and licking his mask. Mirage chuckles slightly, as Roach looks on, clenching his fist tightly.
|MIRAGE| "Alright, settle down boy. This is Chico, Jason's dog. Cute little guy, isn't he? I've actually come bearing a present for him! I'll be right back. You stay here and keep Jason's women company, Chico."
Mirage gets back to his feet as Chico heads over to Lena and Sarah. Roach continues to watch, his fist still clenched tightly, as Mirage steps back onto the stage with an empty bag.
|MIRAGE| "I know it's not an ideal present for a dog, but hey, the pet store wasn't open. Come on, boy, get in! Get in the bag!"
Mirage holds the bag out while Chico slowly walks towards it and sniffs it, still wagging his tail. He doesn't get in, however, instead just continuing to sniff it.
|MIRAGE| "Oh, for fucks sake, I don't have time for this."
The masked man picks up the dog and shoves him into the bag, as Lena and Sarah look on, scared about what's going to happen. Chico begins crying and barking, as Mirage holds the bag.
|MIRAGE| "Now, there's one more present I've brought. Let me and Chico go get it."
Again, Mirage heads off screen, taking the dog-filled bag with him. A few seconds pass as Lena and Sarah don't take their eyes off of Roach's direction. Suddenly, Lena's eyes widen as she begins letting out muffled screams. This, of course, scares Sarah, so she begins doing the same. Mirage steps back in front of the camera, with the bag, now tied, in one hand and a can of gasoline in the other. Roach begins yelling.
|roachCOOPER| "What the hell are you doing?! I swear to God, if you hurt them, I'll fucking kill you! Fight me like a man, you fuck!"
Mirage gently places the bag on the ground, with the dog still inside it, barking and trying to get out. Mirage picks up the can of gasoline and begins pouring it all over the bag, as a look of shock comes across Roach's face and his wife and daughter yell, muffled behind the duct tape, and cry.
|roachCOOPER| "No! Don't you dare fucking do this! Mirage! Mirage!"
Once Mirage has finished pouring a lot of the gasoline on the bag, he places it a few feet away, to ensure it isn't close to the bag. Mirage walks around the bag and heads to the camera, kneeling down in front of it and speaking.
|MIRAGE| "I'm inside your mind, yes? I've pissed you off, yes? Well, here's the thing. Contrary to popular belief, that's not what this is about. See, I have a plan. My plan is going to come full circle soon enough. But you ... you're trying to ruin my plan and you don't even know it! You sicken me, Jason. There was a time when you were like me, when you embraced the true monster that lives within. Now all you do is ponder to those ignorant people. You're pathetic. It's time I teach you a lesson. To truly fix a broken man, you must break him some more. That's what I plan on doing. Get ready, Jason. Prepare yourself in every way possible. At In Your House, I'm going to fix you the correct way, but it starts right now. We will hurt together. We will bleed together. We will live and we will die together. We will be one."
Mirage stands up and turns around, walking towards the bag. He walks passed it and stands next to Lena, before pulling a pack of matches out of his pocket. Lena shakes her head, trying to get Mirage to stop, but it's to no avail. He grabs one of the matches and lights it, before looking back up at the camera.
|MIRAGE| "The ramblings of a madman never made so much sense."
After uttering Roach's famous line, Mirage turns his head to the side and then tosses the lit match onto the bag and sets it ablaze. Horrifying barks and screams are heard from the dog as it gets burned alive, Lena and Sarah crying and screaming from their duct taped mouths while this happens. The video feed suddenly ends. We're left with a dead silent crowd and Roach Cooper in the ring, leaned forward against the ropes as they're the only thing holding him up right now. A complete look of shock is on his face. He doesn't know how to react to what just happened at all.
|tedCEDAR| "I ... I don't know what to say. What has Mirage just done? What has possessed this man to do such a thing?"
|chetLEMON| "Wow. Just ..."
The camera pans around on various members of the audience, all looking surprised at what just went down. It seems to finally sink in to Roach, just what happened. He quickly exits the ring and runs, as fast as he can, to the back, presumably to get into a car and head to his house, where this horrible event just took place. The memory ends.
|MIRAGE| "Just like Adam, Jason also got what he deserved when we faced off. Although, he got it with one less dog. Did you learn anything from these memories?"
|dannyDIAMOND| "Just that you have a weird obsession with duct tape."
|MIRAGE| "Always with the jokes, Daniel. Always with the jokes. You weren't joking when I put your father in the hospital, though."
|dannyDIAMOND| "You son of a--"
|MIRAGE| "Yes, your father's death was a rather unfortunate one. After all, it didn't get me what I needed. Although, it did teach you a true lesson that you will never forget."
|dannyDIAMOND| "What lesson is that?"
|MIRAGE| "Quite simply, it's that you will never escape me. Let's revisit the day it all happened, yes?"
|dannyDIAMOND| "Please don't ..."
|MIRAGE| "Oh, but I must. I love telling this story."
