The Adventures of Negropolis and Madman Mason (with Flippers too!) - Episode 13: OH the Horror (at the Pool)!

 

The Adventures of Negropolis and Madman Mason (with Flippers too!) - Episode 13: OH the Horror (at the Pool)!

The scene opens inside the Misfits of Mayhem’s hotel suite following their NPCW debut on the May 4th Polar Power, a debut that, to put it nicely, did not go well. Their grand entrance into NPCW was meant to establish them as forces of chaos, the best kind of mayhem specialists. Instead, they were humbled—thoroughly humbled—by the Amigos, a bottom-tier tag team of barely competent competitors who, somehow, managed to secure the victory.

For Negropolis, the loss was nothing short of catastrophic. He sits at the desk, brooding over his failure as if the weight of the universe rests upon his skull-masked shoulders. His long, dramatic sighs fill the room, each heavier than the last. Across from him, Madman Mason, ever the lovable disaster, joyfully plays with Flippers, his emotional support penguin, who squawks excitedly.

Meanwhile, Ace MacDougall, their burly Scottish manager and former adventure pilot, is on his phone. His voice booms as he concludes a call with Commissioner Cratchit, the ever-busy matchmaker of NPCW.

Ace hangs up his phone, his face bright with enthusiasm. “Lads, I have great news!”

Negropolis, without missing a beat, mutters, “Oh, what now? A giant meteor is about to crash into the North Pole?”

Mason gasps dramatically. “Oh, come on, Neggie, things aren’t that bad! I mean, sure, we lost, but it’s only one match.”

Negropolis spins in his chair, pointing a sharp finger at Mason. “To JOBBERS, Mason. We lost to jobbers! Do you know what this means?”

Mason scratches his head. “That we really need a rematch?”

Negropolis throws his arms up. “It means Count Vlad is going to hear about this, and we are never going to complete our secret mission!”

Mason waves him off, “Oh please, Count Vlad probably wasn’t even watching. He’s got more important things to do—like tax fraud.”

Before Negropolis can explode, Ace interrupts, waving his hand for peace. “Now, now, lads—no need for a meltdown. I was just on the phone with Commissioner Cratchit, and they’ve booked you for next week’s Polar Power against the Reindeer Coalition’s Dancer and Vixen.”

Mason immediately perks up. “Reindeer?! Ooh, I better grab some Reindeer Chow for treats!”

Negropolis buries his face in his hands. “Really? Former NPCW Tag Team Champions Reindeer Coalition?”

Ace nods proudly. “Aye, and if you do well, everyone’ll forget about last week’s match.”

Negropolis straightens, just slightly, though his optimism is cut short by Flippers squawking loudly. He groans, “What about the feathered vermin?”

Mason scowls and clutches Flippers protectively. “Emotional Support Penguin!”

Ace raises a hand. “We can’t have him at ringside, Mason. He needs to stay in his cage in the locker room.”

Negropolis smirks devilishly. Mason frowns deeply. Flippers squawks extra adorably.

Mason sighs, “Well, I guess if Flippers has to stay in the locker room…”

Negropolis and Ace shout together, “HE DOES!”

Mason pouts, Flippers looks heartbreakingly sad. Mason mutters, “Well, that’s Future Mason’s problem.” Then, suddenly, he claps his hands together. “Hey, Neggie! Let’s go for a swim at the indoor pool!”

Negropolis folds his arms. “I don’t know…”

Ace nods approvingly, “Actually, lads, that’s a great idea. Get out of this room, relax a bit. Tomorrow, we start workouts.”

Negropolis begrudgingly agrees, retreating to his connected room to change. Mason gleefully skips to his own room, leaving Ace to review papers while keeping an eye on Flippers.

Minutes later, Negropolis emerges in swim trunks, carrying a towel—but still wearing his skull mask. Ace snickers at the sight.

And then, BOOM! The door swings open as Madman Mason bursts through, wearing nothing but a skimpy brown speedo, standing proudly like a Greek statue gone horribly wrong.

“We ready to go?” Mason grins, hands on hips. He looks at Negropolis and mutters under his breath, “And he’s still wearing his mask. I’m the crazy one?”

Negropolis stares wide-eyed. “Good Lord, what the…”

Ace, trying to contain his laughter, shakes his head. “Enjoy yourselves, lads—don’t stay out too late!”

Mason scoops up Flippers, but Negropolis throws his hands up in protest. “Whoa, whoa! That filthy thing isn’t coming with us!”

Mason, on the verge of tears, holds up a paper. “BUT HE’S MY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT PENGUIN! See, it’s official!”

Negropolis reads the paper aloud. “The penguin named Flippers is the official emotional support penguin for this crazy man, Jack Mason. Signed, Dr. Frankenstein.”

Ace leans in, whispering, “Just let him take the penguin. The pool staff won’t let him in, and they’ll be the bad guys.”

Negropolis nods, resigned to fate. “Fine. Let’s go.”

Upon arriving at the hotel pool, the trio is immediately stopped by a teenage pool attendant.

“Whoa! You can’t bring that… penguin in the pool!”

Negropolis smirks. “Oh, well, Mason. Looks like Flippers has to go back upstairs.”

Mason argues furiously. “BUT HE’S AN EMOTIONAL SUPPORT PENGUIN!”

“There’s no such thing!” the teen protests.

