WICKED - DVD Taping - Bad Moon Rising (Part 2) 08/19/2016
Aug 1, 2016 4:48:15 GMT
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Post by The BombTrax on Aug 1, 2016 4:48:15 GMT
PART 2
Five Way Tag Team Turmoil Match
-PAW Tag Team Championships-
Ava & Sykes versus The French Mime Assassins versus Mikael & Adam Wolfe versus Mercy & Sin versus Plissken & Raike
PERCY: New PAW Tag Team Champions will be crowned here tonight, Cat, but not before 10 men and women get in that ring and try to wreck one another for the honor. It should be intense.
CAT: Damn right, Percy, and I've SO been looking forward to it. Lookie, Rhonda's already in the ring. This show has been like rapid fire with the action, and I'm like a bitch at McDonald's, I'm loving it!
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: The following contest is the Five Way Tag Team Turmoil Match, and is for the PAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS! All five teams will be in the ring at the same time, and the first person to score a pinfall or submission will be deemed the winner.
"La Marseillaise" begins, and the Mimes come down side by side looking ready for a fight. They pause occasionally to fake mime a high five to a fan, possibly a handshake that's promptly pulled away from some unsuspecting fool, maybe even a wave that turns into one of the mimes miming the hint to kiss his posterior.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: Introducing first, weighting in at a combined weight of 240 pounds, and hailing from Paris, France, they are THE FRENCH MIME ASSASSINS!
The Assassins reach ringside, and once on the ring apron they bluster their way into the ring and make extravagant, arrogant gestures to the fans.
PERCY: Well, The French Mime Assassins are in their usual spirits. They look ready for whatever comes.
CAT: Yeah, these guys may be weird, but they have been on a tear as of late in the Win column.
The 'Party Boy' theme from Jackass hits over the PA Systems, and the fans immediately being to cheer as Johnny Sykes rushes out onto the stage, running in place and pointing out at the crowd. He is soon joined by Ava, who nods her approval at the capacity crowds adoration, and the two exchange high fives before heading down the ramp to slap hands with the fans.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: Introducing at this time, weighting in at a combined weight of 316 pounds, they are 'Da Bomb Dot Com' and 'The Orignal Pranksta'.....AVA & JOHNNY SYKES!
Upon reaching ringside, Ava & Sykes split off in opposite directions, still interacting with the fans before finally turning and hopping up onto the ring apron on either side of the ring. Both leap over the top rope to land in the ring, and then take a turnbuckle to throw their hands up to get another rousing ovation.
PERCY: Ava and Johnny Sykes got a count out victory over The BombTrax thanks to The Power Trio's interference, but got the ultimate seal of approval when Youth and Press told them to take home the gold after it was all said and done.
CAT: Maybe so, but they'll have their hands full with some of the tough teams in this match.
The lights are shut off. "Sign of an open eye" by Gorgoroth blasts through the PA system, in the meanwhile, the big screen shows the Norway flag which waves slowly; next, a black-and-white video/compilation of Norway's beautiful forests, waterfalls, animals and some ancient Nord buildings. Finally, the tron shows Mikael in his room, sitting in his red luxury chair - thousands of books surrounding him. The man can be seen displaying an evil smirk. Finally, the lights are turned on. Mikael stands at the center of the stage, wearing a white Victorian-era linen shirt, a dark blue double breasted vest, a black and white knit neck scarf, grey fingerless gloves, black pinstripe pants, brown leather belt with razor holster, and dark brown boots.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: And introducing next, weighting in at 247 pounds, and hailing from Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, he is the 'Paragon of Knowledge'...MIKAEL!
The music transitions into "Master of Puppets" by Metallica, and without much pageantry, Adam Wolfe steps out onto the stage to join Mikael.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: Introducing his partner, weighting in at 220 pounds, and hailing from Toronto, Canada, he is 'The Puppet Master'...ADAM WOLFE!!
Wolfe looks to Mikael, and nods, before sprinting down the ramp to slide under the bottom rope and pop up in the center of the ring. Mikael comes down slower, but upon reaching ringside, he climbs the steps and enters, removing his neck scarf, and tossing it to one of the ring attendants. Wolfe plops down in an empty corner, crossing his legs, while Mikael leans casually against the ropes to await their opponents.
CAT: You know, these two are about as strange as the black and white clowns.
PERCY: For the last time, their Mimes, and yes, Wolfe and Mikael are a bit eccentric, but no less formidable in the ring. Especially if Genocide decides to make an appearance.
“Long Johns” by the Lords of Acid beats over the P.A. as Johnny Raike thrusts forth from the curtain, lights glinting off his vinyl coat and Titan of the Midway championship belt, sparkling off his skirt as well. Johnny gives a bright eyed smile to his awaiting opponents in the ring, melting into a smirk of confidence as he saunters halfway down to the ring. He stops to take a photo with a teen girl in a “Freak” t-shirt, but remains where he is to await his partner.
The arena is buzzing as the lights dim. Suddenly, there’s the announcement of a motorcycle engine. The sound grows until finally a 1975 Norton Commando emerges from the entrance. Atop the bike is none other than Strick Plissken. He stops on the entrance ramp and lets the engine roar. Some audience members are forced to cover their ears due to the loud pops of the exhaust. Strick is about to let loose on the throttle, when out of no where Mercy & Sin appear on the stage, ambushing Plissken right off of his ride. Tracy Sin kicks the motorcycle over on her way to helping Becky Mercy stomp a mud hole in Strick Plissken. Raike, seeing all this, thunders up the ramp and steps up onto the fallen motorcycles fuel tank to give him a boost as he launches himself into Mercy with a spear that takes the woman off her feet.
Meanwhile, in the ring, Adam Wolfe, Mikael, Ava, and Sykes, who is laughing, look on in interest at what is happening at the top of the ramp, when suddenly the French Mime Assassins come crashing into them with furious abandon. Wolfe & Mikael are pushed in one direction by flailing bows by Comme Ci, while Ava and Sykes are pushed in the opposite direction by much the same from Comme Ca. A-Ref runs around all of this like a chicken with his head cut off, before coming to an exhausted stop closest to the time table side of the ring, and signals for the bell. The bell sounds, but hell has already broke loose.
PERCY: MY GOD, IT'S PANDEMONIUM!
CAT: Don't say it if you can't spell it, Percy!
Raike pops up to his feet after the spear to Mercy, and begins to lay in boots to the woman's midsection, but is quickly clubbed from behind by Sin. She spins the man around and lays in right hands that have him teetering on the edge of the stage. Just when it looks like she might knock him off, Strick Plissken brings his forearm between her legs up into her crotch for a low blow. She grabs her crotch in shock and pain, and slowly falls off to the side as Strick gets to his feet. Becky Mercy comes at Strick with a right hand, but he ducks under the shot and hooks her around the waist, picking her up and dropping her with a side suplex straight down to the steel stage. Raike steps over the mess, reaching down to help Sin back up to her feet, and then rams her head face first into the steel beam that helps to support the big screen above the stage. Tracy grabs at her skull, stumbling to the center of the stage near the top of the ramp. Plissken and Raike both nod, and charge the woman with a double clothesline attempt, but at the last minute Tracy tucks her head, and sends both men high into the air for a back body drop that has them slamming hard against the steel ramp. They begin to roll upon impact, and both men end up at the bottom of the ramp at ringside clutching at their spines. Tracy steps over to try and help get her own partner back on her feet, before both ladies begin to make their way down the ramp in pursuit.
The French Mime Assassins flail and fight like madmen, but eventually the two teams begin to land more punches. Comma Ca is forced into a corner by Ava and Sykes, and the duo proceed to light the Mime up with chops. Comme Ci is treated similarly, but instead of chops, Mikael and Wolfe grab the top rope for support, and lay the boots to him. With both Mime's severely punished, Mikael and Wolfe take Comme Ci by the wrist, and Ava and Sykes do the same to Comme Ca, and the two teams fire the Mimes across the ring at one another. They crash in the center of the ring and thunder down to the mat, both holding their heads and rolling to the edges of the ring to regroup. The two teams look on satisfied, but the peace doesn't last long as Adam Wolfe and Mikael rush Ava & Sykes' corner. Da Bomb Dot Com rushes out to meet the two men, but just as their about to collide, she rolls right between them to pop up to her feet behind them. They put on the brakes to turn and face her, giving Johnny Sykes just enough time to hop up to the second turnbuckle, and dive out with his legs spread eagle, catching both men in the back with a boot. Wolfe and Mikael are thrown forwards, and Ava skips into the air with a cross body, catching both men and taking them down to the mat. She remains on them for the cover.
1...
2...
Mikael and Wolfe both bench press Ava off of them with authority, sending her up into the air where Johnny Sykes rushes up and catches her in his arms. From there he tosses her up into the air, and steps back, allowing her to come back down onto Wolfe and Mikael for a body splash and one more cover.
1...
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PERCY: Mikael and Wolfe wisely sliding out from under Ava this time, and Sykes is on Mikael as he tries to make his feet, while Ava takes on Wolfe with right hands! Tag team excellence from Ava and Sykes!
CAT: Yeah, and we're about to see some more tag teaming, cause Mercy and Sin are about to tear Johnny Raike in half!
Johnny Raike is already trying to make his way back to his feet, when Tracy Sin catches him right in the side of the head with a big boot, leveling him back down to the concrete. Mercy lays in a few hard stomps down into Strick's midsection, then turns her attention to Johnny as well. Directing traffic, Becky screams at Sin to get Johnny to his feet. Tracy complies, hooking him under the arms, and lifting him up so that she can hold his arms behind his back. Becky Mercy walks up, a smirk on her face, as she reaches down to grab him by his feet. With Johnny stretched out between the two women, they carry him over to the nearest ring post, and begin to swing him back and forth to get momentum before finally letting him go to crash into the steel ribs first. Raike curls up into a fetal position, gasping for air and holding his possibly broken ribs, as the two destroyers turn back towards his partner with evil designs. Strick has crawled over to a guardrail, and barely makes it to his feet before the two women reach out to take hold of him. He says something over his shoulder to one of the fans at ringside, and then ducks beneath the two women's grasp to end up on the other side of them. The two women turn, and Strick looks down in surprise. Becky and Tracy, not sure what they are looking for, look down as well. Right about then, the fan from ringside tosses a chair up and over the two ladies, which lands perfectly into Strick's waiting hands. When Tracy and Becky look up, the shock doesn't even get to set in before Strick waffles them both in quick succession. Both ladies fall away stunned, but don't go down, giving Strick time to wind up and give each a much stiffer shot that dents in the chair. Both ladies lay wiped out at his feet as he tosses the chair back to the cheering fan.
Ava lays in some stiff shots to Wolfe, knocking him back into the ropes. She takes him by the wrist to toss him off the ropes, but he reverses it, but just when she's about to reach the ropes, the top rope is yanked down from the outside by The French Mime Assassins. Ava goes tumbling over the top rope to land awkwardly on the concrete floor, and The French Mime Assassins descend upon her with stomps and kicks like a street mugging. Wolfe gives the crowd a shrug before rushing in on Johnny Sykes, who had Mikael hemmed up in a corner. After a few clubbing blows to the back of Sykes' head, he pulls him out of the corner and hooks him around the waist, taking him over in a release German suplex. Johnny lands squarely on the back of his head and his shoulders, and his legs remained folded over top of him, as Wolfe helps Mikael out of the corner. The two men step over to Sykes, each grabbing one of his ankles, and then yank in opposing directions, making his groin look like a wishbone.
On the outside, the French Mime Assassins pick up Ava, both taking a wrist, and send her hurtling into the steel guard rail. The woman falls back into a sitting position after impact, holding her injured back in pain. The Assassins then turn back to the ring, hopping up on the ring apron, and slipping inside on an unaware Mikael and Wolfe.
PERCY: Looks like The Mime's are looking to assassinate Mikael and Wolfe without them even knowing it!
CAT: You've been waiting all night to use a pun like that haven't you?
PERCY: You take them where you can get them, Cat. It looks like Raike is back on his feet on the outside, and he and Strick are conferring about something. Strick pointed up into the ring, and he points at himself, and then to Mercy and Sin, who are struggling to get to their feet as well.
Mikael & Wolfe jerk Johnny Sykes up off the mat, and double hook him around the head, before lifting him up and back down with a double suplex. Sykes scrunches across the canvas, his back obviously aching, as Mikael and Wolfe get back to their feet in satisfaction. They don't get to feel that way for long before they are blind sided by the French Mime Assassins, who hook both men from behind, and take them over into bridging German suplexes in stereo. A-Ref slides in for the pin.
1...
2...
PERCY: THRE-RAIKE WITH A SPRINGBOARD DOUBLE ELBOW DROP FROM THE OUTSIDE TO BREAK THE COUNT! Raike is back up now and already on the move towards the ropes as the Assassins get back to their feet, Raike on his way back now, and he double foot stomps onto Mikael, and then bounces off with a DOUBLE LARIAT TO THE ASSASSINS THAT TAKES THEM DOWN!
CAT: Johnny Raike took a pretty hard shot on the outside, but he's tough as nails, and still wowing this capacity crowd.
Raike gets to his feet quickly, and is cut off with a boot to the midsection by Wolfe, who somehow was able to avoid the Thigh High Thriller's one man show. He hooks Raike around the head, cinches up, and then drops straight back, spiking his head off the canvas with a DDT.
Meanwhile, Strick heads back over to Mercy and Sin, delivering a hard right hand to Sin, and then swinging back around with the same fist to bring his knuckles across Mercy's face. Both ladies stumble in opposite directions, as Strick grabs Tracy by the wrist to keep her from going to far, and moves to whip her into the ring post. She rushes in, but manages to throw her boot up to stop herself from crashing into the steel. Strick see's this, and charges in at her from behind, but she throws an elbow out catching him in the face. He stumbles backwards a pace, giving Sin enough time to turn around, wrap her large arms around him, and then take him all the way down to the concrete with a belly to belly suplex. All of Tracy's weight lands on top of Strick, and he's left crushed and in agony when she rises up off of him. Becky Mercy joins Tracy, a look of pure malice on her face as she starts directing traffic again, this time yelling at Tracy to get Strick up on her shoulders. Sin obliges, lifting Strick in an amazing feat of strength with Strick laid across her shoulders like a torture wrack. Becky leads her over to the ramp once more, and she starts motioning for Sin to fall straight back to crush the man even further. Before anyone can do anything, the fans come to their feet as Ava comes running along the steel guard rail, and uses her momentum to propel her into a shooting star press that wipes out all three competitors. Unfortunately for stick, Tracy still lands mostly on top of him.
CROWD: HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!
PERCY: SHOOTING AVA PRESS FROM THE GUARDRAIL! OH MY GOD!
CAT: That little bitch is crazy!
In the ring, Wolfe pulls Raike up to his feet and sends him the short distance to the corner. He lifts Johnny up to sit on the top turnbuckle, but as soon as he starts to climb up with him he's met with headbutts from Raike. Wolfe is finally forced from the second rope all together, and Johnny Raike kicks the man square in the face, sending him stumbling back into the ring. Johnny takes that moment to step all the way up to the top, and when he stands at his full height, he prepares to leap on 'The Master of Puppets'. At the last second, something catches the corner of his eye, and he looks out at the ramp where Mercy & Sin are getting to their feet, both women having a fistful of Ava, but most importantly, his partner's hair. Without a second thought, Johnny rockets himself from the top rope into the air with a cross body that catches all four, partner included, completely unaware, and wipes them out once more.
CROWD: HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!
PERCY: Good lord! We got five inside, and five outside!
CAT: Not for long, look!
Wolfe shakes the cobwebs after that kick from Johnny, and then looks outside the ring where the five superstars are trying to make it back to their feet. With a determined expression, Adam takes to the same turnbuckle that Raike leaped from, and makes it up to the top. Standing there on the edge of oblivion, he looks out at the crowd with a nod of approval.
CROWD: DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!
He holds up a finger for silence, and reaches into his boot to pull out one of his many famed puppets. This one in particular looks like Johnny Raike. The fans laugh and cheer, as Wolfe slips the puppet onto his hand, and then scratches his crotch. He pulls his hand away from his genitals, startled, and wags a finger at Puppet Johnny going 'Tsk, Tsk, Tsk'. After all of this is over, and he can see that all five are now on their feet again, he throws caution to the wind, and leaps from the top with a somersault, plowing back first into just about everyone. The five fly backwards like a bomb going off, and Wolfe writhes around on the ramp in pain.
CROWD: HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!
PERCY: OH MY GOD! There's not going to be anyone left after this!
CAT: Those high risking bastards.
The French Mime Assassins are back on their feet, and they are now standing near the edge of the ring, looking down at their opponents miming arrogantly. Johnny Sykes is up behind them on the other side of the ring, hanging onto the top rope for support. He surveys the scene, and nods his head in affirmation, before rushing towards the Assassins. The two Mimes here him coming, and turn around just in time to see him hop over Mikael, who's still clutching his midsection after the double stomp, and they lower their heads for a back body. This doesn't stop Johnny in the slightest, as he reaches the Mimes just in time for them to catapult him into the air, where he uses the extra height to perform a breathtaking corkscrew splancha back down onto the other six, wiping them all out one more time.
CROWD: Holy Shit! Holy Shit! Holy Shit!
PERCY: Folks...if you were sitting here live, watching all of this unfold right now, you would understand the need for that kind of language.
CAT: Johnny Sykes just fucking flew, for real.
The Mimes look around the ring in mock confusion, and then begin to point to one another, and then make motions with their hands about jumping over the top rope. Comme Ci nods 'yes', while Comme Ca shakes his head 'no', until Comme Ci changes tactics and starts shaking his head 'no', causing Comme Ca to nod 'yes'. Comme Ca, realizing what just happened, kicks the bottom rope, but then looks back at his partner and shrugs, and the two Mimes rush the opposite side of the ring in unison to get some spring. They rush back for the other side, and just then Mikael pops up to his feet, taking both of the Assassins heads off with a double lariat.
PERCY: DOUBLE HELL'S GATE! And everyone else is laid out at ringside!
CAT: That clever little devil!
Mikael stalks around the ring with a condescending smile on his face, wiping his hands as if that had been the plan all along. Comme Ca tries to make it to his feet, but Mikael catches him with a deep knee lift to the midsection, and while he's bent over, hooks him around the head and runs him face first into the mat with a bulldog. Comme Ci struggles to maintain his feet as Mikael gets back to his, and stalks over, grabbing the Mime by the seat of his pants, and tossing him unceremoniously through the ropes to the concrete floor out in front of the commentators table. He turns his attention back to Comme Ci, and patiently waits for the man to slowly get halfway to his feet. Before he's fully there, Mikael steps up, placing his head between his legs, and lifts him up into a powerbomb position. He takes a few steps back, holding Comme Ci with perfect poise and strength, before taking off into a sprint, and throwing the man out as he sits down, driving him into the mat. He maintains his seated position, and Comme Ci's legs for the cover.
PERCY: SUPREMACY! MIKAEL AND WOLFE ARE GOING TO STEAL THIS THING!
1...
