Shattered

[Jack]

Some months ago..

Cody Rhodes is not a name that had been mentioned in the world of professional wrestling in sometime. The former World Champion had quietly disappeared from the EBWF and had seemingly cut off all ties with occupation that had made his family famous. He was never particularly well liked and saying that he wasn't a team player would have been a grave understatement. As unbelievable at it may have sounded, he had put the business he had grown up in completely behind him. He had met a former Maxim model, Brandi Reed, and looked to settle down with her. A beautiful, dark haired, mocha skinned, intelligent young woman. This had given him an opportunity to heal not only his body but his mind as well. Cody had certainly been prone to moments or instability during his tenure with the EBWF. And every now and then there was a crack in his personality. But for the most part he had been on the straight and narrow and had appeared to leave many of his former vices and hang ups behind him. After a lovely evening dining at an expensive and romantic restaurant, Cody and Brandi had returned to the former's massive apartment home. Everything was neatly in place, not a single speck of dust could be found and an amazing view of Manhattan was visible from the large skyline. It looked especially breath taking at night. Cody, dressed in a sleek white suit, took a seat on his similarly colored sofa and gave a pleasant smile to his girlfriend who was dressed in a form fitting blue dress that showed off her curvy figure.

| Brandi | This has been an amazing night.

| Cody Rhodes | It has, hasn't it?

Lifting one of her hands, he placed a soft kiss on top of it. The two leaned in closer, looking to embrace in a more passionate manner, when Cody's cell-phone began to buzz on the table placed in front of them. Cody's eyes became a little blank and his expression was obviously tenser than before.

| Brandi | Who IS this that keeps calling you? Your phone has been going off all night. It's been like this for weeks.

| Cody Rhodes | It's..it's nobody.

Growing suspicious, Brandi picked up the phone from the table. Whoever had called had already hung up after leaving a message.

| Brandi | I know it's not another woman.

| Cody Rhodes | Another woman? No, no. It's not. I'm with you night and day. When would I even have time? And besides that..why would I?

Brandi stared deeply into Cody's icey blue eyes as he gently stroked a hand along her cheek.

| Brandi | It's not a wrestling company is it? Like I said, I completely support you if you want to go back. I'm just worried about the effects it might have on your..health, that's all.

| Cody Rhodes | My health?

| Brandi | Your..mental health, yes.

Cody turned his head away with a dejected scowl.

| Cody Rhodes | My health, mental or otherwise, is completely fine. I was under an IMMENSE amount of pressure. I'm out of that environment now. I'm completely stress free. It troubles me that this is still a concern for you.

| Brandi | No, please, it's not like that. It's just that you did..well..some very violent things. I wouldn't want to see you fall back into that.

Cody opened his mouth to retort but his phone began to vibrate across the table again. He quickly turned his sight towards it and gulped deeply.

| Brandi | I'm going to answer it.

As Brandi went to reach for the phone, Cody sharply took her by the wrist which understandably alarmed his girlfriend.

| Cody Rhodes | NO! ..I mean..please. I'll be honest with you. It's wrestling companies. Indies, Japan, Vince. I get calls from them constantly. It's something that really can't be helped. But I'm not entertaining any offers. I promise. I just..want a life with you. If I'm on the road again or out of the country I won't get to see you every day. That is the last thing I want.

The former reporter sighed and was very obviously not thrilled with this news.

| Brandi | It seems like a temptation. You have no relationship with your father, I've never even met him. I assume wrestling has something to do with that. And your brother, well, I don't think I need to you tell that he's..different. They were both very successful but..

| Cody Rhodes | I'm nothing like them. I became a World Champion in the biggest company in the world. Something neither one of them could ever do.

| Brandi | I-I didn't say anything about that.

Cody very slowly released her wrist and began to stand. He stepped behind the couch and folded his hands behind his back, staring off at his mantle. His breathing was beginning to become heavier, although he was trying to control it. Brandi stood up in concern but remained cautious.

| Brandi | Do you see? Even bringing up wrestling upsets you. I know I said that I would support you but I can't let you do something that clearly hurts you this much. I just want--

| Cody Rhodes | Shut up.