Negropolis enters the Pool area feeling satisfied he won’t have to put up with the penguin. As he enters the only other people in the pool area, a family four gasp at his visage.  Negropolis smiles to himself thinking he still has it.

He walks to a lounge chair staring intently at the the children soaking in their fear when their expressions change to one of glee.  Confused he slowly looks behind him an sees …

Mason triumphantly entering the pool area with Flippers, the dejected attendant sulking away in defeat.

Negropolis, aghast, mutters, “How…?”

Mason beams. “EMOTIONAL SUPPORT PENGUIN! There are laws!”

Negropolis plops down, defeated.

The children run up to Flippers to play joyfully with him, while Mason watches over them.  Negropolis is resigned that he will need to put up with the penguin and settles in to relax.

Just as he’s about to relax, Mason yells—“CANNONBALL!”—and splashes Negropolis with an ocean-sized wave.

Negropolis, soaked, glares at Mason.

“If you didn’t want to get wet, why did you come to the pool?” Mason grins.

Scowling Negropolis decides its time to do some laps in the pool.  While he does the family leaves and it’s only him, Mason and Flippers left. 

Negropolis lounges in his chair by the pool, drying off after his swim, feeling—for the first time in ages—somewhat at peace. Mason and Flippers frolic nearby, the little penguin waddling about as Mason splashes playfully in the shallow end. Then, she enters.

A stunning red-haired woman in a green bikini strides into the pool area, the air around her shifting as if she carries some ethereal glow. Negropolis, ever the stoic and brooding terror of NPCW, suddenly forgets how to maintain his signature ominous presence.

Their eyes meet.

She smiles coyly, offering a little wave.

Negropolis, internally: Okay, don’t mess this up. Just play it cool…

She walks over, pulling up the chair next to his, sitting gracefully. He swallows hard, attempting to adjust his posture into something resembling effortless coolness, but instead shifts awkwardly, knocking his towel onto the wet ground.

“Hi!” she says, her voice warm and inviting. “I’m Mindy.”

Negropolis nods slowly, forcing himself to speak. “I… am Negropolis.”

Good. That was his name. That was correct. So far, so good.

Mindy tilts her head curiously. “You’re a wrestler, right?”

Negropolis smirks, sensing an opportunity to redeem the humiliation of the Amigos incident. “Yes. A warrior of darkness. A disciple of the Negronomicon. A harbinger of terror in the squared circle.”

Mindy nods enthusiastically, leaning in. “I knew it! You’re with the Dark Dominion, right?”

Negropolis pauses, but technically that is still true. “Yes… I am.”

She claps her hands together, her excitement rising dangerously. “Oh wow, I love HCW! The Dark Dominion is the coolest faction in wrestling. You guys are just amazing.”

Negropolis, feeling pride swell in his chest, allows himself a confident smirk. This is exactly the kind of admiration he deserves!

And then she says it.

“Especially Beastfang—oh my god, he’s an absolute dream! He’s my favorite wrestler of all time!”

Negropolis blinks.

The weight of that sentence crashes into him like Mason doing an unexpected cannonball.

He stiffens, searching for a dignified response.

“Oh… Beastfang, huh?”

Mindy nods furiously, eyes sparkling. “Do you know him?”

Negropolis laughs a little too loudly, then coughs to mask his panic. “Oh… uh, yes. Best bros. Like, practically brothers.”

Mindy gasps in delight, grabbing his arm like a lifeline. “That’s PERFECT! You have to give him my number! I would love to meet up with him sometime!”

Negropolis stares at her, his mind unraveling like a loose thread in a cheap suit.

Mindy, now positively beaming, continues, “Oh! And here—take my picture to show him what I look like!”

Negropolis, feeling like he’s witnessing his own dignity die in real time, robotically raises his phone and snaps a picture of Mindy posing alluringly by the pool.

She practically bounces back over to him, scribbling her number on a napkin and handing it over with both hands, as if entrusting him with a sacred relic.

“You’ll give this to him, right?” she says, her voice dripping with hope.

Negropolis, barely holding himself together, forces a smile. “Oh, uh, yeah. Sure. I will send him your number… tonight.”

Mindy squeals in delight, bending down to hug him tightly. “Oh my gosh, THANK YOU, Megopolis!”

Negropolis flinches. “It’s—It’s Negropolis.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Mindy, positively glowing, waves and happily struts out of the pool area.

Negropolis collapses into his chair, emotionally wrecked.

Mason waddles over, Flippers in tow, grinning ear to ear. “She was super cute! Did you get her number?”

Negropolis exhales slowly, staring at the napkin in his hands. “Something like that.”

Mason nudges him playfully. “Oooooh, Neggie’s got game! You dawg!”

Negropolis grunts, shoving the napkin into his pocket. “Don’t remind me.”

Later that night, in his private room, Negropolis stares at Mindy’s photo on his phone. His mind races through possible next steps:

1. Delete it all and pretend this never happened.

2. Catfish Mindy and pretend to be Beastfang—ultimate revenge.

3. Post it on some sketchy revenge site (unethical, but satisfying).

4. Actually send it to Beastfang—maybe this gets him back in Vlad’s good graces?

Negropolis grins.

Yeah. Let’s go with that.

He quickly sends the photo and number to Beastfang, hoping this might be his golden ticket back to HCW.

Feeling smug, he turns off his phone and falls asleep with one singular thought in his mind:

At least Flippers wasn’t involved.