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THRE-A Steel Chair comes flying into the ring, crashing down onto the side of Mikael's head, and saves the match. Mikael holds his ear as he looks back to see Mercy and Sin climbing into the ring, both armed with a set of chairs. He makes a scramble to grab for the one that hit him, but the two women fall upon him unmercifully, the vicious clang of steel against flesh ringing through out the Pure Arena. Once the chairs are beyond recognition, the two women toss them from the ring, and Becky smirks down at Mikael before stepping back and demanding Tracy do her worst. Tracy reaches down, and hooks him around the legs, beginning to spin in the center of the ring. Becky gives her a few revolutions before stepping in and beginning to skip. She sings a litany for the crowd as she does so.
ONE-TWO, BLOOD FOR YOU! THREE-FOUR, SETTLE A SCORE! FIVE-SIX, CROSS THE RIVER STYX! SEVEN-EIGHT, FEED THA' HATE! NINE-TEN, BECK KILLS AGAIN!!!!
With the last bellowed out, Becky Mercy drives her boots down into Mikael's abdomen as Sin lets him go, crushing the man down into the mat with a tremendous thud.
PERCY: SWINGING DEATH ROPE! I think we have champions right here!
Becky makes a gun with her finger, shoots it down at Mikael, and then looks back out at the crowd before blowing it out. She falls down onto him for the cover, while Tracy turns to stand guard. As soon as Sin is in place, she's surprised by Strick Plissken barreling right for her. The woman doesn't get a chance to do much but try and brace for impact, as he lowers his shoulder and nails her with a huge spear that takes her right off of her feet to crash upon her own partner and Mikael.
CAT: PUSCIFIER! Jesus! Poor Mikael just got buried under three bodies, one of which weights over 250 pounds!
PERCY: Man, how the hell is anyone supposed to score a victory when there's so much opposition everywhere you turn?
Strick gets to his feet and flips both women off as he does so before dragging Tracy Sin halfway up to her feet just so he can eject her from the ring. When he turns back around he has two people he could cover, but then he looks back up the ramp at his motorcycle, still laying on it's side, and he shakes his head with violent intentions. He steps back into one of the corners, and lowers himself, just waiting for Becky Mercy to finally get back to her feet. The woman struggles to find her footing as she crawls to the ropes to help herself up. She slowly turns around, completely unaware, when Strick tears out of the corner. Strick, however, with his focus on Becky Mercy, didn't see or hear The French Mime Assassins sneaking along the ring apron on the outside. So when the man springs to life, both Mimes reach out and grab either ankle, resulting in Strick crashing down face first into the mat. The Mimes are back in the ring as quick as a hiccup, one tears off towards Mercy, who still hasn't fully recovered from what had just happened to her. Comme Ci catches her with a clothesline that sends her right up and over the top rope to the concrete below, and he watches as Mikael works his way up on the other side, and rushes in on him to do the same. With no one left in the ring but Strick, they yank the man to his feet and pull him to the center of the ring where Comme Ci steps in front, while Comme Ca steps behind him. Comme Ci boots Strick in the midsection, and spins, hooking him around the head and placing his jaw on his shoulder before abruptly sitting down. Strick snaps back from the stunner, and Comme Ca hooks him around the head, and drops him with a vicious neck breaker.
PERCY: MIME-O-VISION!!
CAT: OH GOD! THE BLACK AND WHITE CLOWNS ARE GOING TO WIN!!
Both Mimes lay across Strick for the cover.
1...
2...
PERCY: THRE-SPRING BOARD FROG SPLASH FROM AVA SAVES THE MATCH! And Look! She's lining up the Mimes beside Strick, and laying across their feet.....Johnny Sykes is on the top turnbuckle.......FROG SPLASH ACROSS ALL THREE BODIES!!
CAT: I have to admit...that's a hell of a way to get back into this match.
Johnny gets to his feet with one hand wrapped around his rib cage, and the other pumped over his head while the fans cheer him on. Ava snaps her fingers to get his attention, and points down to the three bodies at her feet. He nods, and both of them drop down to attempt to cover all three.
1...
2...
From the outside, Johnny Raike and Adam Wolfe both slide under the bottom rope and fast crawls to the center of the ring to interrupt the count by shoving Ava and Sykes off the downed trio. All four get to their feet at the same time, and Sykes goes for Wolfe, while Raike goes for Ava. Sykes manages to lower his shoulder into Wolfe's midsection and shoves him into the corner, while Raike lays into Ava with sharp kicks to her thigh, midsection, and chest that throw her off balance. Strick, still aching from his recent misfortunes, manages to roll towards a corner not being occupied to catch his breath. Raike takes a stunned Ava by the arm, enters into a dragon twist, and then brings the sole of his boot to connect right under her chin sending her to the mat. Still retaining the hold on her arm, he spins the arm around his calf, rolls forward spinning Ava over onto her back, and then falls forwards into a luchador version of a small package.
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Sykes spirals in with a boot to the back of Raikes head, immediately lifting the man to his feet to throw him off the ropes. Johnny comes sailing back, and 'The Original Pranksta' runs to meet him, leaving his feet for a beautiful drop kick that catches Raike right in the face. Raike hits the mat, and as Sykes comes to his feet, he's caught with a running knee out of nowhere by Adam Wolfe, recovered from their brief fight in the corner. Ava rises off to the side of him, and he aptly spins around her, catching her by the nape of the neck and leads her right up and over the top rope to the concrete floor below. Sykes pulls himself up by use of the ropes on the opposite side, and comes charging at Wolfe, but he's caught off guard when Johnny Raike performs a kip up, and super kicks him right in the mush. Sykes hits the canvas, and rolls to the outside clutching his face. Adam Wolfe and Johnny Raike stare across the ring at one another, and with a nod, both men thunder towards one another, lifting their boots and snapping each other down to the canvas with matching Yakuza kicks. Once again, everyone is wiped out of the match.
PERCY: Good Lord! This has been the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen!
CAT: It's pure chaos, and we here at PAW love it!
PERCY: Sure, sure, but someone has to win, Cat. No one can score a pinfall because of the amount of bodies in this match. How in the world is it going to end?
CAT: I don't know, but Mercy and Sin are back on the ring apron, and entering the ring, and it doesn't look good for Johnny Raike and Adam Wolfe.
Mercy and Sin, looking worse for wear, bluster around the ring. Becky Mercy screams at Tracy Sin, pumping the larger lady up, until finally she stops and points down at Adam Wolfe. Sin reaches down and jerks the man to his feet, clasps him around the throat, and then hoists him high over her head in a gorilla press. Becky skips around the ring in a circle, nodding to the fans who begin to boo them, before stopping to lean against one of the corners to watch. Tracy, whose had Adam up for a few minutes, takes off in a sprint towards the edge of the ring, stopping short, but letting Wolfe go, and sending him soaring through the air. Fans in the first and second row begin to scramble, as Wolfe comes crashing down with a crunch, taking out a few of the people inadvertently. Becky applauds Tracy's effort, and then points down at Raike so that he can get some of the special treatment.
PERCY: Well, it looks like Raike's days are numbered, and he still has a Titans match later on tonight! Mercy & Sin might very well be gaining Tag Titles, and handing the Titans title to Nova!
CAT: Man, this doesn't look good. Tracy has Raike up over her head just like she did to Adam Wolfe, takes off in a sprint..WAIT! RAIKE WRIGGLED FREE!
PERCY: Raike lands behind Sin, and the woman is trying to put on the brakes. She spins around to face him, boot to the midsection, DDT to Sin straight down into his knee. Sin snaps back up, and she's on wobbly legs....FRONT DROP KICK FROM JOHNNY SENDS HER UP AND OVER THE ROPES TO THE OUTSIDE!
CAT: Becky Mercy running to try and nail him from behind...PUSCIFIER FROM OUT OF NOWHERE!!
PERCY: He's been looking to hit that particular move on that particular opponent all night, and now he's got it!
Raike quickly takes to the ring apron, and begins climbing to the top, while Strick pulls Mercy up to her feet and places her head between his legs. He hoists her up into powerbomb position, but before Raike can leap to complete the 'Get The Fuck Outta Here', Mikael appears on the ring apron and snatches Johnny's foot out from under him. Raike crotches himself across the top turnbuckle, mouth open in pain and shock. Meanwhile, Becky Mercy, still held up on Strick's shoulders see's all of this, and in a desperate attempt to keep from being wrecked by Plissken, she throws herself backwards into a hurricanrana that spikes Plissken's head off the mat. She initially decides to stay on him for a pin, but upon seeing Mikael entering the ring to come for her, she decides instead to hop up and launch herself at the man. The two brawl into the ropes, unaware that there is a third person coming into the ring to join them.
PERCY: Adam Wolfe is back in the ring!
CAT: That don't look like Wolfe to me.....see that twisted up face......THAT'S GENOCIDE!
Genocide rushes at Becky Mercy throwing vicious forearms directly into the back of the woman's skull. Mikael and Genocide then take her and ram her head first into the turnbuckle where Johnny Raike still sits, injuring her head, and his...ahem. Genocide starts directing traffic, getting Mikael to hold the woman in place as he moves to the other side of the ring. With Mikael twisting her arms behind her back, Becky Mercy watches as Genocide comes rushing across the ring like a train off it's rails. He lowers his shoulder on his way, looking for The Howler, which he connects, but not with Becky Mercy. At the very last minute she manages to stomp on Mikael's foot, causing him to loose his hold on her, and she dives out of the way. When Genocide connects with his partner, both crash right through the middle and top rope to the concrete floor with a sickening thud. Becky Mercy hops up holding the back of her head, and she flips the two men off from the edge of the ring.
PERCY: There's some sign language from Becky Mercy, but what she doesn't realize is that the French Mime Assassins have slipped back into the ring....THEY JUST GRABBED HER BY THE SEAT OF THE PANTS AND DUMPED HER OVER THE TOP AS WELL!
CAT: Oh God.....tell me this isn't happening!
The French Mime Assassins turn to the center of the ring in unison, where Strick is getting up to his feet with a curse, wiping a way a trickle of blood from his forehead. The Assassins look to one another, then back at Strick. The two shrug in stereo, run in on the unaware man, drop down, hook him through the legs, and then pull him down into a dual roll up pin with a handful of tights. A-Ref drops for the pin.
1...
2...
3!!!
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: Ladies and Gentlemen, the winners of this contest, and your NEW PAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS.....THE FRENCH MIME ASSASSINS!!!
PERCY: CAT! THE MIMES DID IT!
CAT: Shoot me. Shoot me now.
The Mimes get to their feet with their hands raised in the air, leaving Strick laying there on the mat with his fingers thrust into his hairline in disbelief. The Mimes begin miming to the crowd who, at this point, don't know whether to boo or cheer the two. A-Ref steps up to them with a championship belt in each hand, and hands them over with a nod. The Mimes look out at the crowd, and then throw the championships above their head with nods, and this time the fans give them a standing ovation. The Mimes pause to look at one another, and they shake hands with more nods, as if they had known this would happen all along. Becky Mercy and Tracy Sin start into the ring, and The Mimes take that as good a time as any to make their exit, quickly slipping through the ropes, and continuing their celebration up the ramp. The teams left at ringside shake their head in bitter disappointment, while the Mimes reach the stage, still miming and showing off their new gold.
PERCY: Strick just rolled under the bottom rope, and jumped the guard rail. This capacity crowd is patting him on the back, but he looks to be having none of it. He's hot about this loss.
CAT: CAN YOU BLAME HIM PERCY! MIMES!
PERCY: Jeez, Cat, calm down. The French Mime Assassins did the impossible here tonight, and proved exactly why they belong in PAW. Although I'd like to say, that every team in this match did an incredible job. I've got a feeling that no one is going to let that gold out of their sights for long.
CAT: Whatever! Please, any of you, go get those belts. Black and White clowns can not be our champions.
Percy starts to correct his colleague, but realizes that there isn't any point. He simply shakes his head, as the scene fades to backstage.
PERCY: Looks like there is some fireworks in the locker room between Strick and his manager Tony Chu.
CAT: Ex-Manager, Strick fired him, remember?
PERCY: Yeah, well speaking of fireworks, we're about to have some right here tonight. The Shadow has been messing with Jack Nomad for a long time now, and finally The Hardcore One gets his hands on the man beneath the hood.
CAT: Nothing gets me more excited than a little cosplay and violence, Percy.
PERCY: Righhhhtttttt.....
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: The following contest is scheduled for one fall or submission, and is a No Disqualification Match! There are no count outs, no breaks, and no rules!
The lights around the steel girdered Entrance Arch dim. Amber and red emergency lights start spin to cast a diffused orange glow a short distance through the fog. The familiar sound of Edsel Dope's voice screams over the PA System.
"Violence" by Dope continues to play. The fog is parted by the forward motion of a tattooed Jack Nomad suddenly bursting forth with a long legged stride.
His attire consists of a hooded, patchwork leather vest decorated with the word "HARDCORE" on his shoulders, black leather tights done in similar fashion to his vest, maroon boots with silver knee and kick pads, and tape on his fists. In his hand is a barbwire wrapped silver mop handle sporting black electrical tape at both ends.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: MAKING HIS WAY TO THE RING! HE STANDS AT SIX FOOT TWO AND WEIGHS IN AT 241 lbs. HAILING FROM JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY....
Arriving at ringside, he climbs onto the ring apron and walks to the very center of that apron. Turning to face the fans, Jack throws his arms out at his sides. His face is a burning, intense scowl as he surveys the crowd. He then turns and enters the ring.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: HARDCORE... JACK NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAADDDDDD!!!
He throws his hood back to reveal a mask with an open top, it's style not unlike that of Batman's Bane, black and white with large red mesh eye holes. Long stringy black hair hangs in his face as he lowers his head forward to glare at the camera from beneath the ridge of his brow. Jack then throws his arms out at his sides, fists clenched tightly with the mop handle held firmly in hand and spins around to scowl at the audience. He removes his vest and tosses it over to his corner where a ring attendant takes it.
PERCY: Jack certainly looks like he's ready to mop the floor with the Shadow, but what's with the Bane mask?
CAT: Bane Mask? I thought it was that ugly harness thing he wore in the Batman movies.
PERCY: Yes, in the comic books, Bane was originally a juiced up Giant mexican Luchadore.
CAT: ...and this is why I don't read comic books.
Brooding dark music hit's the house PA system, the sound of beautiful violins, cellos, and heavy bass thuds assaulting the ears. Jack paces back and forth like a caged animal, awaiting his opponent. A graveled, deep voice is heard speaking out, but Jack doesn't take his eyes off the entrance arch, simply waiting for his foe to arrive.
VOICE: What darkness lurks in the hearts of mortal men? Jack Nomad, you professed this heart of Darkness and yet you claim to not be the villain of this story. Your actions say otherwise...
The lights darken further still, a single spotlight shining down on Jack.
VOICE: ...Jack Nomad, you are guilty for a life of Sin and Violence and the punishment...starts...now...
The spotlight shuts off and seconds later the arena lights come back on with Jack being brutally hammered across his back and his head as he's assaulted by an Escrema stick wielding masked Shadow! A-Ref motions for the bell!
*DING!!!*
PERCY: Nomad driven into the ropes by the violent opening assault by The Shadow!!
CAT: It's a classic trick, lights out, lights on, let the beatings commence!
PERCY: Nomad rolling out of the ring to put some distance between himself and The Shadow, but it isn't much of a reprieve!!
Jack stumbles around a bit and turns right into a suicide diving Shadow and is driven straight to the floor!
PERCY: Suicide dive but both men are back on their feet, Jack somehow keeping a firm grip on that mop handle of his! Jack blocks one of the Escrema sticks with the mop handle and he's caught the Shadow's wrist! Boot to the gut and vicious headbutt by Jack sends Shadow staggering. Jack with the swing and...
*POOF!!!*
CAT: A Smoke Bomb?!
PERCY: The Entire ringside area is filled with smoke! We can't see anything!
The smoke would clear within seconds, allowing us to find the Shadow grimly hanging Jack by his throat with a bit of grappling line from top of a turnpost, Jack kicking his legs as he struggles violently. The line starts to dig into his throat, threatening to sever arteries and crush his windpipe!
PERCY: HOLY GOD ALMIGHTY! JACK NOMAD IS BEING HANGED FROM THE TOP OF THE TURNPOST BY THE SHADOW!!!
CAT: That's one way to get the job done!
After several seconds of his face starting to turn a shade of Purple, Jack would find purchase with one of his feet on the apron. He'd then push up, slamming the back of his head right into the nose of the Shadow, sending his foe into a fall with a tumble and roll onto the canvas. Jack falls to the arena floor, clutching at his throat and letting out coarse, croaked coughs in between gasps for air.
PERCY: Nomad frees himself from being hung to death in front of the Purity crowd and I'm starting to wonder who truly is the worst of the worst here.
CAT: We're still in the opening acts of the match. I can hardly wait to see how it escalates!
Jack gets to his feet and looks into the ring, seeing the Shadow not there...
PERCY: The Shadow is sneaking around the other side of the ring and... that looks like a tazer in his hands!
CAT: All's fair in hate and war, Percy.
PERCY: I guess you're right. Jack rounds the corner AND SHADOW WITH THE TAZER! NOMAD BLOCKS!
Jack manages to catch Shadow before he could be tazed, the two struggling for several seconds until finally Jack manages to kick The Shadow straight in the groin!
PERCY: Low blow and Nomad has the Tazer AND HE SHOVES IT RIGHT INTO SHADOW'S THROAT!!!
The Shadow's body immediately locks up, his teeth grit with tension as he falls to the floor. Jack then cruelly starts to jab him over and over with the Tazer, trying to deplete the battery's charge and completely immobilize his foe!
CAT: He's just zapping him over and over, multiplying the effects of that weapon!
PERCY: Jack Nomad is a cruel, sadistic son of a bitch and when you give him a weapon, he uses it to it's fullest effect!
He quickly tired of playing with Shadow, tossing the spent Tazer down. Gathering the Shadow up, Jack hurls his immobilized foe into the ring.
PERCY: The action returning to the ring and Jack has that infamous mop handle of his...
Jack rolls back into the ring and to his feet. With a twirl of the barbwire wrapped mop handle, Jack brings the weapon crashing down on the Shadow's back! The man doesn't even trash, only screaming in pain through a slacked mouth.
*FWACHACK!!!*
SHADOW: UUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!!
With a sadistic smile, Jack proceeds to repeat the process over and over and over and over!
*FWACHACK!!!*FWACHACK!!!*FWACHACK!!!*FWACHACK!!!*FWACHACK!!!*FWACHACK!!!*FWACHACK!!!*
SHADOW: UUUUURRRRRUUUUGGGHHHUUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHHUUUUUNNNN!!!!
PERCY: Nomad now committing felony assault with a big stick on The Shadow, just beating the holy hell out of him!
CAT: Now this is what everyone came to see!
PERCY: No it isn't! Everyone wants to see The Shadow get justice for us all!
CAT: What did Jack ever do to anyone before the Shadow came along? As far as I can tell, he's a guy with an attitude problem.
PERCY: Let's see, he attacked Tapioca Joe, brutalized three competitors in his debut match, and it's been said that he has killed a competitor in the ring once, Cat.
CAT: That was years ago and accidents can and do happen!
*FFFFWWWAAAAACCCCRRRRAAAACCCCKKKKKTTT!!!*
With a final blow, the Mop handle broke, but Jack didn't stop there, gathering the broken ends of the weapon, he stretched out a length of barbwire that still connected it and promptly wrapped it around the Shadow's throat, violently yanking him back while pressing his knee against his spine!
