Do you ever get that funny feeling, that itch right below the skin?
That itch down by your wrists that only a razor blade can scratch?
(( Berkeley, California. It is nearing 12 o'clock on the EastBay city. The city's lights are shining down on the main streets, illuminating the variety of people passing back and forth. Kids on skateboards are passing inbetween people, bumping a few, but otherwise, causing no more harm than simple irritation.
Along Gilman Street, a local punk band can be heard playing in the club from over two blocks away. Most people from the outside would look at this as an annoyance, but for those who grew up here, it is a part of daily life. The punk rock lifestyle has grown from this city, expanding to the outer rims of the rest of the nation. Bands like Green Day first exposed Berkeley, showing how the lifestyle is in this city from the EastBay. Since then, Rancid and even AFI have played here on Gilman Street, continuing the legacy of punks.
No one leaves Berkeley quite the same person as they were when they entered it. It affects everyone. And for those people who have lived here their whole life, they are what Berkeley truly represents. The embodyment of punk: not merely what the person says or how he looks, but how he is. How his choices are made not based on the opinion of others. How a person can decide what is right or wrong based on his natural moral judgements, not because he was told how it is, or because he read the rules in a 2000 year old book.
A man who was born as Lint Douglas, grew up on these streets of Berkeley. He lived his whole life right in the heart of the thinking patterns of the city, the alleys and rough neighborhoods. It in-wrapped itself in him, molding him to trust no one. Allowing him to follow his own patterns of life, and accepting no one else's view of how to do something as correct. He became totally independant, not allowing himself to be open to anyone who could tear down the walls that he had made for himself. This person, Lint Douglas, who was later in life dubbed "Zero".
Zero can always be found back in his hometown of Berkeley, usually walking the streets that raised him. He has never strayed from this city, for everything that he is is here. Even wrestling for the HEW, he never bought a house in South Carolina, where the base for HEW is located. Nothing could ever replace Berkeley. With this knowledge always present, it makes it easier for long range reporters to find Zero sooner or later. With a few simple questions to pedestrians, a reporter can usually pin point Zero within an hour, or at the most, two hours.
But on this night, Damon Cutter, top reporter for the HEW, had a little trouble finding the elusive Zero. While his instructions had been decent, glimpses of dark alleys or images of tattooed hardcore punks along streets had made Damon Cutter take a few detours to go the long way around. In his mind, no confrontation was always better, especially when he was asking for trouble by coming down streets in dress slacks, and a tucked polo shirt. Preps weren't too appreciated by punks who had been downtrodded by the preps and jocks their whole life. Seeing one walking down their streets would be an open invitation to a confrontation. Damon Cutter could understand this, so he stayed his distance.
He finally found the area of where Zero was supposed to be. What he had came upon was a half-paved dead-end road, with litter lining the ditches. The wind that blew through caught debri, and threw them it in the air. Small broken houses were up and down this short road. The smell of garbage reeked the small place. And at the middle point of the road, off to the side of the gravel bordering the road, standing up against the Dead-End sign, with his hands in his pockets and a gazed expression on his face, stood Zero.
Damon looked at Zero's appearance, his bleached spiked hair, his Misfits t-shirt, with the skull and crossed arms blaring off the shirt, and his worn out pants. Damon noticed the tattoos running down Zero's arm, and the piercings Zero had, including what appeared to be a new piercing on the side of his lower lip. In his mind, Damon thought about how he had avioded all of the punks that he had seen along the streets, only to intentionally come face-to-face with a punk who was probably more violent and unstable than any of the others that he had seen so far in Berkeley. But, this was Damon job. No matter what the circumstances, he had to get the scoop.
Damon Cutter approached Zero is a slow trot, trying to appear more relaxed than he actually was. He wasn't too sure how more unstable Zero had become since his return, but he had rumors. $30,000 in damages at a recent promo shoot didn't encourage Damon. But still, he walked up to Zero. Zero didn't notice him at first, though. He was more staring off into the sky, not paying attention to his surroundings. It was as if Zero could care less who was around, he didn't want to be disturbed......in whatever he was doing. This worried Damon a little. He wasn't sure what kind of mood Zero would be in if he spoke up and broke Zero's concentration. But still, it was his job. He had to get the scoops, and he had deadlines.
He slowly took a deep breath. Zero's attention still seemed to be focused on something distant, and was disregarding Damon Cutter, who stood before him. When actions of just standing before Zero did not help, Damon finally spoke up. ))
Damon Cutter: "Ah-hem, Zero, so sorry to disturb you. I was just wondering....."
