Match 18617 Conal Cochran vs. The Tall Man

[broadwaybeyonder]

Conal Cochran made his way along the assembly line, looking on with satisfaction as employees sorted through latex masks.  Skeletons, jack-o-lanterns, and witches, along with new vampire and werewolf masks, were checked for any tears or faults.  And most importantly, that they each possessed the Silver Shamrock medallion on the back. 

Behind Cochran, a young lady in her 20s holding a clipboard hurried to keep up.  She adjusted her glasses as she ran through her notes.  “Our salespersons in the Asian markets are reporting that they have nearly sold out of the shipment of masks we sent earlier this month.  New York stores have nearly all gotten on board to sell Silver Shamrock masks and other merchandise.  We are seeing some reluctance on the West Coast, but that was expected given the… circumstances.” 

Cochran nodded in approval, stopping to pick up a vampire mask and examine it.  “And everything is on schedule for the Giveaway?” 

“Yes, sir, Mr. Cochran!  Following the marathon, the special will be live streamed on every service.  Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus.  We’ve even made some offers to some social media personalities to do live reactions to the Giveaway.”  The secretary paused, and Cochran turned to her with a friendly smile.  “Is that all, Miss Yates?  Is something the matter?” 

Miss Yates cleared her throat and looked embarrassed.  “I’m sorry, Mr. Cochran.  I guess I’m just a little anxious.  We’ve put a lot of work into this project.  I would hate for something to go wrong.  And some people are afraid that what happened with the Massacre will…” Miss Yates looked down at her shoes, and Cochran took her hand.  “Now don’t you worry your pretty head about that, Miss Yates.  I know how much you’ve done to make this night possible.  I’ll never forget that.  And don’t worry.  We’ve hired extra security to make sure that no one tampers with these masks.  No disenfranchised employees are going to use my company to cause bloodshed again.”  Miss Yates sighed and nodded.  “Yes, sir, Mr. Cochran.” 

“Now, take my advice and relax for a moment,” Cochran said as he walked Miss Yates to her desk in front of a set of double doors.  He offered up the vampire mask.  “And you can start by having this for yourself.” 

“Oh, thank you, Mr. Cochran,” said Miss Yates.  “But I don’t have any kids.” 

“Who said it was for your kids?” replied Cochran good naturedly.  “You’re never too old for Halloween, you know.”  Miss Yates gave a small smile, accepted the mask, then sat at her desk. 

Cochran pushed open the doors and let them swing shut behind him.  He walked down a corridor lined with Silver Shamrock masks and some of antique novelty items.  His smile grew cold and confident.  It had taken him decades to get Silver Shamrock back into the good graces of the public.  The sacrifice of 1982 had claimed thousands of lives, despite Dr. Challis’ meddling.  Cochran had managed to convince people that Challis himself and a small band of saboteurs had planted a drug on his masks that killed the wearers.  With Challis standing by his story of bits of Stonehenge and accusing Cochran of being a warlock, it was only a matter of time before he was committed.  After all, the public scoffed, there’s no such thing as witches. 

Cochran reached the end of the corridor and pushed open the doors to his office.  He turned to close the door behind him, and instantly could feel another presence in the room.  “Good evening, Mr. Cochran.” 

Cochran turned to see an old man in the corner with his hands behind his back.  He almost resembled Cochran himself.  The white hair, the black suit and tie, but also the eyes, those piercing eyes.  Cochran gave his charming smile.  “Excuse me.  I didn’t see you there.  You’ll have to speak with Miss Yates about an appointment.” 

“You will speak with me now,” the Tall Man said in his gravelly voice.  Cochran shrugged.  “So be it.  What can I do for you, Mr…?”  The Tall Man stared impassively at Cochran.  “For the moment, consider me an unsatisfied customer.  The Tall Man pulled his hands out from behind his back, revealing a skeleton mask.  He tossed the mask onto the table, allowing the head inside of it to roll out.  Cochran’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the android head, wiring and gears exposed in it’s neck.  “I’m sorry, sir,” said Cochran.  “But I fail to see what you want from me.”  

“Don’t presume to play games with me, Mister Cochran,” said the Tall Man.  “You know what I am, and I know what you are.”  Cochran crossed over to his desk, his voice staying calm.  “Indeed?  And what exactly would you say that I am?” 

“You are Conal Cochran, the owner of Silver Shamrock Novelties.  And you are a warlock who’s coven was responsible for what is known now as the ‘Halloween Massacre.’” 

Cochran’s friendly demeanor melted.  He stared unintimated at the Tall Man.  “Impressive.  Our prophecies spoke of one who fed on fear and death, a creature who wears the face of a man long dead.  A creature that would seek to oppose the next ritual.” 

“Which is why you sent your toy soldier to try to burn down my establishment.  Very unwise of you, Mister Cochran.” 

“But I must admit I was puzzled,” Cochran went on, circling the desk.  “Why would such a creature wish to prevent our rites?  I would think that such carnage would appeal to you.” 

“I assure you, Mister Cochran, in different circumstances I would applaud your ingenuity.  But the people of this world are mine, in life and death.  And your ‘rites’ render their bodies useless to me.  After undergoing your ritual, neither the body nor the mind can converted to my purposes.”  

Cochran chuckled humorlessly.  “So, not a shining knight, but a butcher protecting his cattle so he can slaughter them?”    

“Call it what you will, Mister Cochran.  In order to achieve my goals, your ritual must not be allowed to proceed.” 