On May 26th, 2013, at the American Airlines Center in Miami, Florida, our story takes place. XWA Vendetta is on the air, coming off of a match between Razor Xtreme and Drake Dysfunction. We head backstage to see Daniel Smithson Sr., the father of Danny Diamond, known better by his ring name from the late seventies to early nineties, Defiant Dan. Daniel receives a warm response from the fans, although he isn't looking too warm right now. The sixty-two year old veteran begins talking.
|danielSMITHSONsr.| "Lately, I've been dealing with some troubles regarding my son. As all of you know by now, Mirage is back. He's back and his goal seems pretty simple - destroy everything my son knows and loves. With Danny's own body, he's forcing him to do unthinkable things to people he cares about. Danny hasn't always been the best role model. I know that. He's brash, arrogant and self centered. But beyond that, he does what he truly believes to be best for his loved ones. My son is a good man. He is not this monster. I'm not going to rest until I bring that good boy, that honest boy, back. Mirage, I know you're watching this from whatever rotten hole you spend your time in, and I just want you to know that I'm coming for you. I don't know if you sold your soul to the Devil or what, but--"
Without warning, Daniel is blindsided by a right punch from Mirage! The hit knocks the old man down as the audience boos heavily.
|MIRAGE| "I guess I was watching a little closer than you expected, huh?"
The masked man kicks Daniel very hard in the abdomen as he was on all fours, trying to get back up. This forces him onto his back, as Mirage gets on top of him and starts pounding away with punch after punch to the English legend. Daniel desperately tries to cover up, but it's to no avail, as Mirage continues pounding onto his face, as blood flies all over the place, including onto Mirage's beige mask. Eventually, Mirage gets off of Daniel, as he lets out a loud roar, knocking the nearest table over in rage. He looks back at a downed Daniel.
|MIRAGE| "There is no saving your son now, Daniel! He's mine, forever! Do you hear me?! He's mine!"
Mirage drops down to his knees and presses his forearm against the throat of Daniel, beginning to choke the life out of him.
|MIRAGE| "You shouldn't have gotten involved! You just had to be the hero! Now look at you! A bloody mess on the floor! Daniel would be so proud of you, wouldn't he?! Look at me!"
Mirage removes his forearm from Daniel's neck and grabs the head of the now-unconscious man, before headbutting him with as much force as possible, followed by four more in rapid speed. Breathing heavily, Mirage continues to sit atop the former wrestler. He slowly calms down.
|MIRAGE| "You're just as much of a monster as me, Daniel. Remember that. Although, I have a feeling you won't be remembering much very soon. You want to try and interfere in my work? You want to corrupt your son's mind? What happens to you is your own damn fault, now. You caused this. Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets in between your son and I. Soon enough, my message will go through. Everyone in the world will be following in my footsteps. It's just a shame you won't be around to witness the glory. I didn't sell my soul to the Devil, I am the fucking Devil. It's about damn time this world has a change and I'm the motherfucker who's gonna make that change. See you in Hell, Daniel."
After saying this, Mirage violently stomps his foot down on the side of Daniel's already bloody head. With Danny Diamond's father a bloody mess, unconscious, Mirage tilts his head to the side, looking down at the destroyed legend. He walks away, leaving him by his lonesome, as the memory comes to a close.
|MIRAGE| "Ahhhh, what a fun day. The last day your father spoke before being put in that coma and, eventually ... well, you know."
|dannyDIAMOND| "How could you do it? How could you kill my dad?"
|MIRAGE| "He knew what he was getting himself into. And now, his death will serve as a constant reminder of what happens when you try to stop me."
|dannyDIAMOND| "I shouldn't have pleaded temporary insanity. If I went to jail, you'd be there with me right now. Everyone would be safe from you."
|MIRAGE| "You should know better than anyone by now that nobody will ever be safe from me."
|dannyDIAMOND| "Somehow, after all I've been through, I still don't find that to be true. Someone will stop you. Someone has to stop you."
|MIRAGE| "If only it were that simple. If only. I've got to go now, Daniel. I have a championship to win. We'll be speaking soon."
And Your New Mid-Atlantic Legacy Champion Is ...
Location: Unknown
ON CAMERA
The video turns on inside the same warehouse we saw not too long ago. Mirage walks in front of the camera, sporting his signature ripped beige mask and cheap black suit.
|MIRAGE| "And your new Mid-Atlantic Legacy Champion Is ... Heh. Championships are overrated, but they are good for one thing - gaining everyone's attention. I need attention for my goals to come to fruition. Therefore, I need a championship. And what better championship to take than the one Chaz Holiday owns."