The words came out in something of a low hiss.

| Brandi | W-What?

| Cody Rhodes | I don't want you. I don't want this.

Snatching a nearby pristine vase, Cody violently smashed it onto the ground and Brandi shot up out of shock from this sudden outburst. Some of the shards that shattered on the floor had sliced his hand, drawing some blood. He smeared some of it on his white suit and then drug the bloody hand along his face. Spinning around to face his soon to be ex, he began to scream.

| Cody Rhodes | I don't want any of this!

It didn't take Brandi long to flee the apartment in terror. Everything Cody had been trying to suppress had reared it's head once more. He slumped down onto the ground and went through a wave of emotions. First screaming, then crying and finally completely mad cackling. A look of urgency appeared upon his face as he quickly scrambled his way over to his cell phone and frantically began to check one of his many messages from the mysterious caller. Covered in his own blood, he listened intently.

"..Cody. Coooooody. Why don't you ever pick up your phone? Kind of rude. We both know that you can't live a boring, dull life and you need a little CHAOS. C'mon. Let's hang out. You and me. Don't act like someone like you can possibly be rehabilitated. People like us are way, waaaay too far gone for that kind of thing. The guy who cut John Cena wide open and hung him upside down from the rafters? The same guy who dumped a bag of spiders all of AJ Styles? That's YOU. C'mon, c'mon, c'mon. We're wasting precious time.."

---

Present Day: 10/26/2014

Cody Rhodes, or rather, Stardust, had returned to the EBWF. Not very much had been seen of him but this was all about to change. The stage was set. Or perhaps, 'the stars were aligned' would be a bit more fitting. Getting any sort of coherent statement from him regarding his return, completely new persona, or his future plans was totally impossible. It was difficult to determine just what was going on. Had Cody truly gone so mad that he was now portraying a strange version of his already bizarre brother's most notable incarnation? Or was this all some kind of ruse? An experiment of sorts. Renee Young was going to try and find out. And, luck would have it, she had managed to find Cody in the backstage area of the Wells Fargo arena. Strangely, even with his back turned to the camera, he was dressed in street clothes. Normal street clothes. Not the eye-catching, golden and black, skin tight bodysuit of Stardust. His walking pattern was strange. Almost a lurching, drunken sort of pace. Renee looked back at her camera man, unsure if she should pursue this endeavor. But after building up her courage, she spoke up.

| Renee Young | Excuse me? ..Excuse me..um..Stardust?

| Stardust | ..What?

All of his movements ceased but he still kept his back to the camera.

Renee Young: I was just hoping to perhaps get a few words with you. Myself, the fans and just about everyone is very interested in..well..you. Your return, your Breakout Title match against Damien Sandow, your..uh..new look?

There was a bit of confusion in the blonde's tone. From what she could tell, there wasn't any of the Stardust moniker to be seen at the moment.

| Stardust | ..Return?

Renee Young: Well, yes, you are a former World Champion.

| Stardust | Interesting. Because I don't remember Stardust ever wrestling in the EBWF. As far as I'm aware, this is his debut. So let me ask you a question..

Cody slowly looked over his shoulder. There was some traces of his Stardust look. Most notably his crimson colored eye contacts. Soon, he turned around to face Renee completely, gazing down at her with those scarlet hues.

| Stardust | What planet are you living on?

The piercing, abnormal eyes, and the unpredictably factor had made this a very tense moment for Renee

Renee Young: W-Well, then, um, Stardust..since this is your debut..you must be thrilled that your going to getting a title opportunity in your very first match with the company. Especially against Damien Sandow who has been able to hold onto his Breakout Title since late May, defending it against all-comers. Safe to say that he's increased the stock of this title immensely and a victory here would quickly solidify your place on the roster and put everyone on notice. It's a great beginning path for a..uh..new comer.

Stardust's expression remained stern but very slowly a calm sort of grin began to appear on his face. His voice had taken on a completely different tone and pitch.

| Stardust | Damien Sandow? Did you say Damien Sandow?!

Renee Young: Y-Yes?

Suddenly, the very erratic 'newcomer' leaned in closely so that his face was only a few inches away from Renee's.

| Stardust | Do you remember what Damien said last time?