A piercing scream could be heard reverberating down the corridor.  Cochran instinctively looked to the doors as the Tall Man pulled out a silver sphere and tossed it.  It hung suspended in the air, whirring dangerously as a drill projected from it.  Cochran gazed up at the sphere as it buzzed around him like a wasp.  “I applaud your ingenuity as well, sir,” he said.  The Tall Man smirked.  “Certainly more elegant than your toy soldiers.” 

“True, true,” Cochran said.  He casually and slowly picked the skeleton mask off the table, and ripped the Silver Shamrock medallion off it.  “And far more deadly than these old masks,” Cochran continued, fiddling with medallion behind his back.  “You could wear this skeleton all night, and nothing will happen until our signal activates the pieces of Stonehenge in the medallion.”  The Tall Man raised an eyebrow.  “A child’s plaything,” he sneered.  

“And yet,” said Cochran, snapping one piece into place in the medallion.  “If one wasn’t careful, and didn’t know what they were doing, they could cause a misfire.” 

Cochran swiftly swung up the medallion and pointed it at the sphere.  A blast of light shot out of the medallion and the Tall Man’s weapon exploded.  Cochran dashed out of his office and down the corridor, the sounds of violence and screaming getting louder as he went. 

He pushed open the doors to see the factory in chaos.  Silver spheres were chasing employees, Cochran’s android guards were doing battle with the Tall Man’s Lurkers, and Miss Yates was being torn limb from limb.  Cochran grabbed a handful of medallions off the assembly line as the Tall Man strode onto the factory floor.  He glared at Cochran.  “Now the real game begins… Booooy!” 

 

OK:

Cochran has the Stonehenge block and can use it’s power, as well as the bits of Stonehenge in the medallions.  He also has his androids as well as normal human security. 

The Tall Man has his spheres, Lurkers, and Gravers, as well as his powers featured in his films. 

Game On!

[Callisto]

Learn More About
Conal Cochran
Read more about Conal Cochran at Wikipedia
Official Site: Trancas International Films Links: Wikipedia Heroes and Monsters Blogspot Headhunter's Horror House Wiki

The Tall Man
Read more about The Tall Man at Wikipedia
Official Site: Starway International Links: Tall Man Wikipedia Entry The Tall Man's Mausoleum Phantasm.com

[leroypowell3]

Nice use of none traditional horror characters.

I've always like the Tall Man (never knew he was called anything until this match). I'll go with him in this one.

[RakaiThwei]

I gotta go with the Tall Man on this one... Even if one of his bodies dies, he will somehow come back from the Red Dimension with his memories intact and continue where he would leave off. And given that he's gotten likely over two centuries of doing whatever it is that he does, I'm sure that he would overwhelm Conal Cochran and take the win here.

[Yukimuraster90]

Pretty good set-up and I give you a 5.

[Callisto]

Match Final Results

Member Ratings:
4.70 - leroypowell3
5.00 - Yukimuraster90
5.00 - patrickthekid
5.00 - StormChaser

FPA Calculation:
4 Total Votes cast
19.70 Total Combined Score
19.70 / 4 = 4.92 Final Rating on the match

MATCH SCORE
Conal Cochran : 1
The Tall Man: 3

[Mercenaryblade]

Ooh, sorry I missed this one! It was a great fight idea.

[DSkillz]

Gah, missed out on this while I was writing my match. My bad. 

Don't know much about the Halloween franchise and even less about the Phantasm series, but this looked like a good set-up. 

[broadwaybeyonder]

THE BOTTOM LINE

On Halloween night, people across the world gathered in their homes and at parties around televisions, computers, and phones.  It was nearly time for the big giveaway.  Pumpkin, witch, and skeleton masks danced across the screens as the Silver Shamrock jingle rang out. 

“Happy, happy Halloween!  Halloween!  Halloween!  Happy, happy Halloween!  Silver Shamrock!” 

Children sang along with the catchy tune as parents said a silent prayer that they wouldn’t have to hear it after tonight was over. 

“It’s time!  It’s time!” the announcer said.  “Time for the big giveaway!  Halloween has come!  All you lucky kids with Silver Shamrock masks, gather ‘round, put on your masks and watch!  All witches, all skeletons, all Jack-O-Lanterns, all werewolves, all vampires, gather ‘round and watch.  Watch the magic pumpkin.  Watch!” 

Young and old adjusted their masks and stared at their devices as the Jack-O-Lantern flashed off and on.  It blinked faster and faster, until it suddenly faded into static.  There were groans of frustration as the eager viewers waited for the winner to be announced. 

But then a face emerged through the static.  It wasn’t the face of the Jack-O-Lantern.  It was the gaunt face of an old man with wisps of white hair, and piercing eyes. 

“Good evening, watchers,” he said.  “I know you were all expecting a treat this Halloween.  Mister Cochran sadly will not be able to join us.  But since you were all so good as to wear those masks, it would be such a shame to let this evening go to waste.” 

As adults reached for remotes and bored teenagers prepared to click dislike buttons, the medallions on the back of every Silver Shamrock mask began to glow.  All of the devices’ screens began to shine with the same eerie light.  Before anyone could fathom what was happening, thousands of silver spheres burst through the screens, weapons whirring.  That Halloween night, the air was filled with the screams of the dying.  No matter where anyone tried to run, there was a screen broadcasting the Silver Shamrock signal.  And the Tall Man’s metallic weapons followed the signal to cut and slice humanity, in preparation for them to be transformed in death into the Tall Man’s monstrous slaves. 

The Tall Man gazed through your screen and reached out his hands, shattering the glass. 

“Happy Halloween.”