"I've said it time and time again, you make me sick. You're the exact type of scum this world doesn't need. Sound hypocritical coming from me? No. I'm not scum. I'm true to myself and the world that created me. You're scum because you lie about who you are. You try to make yourself into something that you truly are not."
"In New Jersey, you showed off another side of you - a side that I know to be your real self. You attacked me, blindsided me and beat me down. But, the thing is, when you had your chance to finish me off ... you didn't take it. You pussied out. I kidnapped your fucking sister and damn near set her on fire, yet you aren't man enough to finish the fucking job? I don't believe that for a second."
"See, I know what's really going on. You're trying to preserve this falsity that you're a good guy. You want to destroy me at Final Frontier, in our street fight, so that it looks like you're doing it out of self defense. You want it to seem like you're just doing what you can to keep your championship and survive a night with me, when in reality you're going to finally take out your aggression and show your true colors. You know that if you finished me off in New Jersey, people would see you for who you really are."
"Well, I got some news for you, Mr. Holiday. I'm not going to let you get away with this. You didn't give me what I want. The time is up. At Final Frontier, you're getting everything owed to you. It's going to be a massacre for the ages. Blood will fly. Bones will break. The hearts of all of your 'beloved' fans will shatter."
"You could've just given me what I wanted. You could've embraced the darkness within. Hell, maybe you could've joined me in my quest to bring out the truth in this world. But you chose a different path. You chose the path of lying, deceit. It's such a shame. You had so much potential, but in the end you were just like the rest of them."
"Now, I need to take what's important to you. Your Mid-Atlantic Legacy Championship is coming home with me. If kidnapping your sister wasn't enough to bring out the true you, maybe you're more of a material possessions type of guy. I've already given up on you, but I'll enjoy watching you cry when you lose your gold. I may not care about championships, but it's very satisfying for me to take things that other people want."
"You can take this as a warning. In New York, you're in for the worst night of your life. You will pay for all of the lies and deception you've called an existence. It will truly be hell on Earth for you, my friend. No rules. No disqualifications. Nothing to save you but your own blood-thirsty cravings of flesh. We will become the animals we truly are. I'm going to show all of FGA just why you should not take me lightly. It's time, Mr. Holiday. It's time for your comeuppance."
"Remember, sanity is just a mirage."
Mirage, still looking directly into the camera through the two black ovals of his mask, tilts his head to the side, before the video comes to an abrupt end.
Memory Lane
Location: The Mind Of A Psychopath
OFF CAMERA
|dannyDIAMOND| "Why do it? Why kidnap his sister?"
|MIRAGE| "Why not? It taught him a lesson. He now knows I mean business. I plan on getting what I want from him, one way or another."
|dannyDIAMOND| "But the poor girl--"
|MIRAGE| "Silence, Daniel. Remember who's running the show, here. You're in my mind, now. This is my body. I can, and will, do with it as I please."
|dannyDIAMOND| "She didn't do anything to you!"
|MIRAGE| "Do you really think that makes a difference to me? What about Alicia? Jason's family? Your father? Did any of them do anything to me? Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?"
|dannyDIAMOND| "Fuck. You."
|MIRAGE| "Excellent. Let's start with Adam's story."
It's Friday night at the Wembley Stadium in London, England. The date is August 20th, 2010. 2WWF Breakdown is on the air. The arena is filled with cheers as an action-packed show is around mid-way through. Those cheers soon dissolve into jeers at the sound of a few words.
"He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the paaain of bein' a maaan."
A loud inhalation scream echoes throughout the arena, as Avenged Sevenfold's "Bat Country" hits the PA System. Donning his then-orange and black swirl mask, Mirage steps onto the stage. He's not alone, however. The masked man is holding onto the arm of a woman, whose face is covered by a black bag, as her hands are tied together. He looks out at the heavily booing fans, tilting his head ever-so-slightly to the side as if confused by the response he's getting, despite being very used to it by now. As the woman tries to break free of his grasp, the madman begins marching to the ring, pulling her with him.
|deanRICHARDSON| "What the hell is going on? Who's that woman Mirage is forcing out here? I have a very bad feeling about this."
|joeyMILES| "I have a very bad feeling about those tacos I ate earlier, right in the pit of my stomach."
