HWA Message Board: Truth Be Told

15 minutes before the end of Havoc – HWA Production Truck

Just outside the arena in the lot the faint sounds of the crowd inside can be heard as Sean and Wolfy tie up. Inside the production truck, was Erica…only permitted inside because of Mandy and Wisdom’s orders for her to assist. Officials had no interest in her being there given her behavior, and as such told her in no uncertain terms that they couldn’t stop her from being there but she’d have to do her search on her own. There were hundreds of dials and buttons and Erica is feverishly looked for footage from the last few Havocs after figuring out the basics on how to access files and what to press. Mandy, strangely, seems to be entirely uninterested. Erica was actually grateful for it, she didn’t know how to approach a certain discussion with her and needed those moments to think.

(Erica): I’ve been thinking……….about what I did to you…

(Mandy): What you did to me?

(Erica): Don’t make me relive it out loud….I just wanted to say, I’m sorry okay?

(Mandy): Oh, right, well…we all have our reasons.

(Erica): There! Did you see that.

Mandy looks up from her phone, half paying attention to the conversation with Erica whose attention was suddenly brought back to their purpose.

(Mandy): See what?

Erica points to the screen as she tries to rewind.

(Erica): I saw someone come out of Hans’ room, hey you…help me…how do I go back?

She taps an official on the shoulder and he looks at her and rolls his eyes dismissively swiveling back around in his chair as if she isn’t there. She sighs in frustration.

(Erica): Pinche Cabrón!

She works the controls until she finds how to rewind and gets to the bit of footage she was looking for.

(Erica): No fuking way!

A chill ran down her spine as she sees not someone, but something familiar. Even before the face turned to the cameras as the eyes were a giveaway, it was the body language. She could feel it through the screen.

(Erica): It’s Wolfy! Mandy, look it’s Wolfy!

Mandy looks over at her and the screen.

(Mandy): Huh? Oh yeah, that….I mean…. Whaaaaat? Wolfy? Are you serious?

Erica’s so engrossed in the footage she doesn’t even recognize the fact that Mandy seems to have already known. The footage is right there, not hard to miss. Mandy had seen it, but she had other things on her mind the last weeks than their stupid homework assignment and playing detective, and besides…if DreamMaster was back it meant another headache for Maniac.

(Erica): Wait…let me just check last week, with the fire in his room.

Erica pulled out her phone and recorded the clip before moving on to the next. It took a few minutes to fast-forward but she came to it and once again, there was Wolfy. Anger flowed through her, that fuking ass-wipe was the one after Hans. Everybody’s favorite friend, their favorite Zoo Keeper and Animal Rights Activist and the goddamn fans voted her Most Hated, but they all loved him so much. She recorded the second video and ran from the truck. Mandy looked over at the officials.

(Mandy): Let’s get on the ball boys, it’s about to be showtime.

Erica races down the halls, turning corners like a racecar on the track until she comes to Hans’ room. Without knocking she bursts in but he’s not there. She hurries off asking everyone else she passes if they’ve seen him coming up first onto a group of officials.

(Erica): Hey you…where’s Hans?

The officials just shake their heads and she heads off. Again she comes upon Sarah and Starlight.

(Erica): Have you seen Hans? It’s important!

(Sarah): Yeah, I saw him. Look up your butt and around the corner!

(Erica): Where?

(Sarah): Up your butt and around the corner!

Starlight laughs putting her hand to her mouth.

(Starlight): Uppa yo buht!

Starlight and Sarah giggle as Erica frowns and turns. She didn’t need that humiliation right now, but here was some more coming. Should she even bother. She saw Alexis walking with another woman. They seem familiar with one another, smiling as they head her way.

(Erica): Alexis, Hans…have you seen him?

Alexis looks Erica up and down with an “Excuse Me” look.

(Alexis): No! I’m not going there with you and your twisted obsession.

Dejected again Erica hurries off once more and there’s Michelle. The crowd is cheering in the arena as Sean and Wolfy finish their match. She can hear his music playing and becomes desperate but something stops her from greeting Michelle. She looks a little sad, as she heads out probably to greet Sean knowing he’d be disappointed with the loss.

(Erica): Fuk!

Nobody would help her, and it was pissing her off. Then she overhears two officials passing with a clipboard.

(Official #1): Start with the men’s rooms East Wing…Sharpe and Levitt are clear so do those first, Hans left his room 2 minutes ago. Do a final sweep make sure no one left anything behind.

(Official #2): Done…Levitt’s bag is already in route to the hospital….the others are all still occupied but teams are ready. The moment they vacate we’ll get them cleared.

They go on about their show closing routine but all she needed to know was that Hans had just left his room, she’d obviously missed him. She races towards the garage and nearly breathless she burst through the doors and finds him putting his bag in his car.

(Erica): Hans……I know…….I…….I found….

She can barely get the words out, her breath has escaped her. Hans looks at her with mild confusion until she holds her phone up to him and presses play. She watches as his eyes scan the screen back and forth. She couldn’t read him…was it anger, disbelief, relief? His face was nearly a blank until it wasn’t. The muscles in his neck and arms tensed as he turned back toward the arena.

(Erica): I’m coming with you, let’s fuk him up! I’ll beat his fuking…

Hans turns looking at her. The glare in his eyes told her “Stay out of this!” and she didn’t take another step as he turned and stormed back into the arena. She couldn’t miss this, she wouldn’t…she let his words wash over her and races after him. The determination in his stride makes her wet. She was excited, her nipples hardened, her heart was pounding as if he were going to fight for her honor. Further up ahead she can see Michelle and Sean walking away hand-in-hand to his locker room. She felt a pang of anger. Even the do-good Michelle had shunned her. She continues to follow Hans as he grabs a steel chair and heads towards the arena. The power in his stride, the way his muscles bulged beneath his clothes was intoxicating.

Moments later she hears a sickening shot and seconds after the crowd goes into an uproar as Wolfy tumbles out onto the stage with a busted head. Erica turns to a monitor, salivating as Hans steps out from the back looking down at his prey and for reasons unknown to the crowd proceeds to beat the shit out of Wolfy. There’s a sudden commotion backstage as officials begin running around…she grabs a monitor from Gorilla position and sits on the floor, her knees pulled up to her watching with a smile as Hans has a handful of Wolfy’s bloody hair tossing him in the ring. She rocks back and forth watching the screen like she’s in a trance.

(Erica): I did good didn’t I? Did I do good Hans? I did it for you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.

She strokes the screen.

(Erica): Shhhhhhh, Erica’s here…..Erica’s here to protect you. Thank you for believing in me. You’re the only one. The only one…

Her mind trails off from there. Lost in some thought that pains her now. She comes to her feet and simply walks away, within a few minutes she’s got her bag and is in her rental car heading out the arena as Hans reveals the truth to the world and Havoc goes off the air.