PERCY: NOMAD GAROTTING THE SHADOW WITH BARBWIRE!!!
CAT: I think he's actually digging into the skin too! There's a little blood running down his neck.
PERCY: The Shadow is starting to regain some of his mobility and is trying to fight against Nomad!
The Shadow gets one arm up, trying to claw at Jack's masked face. All he manages to do is tug at the Bane Mask he wears which is about is effective as petting a kitten's back. Further looping the barbwire around Shadow's neck, Jack then proceeds to hammer his foe's face over and over into the canvas!
PERCY: The Savage brutality of Jack Nomad on full display here folks. Jack's now rising up, pulling the Shadow to his feet and locking on a Full Nelson intertwined with that Barbwire Garrot... What's he doing?
Suddenly Jack back bridges with a Dragon Suplex, the wrapped barbwire now deeply embedded in The Shadow's throat as he's held for a pinfall!
PERCY: DRAGON SUPLEX PIN and A-Ref with the count!
1!!
2!!!
TTHHHRR-KICKOUT!
CAT: How could he kick out from that? Shouldn't he still be feeling the effects of the tazer?
PERCY: Hard to say, but Jack's pulling him up by the barbwire around his throat, Shadow's reaching into his utility belt... PEPPER SPRAY RIGHT IN NOMAD'S EYES!!!
JACK: FFFFFUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK!!!!
Jack staggers back with a roar of pain, clutching at his burning eyes, coughing and wretching horribly. Shadow falls to the canvas and rolls out of the ring, fighting for air as he pries the barbwire from his throat.
JACK: YOU FUCKING MOTHERFUCKER!!! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!
Nomad swung fists and kicked blindly at nothing but air, showing that the mask did little to lessen the effects of the potent spray.
CAT: Wow that's almost like the kind I carry.
PERCY: Of course you carry Pepper Spray.
CAT: Military grade. Best perfume to use on would-be rapists.
PERCY: Naturally. The Shadow now pulling a chair and a table out from under the ring.
CAT: He doesn't take long to set it up either.
PERCY: Not at all and now he's in the ring with that chair, sizing up the still blinded Jack Nomad...
Shadow takes a couple steps forwards Jack, who is still swinging blindly and swings for the fences with that steel chair...
*WWWWWHHHHAAAAACCCCCCKKKKKTTT!!*
Jack spins with the blow and drops to one knee, but fights to get back up only to be dropped by a second and much harder chair shot than the first!
*FFFFFWWWWHHHHHAAAAAAAACCCCCKKKKKKKTTTTTT!!*
CAT: NICE! He almost split the sound barrier with that chair shot!
PERCY: Nomad looks to be out of it, but The Shadow doesn't go for the pin and is dragging Jack towards a corner.
The Corner was perpendicular to where The Shadow had set the table up, perfectly positioned for a big move off the top rope. Pulling Jack into a front facelock, The Shadow climbs onto the turnpost, easing a struggling Nomad up one rope at a time until they were both standing on the very top. Just as he starts to lift Jack, he finds himself peppered in the ribs by a few shots...
PERCY: Jack fighting to keep from being Superplexed into that table now and a Knee to the gut finally stops The Shadow in his tracks!
...The Shadow falls to a seat on the top turnbuckle, Jack surprisingly keeping him from falling off. He then straddles the Shadow's head in a standing headscissor and whips him up onto his shoulders!
CAT: Here it comes!
Jack then leaps off the turnpost, driving The Shadow through the table with a seated powerbomb, the table crackling with protest as it shatters under the combined weight of both men crashing through it!
*CCCRRAAAKKKKUUUNNNCCCCHHHTT!*
PERCY: OH MY GOD!!! JACK NOMAD JUST BROKE HIM IN HALF WITH THAT POWERBOMB OFF THE TOP!!!
CAT: And Jackie boy isn't done yet!
PERCY: Jack is already on his feet and even with limited vision, he now has his quarry in hand, dragging The Shadow by his mask back into the ring!
Jack slides in after him and starts to violently stomp on The Shadow's lower back over and over. He drives his heel right into the joints in as damaging a method as he possibly can!
PERCY: Nomad now targeting the Shadow's spine!
CAT: Forget pinfalls, forget submissions, Jack wants to make an example out of The Shadow tonight!
He then rolls the Shadow over and begins driving cutting Elbow shots into his face, over and over, effectively splitting the man open in in seconds
PERCY: Jack Nomad drawing more blood out of the Shadow with slicing elbows!
CAT: They may be illegal in MMA, but here, they are quite legal!
He switches up, grabbing the Shadow by either side of his head and violently slamming it against the canvas over and over. Jack's fury was on full display as he did not relent of hold back in the slightest.
PERCY: Jack is just unleashing his rage!
CAT: He has the Shadow right where he wants him!
PERCY: Nomad now hooking his neck... Both men up... Bridging Back Breaker! Jack is definitely targeting the lower back.
CAT: And he's not done there!
Jack rushes to the nearest rope, hops onto the second and spring boards off, driving his knee right into that same spot with a rolling knee drop!
PERCY: Devastating knee drop by Nomad on the spine of The Shadow who looks to be in pure agony right now!
CAT: Jackie boy reaches into his vest and he's pulling out a length of chain!
PERCY: It's even got a bit of weights on both ends... I think that's a Manriki Gusari!
CAT: Say what?
PERCY: A deady ninja weapon...
Jack circles The Shadow as he starts crawling towards the ropes, trying to get away. With a loud *THWAPT!* the weighted end of the chain strikes his back, The Shadow thrashing and howling with pain. Jack's face hard to read under that Bane mask, but the impression of his lips indicated a wicked grin.
JACK: COME ON HERO! GET THE FUCK UP!!!
*THWAPT!*
SHADOW: AAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!
JACK: WHO'S GONNA' SAVE THE SAVIOR?!!!
*THWAPT!*
SHADOW: GGGGGAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!
*THWAPT! THWAPT! THWAPT! THWAPT!*
PERCY: Nomad is just torturing The Shadow, toying with the man who clearly is no longer in any condition to fight!
CAT: And now he's wrapping that chain around his throat just like he did with that barbwire!
PERCY: He's got The Shadow on his feet and is setting him up...
With The Shadow's chin on his shoulder, Jack then spins to his left, using the chain to add torque and pressure to his already devastating finisher....
PERCY: CHAIN ASSISTED SPINE JACKER!! This match is over!!!!
Jack falls upon The Shadow's prone body and hooks the leg....
1!!!
2!!!
THR-YANKED UP!!
PERCY: Jack yanked Shadow's head off the canvas, what is he about to do?!
Using the chain which is still wrapped around what could be a broken neck, considering how freely the Shadow's head rolled about, Jack pulls his prey up as he rises to a stand. He then bends sideways and presses his shoulders against The Shadow's back while gripping him by the arm and one leg. Jack then heaves him up onto his shoulders, gritting his teeth with effort.
PERCY: Oh no no no... He isn't...
He then presses the Shadow over his head before dropping to one knee and slamming him down as hard as he physically could, a soft snap felt and heard only by him as Jack folded backwards over his knee at a painful angle. Jack then shoved him off and rose to his feet.
PERCY: HE BROKE THE SHADOW'S BACK JUST LIKE BANE DID TO BATMAN!!! SOMEBODY CALL THE PARAMEDICS!
CAT: That's... wow... Jack's stronger than I thought!
PERCY: And now Nomad pressing a boot to The Shadow's chest with a lazy Pin!
1!!!
2!!!!
3!!!
A-Ref motions for the bell as the Ring Announcer quickly slips into the ring. Jack rips the Bane Mask from his face, showing puffiness and irritation around his eyes from the pepper spray, but never the less, the smile of satisfaction on his face spoke volumes. Jack's arms raise out at either side of him, fists clenched tightly...
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH BY PINFALL... "HARDCORE" JACK NNNNNNOOOOOOMMMMMMMAAAAAAAUUUCCCKKK!!!!
His theme would play briefly, only to end as Jack quickly approaches the announcer and rips the microphone from her hand. He then steps over to The Shadow and crouches over his seemingly lifeless body.
JACK: Remember this moment... Remember it for all eternity, Shadow. Right does not equal might, motherfucker. Just being 'righteous' does not give you the gift of divine power to smite your enemies and dole out justice. All your gadgets, all your confidence and training, and what did it get you? A body so broken that you'll never be able to fight again. You'll be lucky if you can even get your dick up to fuck whatever thing is waiting for you back home. I told you... didn't I? I fucking told you what would happen and yet you didn't listen....
He rises from the Shadow's body and stood tall in the middle of the ring. His gaze fixates on the hot camera at ringside.
JACK: ...I didn't start this little war. I finished it. I want each and every one of you to remember that. If you fuck with me, I fuck you back ten fold. Let this shit stain I leave smeared on the canvas be a reminder to what happens when you come after Jack Nomad. There will be no mercy, only a violent and painful end to your fucking career and/or way of life. In this case, it may have just been both...
Jack tosses the microphone down, drops, and rolls out of the ring with the Manriki Gusari chain in his hand. He steps over the barricade and shoves his way through the crowd as he heads for one of the side exits. Surprisingly there were a few fans that actually were appreciative of him. He ignored them, however, unsure of how to take the small bit of cheer and affection and disappeared through a door to the back.
CAT: Damn right, Percy, and I've SO been looking forward to it. Lookie, Rhonda's already in the ring. This show has been like rapid fire with the action, and I'm like a bitch at McDonald's, I'm loving it!
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: The following contest is the Five Way Tag Team Turmoil Match, and is for the PAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS! All five teams will be in the ring at the same time, and the first person to score a pinfall or submission will be deemed the winner.
"La Marseillaise" begins, and the Mimes come down side by side looking ready for a fight. They pause occasionally to fake mime a high five to a fan, possibly a handshake that's promptly pulled away from some unsuspecting fool, maybe even a wave that turns into one of the mimes miming the hint to kiss his posterior.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: Introducing first, weighting in at a combined weight of 240 pounds, and hailing from Paris, France, they are THE FRENCH MIME ASSASSINS!
The Assassins reach ringside, and once on the ring apron they bluster their way into the ring and make extravagant, arrogant gestures to the fans.
PERCY: Well, The French Mime Assassins are in their usual spirits. They look ready for whatever comes.
CAT: Yeah, these guys may be weird, but they have been on a tear as of late in the Win column.
The 'Party Boy' theme from Jackass hits over the PA Systems, and the fans immediately being to cheer as Johnny Sykes rushes out onto the stage, running in place and pointing out at the crowd. He is soon joined by Ava, who nods her approval at the capacity crowds adoration, and the two exchange high fives before heading down the ramp to slap hands with the fans.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: Introducing at this time, weighting in at a combined weight of 316 pounds, they are 'Da Bomb Dot Com' and 'The Orignal Pranksta'.....AVA & JOHNNY SYKES!
Upon reaching ringside, Ava & Sykes split off in opposite directions, still interacting with the fans before finally turning and hopping up onto the ring apron on either side of the ring. Both leap over the top rope to land in the ring, and then take a turnbuckle to throw their hands up to get another rousing ovation.
PERCY: Ava and Johnny Sykes got a count out victory over The BombTrax thanks to The Power Trio's interference, but got the ultimate seal of approval when Youth and Press told them to take home the gold after it was all said and done.
CAT: Maybe so, but they'll have their hands full with some of the tough teams in this match.
The lights are shut off. "Sign of an open eye" by Gorgoroth blasts through the PA system, in the meanwhile, the big screen shows the Norway flag which waves slowly; next, a black-and-white video/compilation of Norway's beautiful forests, waterfalls, animals and some ancient Nord buildings. Finally, the tron shows Mikael in his room, sitting in his red luxury chair - thousands of books surrounding him. The man can be seen displaying an evil smirk. Finally, the lights are turned on. Mikael stands at the center of the stage, wearing a white Victorian-era linen shirt, a dark blue double breasted vest, a black and white knit neck scarf, grey fingerless gloves, black pinstripe pants, brown leather belt with razor holster, and dark brown boots.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: And introducing next, weighting in at 247 pounds, and hailing from Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, he is the 'Paragon of Knowledge'...MIKAEL!
The music transitions into "Master of Puppets" by Metallica, and without much pageantry, Adam Wolfe steps out onto the stage to join Mikael.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: Introducing his partner, weighting in at 220 pounds, and hailing from Toronto, Canada, he is 'The Puppet Master'...ADAM WOLFE!!
Wolfe looks to Mikael, and nods, before sprinting down the ramp to slide under the bottom rope and pop up in the center of the ring. Mikael comes down slower, but upon reaching ringside, he climbs the steps and enters, removing his neck scarf, and tossing it to one of the ring attendants. Wolfe plops down in an empty corner, crossing his legs, while Mikael leans casually against the ropes to await their opponents.
CAT: You know, these two are about as strange as the black and white clowns.
PERCY: For the last time, their Mimes, and yes, Wolfe and Mikael are a bit eccentric, but no less formidable in the ring. Especially if Genocide decides to make an appearance.
“Long Johns” by the Lords of Acid beats over the P.A. as Johnny Raike thrusts forth from the curtain, lights glinting off his vinyl coat and Titan of the Midway championship belt, sparkling off his skirt as well. Johnny gives a bright eyed smile to his awaiting opponents in the ring, melting into a smirk of confidence as he saunters halfway down to the ring. He stops to take a photo with a teen girl in a “Freak” t-shirt, but remains where he is to await his partner.
The arena is buzzing as the lights dim. Suddenly, there’s the announcement of a motorcycle engine. The sound grows until finally a 1975 Norton Commando emerges from the entrance. Atop the bike is none other than Strick Plissken. He stops on the entrance ramp and lets the engine roar. Some audience members are forced to cover their ears due to the loud pops of the exhaust. Strick is about to let loose on the throttle, when out of no where Mercy & Sin appear on the stage, ambushing Plissken right off of his ride. Tracy Sin kicks the motorcycle over on her way to helping Becky Mercy stomp a mud hole in Strick Plissken. Raike, seeing all this, thunders up the ramp and steps up onto the fallen motorcycles fuel tank to give him a boost as he launches himself into Mercy with a spear that takes the woman off her feet.
Meanwhile, in the ring, Adam Wolfe, Mikael, Ava, and Sykes, who is laughing, look on in interest at what is happening at the top of the ramp, when suddenly the French Mime Assassins come crashing into them with furious abandon. Wolfe & Mikael are pushed in one direction by flailing bows by Comme Ci, while Ava and Sykes are pushed in the opposite direction by much the same from Comme Ca. A-Ref runs around all of this like a chicken with his head cut off, before coming to an exhausted stop closest to the time table side of the ring, and signals for the bell. The bell sounds, but hell has already broke loose.
PERCY: MY GOD, IT'S PANDEMONIUM!
CAT: Don't say it if you can't spell it, Percy!
Raike pops up to his feet after the spear to Mercy, and begins to lay in boots to the woman's midsection, but is quickly clubbed from behind by Sin. She spins the man around and lays in right hands that have him teetering on the edge of the stage. Just when it looks like she might knock him off, Strick Plissken brings his forearm between her legs up into her crotch for a low blow. She grabs her crotch in shock and pain, and slowly falls off to the side as Strick gets to his feet. Becky Mercy comes at Strick with a right hand, but he ducks under the shot and hooks her around the waist, picking her up and dropping her with a side suplex straight down to the steel stage. Raike steps over the mess, reaching down to help Sin back up to her feet, and then rams her head face first into the steel beam that helps to support the big screen above the stage. Tracy grabs at her skull, stumbling to the center of the stage near the top of the ramp. Plissken and Raike both nod, and charge the woman with a double clothesline attempt, but at the last minute Tracy tucks her head, and sends both men high into the air for a back body drop that has them slamming hard against the steel ramp. They begin to roll upon impact, and both men end up at the bottom of the ramp at ringside clutching at their spines. Tracy steps over to try and help get her own partner back on her feet, before both ladies begin to make their way down the ramp in pursuit.
The French Mime Assassins flail and fight like madmen, but eventually the two teams begin to land more punches. Comma Ca is forced into a corner by Ava and Sykes, and the duo proceed to light the Mime up with chops. Comme Ci is treated similarly, but instead of chops, Mikael and Wolfe grab the top rope for support, and lay the boots to him. With both Mime's severely punished, Mikael and Wolfe take Comme Ci by the wrist, and Ava and Sykes do the same to Comme Ca, and the two teams fire the Mimes across the ring at one another. They crash in the center of the ring and thunder down to the mat, both holding their heads and rolling to the edges of the ring to regroup. The two teams look on satisfied, but the peace doesn't last long as Adam Wolfe and Mikael rush Ava & Sykes' corner. Da Bomb Dot Com rushes out to meet the two men, but just as their about to collide, she rolls right between them to pop up to her feet behind them. They put on the brakes to turn and face her, giving Johnny Sykes just enough time to hop up to the second turnbuckle, and dive out with his legs spread eagle, catching both men in the back with a boot. Wolfe and Mikael are thrown forwards, and Ava skips into the air with a cross body, catching both men and taking them down to the mat. She remains on them for the cover.
1...
2...
Mikael and Wolfe both bench press Ava off of them with authority, sending her up into the air where Johnny Sykes rushes up and catches her in his arms. From there he tosses her up into the air, and steps back, allowing her to come back down onto Wolfe and Mikael for a body splash and one more cover.
1...
2...
PERCY: Mikael and Wolfe wisely sliding out from under Ava this time, and Sykes is on Mikael as he tries to make his feet, while Ava takes on Wolfe with right hands! Tag team excellence from Ava and Sykes!
CAT: Yeah, and we're about to see some more tag teaming, cause Mercy and Sin are about to tear Johnny Raike in half!
Johnny Raike is already trying to make his way back to his feet, when Tracy Sin catches him right in the side of the head with a big boot, leveling him back down to the concrete. Mercy lays in a few hard stomps down into Strick's midsection, then turns her attention to Johnny as well. Directing traffic, Becky screams at Sin to get Johnny to his feet. Tracy complies, hooking him under the arms, and lifting him up so that she can hold his arms behind his back. Becky Mercy walks up, a smirk on her face, as she reaches down to grab him by his feet. With Johnny stretched out between the two women, they carry him over to the nearest ring post, and begin to swing him back and forth to get momentum before finally letting him go to crash into the steel ribs first. Raike curls up into a fetal position, gasping for air and holding his possibly broken ribs, as the two destroyers turn back towards his partner with evil designs. Strick has crawled over to a guardrail, and barely makes it to his feet before the two women reach out to take hold of him. He says something over his shoulder to one of the fans at ringside, and then ducks beneath the two women's grasp to end up on the other side of them. The two women turn, and Strick looks down in surprise. Becky and Tracy, not sure what they are looking for, look down as well. Right about then, the fan from ringside tosses a chair up and over the two ladies, which lands perfectly into Strick's waiting hands. When Tracy and Becky look up, the shock doesn't even get to set in before Strick waffles them both in quick succession. Both ladies fall away stunned, but don't go down, giving Strick time to wind up and give each a much stiffer shot that dents in the chair. Both ladies lay wiped out at his feet as he tosses the chair back to the cheering fan.