As Dean, one half of the 2WWF commentary team, looks at his broadcast partner in disgust, Mirage rolls the girl into the ring and then slides in after her. She quickly tries to make an escape, but Mirage grabs her by the leg and drags her into the center of the ring. He places one foot on her ankle, to keep her from moving, before shouting "Somebody give me a damn microphone!" One of the stage hands grabs a microphone for Mirage and rolls it into the ring, fearing to actually get in with him in there. Mirage bends over, keeping his foot on the ankle of this mystery woman, and grabs the microphone.
|MIRAGE| "Ladies and gentlemen, I regret to inform you that Minkaro is not in the building tonight. However, I did find someone snooping around backstage, looking for him. That brings me to my guest at this time."
Mirage bends over again, grabbing the girl by the shoulder as he steps off of her ankle. He yanks her, violently, back to her feet whilst screaming "get up!" Once she's standing, he wraps his arm around her neck to keep her from going anywhere.
|MIRAGE| "For those who don't know, Adam - or Minkaro as you like to call him - has been in a relationship for quite some time now. What was it, seventeen months, I think? I'm not going to bore you with the details of this loveless relationship, but I do want to introduce you to someone. Everybody, say hi to Alicia!"
Mirage quickly rips the bag off of her head, revealing the face of a beautiful, yet dreadfully scared, woman. Duct tape covers her mouth, so she can't speak, although muffled gasps and screams are heard through it.
|MIRAGE| "Alicia here is Adam's fiancé. The two got engaged only a few weeks ago, after being together for so long. How sweet, right? Not really. See, Alicia here is what one would call a whore. Oh yes, if her mouth wasn't taped shut right now, she'd definitely have a dick in there. Adam knows of her cheating ways, yet he still stays with her. Well, tonight, I plan on doing Adam a favor. I think him and I got off on the wrong foot, so I want to make it up to him, and what better way to do that then, well, beating the ever-loving fuck out of his cheating fiancé? Right?"
The fans jeer heavily, as the girl continues to look frightened and tries to pull herself away, although Mirage's grip just gets tighter the more she does that.
|deanRICHARDSON| "Come on, Mirage! This isn't necessary! She's an innocent girl!"
|joeyMILES| "Innocent? She's a whore, Deano! Haven't you been paying attention?"
|deanRICHARDSON| "You can't possibly believe what this monster says, can you?"
|joeyMILES| "I can and I do."
|MIRAGE| "Where do you think you're going, dearie? Do you think Adam will save you right now? He's not here and, even if he was, why would he save the slut who broke his heart? Now, come. I have a present for you."
After dropping the microphone, Mirage forcefully yanks Alicia over to the ropes, before pushing her through them, causing her to fall to the outside of the ring, thankfully not on her face, but rather landing on her elbow. The masked man exits the ring and heads over to the steel steps, proceeding to yank the top half off and reveal a baseball bat underneath it.
|deanRICHARDSON| "What the hell is he going to do with that?!"
|joeyMILES| "I believe he used the term 'beat the ever-loving fuck' out of her."
As Mirage turns around, baseball bat in hand, Alicia sees it and her eyes widen in fear. She desperately tries to get back to her feet so she can run away, but Mirage grabs her. She tries to fight him off of her, but it's to no avail. "Get the fuck back in the ring!" he shouts at the poor girl, before rolling her back in. He slides in after her, continuing to hold the bat as he does so. With Alicia lying on the canvas, she tries to crawl to the other side of the ring to get free, but Mirage steps in front of her path, pointing the bat down at her face.
|deanRICHARDSON| "Come on, Mirage! Don't do this! She didn't do anything to you! Leave the girl alone!"
Mirage stares down at the girl, continuing to point the bat at her, as she first looks up at the bat and then up at the head of the masked man. He turns his head ever-so-slightly to the side, as if he was confused at what was going on. He's not confused in the slightest, however, as he knows exactly what he's doing. With the audience still booing, Mirage walks around Alicia and heads toward her lower body. She turns her head to watch everything he does, as he lifts the bat into the air as high as he can. Muffled screams are again heard from Alicia, before the monstrous man swings the bat and crashes it into Alicia's right leg with as much force as possible! The fans' boos slowly dissolve into quiet shock, as Mirage repeatedly nails Alicia in the legs with the bat. "Turn over!" he shouts, before kicking her so hard in the mid-section that it causes her to flip onto her back. Now laying the other way, the screaming Alicia is beamed repeatedly in the kneecaps with the bat! Fans continue to look on in shock at the horrible display Mirage is putting on.
|deanRICHARDSON| "Somebody stop this!"
|joeyMILES| "Holy shit."
