(( The scene opened up at the front door to an apartment. The air outside was windy and slightly chilly, with the darkness shining down on the city from the blocked moon. The door to the apartment was wide open. A large dent was in the door. It's number "13" had been knocked off the front of the door, and was laying down on the overhanging balcony . . .
The scene quickly shifted to inside of the apartment. The lights were out, but the camera's lights shown the wreckage. Clothes were thrown and scattered across the couch and television. A lamp was overturned beside the coffee table. An picture from off the wall, a picture of a short haired female, layed shattered on the floor. An ash tray laid on the floor, over turned and spewing the ashes and cigarette butts all over the floor.
Outside of the apartment, voices could be heard. Idle discussions and information being passed back and forth was the topics of most of the words the people spoke. Their attention was all on this room, this apartment. Something important had to of happened.
Inside of the apartment, the view quickly went from the living room into the kitchen area. It was more of the same. The dishes in the sink were full, begging to be washed. Many of the glasses had already met a demise, by being smashed across the floor in idle disregard. The kitchen table was a mess, with papers and pictures, memories to a certain one, being strewn across the top. Two chairs were overturned and lying on the floor. Another one set up, but it was missing one of it's legs. The leg was laying nearby on the floor.
The camera's lights spanned across the walls, looking for clues, but there was only more of the same. Destruction. Back and forth . . . as if the owner had been angry, and had just went through and started throwing things, his own things, and smashing them against whatever in a fit of rage.
The view moved from the kitchen, and down into the hall, where two doors laid. One of the doors was opened, and the camera made it's way inside.
Inside of this room, it was more of the same as was the rest of this house, but this room looked awfully familiar. It had a stack of ripped mattresses laying in the center of the room, and band fliers strewn throughout the floor. It didn't take long to figure out that this was where Zero had been when he had viewed the infamous tape of five months ago. The tape in where he had to forfeit the Hardcore title, and then evade the police.
The camera man, amidst the pieces of wildly strewn particles on the floor, made his way to where the ripped mattresses were. The camera joggled a little, as the camera man almost tripped because of the lack of light he had from just his camera's light.
He went past the mattresses, where, there it laid. The old black and white television. And, resting atop of it, was a nondescript tape. What could be the tape Zero had gotten ahold of. THE tape in which he had to vacate the title in.
But, as the light zoomed into the tape a little better, it became obvious that the fits of anger that had been displayed throughout the rest of this house were also evident in this room, as well. The tape's film had been pulled out of the tape; ripped and torn and mangled. It was obvious that this tape was not wanted to be seen again.
Slightly in view of the camera's recording function, the camera man grabbed the tape and all of it's mangled film, and carried it back with him as he began to walk out of the room.
The view opened up quickly again, this time with Dotcom, a top HEW announcer and reporter, standing still in front of the apartment complex. He was holding a microphone, but taking periodic moments to blow some warmth onto his hands. The chilly winds were cutting rather hard, and it was only intensifying in the dark air.
Dotcom lowered his hands from his mouth, and put the microphone up to his mouth. People walking behind him quickly moved out of the way of the camera's recording range, as Dotcom prepared to go on-camera. 3 . . . 2 . . . . . . . ))
" Welcome HEW fans, to this special report. I am standing in front of the Gilman Apartments in Berkeley, California, home to HEW wrestler, Zero. Several reports from the people living in the bordering apartments to his apartment #13 reported loud disturbances and multiple crashes heard throughout his apartment all night long.
Dotcom:
" This happened last night, one night following what we could call one of the biggest upsets in HEW in a long time. Tuesday, when Iceman made his in-ring return to the HEW, and beat his long time nemesis, Zero. Following the upset, Zero was seen leaving the arena before the main event even happened, and hasn't been heard from since.
" This that has happened now is the first we have heard of from anything related to Zero since this past Tuesday. We hate to put two and two together, but we had no choice but to investigate in whether this that has happened to Zero's apartment was a result of his own being, or if it was a burglarly which insued a fight afterwards.
" At the present moment, we still do not know exactly where Zero is. His house has been looked over, and yet, there has been no sign of where he is. "
(( The clips of the camera going throughout the house are shown. Clips of the camera's lights gazing over the kitchen and living room, showing the wreckage which had taken place in the apartment. ))
Dotcom:
" As those clips show, Zero was no where to be found, but yet, the wreckage in his house was enormous. The one thing we have found very paticular interesting, is a tape which has obviously been destroyed. It was found laying beside a stack of ripped mattresses, atop an old model television. It was found in the same room where Zero watched the vacating and evading video in full. "
(( Dotcom held up the tape that the camera man had found. The outser shell had been torn on one side, and film was rolled out of it, and cut in half in several spots.