Ava lays in some stiff shots to Wolfe, knocking him back into the ropes. She takes him by the wrist to toss him off the ropes, but he reverses it, but just when she's about to reach the ropes, the top rope is yanked down from the outside by The French Mime Assassins. Ava goes tumbling over the top rope to land awkwardly on the concrete floor, and The French Mime Assassins descend upon her with stomps and kicks like a street mugging. Wolfe gives the crowd a shrug before rushing in on Johnny Sykes, who had Mikael hemmed up in a corner. After a few clubbing blows to the back of Sykes' head, he pulls him out of the corner and hooks him around the waist, taking him over in a release German suplex. Johnny lands squarely on the back of his head and his shoulders, and his legs remained folded over top of him, as Wolfe helps Mikael out of the corner. The two men step over to Sykes, each grabbing one of his ankles, and then yank in opposing directions, making his groin look like a wishbone.
On the outside, the French Mime Assassins pick up Ava, both taking a wrist, and send her hurtling into the steel guard rail. The woman falls back into a sitting position after impact, holding her injured back in pain. The Assassins then turn back to the ring, hopping up on the ring apron, and slipping inside on an unaware Mikael and Wolfe.
PERCY: Looks like The Mime's are looking to assassinate Mikael and Wolfe without them even knowing it!
CAT: You've been waiting all night to use a pun like that haven't you?
PERCY: You take them where you can get them, Cat. It looks like Raike is back on his feet on the outside, and he and Strick are conferring about something. Strick pointed up into the ring, and he points at himself, and then to Mercy and Sin, who are struggling to get to their feet as well.
Mikael & Wolfe jerk Johnny Sykes up off the mat, and double hook him around the head, before lifting him up and back down with a double suplex. Sykes scrunches across the canvas, his back obviously aching, as Mikael and Wolfe get back to their feet in satisfaction. They don't get to feel that way for long before they are blind sided by the French Mime Assassins, who hook both men from behind, and take them over into bridging German suplexes in stereo. A-Ref slides in for the pin.
1...
2...
PERCY: THRE-RAIKE WITH A SPRINGBOARD DOUBLE ELBOW DROP FROM THE OUTSIDE TO BREAK THE COUNT! Raike is back up now and already on the move towards the ropes as the Assassins get back to their feet, Raike on his way back now, and he double foot stomps onto Mikael, and then bounces off with a DOUBLE LARIAT TO THE ASSASSINS THAT TAKES THEM DOWN!
CAT: Johnny Raike took a pretty hard shot on the outside, but he's tough as nails, and still wowing this capacity crowd.
Raike gets to his feet quickly, and is cut off with a boot to the midsection by Wolfe, who somehow was able to avoid the Thigh High Thriller's one man show. He hooks Raike around the head, cinches up, and then drops straight back, spiking his head off the canvas with a DDT.
Meanwhile, Strick heads back over to Mercy and Sin, delivering a hard right hand to Sin, and then swinging back around with the same fist to bring his knuckles across Mercy's face. Both ladies stumble in opposite directions, as Strick grabs Tracy by the wrist to keep her from going to far, and moves to whip her into the ring post. She rushes in, but manages to throw her boot up to stop herself from crashing into the steel. Strick see's this, and charges in at her from behind, but she throws an elbow out catching him in the face. He stumbles backwards a pace, giving Sin enough time to turn around, wrap her large arms around him, and then take him all the way down to the concrete with a belly to belly suplex. All of Tracy's weight lands on top of Strick, and he's left crushed and in agony when she rises up off of him. Becky Mercy joins Tracy, a look of pure malice on her face as she starts directing traffic again, this time yelling at Tracy to get Strick up on her shoulders. Sin obliges, lifting Strick in an amazing feat of strength with Strick laid across her shoulders like a torture wrack. Becky leads her over to the ramp once more, and she starts motioning for Sin to fall straight back to crush the man even further. Before anyone can do anything, the fans come to their feet as Ava comes running along the steel guard rail, and uses her momentum to propel her into a shooting star press that wipes out all three competitors. Unfortunately for stick, Tracy still lands mostly on top of him.
CROWD: HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!
PERCY: SHOOTING AVA PRESS FROM THE GUARDRAIL! OH MY GOD!
CAT: That little bitch is crazy!
In the ring, Wolfe pulls Raike up to his feet and sends him the short distance to the corner. He lifts Johnny up to sit on the top turnbuckle, but as soon as he starts to climb up with him he's met with headbutts from Raike. Wolfe is finally forced from the second rope all together, and Johnny Raike kicks the man square in the face, sending him stumbling back into the ring. Johnny takes that moment to step all the way up to the top, and when he stands at his full height, he prepares to leap on 'The Master of Puppets'. At the last second, something catches the corner of his eye, and he looks out at the ramp where Mercy & Sin are getting to their feet, both women having a fistful of Ava, but most importantly, his partner's hair. Without a second thought, Johnny rockets himself from the top rope into the air with a cross body that catches all four, partner included, completely unaware, and wipes them out once more.
CROWD: HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!
PERCY: Good lord! We got five inside, and five outside!
CAT: Not for long, look!
Wolfe shakes the cobwebs after that kick from Johnny, and then looks outside the ring where the five superstars are trying to make it back to their feet. With a determined expression, Adam takes to the same turnbuckle that Raike leaped from, and makes it up to the top. Standing there on the edge of oblivion, he looks out at the crowd with a nod of approval.
CROWD: DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!
He holds up a finger for silence, and reaches into his boot to pull out one of his many famed puppets. This one in particular looks like Johnny Raike. The fans laugh and cheer, as Wolfe slips the puppet onto his hand, and then scratches his crotch. He pulls his hand away from his genitals, startled, and wags a finger at Puppet Johnny going 'Tsk, Tsk, Tsk'. After all of this is over, and he can see that all five are now on their feet again, he throws caution to the wind, and leaps from the top with a somersault, plowing back first into just about everyone. The five fly backwards like a bomb going off, and Wolfe writhes around on the ramp in pain.
CROWD: HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!
PERCY: OH MY GOD! There's not going to be anyone left after this!
CAT: Those high risking bastards.
The French Mime Assassins are back on their feet, and they are now standing near the edge of the ring, looking down at their opponents miming arrogantly. Johnny Sykes is up behind them on the other side of the ring, hanging onto the top rope for support. He surveys the scene, and nods his head in affirmation, before rushing towards the Assassins. The two Mimes here him coming, and turn around just in time to see him hop over Mikael, who's still clutching his midsection after the double stomp, and they lower their heads for a back body. This doesn't stop Johnny in the slightest, as he reaches the Mimes just in time for them to catapult him into the air, where he uses the extra height to perform a breathtaking corkscrew splancha back down onto the other six, wiping them all out one more time.
CROWD: Holy Shit! Holy Shit! Holy Shit!
PERCY: Folks...if you were sitting here live, watching all of this unfold right now, you would understand the need for that kind of language.
CAT: Johnny Sykes just fucking flew, for real.
The Mimes look around the ring in mock confusion, and then begin to point to one another, and then make motions with their hands about jumping over the top rope. Comme Ci nods 'yes', while Comme Ca shakes his head 'no', until Comme Ci changes tactics and starts shaking his head 'no', causing Comme Ca to nod 'yes'. Comme Ca, realizing what just happened, kicks the bottom rope, but then looks back at his partner and shrugs, and the two Mimes rush the opposite side of the ring in unison to get some spring. They rush back for the other side, and just then Mikael pops up to his feet, taking both of the Assassins heads off with a double lariat.
PERCY: DOUBLE HELL'S GATE! And everyone else is laid out at ringside!
CAT: That clever little devil!
Mikael stalks around the ring with a condescending smile on his face, wiping his hands as if that had been the plan all along. Comme Ca tries to make it to his feet, but Mikael catches him with a deep knee lift to the midsection, and while he's bent over, hooks him around the head and runs him face first into the mat with a bulldog. Comme Ci struggles to maintain his feet as Mikael gets back to his, and stalks over, grabbing the Mime by the seat of his pants, and tossing him unceremoniously through the ropes to the concrete floor out in front of the commentators table. He turns his attention back to Comme Ci, and patiently waits for the man to slowly get halfway to his feet. Before he's fully there, Mikael steps up, placing his head between his legs, and lifts him up into a powerbomb position. He takes a few steps back, holding Comme Ci with perfect poise and strength, before taking off into a sprint, and throwing the man out as he sits down, driving him into the mat. He maintains his seated position, and Comme Ci's legs for the cover.
PERCY: SUPREMACY! MIKAEL AND WOLFE ARE GOING TO STEAL THIS THING!
1...
2...
THRE-A Steel Chair comes flying into the ring, crashing down onto the side of Mikael's head, and saves the match. Mikael holds his ear as he looks back to see Mercy and Sin climbing into the ring, both armed with a set of chairs. He makes a scramble to grab for the one that hit him, but the two women fall upon him unmercifully, the vicious clang of steel against flesh ringing through out the Pure Arena. Once the chairs are beyond recognition, the two women toss them from the ring, and Becky smirks down at Mikael before stepping back and demanding Tracy do her worst. Tracy reaches down, and hooks him around the legs, beginning to spin in the center of the ring. Becky gives her a few revolutions before stepping in and beginning to skip. She sings a litany for the crowd as she does so.
ONE-TWO, BLOOD FOR YOU! THREE-FOUR, SETTLE A SCORE! FIVE-SIX, CROSS THE RIVER STYX! SEVEN-EIGHT, FEED THA' HATE! NINE-TEN, BECK KILLS AGAIN!!!!
With the last bellowed out, Becky Mercy drives her boots down into Mikael's abdomen as Sin lets him go, crushing the man down into the mat with a tremendous thud.
PERCY: SWINGING DEATH ROPE! I think we have champions right here!
Becky makes a gun with her finger, shoots it down at Mikael, and then looks back out at the crowd before blowing it out. She falls down onto him for the cover, while Tracy turns to stand guard. As soon as Sin is in place, she's surprised by Strick Plissken barreling right for her. The woman doesn't get a chance to do much but try and brace for impact, as he lowers his shoulder and nails her with a huge spear that takes her right off of her feet to crash upon her own partner and Mikael.
CAT: PUSCIFIER! Jesus! Poor Mikael just got buried under three bodies, one of which weights over 250 pounds!
PERCY: Man, how the hell is anyone supposed to score a victory when there's so much opposition everywhere you turn?
Strick gets to his feet and flips both women off as he does so before dragging Tracy Sin halfway up to her feet just so he can eject her from the ring. When he turns back around he has two people he could cover, but then he looks back up the ramp at his motorcycle, still laying on it's side, and he shakes his head with violent intentions. He steps back into one of the corners, and lowers himself, just waiting for Becky Mercy to finally get back to her feet. The woman struggles to find her footing as she crawls to the ropes to help herself up. She slowly turns around, completely unaware, when Strick tears out of the corner. Strick, however, with his focus on Becky Mercy, didn't see or hear The French Mime Assassins sneaking along the ring apron on the outside. So when the man springs to life, both Mimes reach out and grab either ankle, resulting in Strick crashing down face first into the mat. The Mimes are back in the ring as quick as a hiccup, one tears off towards Mercy, who still hasn't fully recovered from what had just happened to her. Comme Ci catches her with a clothesline that sends her right up and over the top rope to the concrete below, and he watches as Mikael works his way up on the other side, and rushes in on him to do the same. With no one left in the ring but Strick, they yank the man to his feet and pull him to the center of the ring where Comme Ci steps in front, while Comme Ca steps behind him. Comme Ci boots Strick in the midsection, and spins, hooking him around the head and placing his jaw on his shoulder before abruptly sitting down. Strick snaps back from the stunner, and Comme Ca hooks him around the head, and drops him with a vicious neck breaker.
PERCY: MIME-O-VISION!!
CAT: OH GOD! THE BLACK AND WHITE CLOWNS ARE GOING TO WIN!!
Both Mimes lay across Strick for the cover.
1...
2...
PERCY: THRE-SPRING BOARD FROG SPLASH FROM AVA SAVES THE MATCH! And Look! She's lining up the Mimes beside Strick, and laying across their feet.....Johnny Sykes is on the top turnbuckle.......FROG SPLASH ACROSS ALL THREE BODIES!!
CAT: I have to admit...that's a hell of a way to get back into this match.
Johnny gets to his feet with one hand wrapped around his rib cage, and the other pumped over his head while the fans cheer him on. Ava snaps her fingers to get his attention, and points down to the three bodies at her feet. He nods, and both of them drop down to attempt to cover all three.
1...
2...
From the outside, Johnny Raike and Adam Wolfe both slide under the bottom rope and fast crawls to the center of the ring to interrupt the count by shoving Ava and Sykes off the downed trio. All four get to their feet at the same time, and Sykes goes for Wolfe, while Raike goes for Ava. Sykes manages to lower his shoulder into Wolfe's midsection and shoves him into the corner, while Raike lays into Ava with sharp kicks to her thigh, midsection, and chest that throw her off balance. Strick, still aching from his recent misfortunes, manages to roll towards a corner not being occupied to catch his breath. Raike takes a stunned Ava by the arm, enters into a dragon twist, and then brings the sole of his boot to connect right under her chin sending her to the mat. Still retaining the hold on her arm, he spins the arm around his calf, rolls forward spinning Ava over onto her back, and then falls forwards into a luchador version of a small package.
1...
2...
Sykes spirals in with a boot to the back of Raikes head, immediately lifting the man to his feet to throw him off the ropes. Johnny comes sailing back, and 'The Original Pranksta' runs to meet him, leaving his feet for a beautiful drop kick that catches Raike right in the face. Raike hits the mat, and as Sykes comes to his feet, he's caught with a running knee out of nowhere by Adam Wolfe, recovered from their brief fight in the corner. Ava rises off to the side of him, and he aptly spins around her, catching her by the nape of the neck and leads her right up and over the top rope to the concrete floor below. Sykes pulls himself up by use of the ropes on the opposite side, and comes charging at Wolfe, but he's caught off guard when Johnny Raike performs a kip up, and super kicks him right in the mush. Sykes hits the canvas, and rolls to the outside clutching his face. Adam Wolfe and Johnny Raike stare across the ring at one another, and with a nod, both men thunder towards one another, lifting their boots and snapping each other down to the canvas with matching Yakuza kicks. Once again, everyone is wiped out of the match.
PERCY: Good Lord! This has been the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen!
CAT: It's pure chaos, and we here at PAW love it!
PERCY: Sure, sure, but someone has to win, Cat. No one can score a pinfall because of the amount of bodies in this match. How in the world is it going to end?
CAT: I don't know, but Mercy and Sin are back on the ring apron, and entering the ring, and it doesn't look good for Johnny Raike and Adam Wolfe.
Mercy and Sin, looking worse for wear, bluster around the ring. Becky Mercy screams at Tracy Sin, pumping the larger lady up, until finally she stops and points down at Adam Wolfe. Sin reaches down and jerks the man to his feet, clasps him around the throat, and then hoists him high over her head in a gorilla press. Becky skips around the ring in a circle, nodding to the fans who begin to boo them, before stopping to lean against one of the corners to watch. Tracy, whose had Adam up for a few minutes, takes off in a sprint towards the edge of the ring, stopping short, but letting Wolfe go, and sending him soaring through the air. Fans in the first and second row begin to scramble, as Wolfe comes crashing down with a crunch, taking out a few of the people inadvertently. Becky applauds Tracy's effort, and then points down at Raike so that he can get some of the special treatment.
PERCY: Well, it looks like Raike's days are numbered, and he still has a Titans match later on tonight! Mercy & Sin might very well be gaining Tag Titles, and handing the Titans title to Nova!
CAT: Man, this doesn't look good. Tracy has Raike up over her head just like she did to Adam Wolfe, takes off in a sprint..WAIT! RAIKE WRIGGLED FREE!
PERCY: Raike lands behind Sin, and the woman is trying to put on the brakes. She spins around to face him, boot to the midsection, DDT to Sin straight down into his knee. Sin snaps back up, and she's on wobbly legs....FRONT DROP KICK FROM JOHNNY SENDS HER UP AND OVER THE ROPES TO THE OUTSIDE!
CAT: Becky Mercy running to try and nail him from behind...PUSCIFIER FROM OUT OF NOWHERE!!
PERCY: He's been looking to hit that particular move on that particular opponent all night, and now he's got it!
Raike quickly takes to the ring apron, and begins climbing to the top, while Strick pulls Mercy up to her feet and places her head between his legs. He hoists her up into powerbomb position, but before Raike can leap to complete the 'Get The Fuck Outta Here', Mikael appears on the ring apron and snatches Johnny's foot out from under him. Raike crotches himself across the top turnbuckle, mouth open in pain and shock. Meanwhile, Becky Mercy, still held up on Strick's shoulders see's all of this, and in a desperate attempt to keep from being wrecked by Plissken, she throws herself backwards into a hurricanrana that spikes Plissken's head off the mat. She initially decides to stay on him for a pin, but upon seeing Mikael entering the ring to come for her, she decides instead to hop up and launch herself at the man. The two brawl into the ropes, unaware that there is a third person coming into the ring to join them.
PERCY: Adam Wolfe is back in the ring!
CAT: That don't look like Wolfe to me.....see that twisted up face......THAT'S GENOCIDE!
Genocide rushes at Becky Mercy throwing vicious forearms directly into the back of the woman's skull. Mikael and Genocide then take her and ram her head first into the turnbuckle where Johnny Raike still sits, injuring her head, and his...ahem. Genocide starts directing traffic, getting Mikael to hold the woman in place as he moves to the other side of the ring. With Mikael twisting her arms behind her back, Becky Mercy watches as Genocide comes rushing across the ring like a train off it's rails. He lowers his shoulder on his way, looking for The Howler, which he connects, but not with Becky Mercy. At the very last minute she manages to stomp on Mikael's foot, causing him to loose his hold on her, and she dives out of the way. When Genocide connects with his partner, both crash right through the middle and top rope to the concrete floor with a sickening thud. Becky Mercy hops up holding the back of her head, and she flips the two men off from the edge of the ring.
PERCY: There's some sign language from Becky Mercy, but what she doesn't realize is that the French Mime Assassins have slipped back into the ring....THEY JUST GRABBED HER BY THE SEAT OF THE PANTS AND DUMPED HER OVER THE TOP AS WELL!
CAT: Oh God.....tell me this isn't happening!
The French Mime Assassins turn to the center of the ring in unison, where Strick is getting up to his feet with a curse, wiping a way a trickle of blood from his forehead. The Assassins look to one another, then back at Strick. The two shrug in stereo, run in on the unaware man, drop down, hook him through the legs, and then pull him down into a dual roll up pin with a handful of tights. A-Ref drops for the pin.
1...
2...
3!!!
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: Ladies and Gentlemen, the winners of this contest, and your NEW PAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS.....THE FRENCH MIME ASSASSINS!!!
PERCY: CAT! THE MIMES DID IT!
CAT: Shoot me. Shoot me now.