(( Damon Cutter stopped what he was saying when Zero blinked his eyes. Zero slowly lowered his to come face to face with Damon. His face bore no expression. His gaze into Damon's eyes bore no feelings. Zero looked over Damon's shoulder, to see if anyone else was with Damon. He then brought his gaze back to Damon. ))
Zero: "Why are you here?"
(( Zero's voice was flat, showing no visible signs of any emotion. This caught Damon off guard, as he was expecting Zero to be screaming at this point. Now was the crucial part for Damon, though. His second strings of words for Zero. He had to choose his words wisely in order to keep Zero from exploding. ))
Damon Cutter: "Well....I have a job. And that job is reporting for the HEW. And, they always send me on the hard reporting missions. Not that this place is hard, of course. No, of course not. But, you know. It's not like a park or anything. Well, a lot of questions have been surfacing regarding you. And the suits are wanting some answers. Especially about the lawsuit and damages that they might have to be paying for soon. You know how they are."
(( Zero paused for a moment, letting Damon retrack every word that he said. Letting Damon wonder if he had said something wrong. ))
Zero: "I understand these things. I understand that this is a business. I also understand how wrong people can be. But since my return, no one has yet to ask me what happened. Everyone is relying on speculation and hearsay to provide answers that would appease each other. It seems no one has even recognized that I've been back. It has been like I am a forgotten soul. Everything that I had accomplished means nothing anymore."
(( Damon Cutter listened to Zero. He had heard of mood swings by Zero. Was this one of them? Would Zero answer to an interview? Maybe. ))
Damon Cutter: "Want to tell me about it? This could be amazing news, that could get you right back on track with where you left off!"
(( Damon Cutter reached into his pocket, and pulled out a hand recorder device. Zero noticed this. ))
Zero: "I have no problem with discussing this with you, but I will not be used like an object. Put your recorder away. That is my condition to you."
Damon Cutter: "But Zero, if we were to publish this in the Gazette, or just mention what you said on a telecast, people will understand how you feel. It could seriously help you out!"
(( Zero's eye lids closed tighter, gazing into Damon's eyes. Damon realized what could happen if he pushed this issue any further. He lowered the recorder, and turned it off. He then put it in his pocket. But Zero was quick to object. ))
Zero: "No, give it here. I'll hold it for you for a while. I have been around enough reporters to know how they work."
(( Damon was relunctant to give him his recorder, but finally agreed to it. He handed the recorder to Zero, and put his hands in his pockets as Zero checked the recorder to make sure it was turned off. ))
Zero: "Ok, with that out of the way, what are you wanting to know?"
(( Unknown to Zero, though, was that Damon Cutter always carried a second recorder with him. When he had put his hands in his pockets, he had turned his alternate recorder on. Now, he was guaranteed to get credit for this rare interview with Zero. ))
Damon Cutter: "Well, I'm sure that, like everyone, I want to know what really happened at that promo shoot. What could of went so terribly wrong that it caused so much damage?"
(( Zero leaned forward against Dead-End sign, and repositioned the recorder which he had placed in his pocket. He then reached into his other pocket. Lighting it, he began to explain what had happened. ))
Zero: "Well, I'm sure that has been exploited by everyone who can make a quick buck off of telling their version of the story. But the truth is, only I know. You see, that shoot showed what is entirely wrong with this industry. It has become all about money. The executives try to drain all the life out of ethe wrestlers, and try to make them something that they are not. But I wanted no part of it. The whole point behind that promo was to make money off of that dealership, and for him to make money off of the HEW. I thought that that was wrong. The whole phylosify and principles behind it completely went against what I believe in. And I knew that merely saying something woundn't work. I had to take action. And, destroying a few cars is what transpired?"
Damon Cutter: "Was your intention to destroy so much stuff? I mean, that'll set the HEW back a lot."
Zero: "What happened is what happened. Who knows if I planned that or not, but that is what I done."
(( Damon Cutter was hoping for a better answer than that. It could seriously help in the lawsuit that Jake had filed against the HEW. But, Damon knew better than to press the issue without raising suspiscion out of Zero. Instead, Damon asked the question that all the fans had been wondering about.... ))
Damon Cutter: "You know, I've been wondering about this. Why the jump from Terror Inc.? It looked as if Terror Inc. would become the greatest stable ever in the HEW. I mean, come on, look at the credentials. Nocturnal: HEW Hall-Of-Famer and former Heavyweight champ, Unholy Father: one of the greatest wrestler's here, as well as a former Heavyweight champ, and as well as Havok: the current HEW Heavyweight champ. Of course, you as well. The former undefeated Hardcore champion, who some would even consider the most hardcore man ever in HEW. And also, you're a Hall-Of-Famer as well. That would be two Hall-Of-Famers in one stable. That's a big load of talent for just one stable. What went wrong?"