"The Illusionist" doesn't let up in the slightest, landing as many shots as he can get to the knees of Minkaro's fiancé, whilst violently shouting, "You're not gonna get down on your knees for anyone else, you fucking cunt!" It's obvious Alicia didn't cheat on Minkaro, but in Mirage's demented mind, maybe he does believe it. Maybe, just maybe, he feels the need to justify what he's doing to this girl right now. Regardless, officials and backstage workers finally run to the ring. As soon as one hops onto the apron, however, Mirage takes notice and swings the bat at him, cracking the referee in the jaw with it and knocking him back out of the ring! "Who the fuck else wants to interfere?!" he barks, holding the bat out at various officials and backstage workers. Everyone stands still, Mirage included, as everyone outside of the ring is too afraid to enter. Realizing they're not going to interfere now, Mirage turns his attention to Alicia.
|deanRICHARDSON| "What the hell?! Somebody get in there!"
|joeyMILES| "Why don't you try to stop him, Dean?"
|deanRICHARDSON| "..."
|joeyMILES| "Exactly."
Looking down at Adam's fiancé, Mirage grips the bat tightly. He raises it, ready to begin swinging again. Alicia, with tear drops coming from her eyes, lies on the canvas, both of her legs absolutely destroyed. Mirage does perhaps the most shocking thing of all at this point. He drops the bat. Realizing he had done enough damage, the masked man turns away from Alicia and walks towards the ropes closest to the ramp. "She's had enough," he says to the officials, continuing, "have fun with her." Mirage exits the ring, as the officials and backstage workers quickly move out of his way. Once he's half-way up the ramp, and they notice he isn't even looking back, they finally enter the ring to help Alicia. Of course, it's far too late to stop all the damage her legs had taken.
|deanRICHARDSON| "I can't believe what we just witnessed. All I can say is I hope Minkaro watched this and I hope he uses all the anger he's built up to destroy that monster."
|joeyMILES| "Damn, man. That was ... Jesus."
As medics and staff tend to Alicia, Mirage walks away, not taking a single glance behind. The flashback ends.
|MIRAGE| "Of course, she never walked again after that and Adam ended up getting what he deserved when we met in the ring."
|dannyDIAMOND| "Yes, I know what happened. Although, there's one thing I don't know. Why did you stop? Did you, for once in your miserable existence, actually feel remorse for your actions?"
|MIRAGE| "I'm not a monster, Daniel. Contrary to popular belief, I do know when to stop."
|dannyDIAMOND| "And your definition of when to stop is after you destroy a person's life?"
|MIRAGE| "It varies."
|dannyDIAMOND| "God, you're fucking sick. If it wasn't for you, I'd be a happy, married man right now."
|MIRAGE| "Again with this Diana Valentine bullshit? You just never quit bitching."
|dannyDIAMOND| "I loved her!"
|MIRAGE| "Trust me, I did you a favor. Now, can I continue?"
|dannyDIAMOND| "I'd prefer if you didn't."
|MIRAGE| "Duly noted. How about the time we burned Jason's dog?"
|dannyDIAMOND| "You mean YOU burned his dog."
|MIRAGE| "Never a team sport, I swear."
June 19th, 2011. We're at the Rose Garden, in Portland, Oregon. XWA Vendetta returns from a commercial break to a roaring crowd. "God's Gonna Cut You Down" by Johnny Cash hits the PA System, as the crowd's cheers get louder for the appearance of the face painted Roach Cooper, a native of Portland. The small man, standing at just five foot five and weighing one hundred and sixty-five pounds, makes his way to the ring, microphone in hand.
|tedCEDAR| "Here comes Roach Cooper, partner, and he doesn't look too happy. With Mirage playing mind games recently, leading into their street fight at In Your House, Roach hasn't been acting the same."
|chetLEMON| "Of course he hasn't. The little shit isn't used to other people playing mind games with him. It's usually the other way around. I don't know how someone that small can get into anyone's head, though."
Roach enters the ring, gripping the microphone tightly, and looking for the nearest camera.
|roachCOOPER| "Where's a camera? Where the fuck is a camera?! You! Over here!"
Roach motions at one of the cameramen to get on the apron. He does as instructed and Cooper begins speaking directly into the camera.
|roachCOOPER| "Who the fuck do you think you are, Mirage? Huh?! You step into my world and try to pull the same shit I've been doing for years? You wanna play mind games with the fucking master, huh? Well, I got some news for you. These aren't games you can win. At In Your House, I'm gonna teach you numerous lessons. Lesson number one, you do not fuck with Roach Cooper. Lesson number two, you do not fuck with Roach Cooper. Lesson number three, you DO NOT fuck with Roach Cooper! I may be small, but you seem to forget just who the fuck you're dealing with, Mirage. Remember LX-Tim? I burnt his house down. Remember Ace Acid? I kidnapped, and sliced, his son. Don't worry, I didn't kill the kid, just a little cut. But that's not what matters. What matters is why I did those things. You wanna know why? Because I can. I do shit simply because I can. There's no rhyme or reason to it. That's what separates you and me. You piss people off because you wanna get in their heads. I piss people off because why the fuck not? I don't care about getting into anyone's heads. But, here's the thing. You did it. You got into my head. Week after week of fucking with me and you did it. Congratulations, you've pissed off a very dangerous man. I hope you're ready for what comes with that. I hope you--"
|MIRAGE| "For the love of God, please shut the fuck up."