The Mimes get to their feet with their hands raised in the air, leaving Strick laying there on the mat with his fingers thrust into his hairline in disbelief. The Mimes begin miming to the crowd who, at this point, don't know whether to boo or cheer the two. A-Ref steps up to them with a championship belt in each hand, and hands them over with a nod. The Mimes look out at the crowd, and then throw the championships above their head with nods, and this time the fans give them a standing ovation. The Mimes pause to look at one another, and they shake hands with more nods, as if they had known this would happen all along. Becky Mercy and Tracy Sin start into the ring, and The Mimes take that as good a time as any to make their exit, quickly slipping through the ropes, and continuing their celebration up the ramp. The teams left at ringside shake their head in bitter disappointment, while the Mimes reach the stage, still miming and showing off their new gold.
PERCY: Strick just rolled under the bottom rope, and jumped the guard rail. This capacity crowd is patting him on the back, but he looks to be having none of it. He's hot about this loss.
CAT: CAN YOU BLAME HIM PERCY! MIMES!
PERCY: Jeez, Cat, calm down. The French Mime Assassins did the impossible here tonight, and proved exactly why they belong in PAW. Although I'd like to say, that every team in this match did an incredible job. I've got a feeling that no one is going to let that gold out of their sights for long.
CAT: Whatever! Please, any of you, go get those belts. Black and White clowns can not be our champions.
Percy starts to correct his colleague, but realizes that there isn't any point. He simply shakes his head, as the scene fades to backstage.
Backstage is quiet aside from the hushed conversation between Tony Chu, his bodyguard Lenin, and another man. The new guy looks young, but his face shows that he is no stranger to fighting as he boasts some scar tissue highlights around his eyebrows and it appears he’s had his nose broken at least once, if not multiple times.
TONY: Don’t you worry, we’re going to get you all set up and it’s going to be great. This place? Pure Amusement? It’s phenomenal. Just ask Lenin, I never lie to clients.
LENIN: It’s mostly true.
TONY: All of it. All of it, is true.
The new guy nods his head as Tony notices the camera watching them. Tony flashes a bright PR smile and gestures towards his new “Client” as he mentioned previously.
TONY: I’d like to introduce you to my newest working Client, Johnny Weyland. You may know him from Lion’s Road and if you don’t, well, you’re about to get to know him really well, Pure Amusement fans!
Johnny nods.
JOHN: Well, we might drop the Johnny part, plenty of those in PAW, it seems. Might just go by my given name. John Weyland.
Before Johnny can say another word, Strick bursts into the scene still sweaty from his match, and manages to get past Lenin and takes Tony by the throat and drives him straight into the wall. Before Lenin can get a hand in, Strick has already slammed Tony into the wall, twice.
STRICK: Got what you wanted Tony! Got it all! You…
Before Strick can continue his ranting, Lenin pulls him away from Tony and drives him into the opposite wall of the hallway. Lenin pauses a moment.
LENIN: Physical violence should be avoided at all costs.
STRICK: Go fuck yourself.
With that said, Lenin proceeds to drive knees into Strick’s ribs until he’s doubled over. From there, Lenin wrenches Strick over and plants him hard with a jackknife powerbomb. Strick tries to scramble to his feet, but Lenin keeps him down with stomps. All the while, Johnny Weyland looks on, not knowing quite what to do. Lenin’s assault on Strick finally draws blood as Strick comes up with a split eyebrow.
LENIN: I didn’t want to do that.
Now Chu’s back up and he steps in.
TONY: You started this, Strick! Not me. I was your friend! We can be friends again. You just need to.
Strick comes back up and takes a wild swing at Tony, but it’s caught by Weyland. Weyland instinctively pulls Strick into a choke hold, but Strick whips him over his shoulder and goes for Chu again, but this time Lenin intervenes and drives Strick down hard with a spinebuster. Lenin comes up off of the spinebuster looking like a dude who should be in the main event. He lets out a groan though as Strick starts to stand back up.
LENIN: Just stay down.
Strick shakes his head as his three ‘foes’ look on at him.
STRICK: Nah, I’m done. Ok? You fucken win. I’m out. Done. Fuck this.
Strick starts making his way down the hallway as Lenin and Weyland both just look on at Tony Chu as if he’s got all the answers.
Tony calls after him.
TONY: Strick! Think about this, would you?
Strick keeps going, growing closer to the door as he stomps away.
LENIN: I don’t think he’s going to listen.
TONY: Goddamnit Strick!
Strick hits the backdoor exit and goes through it into the dark of the night. The door slams behind him hard.
TONY: Don’t you worry, we’re going to get you all set up and it’s going to be great. This place? Pure Amusement? It’s phenomenal. Just ask Lenin, I never lie to clients.
LENIN: It’s mostly true.
TONY: All of it. All of it, is true.
The new guy nods his head as Tony notices the camera watching them. Tony flashes a bright PR smile and gestures towards his new “Client” as he mentioned previously.
TONY: I’d like to introduce you to my newest working Client, Johnny Weyland. You may know him from Lion’s Road and if you don’t, well, you’re about to get to know him really well, Pure Amusement fans!
Johnny nods.
JOHN: Well, we might drop the Johnny part, plenty of those in PAW, it seems. Might just go by my given name. John Weyland.
Before Johnny can say another word, Strick bursts into the scene still sweaty from his match, and manages to get past Lenin and takes Tony by the throat and drives him straight into the wall. Before Lenin can get a hand in, Strick has already slammed Tony into the wall, twice.
STRICK: Got what you wanted Tony! Got it all! You…
Before Strick can continue his ranting, Lenin pulls him away from Tony and drives him into the opposite wall of the hallway. Lenin pauses a moment.
LENIN: Physical violence should be avoided at all costs.
STRICK: Go fuck yourself.
With that said, Lenin proceeds to drive knees into Strick’s ribs until he’s doubled over. From there, Lenin wrenches Strick over and plants him hard with a jackknife powerbomb. Strick tries to scramble to his feet, but Lenin keeps him down with stomps. All the while, Johnny Weyland looks on, not knowing quite what to do. Lenin’s assault on Strick finally draws blood as Strick comes up with a split eyebrow.
LENIN: I didn’t want to do that.
Now Chu’s back up and he steps in.
TONY: You started this, Strick! Not me. I was your friend! We can be friends again. You just need to.
Strick comes back up and takes a wild swing at Tony, but it’s caught by Weyland. Weyland instinctively pulls Strick into a choke hold, but Strick whips him over his shoulder and goes for Chu again, but this time Lenin intervenes and drives Strick down hard with a spinebuster. Lenin comes up off of the spinebuster looking like a dude who should be in the main event. He lets out a groan though as Strick starts to stand back up.
LENIN: Just stay down.
Strick shakes his head as his three ‘foes’ look on at him.
STRICK: Nah, I’m done. Ok? You fucken win. I’m out. Done. Fuck this.
Strick starts making his way down the hallway as Lenin and Weyland both just look on at Tony Chu as if he’s got all the answers.
Tony calls after him.
TONY: Strick! Think about this, would you?
Strick keeps going, growing closer to the door as he stomps away.
LENIN: I don’t think he’s going to listen.
TONY: Goddamnit Strick!
Strick hits the backdoor exit and goes through it into the dark of the night. The door slams behind him hard.
{Grudge Match}
Singles No Disqualification Match
Jack Nomad versus The Shadow
CAT: Ex-Manager, Strick fired him, remember?
PERCY: Yeah, well speaking of fireworks, we're about to have some right here tonight. The Shadow has been messing with Jack Nomad for a long time now, and finally The Hardcore One gets his hands on the man beneath the hood.
CAT: Nothing gets me more excited than a little cosplay and violence, Percy.
PERCY: Righhhhtttttt.....
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: The following contest is scheduled for one fall or submission, and is a No Disqualification Match! There are no count outs, no breaks, and no rules!
#What Scares us is... I think we needed.. Violence...
The lights around the steel girdered Entrance Arch dim. Amber and red emergency lights start spin to cast a diffused orange glow a short distance through the fog. The familiar sound of Edsel Dope's voice screams over the PA System.
#BREAK IT DOWN LIKE YOU KNOW IT'S LOADED!!!
#I GOT IT COCKED AND LOADED!!!
#I GOT A SICKNESS TO FEED!!
"Violence" by Dope continues to play. The fog is parted by the forward motion of a tattooed Jack Nomad suddenly bursting forth with a long legged stride.
#SO BREAK IT DOWN LIKE YOU'RE UNDEVOTED!!!
#DON'T NEED A FUCKIN' MOTIVE!!
#I HOPE YOU'RE READY TO BBBBLLLLEEEEDDDD!!!
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: MAKING HIS WAY TO THE RING! HE STANDS AT SIX FOOT TWO AND WEIGHS IN AT 241 lbs. HAILING FROM JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY....
Arriving at ringside, he climbs onto the ring apron and walks to the very center of that apron. Turning to face the fans, Jack throws his arms out at his sides. His face is a burning, intense scowl as he surveys the crowd. He then turns and enters the ring.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: HARDCORE... JACK NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAADDDDDD!!!
He throws his hood back to reveal a mask with an open top, it's style not unlike that of Batman's Bane, black and white with large red mesh eye holes. Long stringy black hair hangs in his face as he lowers his head forward to glare at the camera from beneath the ridge of his brow. Jack then throws his arms out at his sides, fists clenched tightly with the mop handle held firmly in hand and spins around to scowl at the audience. He removes his vest and tosses it over to his corner where a ring attendant takes it.
PERCY: Jack certainly looks like he's ready to mop the floor with the Shadow, but what's with the Bane mask?
CAT: Bane Mask? I thought it was that ugly harness thing he wore in the Batman movies.
PERCY: Yes, in the comic books, Bane was originally a juiced up Giant mexican Luchadore.
CAT: ...and this is why I don't read comic books.
Brooding dark music hit's the house PA system, the sound of beautiful violins, cellos, and heavy bass thuds assaulting the ears. Jack paces back and forth like a caged animal, awaiting his opponent. A graveled, deep voice is heard speaking out, but Jack doesn't take his eyes off the entrance arch, simply waiting for his foe to arrive.
VOICE: What darkness lurks in the hearts of mortal men? Jack Nomad, you professed this heart of Darkness and yet you claim to not be the villain of this story. Your actions say otherwise...
The lights darken further still, a single spotlight shining down on Jack.
VOICE: ...Jack Nomad, you are guilty for a life of Sin and Violence and the punishment...starts...now...
The spotlight shuts off and seconds later the arena lights come back on with Jack being brutally hammered across his back and his head as he's assaulted by an Escrema stick wielding masked Shadow! A-Ref motions for the bell!
*DING!!!*
PERCY: Nomad driven into the ropes by the violent opening assault by The Shadow!!
CAT: It's a classic trick, lights out, lights on, let the beatings commence!
PERCY: Nomad rolling out of the ring to put some distance between himself and The Shadow, but it isn't much of a reprieve!!
Jack stumbles around a bit and turns right into a suicide diving Shadow and is driven straight to the floor!
PERCY: Suicide dive but both men are back on their feet, Jack somehow keeping a firm grip on that mop handle of his! Jack blocks one of the Escrema sticks with the mop handle and he's caught the Shadow's wrist! Boot to the gut and vicious headbutt by Jack sends Shadow staggering. Jack with the swing and...
*POOF!!!*
CAT: A Smoke Bomb?!
PERCY: The Entire ringside area is filled with smoke! We can't see anything!
The smoke would clear within seconds, allowing us to find the Shadow grimly hanging Jack by his throat with a bit of grappling line from top of a turnpost, Jack kicking his legs as he struggles violently. The line starts to dig into his throat, threatening to sever arteries and crush his windpipe!
PERCY: HOLY GOD ALMIGHTY! JACK NOMAD IS BEING HANGED FROM THE TOP OF THE TURNPOST BY THE SHADOW!!!
CAT: That's one way to get the job done!
After several seconds of his face starting to turn a shade of Purple, Jack would find purchase with one of his feet on the apron. He'd then push up, slamming the back of his head right into the nose of the Shadow, sending his foe into a fall with a tumble and roll onto the canvas. Jack falls to the arena floor, clutching at his throat and letting out coarse, croaked coughs in between gasps for air.
PERCY: Nomad frees himself from being hung to death in front of the Purity crowd and I'm starting to wonder who truly is the worst of the worst here.
CAT: We're still in the opening acts of the match. I can hardly wait to see how it escalates!
Jack gets to his feet and looks into the ring, seeing the Shadow not there...
PERCY: The Shadow is sneaking around the other side of the ring and... that looks like a tazer in his hands!
CAT: All's fair in hate and war, Percy.
PERCY: I guess you're right. Jack rounds the corner AND SHADOW WITH THE TAZER! NOMAD BLOCKS!
Jack manages to catch Shadow before he could be tazed, the two struggling for several seconds until finally Jack manages to kick The Shadow straight in the groin!
PERCY: Low blow and Nomad has the Tazer AND HE SHOVES IT RIGHT INTO SHADOW'S THROAT!!!
The Shadow's body immediately locks up, his teeth grit with tension as he falls to the floor. Jack then cruelly starts to jab him over and over with the Tazer, trying to deplete the battery's charge and completely immobilize his foe!
CAT: He's just zapping him over and over, multiplying the effects of that weapon!
PERCY: Jack Nomad is a cruel, sadistic son of a bitch and when you give him a weapon, he uses it to it's fullest effect!
He quickly tired of playing with Shadow, tossing the spent Tazer down. Gathering the Shadow up, Jack hurls his immobilized foe into the ring.
PERCY: The action returning to the ring and Jack has that infamous mop handle of his...
Jack rolls back into the ring and to his feet. With a twirl of the barbwire wrapped mop handle, Jack brings the weapon crashing down on the Shadow's back! The man doesn't even trash, only screaming in pain through a slacked mouth.
*FWACHACK!!!*
SHADOW: UUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!!
With a sadistic smile, Jack proceeds to repeat the process over and over and over and over!
*FWACHACK!!!*FWACHACK!!!*FWACHACK!!!*FWACHACK!!!*FWACHACK!!!*FWACHACK!!!*FWACHACK!!!*
SHADOW: UUUUURRRRRUUUUGGGHHHUUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHHUUUUUNNNN!!!!
PERCY: Nomad now committing felony assault with a big stick on The Shadow, just beating the holy hell out of him!
CAT: Now this is what everyone came to see!
PERCY: No it isn't! Everyone wants to see The Shadow get justice for us all!
CAT: What did Jack ever do to anyone before the Shadow came along? As far as I can tell, he's a guy with an attitude problem.
PERCY: Let's see, he attacked Tapioca Joe, brutalized three competitors in his debut match, and it's been said that he has killed a competitor in the ring once, Cat.
CAT: That was years ago and accidents can and do happen!
*FFFFWWWAAAAACCCCRRRRAAAACCCCKKKKKTTT!!!*
With a final blow, the Mop handle broke, but Jack didn't stop there, gathering the broken ends of the weapon, he stretched out a length of barbwire that still connected it and promptly wrapped it around the Shadow's throat, violently yanking him back while pressing his knee against his spine!
PERCY: NOMAD GAROTTING THE SHADOW WITH BARBWIRE!!!
CAT: I think he's actually digging into the skin too! There's a little blood running down his neck.
PERCY: The Shadow is starting to regain some of his mobility and is trying to fight against Nomad!
The Shadow gets one arm up, trying to claw at Jack's masked face. All he manages to do is tug at the Bane Mask he wears which is about is effective as petting a kitten's back. Further looping the barbwire around Shadow's neck, Jack then proceeds to hammer his foe's face over and over into the canvas!
PERCY: The Savage brutality of Jack Nomad on full display here folks. Jack's now rising up, pulling the Shadow to his feet and locking on a Full Nelson intertwined with that Barbwire Garrot... What's he doing?
Suddenly Jack back bridges with a Dragon Suplex, the wrapped barbwire now deeply embedded in The Shadow's throat as he's held for a pinfall!
PERCY: DRAGON SUPLEX PIN and A-Ref with the count!
1!!
2!!!
TTHHHRR-KICKOUT!
CAT: How could he kick out from that? Shouldn't he still be feeling the effects of the tazer?
PERCY: Hard to say, but Jack's pulling him up by the barbwire around his throat, Shadow's reaching into his utility belt... PEPPER SPRAY RIGHT IN NOMAD'S EYES!!!
JACK: FFFFFUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK!!!!
Jack staggers back with a roar of pain, clutching at his burning eyes, coughing and wretching horribly. Shadow falls to the canvas and rolls out of the ring, fighting for air as he pries the barbwire from his throat.
JACK: YOU FUCKING MOTHERFUCKER!!! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!
Nomad swung fists and kicked blindly at nothing but air, showing that the mask did little to lessen the effects of the potent spray.
CAT: Wow that's almost like the kind I carry.
PERCY: Of course you carry Pepper Spray.
CAT: Military grade. Best perfume to use on would-be rapists.
PERCY: Naturally. The Shadow now pulling a chair and a table out from under the ring.
CAT: He doesn't take long to set it up either.
PERCY: Not at all and now he's in the ring with that chair, sizing up the still blinded Jack Nomad...
Shadow takes a couple steps forwards Jack, who is still swinging blindly and swings for the fences with that steel chair...
*WWWWWHHHHAAAAACCCCCCKKKKKTTT!!*
Jack spins with the blow and drops to one knee, but fights to get back up only to be dropped by a second and much harder chair shot than the first!
*FFFFFWWWWHHHHHAAAAAAAACCCCCKKKKKKKTTTTTT!!*
CAT: NICE! He almost split the sound barrier with that chair shot!
PERCY: Nomad looks to be out of it, but The Shadow doesn't go for the pin and is dragging Jack towards a corner.
The Corner was perpendicular to where The Shadow had set the table up, perfectly positioned for a big move off the top rope. Pulling Jack into a front facelock, The Shadow climbs onto the turnpost, easing a struggling Nomad up one rope at a time until they were both standing on the very top. Just as he starts to lift Jack, he finds himself peppered in the ribs by a few shots...
PERCY: Jack fighting to keep from being Superplexed into that table now and a Knee to the gut finally stops The Shadow in his tracks!
...The Shadow falls to a seat on the top turnbuckle, Jack surprisingly keeping him from falling off. He then straddles the Shadow's head in a standing headscissor and whips him up onto his shoulders!
CAT: Here it comes!
Jack then leaps off the turnpost, driving The Shadow through the table with a seated powerbomb, the table crackling with protest as it shatters under the combined weight of both men crashing through it!
*CCCRRAAAKKKKUUUNNNCCCCHHHTT!*
PERCY: OH MY GOD!!! JACK NOMAD JUST BROKE HIM IN HALF WITH THAT POWERBOMB OFF THE TOP!!!
CAT: And Jackie boy isn't done yet!
PERCY: Jack is already on his feet and even with limited vision, he now has his quarry in hand, dragging The Shadow by his mask back into the ring!
Jack slides in after him and starts to violently stomp on The Shadow's lower back over and over. He drives his heel right into the joints in as damaging a method as he possibly can!
PERCY: Nomad now targeting the Shadow's spine!
CAT: Forget pinfalls, forget submissions, Jack wants to make an example out of The Shadow tonight!
He then rolls the Shadow over and begins driving cutting Elbow shots into his face, over and over, effectively splitting the man open in in seconds
PERCY: Jack Nomad drawing more blood out of the Shadow with slicing elbows!
CAT: They may be illegal in MMA, but here, they are quite legal!
He switches up, grabbing the Shadow by either side of his head and violently slamming it against the canvas over and over. Jack's fury was on full display as he did not relent of hold back in the slightest.