(( Zero couldn't answer right away. He lowered himself down, and sat on the cold ground, with his back propped against the bar holding the Dead-End sign up. He took a drag, and and slowly exhaled. As he looked off to the side, glancing at a piece of paper which the wind had caught, he finally realeased his answer. ))
Zero: "As far as my status with Terror Inc., this is it. I was approached by Nocturnal early on in my return. He told me of his plans, and he wanted me in them. I reluctantly agreed, mainly because I did not know any of these men that well. But, I thought I would give it a chance. But I was wrong. I didn't fit in. I'm a punk, and I have my own views on things, views that most people do not agree on. The men in Terror Inc. all seem to have to rely on someone, a source that they get their strength from. A source that I do not believe in. So, I was in a group, when I've been independant on myself for so long now. I just couldn't change like that. I needed out. I'm not a follower of other people. I have to make my own choices on things. In Terror Inc., my choices and opinions didn't go very far. So, I would not stay with them. I prefer being by myself, without set guidelines that I would need to follow. It is hard for me to depend on people now."
(( Damon Cutter squatted down, making sure his recorder didn't stick out of his pocket. ))
Damon Cutter: "But aren't you in the Elite now? I've heard so many fans say that they think you are. In fact, even wrestling news sites are saying that you're their "hired gun"."
(( Zero face stretched hard, gazing hard at Damon, as if what he said was a sin. ))
Zero: "Don't you understand anything?! I'm not a sell-out, I never would sell-out. I hate the Elite. They are nothing more than a corporate division led by J-Smooth himself, the man who wishes he could of been shot in Tupac Shakur's place. That stable is worthless. Most of the men in it are merely just trying to get a push, so they'll BS with the prez, in hopes of getting on his good side, and so they can become his pets. Yes, that is how most of the men in Elite are."
Damon Cutter: "But you helped them win the warehouse match against Terror Inc.! You have to be leaning towards joining them! There has to be a connection somewhere with them! You just don't turn on a stable, and help another stable that you despise win!"
Zero: "And you sure do seem to be asking a lot of questions, prying for answers...."
(( Zero grabbed the recorder from his pocket, and looked over the on/off switch again, just to make sure it was turned off. Not satified that it truly was, and that Damon had somehow programmed another on button somewhere, Zero raised the recorder high in the air, and brought it down hard on his knee, smashing it in two. Sparks popped and crackled and Zero raised the two pieces up, and tossed them to Damon Cutter.
Even though Damon Cutter had the alternate recorder in his pocket, and it had recorded the whole interview, seeing his best recorder demolished in a matter of seconds over a hunch made Damon bitter. He quickly rose to his feet. ))
Damon Cutter: "You're just like they said. I was beginning to think otherwise, but they're right. You're crazy. Violent for no reason. You have no motives. You can't follow a course, and you're a quitter. You.....
(( Damon Cutter stopped abruptly as Zero rose to his feet. Zero was getting angry at being cut down by a crack pot reporter who didn't know how to dress. Damon was quickly understanding just how true what he had said just moments earlier was. He started back walking, trying to get away from Zero before Zero exploded. But Zero had just rose, and was now standing still, eyeing Damon Cutter. ))
Zero: "I know what you've heard. It's mere exaggerations. Maybe with little truth thrown in. But, I do know now that I don't trust you. There's something not right about this situation. This "talk" that we've had is over. Your best bet is to leave, and get out of Berkeley as fast as possible. It's almost 1 o'clock here, and things start getting rough around here at that time."
(( Zero took what was left of the cigarette that he had, and flicked it in Damon Cutter's direction. It missed, but Damon had no intention of staying any longer. He had gotten, hopefully, enough of what he needed to know. If Zero were to find out about the hidden recorder, Damon wasn't sure if he'd get out of Berkeley anytime soon. His best bet was to leave with what he had, and see if he and Lecompte could analyse it, and make sense of what all Zero had said. Damon Cutter turned, and started a fast trot up the street, heading to find the nearest taxi to get him out of here.
Zero watched as Damon left. He noticed how Damon went quickly, hoping to hide the fact that he had become scared. His intentions hadn't worked, but it was alright.
Zero went back to the Dead-End sign, and leaned back against it, looking up into the sky. He would be able to get back to his concentration of the big decisions and actions that layed in the immediate future for him. Things that he was sure the HEW itself couldn't handle. He had done his best not to mention any of it to Damon, for he was sure it would be everywhere by tomorrow morning. But he had said enough to get Damon and the HEW wondering, wondering what lays in Zero's future. But......what exactly will happen, only Zero knows. ))