The audience bursts into jeers as Mirage is seen on the titantron, immediately getting Roach's attention. He appears to be in a room, wrecked to the core.
|MIRAGE| "We get it, you don't like to be fucked with. Jesus Christ, you're annoying. That moniker you use is so fitting, because you're like a cockroach that just won't fucking die. Not until somebody steps on you, at least. That's what I plan on doing at In Your House. But that's another week away. I've got some more, as you would say, head games to play, before then. This room I'm in look familiar, Jason? No? Maybe it's because I redecorated. Maybe this will refresh your memory."
Mirage, whom appears to be holding the camera himself, quickly spins it around to reveal an adult woman and a little girl, maybe two or three years old, tied to a bed post, with duct tape covering their mouths. In the ring, Roach's face turns to pure anger.
|roachCOOPER| "You son of a bitch, I'll fucking kill you! I'll fucking kill you!"
The camera swings back around to Mirage.
|MIRAGE| "Here, let me set this thing down so I can properly introduce them."
Mirage sets down the camera on a desk, turning it so that it's viewing the woman and child. He walks over to the obviously scared two, kneeling down next to the older one.
|MIRAGE| "Here's something I bet you all didn't know. Jason here is a family man! Yes, this raging psychopath that was the cause of so much turmoil has a wife and a daughter. In fact, you're looking at them right now. This lovely lady next to me is Lena, Jason's wife, and that adorable little girl next to her is Sarah, his daughter. You may be wondering why they're all tied up. Don't worry, Jason. I assure you, I didn't hurt them. They were just not as cooperative as I would've liked them to be. Oh! There's another Jason Gannon family member here with me! Come over here, boy! Come on!"
As Mirage appears to be calling for someone or something, a small dog, of the affenpinscher breed, happily makes its way over. Wagging its tale, the dog stands on its bottom two legs, pressing its upper two legs against Mirage and licking his mask. Mirage chuckles slightly, as Roach looks on, clenching his fist tightly.
|MIRAGE| "Alright, settle down boy. This is Chico, Jason's dog. Cute little guy, isn't he? I've actually come bearing a present for him! I'll be right back. You stay here and keep Jason's women company, Chico."
Mirage gets back to his feet as Chico heads over to Lena and Sarah. Roach continues to watch, his fist still clenched tightly, as Mirage steps back onto the stage with an empty bag.
|MIRAGE| "I know it's not an ideal present for a dog, but hey, the pet store wasn't open. Come on, boy, get in! Get in the bag!"
Mirage holds the bag out while Chico slowly walks towards it and sniffs it, still wagging his tail. He doesn't get in, however, instead just continuing to sniff it.
|MIRAGE| "Oh, for fucks sake, I don't have time for this."
The masked man picks up the dog and shoves him into the bag, as Lena and Sarah look on, scared about what's going to happen. Chico begins crying and barking, as Mirage holds the bag.
|MIRAGE| "Now, there's one more present I've brought. Let me and Chico go get it."
Again, Mirage heads off screen, taking the dog-filled bag with him. A few seconds pass as Lena and Sarah don't take their eyes off of Roach's direction. Suddenly, Lena's eyes widen as she begins letting out muffled screams. This, of course, scares Sarah, so she begins doing the same. Mirage steps back in front of the camera, with the bag, now tied, in one hand and a can of gasoline in the other. Roach begins yelling.
|roachCOOPER| "What the hell are you doing?! I swear to God, if you hurt them, I'll fucking kill you! Fight me like a man, you fuck!"
Mirage gently places the bag on the ground, with the dog still inside it, barking and trying to get out. Mirage picks up the can of gasoline and begins pouring it all over the bag, as a look of shock comes across Roach's face and his wife and daughter yell, muffled behind the duct tape, and cry.
|roachCOOPER| "No! Don't you dare fucking do this! Mirage! Mirage!"
Once Mirage has finished pouring a lot of the gasoline on the bag, he places it a few feet away, to ensure it isn't close to the bag. Mirage walks around the bag and heads to the camera, kneeling down in front of it and speaking.
|MIRAGE| "I'm inside your mind, yes? I've pissed you off, yes? Well, here's the thing. Contrary to popular belief, that's not what this is about. See, I have a plan. My plan is going to come full circle soon enough. But you ... you're trying to ruin my plan and you don't even know it! You sicken me, Jason. There was a time when you were like me, when you embraced the true monster that lives within. Now all you do is ponder to those ignorant people. You're pathetic. It's time I teach you a lesson. To truly fix a broken man, you must break him some more. That's what I plan on doing. Get ready, Jason. Prepare yourself in every way possible. At In Your House, I'm going to fix you the correct way, but it starts right now. We will hurt together. We will bleed together. We will live and we will die together. We will be one."