PERCY: Jack is just unleashing his rage!
CAT: He has the Shadow right where he wants him!
PERCY: Nomad now hooking his neck... Both men up... Bridging Back Breaker! Jack is definitely targeting the lower back.
CAT: And he's not done there!
Jack rushes to the nearest rope, hops onto the second and spring boards off, driving his knee right into that same spot with a rolling knee drop!
PERCY: Devastating knee drop by Nomad on the spine of The Shadow who looks to be in pure agony right now!
CAT: Jackie boy reaches into his vest and he's pulling out a length of chain!
PERCY: It's even got a bit of weights on both ends... I think that's a Manriki Gusari!
CAT: Say what?
PERCY: A deady ninja weapon...
Jack circles The Shadow as he starts crawling towards the ropes, trying to get away. With a loud *THWAPT!* the weighted end of the chain strikes his back, The Shadow thrashing and howling with pain. Jack's face hard to read under that Bane mask, but the impression of his lips indicated a wicked grin.
JACK: COME ON HERO! GET THE FUCK UP!!!
*THWAPT!*
SHADOW: AAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!
JACK: WHO'S GONNA' SAVE THE SAVIOR?!!!
*THWAPT!*
SHADOW: GGGGGAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!
*THWAPT! THWAPT! THWAPT! THWAPT!*
PERCY: Nomad is just torturing The Shadow, toying with the man who clearly is no longer in any condition to fight!
CAT: And now he's wrapping that chain around his throat just like he did with that barbwire!
PERCY: He's got The Shadow on his feet and is setting him up...
With The Shadow's chin on his shoulder, Jack then spins to his left, using the chain to add torque and pressure to his already devastating finisher....
PERCY: CHAIN ASSISTED SPINE JACKER!! This match is over!!!!
Jack falls upon The Shadow's prone body and hooks the leg....
1!!!
2!!!
THR-YANKED UP!!
PERCY: Jack yanked Shadow's head off the canvas, what is he about to do?!
Using the chain which is still wrapped around what could be a broken neck, considering how freely the Shadow's head rolled about, Jack pulls his prey up as he rises to a stand. He then bends sideways and presses his shoulders against The Shadow's back while gripping him by the arm and one leg. Jack then heaves him up onto his shoulders, gritting his teeth with effort.
PERCY: Oh no no no... He isn't...
He then presses the Shadow over his head before dropping to one knee and slamming him down as hard as he physically could, a soft snap felt and heard only by him as Jack folded backwards over his knee at a painful angle. Jack then shoved him off and rose to his feet.
PERCY: HE BROKE THE SHADOW'S BACK JUST LIKE BANE DID TO BATMAN!!! SOMEBODY CALL THE PARAMEDICS!
CAT: That's... wow... Jack's stronger than I thought!
PERCY: And now Nomad pressing a boot to The Shadow's chest with a lazy Pin!
1!!!
2!!!!
3!!!
A-Ref motions for the bell as the Ring Announcer quickly slips into the ring. Jack rips the Bane Mask from his face, showing puffiness and irritation around his eyes from the pepper spray, but never the less, the smile of satisfaction on his face spoke volumes. Jack's arms raise out at either side of him, fists clenched tightly...
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH BY PINFALL... "HARDCORE" JACK NNNNNNOOOOOOMMMMMMMAAAAAAAUUUCCCKKK!!!!
His theme would play briefly, only to end as Jack quickly approaches the announcer and rips the microphone from her hand. He then steps over to The Shadow and crouches over his seemingly lifeless body.
JACK: Remember this moment... Remember it for all eternity, Shadow. Right does not equal might, motherfucker. Just being 'righteous' does not give you the gift of divine power to smite your enemies and dole out justice. All your gadgets, all your confidence and training, and what did it get you? A body so broken that you'll never be able to fight again. You'll be lucky if you can even get your dick up to fuck whatever thing is waiting for you back home. I told you... didn't I? I fucking told you what would happen and yet you didn't listen....
He rises from the Shadow's body and stood tall in the middle of the ring. His gaze fixates on the hot camera at ringside.
JACK: ...I didn't start this little war. I finished it. I want each and every one of you to remember that. If you fuck with me, I fuck you back ten fold. Let this shit stain I leave smeared on the canvas be a reminder to what happens when you come after Jack Nomad. There will be no mercy, only a violent and painful end to your fucking career and/or way of life. In this case, it may have just been both...
Jack tosses the microphone down, drops, and rolls out of the ring with the Manriki Gusari chain in his hand. He steps over the barricade and shoves his way through the crowd as he heads for one of the side exits. Surprisingly there were a few fans that actually were appreciative of him. He ignored them, however, unsure of how to take the small bit of cheer and affection and disappeared through a door to the back.
Sergio Lione is the type of man who enjoys a fine cigar. In spite of smoking bylaws in the backstage area of the Pure Arena, Sergio is a trailblazer, one who cares not for bylaws, but only the thrill of doing the things they say can’t be done.
His is a stroll down the light grey cement hallway with numbered corridors. He ends up at a sort of crosswalk and looks down one direction and shrugs with a been there/done that nonchalance, uninterested in once more seeing the receiving area of the Pure Arena. The opposite direction, however offers something a man like Sergio finds difficult to refuse.
Mystery.
It’s a darkened hallway, lit in darkness and somber blue light, and one that looks less used than all the others.
His trailblazing sense of adventure kicks in as takes the hallway seemingly less traveled, he is the man who directed A Fistful of Rupees after all (only one of the biggest, most ambitious Bollywood Westerns ever conceived, look it up.)
Cigar smoke plumes over his shoulder into the camera as Sergio walks with the ease of a man with no known predators, and completely ineffective enemies. Leisurely he rounds a corner and is aghast at finding himself stuck in mid air amongst strands of thick, silky gossamer-like threading. Sergio groans in a sudden fit of futile struggle!
SERGIO LIONE: What is this?!
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Twinkle… Twinkle… little FLY…
The ominous laughter of Francis Ford Cuppola echoes down the hallway causing Sergio to struggle more furiously in an attempt to see the maker of the voice. The straight-ahead hallway has another hallway turnoff just ahead, and Sergio’s eyes narrow as Francis’ shadow looms cinematically on the wall in the dim bluish fluorescent light several feet in front of him coming down that hallway.
SERGIO LIONE: You psycho, what do you think you’re doing, what is this?!
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: You thought you had won, didn’t you? You thought you had crippled the courage of Cuppola? Think again!
The chuckle of a potentially unhinged man, then the creek and lurch of Francis’ large, unwieldy catapult, (which, as previously discussed, is more of a giant mace,) rolls into the center of the hallway. Sergio sucks in breath and watches the spring-loaded killing machine roll towards him.
SERGIO LIONE: FRANCIS!!! STOP THIS MADNESS!
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Mad?
The smirking appearance of Francis is enough to chill Sergio’s blood. Francis steps into the center of the hallway behind the catapult cradling one of his, apparently many, Mogwai in one arm and petting it like it were a cat; he’s now a Bond villain if you hadn’t noticed.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: I’m not mad, Sergio. I’m getting even.
Another deranged little chuckle before Francis proudly presents the creature in his arm.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Do you like my Mogwai, Sergio? This is…
Francis thinks about it.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: I don’t know which one this is, but it’s a fine Mogwai, to be sure, and the best part about it is it knows only one song to whistle: YOUR DOOM! Hahahahahahaha!
The catapult rolls dangerously close to Sergio as the Mogwai begins to whistle the unmistakable tune of Megadeth’s Symphony of Destruction. The catapult is angling towards fixing Sergio immediately in its line-of-sight to get smashed. Sergio struggles terribly in the spider web to no avail. Francis turns his head at Sergio in mock pity.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Poor little fly. There is no escape, Sergio. When last we met, I was unprepared! But, GOOD NEWS! I found my happy thought: Your demise, which is now impending... and... definite! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHOHOHOHAHAHAHAH!
Without warning the Catapult lets loose a warning shot of a SMASH. The end of the catapult, as mentioned, is a dangerous-looking mace. It annihilates the cement floor directly in front of Sergio. The poor man whose cigar droops from his lips still smoking gapes in terror.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Such a pity, Sergio, in your fear you have appeared to soil yourself! HAHAHAH! And you should be afraid! For you see, my friend, all of my plans have come together quite fortuitously. My catapult now functions and is safely remote-controlled from my R&D man, Professor Scopes. Your destruction is assured! It’s singular purpose will now be fulfilled, Sergio. I have spent several long weeks studying in killing you, as you can see, all while you have ineffectively attempted to undermine and deride me. YOU FAILED! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Francis strokes his Mogwai’s head in his laughter and stares blankly at Sergio. Sergio, strung up in the spider web, struggles before glaring at his nemesis.
SERGIO LIONE: You ninny! Cut me down! This isn’t funny! What are these, Spider webs?
Francis’ chuckle turns ever darker as he pets his Mogwai.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Aha, the ace-in-the-hole, Sergio. We spent weeks trying to perfect the ultimate giant spider genetic combination, only to fail each time. But nottttttttt anyyyy lonngggggerrr!
Francis’ sing-song taunt is slowly drowned out by a creepy hiss. Behind Francis, the shadow of a giant spider looms. Francis’ smirk turns wicked, he doesn’t even need to turn to look. He’d rather watch Sergio’s reaction turn to horror. Francis pets his mogwai.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Do you hear it? It’s coming for you, Sergio. It’s going to get you!
The catapult spring-loads itself to the ready. The shadow of the spider grows larger against the wall. Francis blinks a moment as a realization dawns on him.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Oh crap, I’m in its way!
Francis hurries down the hallway just as the hulking form of the spider nears. he calls back to Sergio in a frantic hurry.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Farewell, old friend! I WON'T Miss you! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! GAME: Cuppola.
Francis' voice trails off as he disappears, leaving the Giant Spider to enter Sergio's field of vision looking terrifying, and hungry...
His is a stroll down the light grey cement hallway with numbered corridors. He ends up at a sort of crosswalk and looks down one direction and shrugs with a been there/done that nonchalance, uninterested in once more seeing the receiving area of the Pure Arena. The opposite direction, however offers something a man like Sergio finds difficult to refuse.
Mystery.
It’s a darkened hallway, lit in darkness and somber blue light, and one that looks less used than all the others.
His trailblazing sense of adventure kicks in as takes the hallway seemingly less traveled, he is the man who directed A Fistful of Rupees after all (only one of the biggest, most ambitious Bollywood Westerns ever conceived, look it up.)
Cigar smoke plumes over his shoulder into the camera as Sergio walks with the ease of a man with no known predators, and completely ineffective enemies. Leisurely he rounds a corner and is aghast at finding himself stuck in mid air amongst strands of thick, silky gossamer-like threading. Sergio groans in a sudden fit of futile struggle!
SERGIO LIONE: What is this?!
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Twinkle… Twinkle… little FLY…
The ominous laughter of Francis Ford Cuppola echoes down the hallway causing Sergio to struggle more furiously in an attempt to see the maker of the voice. The straight-ahead hallway has another hallway turnoff just ahead, and Sergio’s eyes narrow as Francis’ shadow looms cinematically on the wall in the dim bluish fluorescent light several feet in front of him coming down that hallway.
SERGIO LIONE: You psycho, what do you think you’re doing, what is this?!
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: You thought you had won, didn’t you? You thought you had crippled the courage of Cuppola? Think again!
The chuckle of a potentially unhinged man, then the creek and lurch of Francis’ large, unwieldy catapult, (which, as previously discussed, is more of a giant mace,) rolls into the center of the hallway. Sergio sucks in breath and watches the spring-loaded killing machine roll towards him.
SERGIO LIONE: FRANCIS!!! STOP THIS MADNESS!
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Mad?
The smirking appearance of Francis is enough to chill Sergio’s blood. Francis steps into the center of the hallway behind the catapult cradling one of his, apparently many, Mogwai in one arm and petting it like it were a cat; he’s now a Bond villain if you hadn’t noticed.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: I’m not mad, Sergio. I’m getting even.
Another deranged little chuckle before Francis proudly presents the creature in his arm.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Do you like my Mogwai, Sergio? This is…
Francis thinks about it.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: I don’t know which one this is, but it’s a fine Mogwai, to be sure, and the best part about it is it knows only one song to whistle: YOUR DOOM! Hahahahahahaha!
The catapult rolls dangerously close to Sergio as the Mogwai begins to whistle the unmistakable tune of Megadeth’s Symphony of Destruction. The catapult is angling towards fixing Sergio immediately in its line-of-sight to get smashed. Sergio struggles terribly in the spider web to no avail. Francis turns his head at Sergio in mock pity.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Poor little fly. There is no escape, Sergio. When last we met, I was unprepared! But, GOOD NEWS! I found my happy thought: Your demise, which is now impending... and... definite! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHOHOHOHAHAHAHAH!
Without warning the Catapult lets loose a warning shot of a SMASH. The end of the catapult, as mentioned, is a dangerous-looking mace. It annihilates the cement floor directly in front of Sergio. The poor man whose cigar droops from his lips still smoking gapes in terror.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Such a pity, Sergio, in your fear you have appeared to soil yourself! HAHAHAH! And you should be afraid! For you see, my friend, all of my plans have come together quite fortuitously. My catapult now functions and is safely remote-controlled from my R&D man, Professor Scopes. Your destruction is assured! It’s singular purpose will now be fulfilled, Sergio. I have spent several long weeks studying in killing you, as you can see, all while you have ineffectively attempted to undermine and deride me. YOU FAILED! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Francis strokes his Mogwai’s head in his laughter and stares blankly at Sergio. Sergio, strung up in the spider web, struggles before glaring at his nemesis.
SERGIO LIONE: You ninny! Cut me down! This isn’t funny! What are these, Spider webs?
Francis’ chuckle turns ever darker as he pets his Mogwai.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Aha, the ace-in-the-hole, Sergio. We spent weeks trying to perfect the ultimate giant spider genetic combination, only to fail each time. But nottttttttt anyyyy lonngggggerrr!
Francis’ sing-song taunt is slowly drowned out by a creepy hiss. Behind Francis, the shadow of a giant spider looms. Francis’ smirk turns wicked, he doesn’t even need to turn to look. He’d rather watch Sergio’s reaction turn to horror. Francis pets his mogwai.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Do you hear it? It’s coming for you, Sergio. It’s going to get you!
The catapult spring-loads itself to the ready. The shadow of the spider grows larger against the wall. Francis blinks a moment as a realization dawns on him.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Oh crap, I’m in its way!
Francis hurries down the hallway just as the hulking form of the spider nears. he calls back to Sergio in a frantic hurry.
FRANCIS FORD CUPPOLA: Farewell, old friend! I WON'T Miss you! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! GAME: Cuppola.
Francis' voice trails off as he disappears, leaving the Giant Spider to enter Sergio's field of vision looking terrifying, and hungry...
Singles Match
-Titans of the Midway Championship-
(In the Midway, there are no rules.)
Nova Wonder versus Johnny Raike(c)
PERCY: What a night, and we still have two more matches to go for our two top championships!
CAT: That's right, it's Midway time!
PERCY: Damn right. We've got cameras already set up outside, so let's go see what's happening.
The camera switches to outside the building into the park, where a mass of people are standing around all the different attractions that are on the Midway. Suddenly, A digital-sounding tune begins to play over the PA system. It repeats, a feint, exciting sounding music slowly building into a crescendo hidden beneath the notes of that tune. Suddenly, the music delves into an exciting guitar riff, leaving the fans confused. They are even more confused when a rose is thrown from on top of one of the metal awnings from a stand on the midway - the red rose hitting the ground.
CAT: What in the hell is this?
PERCY: That's Calvin Harris on top of the awning! But... what's he doing there? He has a match tonight!
CAT: And what is he wearing?
A particularly grumpy looking Calvin is wearing a black tuxedo and top hat with red lining blowing in the breeze behind him. He has a white mask on over his eyes and white gloves on over his hands. His long hair is tied into a sporty man bun beneath the hat. Suddenly, it begins to make more sense when that guitar riff gets more heavy and the lyrics begin to play.
Nova appears on the midway in a Sailor Moon cosplay uniform, her long blonde and blue hair pulled into buns on top with flowing pigtails that hang down. She has made a few alterations to her gear, the blue skirt a bit high, exposing her black short shorts beneath with each step. White gloves with red elbow supports cover most of her tattooed arms, and a large red bow secures the blue minicape behind her. Her red boots are flat, unlike Usagi's heeled ones, marking the only noticeable difference. In her hand is a moon rod, a few yellow glowsticks attached to the actual moon device of it, accentuated by the evening night sky as she draws a circle around herself with it.
She jogs down the midway, twirling her moon rod around her gloved fingers. The sticks give it a pinwheel effect to the naked eye. Getting to the mark, she poses with her rod while Calvin lets himself down, cantankerously, in the distance.
Nova takes Sailor Moon's battle stance, her arms crossing before her while her ring and middle finger bent in. As the music dies down, she stared down the midway towards where Raike would be coming from. She doesn't have to wait long, as the kissing booth staff begin to stream from out of the attraction. They take up positions by the side door as "Long Johns" begins to play. The door bursts open, and out steps Johnny Raike, wearing a sleeveless denim jacket, hs green skirt, and larger than unusual knee pads, his trademark thumb tack bat resting on his shoulder. The staff rain glitter confetti down over Raike, who looks chipper despite the earlier tag match. He sticks his tongue out at Nova as A-Ref collects the Titan of the Midway belt, and signals the match to begin. Nova crinkles her nose at Johnny Raike's gesture, and points a finger directly at him.
NOVA WONDER: In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!
Johnny stares across at the woman blankly as the fans cheer, before shrugging before making his way towards her with bat in hand.
PERCY: Here we go, Titans of the Midway championship match, and I'm betting this will get crazy.
CAT: Raike and Nova, certainly not fans of one another. Here's hoping they take it out on each other.
Raike brings the bat up quickly, but Nova ducks a swing and hits a shoulder tackle to send him staggering back, followed up with a jab to the throat. A flurry of slaps pushes Johnny back, and Nova eschews technique for efficiency and shoves him hard into the side of the kissing booth, then fires in a series of chops. Johnny steps to Nova, but she tags him one to the jaw and pushes him into the building again.
CAT: Raike doesn't seem to have recovered from tag team turmoil, and Nova is taking full advantage.
PERCY: She certainly is, and Raike doesn't seem to have an answer.
Raike swings the bat again, but Nova just leans back and delivers a stiff kick to the hip of Raike. Johnny stumbles away, trying to put distance between him ad Nova, but the Diminutive Dragon Slayer follows, landing more kicks to the back of Raike and sending him scrambling across the midway. Nova charges in and vaults off Johnny's shoulders to bring Raike down with a rolling cutter.
CAT: Wondergirl is all over Raike tonight. It's like he doesn't want to keep his title.
PERCY: He's taking a hell of a pounding so far, Nova going for a pin!
1...
2...
Kickout!
Nova wastes no time contesting the count, instead grabbing the whiffle ball bat from Johnny's uncontesting hands and slamming the bottom of it hard into Raike's midsection, forcing the breath from his body. Raike rolls onto his hands and knees and begins painfully to crawl away, but Nova is right there, slamming shots to the back. Raike roars in pain and annoyance, pushing himself back up to his knees, continuing to crawl now even as more shots to the back are forthcoming. Nova Wonder pulls the bat back over her head as far as it will go, tip touching asphalt, and powers in a huge swing, but Raike rolls away, lines up a shot, and fires a heel right into Wondergirl's knee, sending her into a hard kneel on the asphalt in front of the deep fried turkey legs.
