Post by Robert Daniels on Sept 23, 2020 20:33:54 GMT -5
HOTEL CALIFORNIA MATCH
★★★ JIMMY PAGAN ★★★
vs
★★★ ELI BUCHANAN ★★★
★★★ JIMMY PAGAN ★★★
vs
★★★ ELI BUCHANAN ★★★
Eli Buchanan stands in the ring inside the Hotel California Ballroom/San Jose McEnery Convention Center. He calls out to Pagan, who has not moved from the door the entire time.
ELI BUCHANAN: It’s strange isn’t it? What exactly do you see? The Captain's Chambers is different for everyone.
Pagan snaps out of his shock and replies coolly to Buchanan, slowly making his way to the ring
JIMMY PAGAN: I see the place where the Bastard Era started. What do you see?
Eli is uncharacteristically calm as he purposefully ignores this question, because what he sees is a place much darker than any persona birth places.
ELI BUCHANAN: The Hotel California feeds off of you. It digs deep into your mind and uncovers whatever you think you are burying within. Any doubts, any fears, it’ll know.
Pagan makes it to the ringside area now.
JIMMY PAGAN: It’s a shame I have none then, because that would’ve made this whole thing a lot more interesting.
Eli smirks, knowing this is both an unexpected burst of confidence from Pagan, but it was also a bold face lie.
ELI BUCHANAN: You know, I’ve been fighting for a shot at you for a long time, Pagan. Tiger H mentioned how formidable you were, but it wasn’t until you interfered in my match with Manny that I truly realized how good you are. It’s a shame you’ve been left at the wayside like this.
Pagan lets out an empty chuckle.
JIMMY PAGAN: I guess your moment has come then?
ELI BUCHANAN: Yea, I guess it has…
With that Pagan runs into the ring and Eli charges at him. They explode into strikes as Pagan strikes wildly for his life. Eli ducks a shot and targets the bite mark from Tiger Mask Undead, shoving his fingers into the wound for a shoulder claw. Pagan screams as he quickly snapmares Buchanan off of him. Buchanan rolls to his feet and tries for a big step up knee, but Pagan blocks it and hits a palm strike that staggers Buch. Eli charges at him, but Pagan pops him up so that way his gut lands on the top rope. Pagan catches his breath, waiting for Eli to get to his feet on the apron. The moment Eli is perfectly lined up, Pagan hits a Sweet Release blockbuster over the top rope and off the apron!
The two men crash on the floor. A man is a white coat and grotesque mask strolls into the room carrying a single bottle on a tray. As Buchanan stands, the man approaches.
ELI BUCHANAN: Captain, please bring me my wine!
“Captain” chuckles and stretches out the tray to him.
CAPTAIN: Sir, you know we haven’t had that spirit here since 1969.
Eli grabs the bottle from the tray and takes a sip from it before Pagan attacks him from behind, sending him into the ring post. He grabs Eli from behind and spins him around. Eli smashes the bottle of wine over his head, spraying glass and wine everywhere.
ELI BUCHANAN: Woohoo, speed to the American dream.
Laughing, he turns around and sees shadows moving through the room. Leytrix, Lotte and the different specters, including the masked tigers, Demon Danielsons, The Ghost of James Pridmore, and even Pagan's original identity that he borrowed from his father, The Nite Stalker, all stand around the ring.
Bending down, Buchanan lifts Pagan by the hair and points out their growing audience, as more and more beings creep into the room. Some only seen by Buchanan himself.
ELI BUCHANAN: Look who’s here, Jimmy, they’ve gathered for the feast.
He releases Pagan and and climbs back in the ring to shouts greeting to everyone and asks them to take a seat.
Meanwhile Pagan recovers from the blow from the wine bottle. He feels something in his hand and looks down to find a steely knife pressed lying in his palm.
With a new found energy, Pagan's eyes turn white once again. The Sin Eater climbs to his feet and stabs Eli in the chest, but this only seems to make Buchanan laugh. Angrily Pagan stabs him again, but the blade doesn’t seem to hurt Eli at all and he keeps on laughing. Out of pure rage, Pagan tosses the knife aside and hits Buchanan with the Nativity in Black. A faceless referee appears in the ring and counts for the 1…2...3!
Victorious, Pagan rolls off Eli and lets out a sigh of contentment. He looks over Buchanan, who is still down and laughs.
JIMMY PAGAN: I have devoured your sins, Elijah. You have been cleansed.
Pagan’s mirth is short-lived. He looks up and for the first time realizes that there are mirrors all over the walls and ceiling. Looking up at the mirror, Pagan sees the bloated, drowned corpse of Eli Buchanan and realizes the truth.
Turning back over, he looks where Eli was just lying and finds himself staring into the cold, cruel eyes of Kalidah.
Panic fills him and he scrambles out of the ring and pushes past everyone in attendance. He runs for the front door, where he originally entered into the hotel and tries to wrench it open to no avail. A hand taps him on the arm and he turns to see a Lotte.
LOTTE: Don’t you know, my lovely? You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.
Pagan looks past Lotte and sees all of the hotel’s residents bearing down on him. Frantically, Pagan tries once more to open the door, to no avail. Within seconds he is swarmed by everyone and his screams are soon smothered beneath all them. Kalidah slowly walks towards them and lets out a roar.
KALIDAH: Bring him here!
The mob of bodies separate, leaving Pagan lying unmoved on the ground. Leytrix and DiMirtri grab him by the arms and drag him over to Kalidah. The beast lifts Pagan up onto his shoulder and delivers the Sacrifice and a blinding flash envelopes the room, dismissing the different spectres and leaving only the members of Immortal Atrocities and the lifeless body of Jimmy Pagan.
Kalidah bends down and grabs Pagan by the foot and slowly drags him back into the hotel. He stops and turns towards the viewers and begins laughing.
KALIDAH: Such a lovely place. JOIN US!