Mirage stands up and turns around, walking towards the bag. He walks passed it and stands next to Lena, before pulling a pack of matches out of his pocket. Lena shakes her head, trying to get Mirage to stop, but it's to no avail. He grabs one of the matches and lights it, before looking back up at the camera.
|MIRAGE| "The ramblings of a madman never made so much sense."
After uttering Roach's famous line, Mirage turns his head to the side and then tosses the lit match onto the bag and sets it ablaze. Horrifying barks and screams are heard from the dog as it gets burned alive, Lena and Sarah crying and screaming from their duct taped mouths while this happens. The video feed suddenly ends. We're left with a dead silent crowd and Roach Cooper in the ring, leaned forward against the ropes as they're the only thing holding him up right now. A complete look of shock is on his face. He doesn't know how to react to what just happened at all.
|tedCEDAR| "I ... I don't know what to say. What has Mirage just done? What has possessed this man to do such a thing?"
|chetLEMON| "Wow. Just ..."
The camera pans around on various members of the audience, all looking surprised at what just went down. It seems to finally sink in to Roach, just what happened. He quickly exits the ring and runs, as fast as he can, to the back, presumably to get into a car and head to his house, where this horrible event just took place. The memory ends.
|MIRAGE| "Just like Adam, Jason also got what he deserved when we faced off. Although, he got it with one less dog. Did you learn anything from these memories?"
|dannyDIAMOND| "Just that you have a weird obsession with duct tape."
|MIRAGE| "Always with the jokes, Daniel. Always with the jokes. You weren't joking when I put your father in the hospital, though."
|dannyDIAMOND| "You son of a--"
|MIRAGE| "Yes, your father's death was a rather unfortunate one. After all, it didn't get me what I needed. Although, it did teach you a true lesson that you will never forget."
|dannyDIAMOND| "What lesson is that?"
|MIRAGE| "Quite simply, it's that you will never escape me. Let's revisit the day it all happened, yes?"
|dannyDIAMOND| "Please don't ..."
|MIRAGE| "Oh, but I must. I love telling this story."
On May 26th, 2013, at the American Airlines Center in Miami, Florida, our story takes place. XWA Vendetta is on the air, coming off of a match between Razor Xtreme and Drake Dysfunction. We head backstage to see Daniel Smithson Sr., the father of Danny Diamond, known better by his ring name from the late seventies to early nineties, Defiant Dan. Daniel receives a warm response from the fans, although he isn't looking too warm right now. The sixty-two year old veteran begins talking.
|danielSMITHSONsr.| "Lately, I've been dealing with some troubles regarding my son. As all of you know by now, Mirage is back. He's back and his goal seems pretty simple - destroy everything my son knows and loves. With Danny's own body, he's forcing him to do unthinkable things to people he cares about. Danny hasn't always been the best role model. I know that. He's brash, arrogant and self centered. But beyond that, he does what he truly believes to be best for his loved ones. My son is a good man. He is not this monster. I'm not going to rest until I bring that good boy, that honest boy, back. Mirage, I know you're watching this from whatever rotten hole you spend your time in, and I just want you to know that I'm coming for you. I don't know if you sold your soul to the Devil or what, but--"
Without warning, Daniel is blindsided by a right punch from Mirage! The hit knocks the old man down as the audience boos heavily.
|MIRAGE| "I guess I was watching a little closer than you expected, huh?"
The masked man kicks Daniel very hard in the abdomen as he was on all fours, trying to get back up. This forces him onto his back, as Mirage gets on top of him and starts pounding away with punch after punch to the English legend. Daniel desperately tries to cover up, but it's to no avail, as Mirage continues pounding onto his face, as blood flies all over the place, including onto Mirage's beige mask. Eventually, Mirage gets off of Daniel, as he lets out a loud roar, knocking the nearest table over in rage. He looks back at a downed Daniel.
|MIRAGE| "There is no saving your son now, Daniel! He's mine, forever! Do you hear me?! He's mine!"
Mirage drops down to his knees and presses his forearm against the throat of Daniel, beginning to choke the life out of him.
|MIRAGE| "You shouldn't have gotten involved! You just had to be the hero! Now look at you! A bloody mess on the floor! Daniel would be so proud of you, wouldn't he?! Look at me!"