PERCY: Nova taken down by the force of that kick, but not before drawing first blood. Raike maybe looking to take the legs out of Nova, try to ground her before she can start up with any flying.
CAT: Maybe, but good luck keeping Wondergirl down.
The Beautiful Nightmare kips to his feet, bounces, and comes slamming down with a stomp to Nova's wrist, forcing her to drop the bat. Raike kicks it up to himself, catches it with a yell of 'Mine!' and levels an almost decapitating blow, Nova able to catch much of the force with her hands. All the same she slumps to the ground while Johnny leans back against the Turkey Vendor, biding his time and calling for a leg to restore his strength. As Nova begins to stir Johnny bops her on the head with the leg, drops it to grab her by the arm and haul her up, before transitioning smoothly into an Irish Whip, sending the women into the kissing booth. Wonder deftly stops herself before hitting the back wall, but is assisted in the last few feet by a shoulder tackle from Raike. The corrugated metal walls resound with a thud, and before Nova can fall Johnny clinches her around the waist with the bat, pivots, and belly-to-back suplexes Wonder Girl into the stools of the kissing booth!
PERCY: Good lord, Raike digging those tacks into Nova's stomach while sending her hard into those stools!
CAT: That's not how that move is supposed to be done! I thought Raike prided himself on his technique.
PERCY: His technique of the moment seems to be doing him just fine, and it looks like he's not done yet.
Raike looks up above him to a shelf over loaded with boxes, then down at Nova. He pulls her over a bit, reaches up, and pulls the middle box out, causing an avalanche of boxes to bury Nova. Johnny looks at A-Ref and tells him to start counting.
PERCY: Raike can't get to her under all those boxes, looks like he's trying for the count out.
CAT: Cowards way out if you ask me. Pin her or go home, Johnny.
A-Ref seem reluctant to start he count, but does after a moments hesitation. There are no signs of life at five, but at seven, some of the boxes begin to shift. Raike looks annoyed as A-Ref counts eight, jumping up on the counter with an elbow drop to the middle of the pile of boxes, just as Nova pops out the other side at the count of nine!
PERCY: Nova out of harms way as Raike takes himself out! Can she capitalize?
CAT: I don't think so, those boxes are keeping Johnny from having his shoulders dow- Wait, what is she doing?!
Wondergirl herself now jumps to counter and is off again almost before she can land, nailing a perfect Moonsault! The assembled Midway crowd lets out a huge cheer and a 'Holy shit!' chant as both competitors lay among the rubble. A-Ref begins a check of both competitors, making sure they're both still breathing and in one piece, before starting a clearly reluctant double count. Ref makes it to six as Nova slides off the boxes to her feet, Johnny sliding to the opposite side. Wondergirl is once more to the counter quick as a hiccup, but finds her flash kick countered by a cash register to the midsection.
PERCY: Nova Wonder eating register, and I think we can safely call that no sale!
CAT: That was....just die in a fire.
The Diminutive Dragon Slayer lands on her feet, bent over in pain and surprise, takes a knee to the jaw to stand her up, the finds herself tumbling ass over elbows over the Kissing Booth counter thanks to a Raike superkick. The Thigh High Thriller takes a moment to find his bat, before vaulting over the counter to follow up on his attack. Nova has brought herself to a crawl, and screams in pain as the sharp points of thumb tacks cut into her back, but she doesn't go down, continuing to crawl toward an old time photo booth. Raike lays another shot across her back, bending her, but not stopping her momentum. If anything the pain propels her forward faster, ducking into the booth a moment before a bat shot. The Sissyboy Savior follows, only to be blinded by an armful of coats. Nova is quick to take advantage with a low blow, bringing Johnny bellowing to his knees.
CAT: Wear all the skirts you want, Johnny still has that little weakness.
PERCY: It's legal and good strategy, stopping Raike from using that bat and evening up the playing field. Hard to give an edge to either so far.
Nova gets in close to the brought low Johnny, grabs him by the left arm and plants a foot in his face, bringing him further down with a jaw jacking Come As You Are. Raike collapses into the costume chest as Nova poses above him for a photo. A prop revolver adds weight to a series of right hands, opening up a bleeding gash on Johnny's face. Raike is unable to answer, lying dazed as Nova pulls a large, gaudy necklace from the prop bin, and smirks, dumps Johnny and the costumes to the ground, and slaps on a tight choke with the necklace.
CAT: Look, Nova is helping Johnny accessorize! What a gracious winner!
PERCY: She hasn't won!
CAT: It's inevitable. Raike's bleeding and now not breathing. New champ.
A-Ref gets close to the battling duo, asking Johnny if he can continue, if he wants to give up. Raike wastes no words on reply, still clawing to get the necklace off his windpipe. The hold is tight though, and Raike can't get any air. Changing tactics, Johnny rolls his weight back and gets his legs over his head, surprising Nova with a pinning predicament.
1...
2...
Kickout!
Nova lets go of the choke to push Raike of his balance, escaping with a near fall. Johnny rolls away from Nova and toward the prop bucket as Nova regains her feet and wraps the necklace around her fist. The American Wet Dream pulls out a prop rifle and holds it by the barrel, over his shoulder like a batter awaiting the first pitch. He yells for Nova to bring it ad both charge, each rearing back for extra power when Johnny drops the gun to instead throw a thunderous Yakuza kick, snapping Wondergirl's head back and sending her blind-stumbling out onto the Midway.
PERCY: Raike fakes Nova into that Yakuza, and that has got to rattle the molars!
CAT: You can't pretend you're going to butt-club someone to death and then throw a kick! How's that fair?
Johnny follows after, throwing chops to the back to keep her moving forward. They move toward the Midway games, Raike stopping to rip a whack-a-mole paddle from the machine, then tear the padding off. He uses the padding to mop the blood off his face before turning back to Nova and delivering a double axe handle to the middle of the back. The extra weight and hard point of the handle drop her to her knees, a position Raike uses to hook the arms and propel Nova up and over in a Tiger Suplex! Raike holds the bridge for a pin attempt.
1...
2...
Kickout!
PERCY: Wondergirl takes a Tiger Suplex to the Midway asphalt, as unyeilding a substance to be thrown to, and she kicks out! She wants that Titans of the Midway championship!
CAT: And she'll take it. Raike will drop his guard and Nova will take him out, just watch.
Raike gives A-Ref a skeptical look, but keeps control, bringing Nova up to her feet. He clinches on a cravat, walking Nova toward the Test of Strength, releasing the hold and Russian leg sweeping Wondergirl to the ground. Raike begins barking, inviting the people to step right up and witness this amazing feat, watch and be astounded. The Panty Wearing Panty Dropper seizes Nova's leg, measures, and falls back with a Knee-DT, slamming down on he target. The weight moves up quick, but peters out at six-hundred, missing th bell. Johnny responds with mock outrage and disbelief, before grabbing up the padded hammer and positioning The Diminutive Dragon Slayer's ankle on he middle of the target. Raike gathers his power and swings a graceful overhead swing, perfectly aimed, barely missing Nova's ankle as she pulls away. The bell dings, but Johnny doesn't notice, trying for another overhand swing to crush his enemy. Nova dodges the slow, powerful swing, steps inside of Raike's guard, and delivers a huge kick to the chest, followed by another, and a third. Raike is thrown, and Nova uses the moment to deliver a closed fist punch to the gash on Johnny's head.
PERCY: Raike getting a little too caught up on that hammer, only able to see Nova as the proverbial nail.
CAT: Yeah, and now that nail is making him see red, literally.
Johnny throws out a half-blind claw, catching Nova and halting her attack for a moment. He staggers away, back toward the Kissing Booth, completely unsuspecting of the baseball that lands between his shoulder blades, screaming in pain. The second one misses, but the third bounces off his shoulder, and Raike all but scrambles on all fours into the door to his apartment. A forth ball shatters the glass of the window, and Nova follows close behind, not wanting to lose Johnny. Swelling to Wondergirl's face lends her an even more ominous look than usual, and the PAW camera's hurry to follow her up the stairs.
CAT: Look at that coward, running to his house when he starts losing.
PERCY: Can't imagine Johnny Raike is over the moon to bring Nova Wonder into his personal space, but getting some space seems like a good idea.
Nova opens the door at the top of the stairs and immediately dodges back, expecting a sucker punch. None is forthcoming, and Nova enters the room, scanning for Raike. She cautiously moves, listening and alert, but is thrown off by a blow-drier thrown by Raike. A cascade of other bathroom items follows, lots of shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. Raike finishes by grabbing up a framed picture of PKA and slamming it over Nova's head, shattering the glass and drawing blood from Wondergirl. Johnny pauses to mouth sorry to the photo and gives it a little kiss, before delivering a knuckle to the back of Nova's head; immediately shaking his hand in pain afterward. Raike pulls Nova up and whips her into a cabinet with a solid thud. Johnny moves to the kitchen and finds an empty beer bottle, coming back into living area with bad intentions. Nova, meanwhile, has found glass of her own, and she takes Raike by surprise with a golf swing from his own bong!
PERCY: Raike's favorite bong! He's had that with him in a hundred promos!
CAT: Maybe now they'll get good.
Johnny careens away from the shot, bouncing off the walls of the bedroom hallway, leaving stains of blood, blood which is pouring from Raike's chin. Nova follows, clutching the now jagged stem of the bong in her hand and enters into the bedroom just a moment after, not much slowed by Johnny trying to slam the door. The room is furnished with a moderate sized vanity, canopy bed, ana set of oak dressers. Raike throws himself across the bed to put space between himself and Nova, then comes up, hard breathing, with a paddle held defensively in front of his chest.
CAT: Where did he get- don't wanna know
PERCY: Probably smart.
Johnny starts moving around the bed, moving to meet Wondergirl as she advances. Nova throws the stem at Johnny, who blocks but is left wide open for Nova to jump from the bed and nail Johnny with a Nebula Collision. The force of the blow rolls her away from Raike an it takes a second for her to make the cover.
1...
2...
Thre-Kickout!
PERCY: From somewhere deep inside, Raike pulls himself out of the fire. Nova can't believe it!
CAT: She shouldn't believe it; A-Ref likes Johnny, he's not counting fair.
Johnny lies, bleeding like a stuck pig, recumbent on the floor of his bed room while Nova gives A-Ref an earful about counting and cadence. After a moment she gives up and returns to the fight, pulling Raike into a double-leg Muta stretch. A-Ref is there to check for a submission, but Johnny just yells, hands clawing at the bed. Nova cranks back hard, ignoring the blood in her eyes as she tries to get Raike to submit. Johnny tries for the bed again, getting a hand on the sheets and pulling himself up, slowly and with obvious pain. With the added leverage Johnny pushes backward, ruining the balance of the move and finally escaping. Nova smoothly rolls with the move, but finds herself a little shaky as she stands to face Raike again. Seeing a chance she runs forward for a Shining Wizard, but Raike ducks and Nova lands on the bed. Nova uses the springiness of the bed to pop up and launch a flying cross body, but Raike just lets himself roll to the floor. Nova rolls through the missed attack, and charges a rising Johnny, but Raike hits a drop toe hold, floats over while isolating Nova's arms behind her back and locks them there with a pair of fuzzy, padded, green handcuffs. Raike grabs a handful of hair and threads his fingers into it, then slams Nova Wonder's forehead hard into his carpet.
CAT: Oh, that's gotta be against the rules! How's Nova going to fight without arms?!
PERCY: It's all legal on the Midway!
Raike, after taking a moment to bask in he success of the moment with a satisfied smile, pulls Nova up by her hair and into a side headlock. Johnny leads her through the carnage that was his living room, pushes her into the wall face first, then back to the head lock. Johnny makes his way to the front door, opens it and positions in front of the door, backs up, and scores a dropkick right to center mass. The cameras don't catch Nova's fall down the stairs, but the thuds and bangs and the cracking of a banister tell the story enough. Raike, looking almost relieved, wipes the blood from his face and follows down the stairs, stepping over Nova to hook the leg. A-Ref hurries down the stairs, but refuses to start the counting, saying Nova's shoulders aren't down. Raike releases the pin and pulls Nova to the landing, before hooking the leg again.
1...
2...
Thre-Kickout!
PERCY: WHAT! She kicked out! Nova just got sent down the stairs in handcuffs, and she kicked out!
CAT: I told you Percy, that's our new champion!
Johnny sits up from the pin but then freezes, eyes wide and disbelieving. He turns to A-Ref and shows three fingers, desperate, almost pleading. A-Ref shows two, and Johnny looks like he could be knocked over by a feather, but is instead knocked into the stairs by a mule kick from Nova Wonder. Nova takes advantage of the position to roll her knees to her head, and gets her hands back in front of her body, before hobbling out the door. Raike, clutching a hand to his bleeding forehead, is quick to follow outside. Too quick, it would seem, as Nova is waiting for him pressed up against the wall, and she takes Raike unawares with handcuffs around the throat.
PERCY: Turn about is fair play, and Nova starts digging into the neck of Johnny Raike with those handcuffs.
CAT: That's it, Nova, you got him. And try not to think about what's on those cuffs!
Johnny falls to his knees under the weight, choking and gagging, once again desperately trying to get some room around the chain and get a breath. He fades even further, going all the way to the ground. A-Ref asks after Johnny but gets no reply, and he lifts Raike's arm. The American Wet Dream shows no signs of life on the first check, and the second does no better. Just before his hand drops a third time it pauses. Johnny's leg begins to shake and he slowly fights back to referee's position, getting a hand up and triggering the safety release, finally pulling free with a deep inhale of breath. A shot to the throat keeps Nova from pressing her attack, and Raike follows that up with a sloppy jawbreaker, enough to take them both down. The toll of the match is evident on both warriors as the each furiously try to recuperate.
PERCY: What more is this gonna take? Where will it end?
CAT: The kitchen sink?
Johnny slowly pulls himself up, using the outside wall for support, as Nova does the same on the other side of the door frame. He stumbles to move towards her, but she flashes her hands out like a viper, catching him right in the throat with the chain of her cuffs. Johnny recoils holding his throat once more, as she grabs him by the hair of the head and leads him away from the building, and back into the open street. She stands him up, and thrusts her foot up into his face, while using the cuffs to hook behind his head for her Come As You Are maneuver. Johnny, however, manages to roll his head so that her foot goes right onto his shoulder, and he wraps his arms around the woman, trapping her, before sending her soaring overhead in a modified T-Bone Suplex. Nova crashes awkwardly onto her shoulders and neck, and Johnny lays there for a minute trying to catch is breath, before rolling over and crawling in for the cover.
1...
2...
THRE-KICK OUT!
Johnny's head just falls, not even able to argue with A-Ref about his count. He moves to try and get back to his feet, getting a handful of Nova's hair to get her up as well. The woman is dead weight, as Johnny shakes his head, unable to keep the blood from pouring down into his eyes. He releases her long enough to wipe his brow, and then reaches back down to get hold of her again. Nova's foot comes flashing up above her head to surprise Johnny right in the face. He stumbles back warily, as she forces herself to her feet. Raike moves in for a standing side kick, but Nova catches his boot, wraps her chain around his ankle, and then yanks violently to the right. Raike yells out in pain as he rolls to the ground, his ankle bent at an unnatural angle. Nova wipes her face on her shoulder before stepping closer to pull the ankle even tighter. A-Ref drops down into position, asking Raike if he's willing to give it up. Raike shakes his head profusely 'no', blood splattering to either side of him as he does so. The fans that have dared to come closer look on as Raike claws at the pavement, the blood flowing freely, and the pain evident on his face from what Nova's doing on his ankle. Finally, Johnny's head drops to lie on his cheek, and A-Ref checks him once more. He nudges him on the shoulder, but Johnny is not moving, and in a panic he hops up and declares Nova the winner.
PERCY: Oh, I don't like this. I don't like it at all. Johnny Raike never submitted. He literally passed out from the pain and blood loss.
CAT: Either way you look at it, he couldn't continue, and so it looks like we have a new champion.
PERCY: This spells controversy!
CAT: No, what it spells is Nova Wonder, Titans of the Midway Champion!
A-Ref hands Nova her belt, and the fans around the area applaud wildly, cat calling her ruined sailor moon outfit, and cheering her own. Nova clutches the belt to her chest, closing her eyes, and whispering something, before opening them and thrusting the belt high overhead with a smile. The fans cheer even louder, and inside the arena it's nearly deafening, although a few hardcore Raike fans wipe tears from their eyes at seeing their hero in such bad shape. The scene cuts backstage.
CAT: That's right, it's Midway time!
PERCY: Damn right. We've got cameras already set up outside, so let's go see what's happening.
The camera switches to outside the building into the park, where a mass of people are standing around all the different attractions that are on the Midway. Suddenly, A digital-sounding tune begins to play over the PA system. It repeats, a feint, exciting sounding music slowly building into a crescendo hidden beneath the notes of that tune. Suddenly, the music delves into an exciting guitar riff, leaving the fans confused. They are even more confused when a rose is thrown from on top of one of the metal awnings from a stand on the midway - the red rose hitting the ground.
CAT: What in the hell is this?
PERCY: That's Calvin Harris on top of the awning! But... what's he doing there? He has a match tonight!
CAT: And what is he wearing?
A particularly grumpy looking Calvin is wearing a black tuxedo and top hat with red lining blowing in the breeze behind him. He has a white mask on over his eyes and white gloves on over his hands. His long hair is tied into a sporty man bun beneath the hat. Suddenly, it begins to make more sense when that guitar riff gets more heavy and the lyrics begin to play.
Fighting evil by moonlight!
Winning love by daylight!
Never runnin' from a real fight
she is the one named Sailor Moon!
She will never turn her back on a friend
she is always there to defend
she is the one on whom we can depend
She is the one named Sailoooor
She jogs down the midway, twirling her moon rod around her gloved fingers. The sticks give it a pinwheel effect to the naked eye. Getting to the mark, she poses with her rod while Calvin lets himself down, cantankerously, in the distance.
She is the one named Sailor Moon
She is the one named Sailor Moon
She is the one . . . Sailor Moon!
NOVA WONDER: In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!
Johnny stares across at the woman blankly as the fans cheer, before shrugging before making his way towards her with bat in hand.
PERCY: Here we go, Titans of the Midway championship match, and I'm betting this will get crazy.
CAT: Raike and Nova, certainly not fans of one another. Here's hoping they take it out on each other.
Raike brings the bat up quickly, but Nova ducks a swing and hits a shoulder tackle to send him staggering back, followed up with a jab to the throat. A flurry of slaps pushes Johnny back, and Nova eschews technique for efficiency and shoves him hard into the side of the kissing booth, then fires in a series of chops. Johnny steps to Nova, but she tags him one to the jaw and pushes him into the building again.
CAT: Raike doesn't seem to have recovered from tag team turmoil, and Nova is taking full advantage.
PERCY: She certainly is, and Raike doesn't seem to have an answer.
