Denial and Anger

[Icon Lord Jon Kellar]

Sean: Why can’t you just admit it?

Kellar pushed past his former tag team partner and looked in the bathroom mirror. With care, he removed the stitching plaster from above his eye, and rubbed the now-healed welt with moisturiser.

Kellar: Why can’t you just let it go?

Sean: Because that Titan broadcast was the happiest you have looked since Dyna…

Kellar snapped his head back and glared at Sean

Kellar: Don’t you dare bring her up…

He pushed past him again, fiddling with the buttons on the sleeve of his security guard shirt.

Sean: Jon just look at yourself, you’re squeezing into a government issue uniform to go and pat people down at a Crown Court and you look miserable as hell, when the whole world saw you really getting into that match between Locke and Leon.

Kellar: It was a good match.

Sean: Between two men you should be pushing to face in a wrestling ring, not watching face each other…

Kellar ignored Sean and checked his watch.

Kellar: I’m late… where’s M

Sean: In the car… waiting for you.

Kellar: I’ll see you later.

Kellar headed for the door

Sean: Jon, you are wasting your life and your talent… and the sooner you admit that the better.

Kellar: Fuck you Sean…

Sean: You know I’m…

***

Right? Hey… Jono… are you alright?

Kellar shook himself from the daydream. He looked to his left, where his colleague Jimmy was shaking his shoulder.

Kellar: Yeah… I’m fine…

Jimmy: You looked like you were on another continent.

Kellar: Wasn’t long ago that I was.

Kellar waved the next visitor through the metal detector, which beeped loudly. Kellar picked up his wand and ran it along the visitor’s arms and chest. It beeped against his chest.

Kellar: Mobile phone?

Visitor: Yeah!

Kellar: Show me…

The visitor reached into his jacket and produced his mobile phone. Kellar held it and inspected it.

Kellar: Fine… go on…

Visitor: Which court am I in?

Kellar: Ask at reception…

Visitor: Can’t you tell me?

Kellar: No, because I don’t know who you are…

Visitor: My name’s Michael Jones…

Kellar: The reception desk is literally right there…

Visitor: But if you could just ask…

Kellar rolled his eyes and grabbed the walkie-talkie on his belt.

Kellar: Hello List Office, which court is Michael Jones in today?

Radio: Court 2

Kellar: Thank you. You’re in Court 2 sir.

Visitor: I don’t want to be in Court 2.

Kellar: Well life is full of disappointments, please move along.
Michael Jones headed off towards the courtrooms.

Kellar: Freak…

Mr White: Jon!

Kellar rolled his eyes

Kellar: Oh good…

He forced a smile and turned towards the voice, which emanated from a small chubby white man with a jam stain on his shirt and the kind of smile only seen on civil service managers and great white sharks.

Kellar: Yes Mr Wilson…

Mr White: I understand you were late this morning… again…

Kellar: I’m sorry Mr Wilson, I had to drop my daughter off at pre-school and you know how the traffic can be round here…

Mr White: Jon… Jon… this is the third time. Remember, we must ensure capability for all and deliver at pace.

Kellar: You mean… don’t be late?

Mr White: Sarcasm is negative.

Kellar: So is my blood type.

Mr White: Just… try and tone it down a little, okay, for the customers.

Kellar: Our customers are drug dealers, rapists, murderers and paedofiles…

Mr White: We still have an image to uphold.

Kellar turned and waved the next visitor through, muttering under his breath.

Kellar: Douchebag…

Again, the machine beeped, and Kellar approached with the wand.

Visitor: Hey man, don’t you fucking touch me. I turned up didn't I?! I don't need you up in my face!

Kellar: Sir, I have to wand you, everyone gets wanded.

Visitor: You know who I am? I’ll fucking kill you.

Kellar was about to step forward and test that theory, when Mr White decided that some civil service negotiating was required.

Mr White: Sir, I’m afraid that kind of language will not be tolerated. I have to ask you to leave.

Kellar: Mr White, he’s a defendant, if we tell him to leave then he’ll breach his bail and it’ll be our fault.

Mr White: Oh, well in that case sir, I have to ask that you show a little more respect.

Visitor: Respect! Fuck you man. I don’t give no respect to you… nor your dumb security guard.

Kellar: Sir, you need to get wanded or we can’t let you in…

The visitor pushed Mr White aside and squared up to Kellar.

Visitor: Or what? What you gonna do man? You’re some rentacop pussy!

Kellar: Sir, back away…

Visitor: Nah man, I like where I am… you ain’t nothing… you aint gonna stop me.

Kellar: Sir, back away or I will be forced to restrain you.

Visitor: Restrain me? Ha, you think you scary boy? Restrain me! The only restraining round me is when you girlfriend visit my place.

A jolt flew through Kellar’s spine.

Visitor: Yeah… she likes it all 50 Shades and shit… she like it so much. She sad she has to come home to you, when she got a real man like me.

Kellar’s fist clenched tighter. Jimmy approached.

Jimmy: Sir… I will call the police and have you arrested if you don’t calm down.

Visitor: Hey, it’s cool man… we’re just having some fun, me and my friend here… aint that right?

Kellar didn’t answer, he just turned and walked away.

Visitor: Yeah… we’re real friendly… just like me and his slut.

In a flash, the world seemed to slow down. 

The wand hit the floor.

Kellar turned.

The first jab bruised the man’s eye socket…

The second jab broke his nose…

An uppercut dislocated his jaw…

Kellar glared as the man staggered away, blood pouring from his nose and screams emanating from his mouth.

Mr White: JON!

As the man staggered, Kellar grabbed the back of his shirt and slammed his head hard into the metal detector, sending him tumbling to the floor. Kellar smiled as he stared down at the crumpled form, then looked up.

All around he could see nothing but fear.

Fear in the eyes of his colleagues

Members of the public cowering in fear, hiding their children.

As the Red Mist rose, Kellar realised what had just happened.

Kellar: Wait! Wait!

Desperately, Kellar picked up the wand and ran it along the crumpled man lying on the floor. It whistled near his belt, but nowhere else.

Kellar: A belt buckle? No.. no come on…

Kellar ran his hands up and down the man’s jacket, his jeans, his shoes, everything, but found nothing.

Kellar: You wouldn’t let me search you, you must have something… you must have something.

Jimmy: Jon…

Kellar: You can’t have just been mouthing off you piece of shit… come on… you had something….

Jimmy: Jon… he was just showing off… look…

Kellar looked up to see the man’s friends, now cowering away. All of them were decked out in similar clothing, tattooed up to the eyeballs.

He was just some thug showing off to his friends...

Kellar: No, he can't be. There must be a weapon...

He was just some thug showing off to his friends…

Kellar: Drugs then!!!

He was JUST some thug showing off to his friends….

Kellar looked over at his boss as First Aiders arrived on the scene.

Kellar: No, he can’t have been… he must have something…

Mr White: Jon….

Kellar: SHUT UP! He has something, just let me find it….

Mr White: Jon… once this is sorted out, I want to see you in my office.