Dotcom tried adjusting his microphone, and nearly dropped the tape because of the film which had wrapped itself around his hand. ))
" Speculation can only lead us to believe that this was the tape that Zero watched only days ago. Further speculation leads us to think that Zero himself destroyed this tape, simply because of the memories that he himself said that it brought back.
Dotcom:
" We go from this, to an individual who lives on the lower apartment level. He has talked with Zero frequently in the past few weeks and months, and is here to tell us what he heard last night coming from Zero's apartment. His name is Matt Lee. "
(( Matt, an area punk skater, who had met Zero frequently while crossing paths in the apartment complex, **for more of this story, read "What Lurks In The Alley" or "A Visit For Questions"**, stepped up beside Dotcom.
Matt was wearing a black hat, flipped backwards, that was pulled down right on top of his eyebrows. His ears were both pierced numerous times. He was also beating the chilly winds with a large hooded sweatshirt on. His appearance clashed instantly against Dotcom's more reserved attire of sport Blazer and denim jeans, but it didn't seem to faze Dotcom. He asked his first question to Matt . . . ))
" Matt, I know of your past speakings with Zero. Also, the fact that you live nearly straight beneath him in the lower apartment. Could you please tell us what all you heard last night coming from his apartmemt? "
Dotcom:
(( Matt stood still for a moment, staring into the camera. It seemed as though a slight nervousness had went through him when he realized he was about to have to speak.
But he snapped out of it quickly, and, looking into the camera, began to speak . . . ))
" Well, um yeah. I know Zero. We're neighbors. We've crossed paths frequently outside of the apartments. We've even been skateboarding once. So, I guess you could say I know him.
Matt:
" About last night, man, all I can tell you is this . . . there was some crazy stuff happening up there. I didn't go up there, because I have heard these kind of things happening in his apartment before. I took it as he was in that mood, ya know? Like, back when his neck was pretty messed up. He demolished his apartment as soon as he was able to move around good. He was pretty pissed off.
" But, that wouldn't be the first time that had happened, as far as his apartment being destroyed goes. It's happened before. I mean, I don't even see why everyone is out here. Why can't you people just let the guy be? Who cares where he is. He shows up for you'll when he's supposed to, so why can't he just have his free time to himself, without you'll wondering where he is.
" Maybe he's out trying to get some fresh air, and escape all the crazy things that happen in the HEW for a while. "
(( Dotcom was taken back a little with Matt's quick comments about invasion of Zero's privacy. He quickly followed up the remarks with some quick questions. ))
" Since you know him better than anyone else out here, do you think you know where he might be right now? We have questions to ask him, especially about whether or not this has to do with the match he had with Iceman. "
Zero:
(( Matt stood still for a moment. He seemed to be thinking hard to himself. He lowered his head a little, and spoke up. ))
" I wouldn't know where he would be now. I have to leave now, though. Thank you. "
Matt:
(( Matt quickly turned, and began a walk back to his apartment behind him. Dotcom turned and looked into the camera, trying to think of something to say.
As Matt walked back to his apartment, his head was rushing. Should he of told them everything he knew? He knew where Zero was most probably at. Should he of made reference to . . . . the Gilman alley?
Matt shook his head, and continued his walk back to his apartment. A gush of wind blew past him, making his body shake a little, as he slowly opened the door to his apartment, and retreated inside. . . .
From far off, over 200 feet from where the HEW crew had set their cameras up and were filming the report on Zero, sat Zero himself. He sat amongst the inner shadows of the Gilman alley, atop one of the dumpsters that lined the entrance to the alley. He sat upright, the winds not affecting his beanie covered head, as he blew out a thick cloud of smoke from his cigarette.
He sat, watched, as people made their way inside of his apartment. As other people made speculations on what had happened. He sat there . . . adrift, and not caring what the others thought. What had happened to his apartment happened to his apartment. But, it was not his home
He sat longer, perfectly hidden by the dark shawdows of the alley brim, so to not be seen by any of the camera men or Dotcom. And, that was how Zero wanted it.
He sat, and watched Matt be interviewed on camera. And watched, as Matt slowly walked back to his apartment.
Zero knew that the question on their mind was probably " does this disappearance have to do with Zero's loss to Iceman? " And, was it? No, for the reasons were further than that.
Aloud, to himself, Zero confided in himself regarding the Iceman . . .
" Iceman thinks he won the climax, but his victory was merely another hurdle before the finish line in which I am declared the overall winner. "
Zero:
And, that was how Zero felt. The HEW officials wouldn't find him until Zero was ready to leave his home. Until then . . . . . . .
midi: "Infected" by Bad Religion