Mirage removes his forearm from Daniel's neck and grabs the head of the now-unconscious man, before headbutting him with as much force as possible, followed by four more in rapid speed. Breathing heavily, Mirage continues to sit atop the former wrestler. He slowly calms down.
|MIRAGE| "You're just as much of a monster as me, Daniel. Remember that. Although, I have a feeling you won't be remembering much very soon. You want to try and interfere in my work? You want to corrupt your son's mind? What happens to you is your own damn fault, now. You caused this. Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets in between your son and I. Soon enough, my message will go through. Everyone in the world will be following in my footsteps. It's just a shame you won't be around to witness the glory. I didn't sell my soul to the Devil, I am the fucking Devil. It's about damn time this world has a change and I'm the motherfucker who's gonna make that change. See you in Hell, Daniel."
After saying this, Mirage violently stomps his foot down on the side of Daniel's already bloody head. With Danny Diamond's father a bloody mess, unconscious, Mirage tilts his head to the side, looking down at the destroyed legend. He walks away, leaving him by his lonesome, as the memory comes to a close.
|MIRAGE| "Ahhhh, what a fun day. The last day your father spoke before being put in that coma and, eventually ... well, you know."
|dannyDIAMOND| "How could you do it? How could you kill my dad?"
|MIRAGE| "He knew what he was getting himself into. And now, his death will serve as a constant reminder of what happens when you try to stop me."
|dannyDIAMOND| "I shouldn't have pleaded temporary insanity. If I went to jail, you'd be there with me right now. Everyone would be safe from you."
|MIRAGE| "You should know better than anyone by now that nobody will ever be safe from me."
|dannyDIAMOND| "Somehow, after all I've been through, I still don't find that to be true. Someone will stop you. Someone has to stop you."
|MIRAGE| "If only it were that simple. If only. I've got to go now, Daniel. I have a championship to win. We'll be speaking soon."
And Your New Mid-Atlantic Legacy Champion Is ...
Location: Unknown
ON CAMERA
The video turns on inside the same warehouse we saw not too long ago. Mirage walks in front of the camera, sporting his signature ripped beige mask and cheap black suit.
|MIRAGE| "And your new Mid-Atlantic Legacy Champion Is ... Heh. Championships are overrated, but they are good for one thing - gaining everyone's attention. I need attention for my goals to come to fruition. Therefore, I need a championship. And what better championship to take than the one Chaz Holiday owns."
"I've said it time and time again, you make me sick. You're the exact type of scum this world doesn't need. Sound hypocritical coming from me? No. I'm not scum. I'm true to myself and the world that created me. You're scum because you lie about who you are. You try to make yourself into something that you truly are not."
"In New Jersey, you showed off another side of you - a side that I know to be your real self. You attacked me, blindsided me and beat me down. But, the thing is, when you had your chance to finish me off ... you didn't take it. You pussied out. I kidnapped your fucking sister and damn near set her on fire, yet you aren't man enough to finish the fucking job? I don't believe that for a second."
"See, I know what's really going on. You're trying to preserve this falsity that you're a good guy. You want to destroy me at Final Frontier, in our street fight, so that it looks like you're doing it out of self defense. You want it to seem like you're just doing what you can to keep your championship and survive a night with me, when in reality you're going to finally take out your aggression and show your true colors. You know that if you finished me off in New Jersey, people would see you for who you really are."
"Well, I got some news for you, Mr. Holiday. I'm not going to let you get away with this. You didn't give me what I want. The time is up. At Final Frontier, you're getting everything owed to you. It's going to be a massacre for the ages. Blood will fly. Bones will break. The hearts of all of your 'beloved' fans will shatter."
"You could've just given me what I wanted. You could've embraced the darkness within. Hell, maybe you could've joined me in my quest to bring out the truth in this world. But you chose a different path. You chose the path of lying, deceit. It's such a shame. You had so much potential, but in the end you were just like the rest of them."
"Now, I need to take what's important to you. Your Mid-Atlantic Legacy Championship is coming home with me. If kidnapping your sister wasn't enough to bring out the true you, maybe you're more of a material possessions type of guy. I've already given up on you, but I'll enjoy watching you cry when you lose your gold. I may not care about championships, but it's very satisfying for me to take things that other people want."
"You can take this as a warning. In New York, you're in for the worst night of your life. You will pay for all of the lies and deception you've called an existence. It will truly be hell on Earth for you, my friend. No rules. No disqualifications. Nothing to save you but your own blood-thirsty cravings of flesh. We will become the animals we truly are. I'm going to show all of FGA just why you should not take me lightly. It's time, Mr. Holiday. It's time for your comeuppance."
"Remember, sanity is just a mirage."
Mirage, still looking directly into the camera through the two black ovals of his mask, tilts his head to the side, before the video comes to an abrupt end.