Renee Young: ..Last..time?

| Stardust | He said that gold can resist corrosive acids! He called himself transitional metal! Is this true?! Is he really made out of metal?! What a strange person he must be. I want to put his words to the test. I want to see if he can really stand up against acid. I want to pour some all over his face and watch this face melt, watch his eyeballs go swimming down his cheeks, make him bleed internally and externally! Doesn't that sound like fun?! DOESN'T IT?!

There was a sort of wide-eyed, child like sense of wonderment on Stardust's face despite the very sinister threats he had just made.

Renee Young: I..I think it was just a figure of speech. As if to say, he can take on all comers that are thrown at him..

Stardust's expression slowly reverted back to a cold and, at this point, almost annoyed sort of look. His voice became lower and deeper.

| Stardust | ..Liar. He's a liar. Why would he say things like that when there are people around here who would take his words at face value? I've got some facts for Damien. A star is a massive, luminous, sphere of plasma held together by it's own gravity. The sun is a star. It consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields. If Damien Sandow gets too close to me he will literally be burned alive and reduced to nothing but ash. Nothing of him will remain. Do you believe that?

| Renee Young | I--

| Stardust | NO, YOU DON'T!

Renee jumped back, startled, at the sudden scream.

| Stardust | Because I'm not REALLY a star just like he isn't REALLY a transitional metal! What kind of idiot goes around and calls themselves something like that?! He's supposed to be smart?! HA HA! All of you must be REALLY dumb for believing something like that! Damien "Transitional Metal" Sandow is the worst nickname of all time! What goof! What a loser!

Stardust amused himself greatly and began to laugh his head off, like a 60's Batman villain before slamming his fists down onto a nearby catering table.

| Stardust | I'm. Not. Laughing. This clown has managed to keep a hold of his title for five months? What kind of competition is there around here anyway?! I don't think I can handle this! This is the highest intellectual being in all of the cosmos?! I refuse to believe it! I won't! Oh! Renee! Did you know that stardust are contained with meteorites? They are! Did you know they can fall alllll the way from space and SMASH and CRUSH whatever they land upon?! I am a meteorite! And Damien Sandow is the cow I will crush! Or I will land next to him and he will become covered in radiation and DIE from the immense amount of poisoning and melt into a disgusting pile of goo and sludge!

Renee Young: I..don't think I follow.

| Stardust | Of course you don't! I'm cutting a Sandow promo! I'm bringing up arbitrary science facts to work them into my stupid, boring Sandow promo to try to somehow make myself look tough! But all it succeeds in doing is making me look STUPID and BORING!

Stardust leaned in closely to Renee and lowered closer to her eye level, rubbing his head against her shoulder like an affectionate cat.

| Stardust | Do you know what Sandow has, Renee? My cosmic key. And he's been holding it for a long while now and he's done a good job fending off his challengers. But it's mine. It rightfully belongs to me. It's my cosmic key and I need it to open doors. Doors that will put me where I belong once more. Amongst the elite and back in those pretty, shiny main events. So I will take it from him by any means necessary even if I have to bite off his big, silly looking nose. My, it's going to look SO much better on me! Much better than on that drab and dull Sandow! I feel like taking a nap just thinking about him! We don't like boring people here. No, no, no. No more boring champion!

He gently began to pet Renee along the top of her head. The Canadian interviewer wished she was about anywhere else at this particular moment.

| Stardust | Shhh, shhh, shhh. It's okay. It would probably be an improvement. But I must be going. I can't make my debut unless I'm in my full regalia. Damien must be fully introduced to me before I take that key away from him. He must fully be introduced to..

Hoisting his hand towards the ceiling, Stardust swiftly brought it down onto a nearby class cup. It smashed into pieces and cut the center of his palm. Renee and the camera man were alarmed by Stardust quickly went to work. He made a crude star shape on his palms from the red liquid and held them out for the viewing audience to see. The son of Dusty Rhodes looked entirely pleased with what he had done to himself.

| Stardust | Staaaaaaardust!

With the dripping, oozing star running down his palm, Stardust gave a crooked smile. There was more than a few hints of insanity going on in shattered mind of his. The camera focused on this disturbing sight before drawing to it's end.