Raike swings the bat again, but Nova just leans back and delivers a stiff kick to the hip of Raike. Johnny stumbles away, trying to put distance between him ad Nova, but the Diminutive Dragon Slayer follows, landing more kicks to the back of Raike and sending him scrambling across the midway. Nova charges in and vaults off Johnny's shoulders to bring Raike down with a rolling cutter.
CAT: Wondergirl is all over Raike tonight. It's like he doesn't want to keep his title.
PERCY: He's taking a hell of a pounding so far, Nova going for a pin!
1...
2...
Kickout!
Nova wastes no time contesting the count, instead grabbing the whiffle ball bat from Johnny's uncontesting hands and slamming the bottom of it hard into Raike's midsection, forcing the breath from his body. Raike rolls onto his hands and knees and begins painfully to crawl away, but Nova is right there, slamming shots to the back. Raike roars in pain and annoyance, pushing himself back up to his knees, continuing to crawl now even as more shots to the back are forthcoming. Nova Wonder pulls the bat back over her head as far as it will go, tip touching asphalt, and powers in a huge swing, but Raike rolls away, lines up a shot, and fires a heel right into Wondergirl's knee, sending her into a hard kneel on the asphalt in front of the deep fried turkey legs.
PERCY: Nova taken down by the force of that kick, but not before drawing first blood. Raike maybe looking to take the legs out of Nova, try to ground her before she can start up with any flying.
CAT: Maybe, but good luck keeping Wondergirl down.
The Beautiful Nightmare kips to his feet, bounces, and comes slamming down with a stomp to Nova's wrist, forcing her to drop the bat. Raike kicks it up to himself, catches it with a yell of 'Mine!' and levels an almost decapitating blow, Nova able to catch much of the force with her hands. All the same she slumps to the ground while Johnny leans back against the Turkey Vendor, biding his time and calling for a leg to restore his strength. As Nova begins to stir Johnny bops her on the head with the leg, drops it to grab her by the arm and haul her up, before transitioning smoothly into an Irish Whip, sending the women into the kissing booth. Wonder deftly stops herself before hitting the back wall, but is assisted in the last few feet by a shoulder tackle from Raike. The corrugated metal walls resound with a thud, and before Nova can fall Johnny clinches her around the waist with the bat, pivots, and belly-to-back suplexes Wonder Girl into the stools of the kissing booth!
PERCY: Good lord, Raike digging those tacks into Nova's stomach while sending her hard into those stools!
CAT: That's not how that move is supposed to be done! I thought Raike prided himself on his technique.
PERCY: His technique of the moment seems to be doing him just fine, and it looks like he's not done yet.
Raike looks up above him to a shelf over loaded with boxes, then down at Nova. He pulls her over a bit, reaches up, and pulls the middle box out, causing an avalanche of boxes to bury Nova. Johnny looks at A-Ref and tells him to start counting.
PERCY: Raike can't get to her under all those boxes, looks like he's trying for the count out.
CAT: Cowards way out if you ask me. Pin her or go home, Johnny.
A-Ref seem reluctant to start he count, but does after a moments hesitation. There are no signs of life at five, but at seven, some of the boxes begin to shift. Raike looks annoyed as A-Ref counts eight, jumping up on the counter with an elbow drop to the middle of the pile of boxes, just as Nova pops out the other side at the count of nine!
PERCY: Nova out of harms way as Raike takes himself out! Can she capitalize?
CAT: I don't think so, those boxes are keeping Johnny from having his shoulders dow- Wait, what is she doing?!
Wondergirl herself now jumps to counter and is off again almost before she can land, nailing a perfect Moonsault! The assembled Midway crowd lets out a huge cheer and a 'Holy shit!' chant as both competitors lay among the rubble. A-Ref begins a check of both competitors, making sure they're both still breathing and in one piece, before starting a clearly reluctant double count. Ref makes it to six as Nova slides off the boxes to her feet, Johnny sliding to the opposite side. Wondergirl is once more to the counter quick as a hiccup, but finds her flash kick countered by a cash register to the midsection.
PERCY: Nova Wonder eating register, and I think we can safely call that no sale!
CAT: That was....just die in a fire.
The Diminutive Dragon Slayer lands on her feet, bent over in pain and surprise, takes a knee to the jaw to stand her up, the finds herself tumbling ass over elbows over the Kissing Booth counter thanks to a Raike superkick. The Thigh High Thriller takes a moment to find his bat, before vaulting over the counter to follow up on his attack. Nova has brought herself to a crawl, and screams in pain as the sharp points of thumb tacks cut into her back, but she doesn't go down, continuing to crawl toward an old time photo booth. Raike lays another shot across her back, bending her, but not stopping her momentum. If anything the pain propels her forward faster, ducking into the booth a moment before a bat shot. The Sissyboy Savior follows, only to be blinded by an armful of coats. Nova is quick to take advantage with a low blow, bringing Johnny bellowing to his knees.
CAT: Wear all the skirts you want, Johnny still has that little weakness.
PERCY: It's legal and good strategy, stopping Raike from using that bat and evening up the playing field. Hard to give an edge to either so far.
Nova gets in close to the brought low Johnny, grabs him by the left arm and plants a foot in his face, bringing him further down with a jaw jacking Come As You Are. Raike collapses into the costume chest as Nova poses above him for a photo. A prop revolver adds weight to a series of right hands, opening up a bleeding gash on Johnny's face. Raike is unable to answer, lying dazed as Nova pulls a large, gaudy necklace from the prop bin, and smirks, dumps Johnny and the costumes to the ground, and slaps on a tight choke with the necklace.
CAT: Look, Nova is helping Johnny accessorize! What a gracious winner!
PERCY: She hasn't won!
CAT: It's inevitable. Raike's bleeding and now not breathing. New champ.
A-Ref gets close to the battling duo, asking Johnny if he can continue, if he wants to give up. Raike wastes no words on reply, still clawing to get the necklace off his windpipe. The hold is tight though, and Raike can't get any air. Changing tactics, Johnny rolls his weight back and gets his legs over his head, surprising Nova with a pinning predicament.
1...
2...
Kickout!
Nova lets go of the choke to push Raike of his balance, escaping with a near fall. Johnny rolls away from Nova and toward the prop bucket as Nova regains her feet and wraps the necklace around her fist. The American Wet Dream pulls out a prop rifle and holds it by the barrel, over his shoulder like a batter awaiting the first pitch. He yells for Nova to bring it ad both charge, each rearing back for extra power when Johnny drops the gun to instead throw a thunderous Yakuza kick, snapping Wondergirl's head back and sending her blind-stumbling out onto the Midway.
PERCY: Raike fakes Nova into that Yakuza, and that has got to rattle the molars!
CAT: You can't pretend you're going to butt-club someone to death and then throw a kick! How's that fair?
Johnny follows after, throwing chops to the back to keep her moving forward. They move toward the Midway games, Raike stopping to rip a whack-a-mole paddle from the machine, then tear the padding off. He uses the padding to mop the blood off his face before turning back to Nova and delivering a double axe handle to the middle of the back. The extra weight and hard point of the handle drop her to her knees, a position Raike uses to hook the arms and propel Nova up and over in a Tiger Suplex! Raike holds the bridge for a pin attempt.
1...
2...
Kickout!
PERCY: Wondergirl takes a Tiger Suplex to the Midway asphalt, as unyeilding a substance to be thrown to, and she kicks out! She wants that Titans of the Midway championship!
CAT: And she'll take it. Raike will drop his guard and Nova will take him out, just watch.
Raike gives A-Ref a skeptical look, but keeps control, bringing Nova up to her feet. He clinches on a cravat, walking Nova toward the Test of Strength, releasing the hold and Russian leg sweeping Wondergirl to the ground. Raike begins barking, inviting the people to step right up and witness this amazing feat, watch and be astounded. The Panty Wearing Panty Dropper seizes Nova's leg, measures, and falls back with a Knee-DT, slamming down on he target. The weight moves up quick, but peters out at six-hundred, missing th bell. Johnny responds with mock outrage and disbelief, before grabbing up the padded hammer and positioning The Diminutive Dragon Slayer's ankle on he middle of the target. Raike gathers his power and swings a graceful overhead swing, perfectly aimed, barely missing Nova's ankle as she pulls away. The bell dings, but Johnny doesn't notice, trying for another overhand swing to crush his enemy. Nova dodges the slow, powerful swing, steps inside of Raike's guard, and delivers a huge kick to the chest, followed by another, and a third. Raike is thrown, and Nova uses the moment to deliver a closed fist punch to the gash on Johnny's head.
PERCY: Raike getting a little too caught up on that hammer, only able to see Nova as the proverbial nail.
CAT: Yeah, and now that nail is making him see red, literally.
Johnny throws out a half-blind claw, catching Nova and halting her attack for a moment. He staggers away, back toward the Kissing Booth, completely unsuspecting of the baseball that lands between his shoulder blades, screaming in pain. The second one misses, but the third bounces off his shoulder, and Raike all but scrambles on all fours into the door to his apartment. A forth ball shatters the glass of the window, and Nova follows close behind, not wanting to lose Johnny. Swelling to Wondergirl's face lends her an even more ominous look than usual, and the PAW camera's hurry to follow her up the stairs.
CAT: Look at that coward, running to his house when he starts losing.
PERCY: Can't imagine Johnny Raike is over the moon to bring Nova Wonder into his personal space, but getting some space seems like a good idea.
Nova opens the door at the top of the stairs and immediately dodges back, expecting a sucker punch. None is forthcoming, and Nova enters the room, scanning for Raike. She cautiously moves, listening and alert, but is thrown off by a blow-drier thrown by Raike. A cascade of other bathroom items follows, lots of shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. Raike finishes by grabbing up a framed picture of PKA and slamming it over Nova's head, shattering the glass and drawing blood from Wondergirl. Johnny pauses to mouth sorry to the photo and gives it a little kiss, before delivering a knuckle to the back of Nova's head; immediately shaking his hand in pain afterward. Raike pulls Nova up and whips her into a cabinet with a solid thud. Johnny moves to the kitchen and finds an empty beer bottle, coming back into living area with bad intentions. Nova, meanwhile, has found glass of her own, and she takes Raike by surprise with a golf swing from his own bong!
PERCY: Raike's favorite bong! He's had that with him in a hundred promos!
CAT: Maybe now they'll get good.
Johnny careens away from the shot, bouncing off the walls of the bedroom hallway, leaving stains of blood, blood which is pouring from Raike's chin. Nova follows, clutching the now jagged stem of the bong in her hand and enters into the bedroom just a moment after, not much slowed by Johnny trying to slam the door. The room is furnished with a moderate sized vanity, canopy bed, ana set of oak dressers. Raike throws himself across the bed to put space between himself and Nova, then comes up, hard breathing, with a paddle held defensively in front of his chest.
CAT: Where did he get- don't wanna know
PERCY: Probably smart.
Johnny starts moving around the bed, moving to meet Wondergirl as she advances. Nova throws the stem at Johnny, who blocks but is left wide open for Nova to jump from the bed and nail Johnny with a Nebula Collision. The force of the blow rolls her away from Raike an it takes a second for her to make the cover.
1...
2...
Thre-Kickout!
PERCY: From somewhere deep inside, Raike pulls himself out of the fire. Nova can't believe it!
CAT: She shouldn't believe it; A-Ref likes Johnny, he's not counting fair.
Johnny lies, bleeding like a stuck pig, recumbent on the floor of his bed room while Nova gives A-Ref an earful about counting and cadence. After a moment she gives up and returns to the fight, pulling Raike into a double-leg Muta stretch. A-Ref is there to check for a submission, but Johnny just yells, hands clawing at the bed. Nova cranks back hard, ignoring the blood in her eyes as she tries to get Raike to submit. Johnny tries for the bed again, getting a hand on the sheets and pulling himself up, slowly and with obvious pain. With the added leverage Johnny pushes backward, ruining the balance of the move and finally escaping. Nova smoothly rolls with the move, but finds herself a little shaky as she stands to face Raike again. Seeing a chance she runs forward for a Shining Wizard, but Raike ducks and Nova lands on the bed. Nova uses the springiness of the bed to pop up and launch a flying cross body, but Raike just lets himself roll to the floor. Nova rolls through the missed attack, and charges a rising Johnny, but Raike hits a drop toe hold, floats over while isolating Nova's arms behind her back and locks them there with a pair of fuzzy, padded, green handcuffs. Raike grabs a handful of hair and threads his fingers into it, then slams Nova Wonder's forehead hard into his carpet.
CAT: Oh, that's gotta be against the rules! How's Nova going to fight without arms?!
PERCY: It's all legal on the Midway!
Raike, after taking a moment to bask in he success of the moment with a satisfied smile, pulls Nova up by her hair and into a side headlock. Johnny leads her through the carnage that was his living room, pushes her into the wall face first, then back to the head lock. Johnny makes his way to the front door, opens it and positions in front of the door, backs up, and scores a dropkick right to center mass. The cameras don't catch Nova's fall down the stairs, but the thuds and bangs and the cracking of a banister tell the story enough. Raike, looking almost relieved, wipes the blood from his face and follows down the stairs, stepping over Nova to hook the leg. A-Ref hurries down the stairs, but refuses to start the counting, saying Nova's shoulders aren't down. Raike releases the pin and pulls Nova to the landing, before hooking the leg again.
1...
2...
Thre-Kickout!
PERCY: WHAT! She kicked out! Nova just got sent down the stairs in handcuffs, and she kicked out!
CAT: I told you Percy, that's our new champion!
Johnny sits up from the pin but then freezes, eyes wide and disbelieving. He turns to A-Ref and shows three fingers, desperate, almost pleading. A-Ref shows two, and Johnny looks like he could be knocked over by a feather, but is instead knocked into the stairs by a mule kick from Nova Wonder. Nova takes advantage of the position to roll her knees to her head, and gets her hands back in front of her body, before hobbling out the door. Raike, clutching a hand to his bleeding forehead, is quick to follow outside. Too quick, it would seem, as Nova is waiting for him pressed up against the wall, and she takes Raike unawares with handcuffs around the throat.
PERCY: Turn about is fair play, and Nova starts digging into the neck of Johnny Raike with those handcuffs.
CAT: That's it, Nova, you got him. And try not to think about what's on those cuffs!
Johnny falls to his knees under the weight, choking and gagging, once again desperately trying to get some room around the chain and get a breath. He fades even further, going all the way to the ground. A-Ref asks after Johnny but gets no reply, and he lifts Raike's arm. The American Wet Dream shows no signs of life on the first check, and the second does no better. Just before his hand drops a third time it pauses. Johnny's leg begins to shake and he slowly fights back to referee's position, getting a hand up and triggering the safety release, finally pulling free with a deep inhale of breath. A shot to the throat keeps Nova from pressing her attack, and Raike follows that up with a sloppy jawbreaker, enough to take them both down. The toll of the match is evident on both warriors as the each furiously try to recuperate.
PERCY: What more is this gonna take? Where will it end?
CAT: The kitchen sink?
Johnny slowly pulls himself up, using the outside wall for support, as Nova does the same on the other side of the door frame. He stumbles to move towards her, but she flashes her hands out like a viper, catching him right in the throat with the chain of her cuffs. Johnny recoils holding his throat once more, as she grabs him by the hair of the head and leads him away from the building, and back into the open street. She stands him up, and thrusts her foot up into his face, while using the cuffs to hook behind his head for her Come As You Are maneuver. Johnny, however, manages to roll his head so that her foot goes right onto his shoulder, and he wraps his arms around the woman, trapping her, before sending her soaring overhead in a modified T-Bone Suplex. Nova crashes awkwardly onto her shoulders and neck, and Johnny lays there for a minute trying to catch is breath, before rolling over and crawling in for the cover.
1...
2...
THRE-KICK OUT!
Johnny's head just falls, not even able to argue with A-Ref about his count. He moves to try and get back to his feet, getting a handful of Nova's hair to get her up as well. The woman is dead weight, as Johnny shakes his head, unable to keep the blood from pouring down into his eyes. He releases her long enough to wipe his brow, and then reaches back down to get hold of her again. Nova's foot comes flashing up above her head to surprise Johnny right in the face. He stumbles back warily, as she forces herself to her feet. Raike moves in for a standing side kick, but Nova catches his boot, wraps her chain around his ankle, and then yanks violently to the right. Raike yells out in pain as he rolls to the ground, his ankle bent at an unnatural angle. Nova wipes her face on her shoulder before stepping closer to pull the ankle even tighter. A-Ref drops down into position, asking Raike if he's willing to give it up. Raike shakes his head profusely 'no', blood splattering to either side of him as he does so. The fans that have dared to come closer look on as Raike claws at the pavement, the blood flowing freely, and the pain evident on his face from what Nova's doing on his ankle. Finally, Johnny's head drops to lie on his cheek, and A-Ref checks him once more. He nudges him on the shoulder, but Johnny is not moving, and in a panic he hops up and declares Nova the winner.
PERCY: Oh, I don't like this. I don't like it at all. Johnny Raike never submitted. He literally passed out from the pain and blood loss.
CAT: Either way you look at it, he couldn't continue, and so it looks like we have a new champion.
PERCY: This spells controversy!
CAT: No, what it spells is Nova Wonder, Titans of the Midway Champion!
A-Ref hands Nova her belt, and the fans around the area applaud wildly, cat calling her ruined sailor moon outfit, and cheering her own. Nova clutches the belt to her chest, closing her eyes, and whispering something, before opening them and thrusting the belt high overhead with a smile. The fans cheer even louder, and inside the arena it's nearly deafening, although a few hardcore Raike fans wipe tears from their eyes at seeing their hero in such bad shape. The scene cuts backstage.
Ji moves through the backstage area like a man on a mission, stopping just long enough to look down at his phone to check for any call backs or messages. Not seeing any, he huffs in worry and irritation, and starts power walking once again when he walks head long into a brick wall. Well, it might as well have been, as he looks up to see Press, already dressed for the Main Event, staring down at him. The big man raises an eyebrow at the jittery expression on the metro's face, and he swings the championship up onto his shoulder while crossing his arms over his chest.
PRESS: What's got you so rattled?
Ji, thinking he may have finally found an ally, launches into his tale.
JI: Where do I even begin! Lady Munin's gone missing, and I haven't seen her since just after the first match. Then I ran into the Enhancement Talent, and sent them searching for her, but no one's bothered to message me back. Fat lot of good that did me. Those idiots are probably getting high in the basement, or God...no...they wouldn't. Not her office again. And..and..and..
Press places a calming hand on Ji's shoulder. That, or he was bringing the man back to reality through a sharp jolt of pain. Either way, Ji seems to calm down and stops sounding like a broken record long enough for Press to speak.
PRESS: The Lady can take care of herself, Ji. She probably just stepped outside of all of this so that she can focus on what needs to happen next. We got to television two weeks from tonight, and there's a lot on her plate. Just relax, and give her a call, text her, or something.
JI: You don't understand! That's what I've been doing, and I've gotten nothing. She's never done anything like this before.
Press' eyebrows arched once again, and he considered the assistants words. Just then, a ring tech passed by, and pointed down at his watch as he did, and Press snapped out of his thoughts.
PRESS: Listen, Ji. I'm sure she's fine. I've got to go out here and do my thing, but if she's not around by the time I get back, I'll help you look for her. Deal? Good.
Without giving Ji a chance to say anything, Press turns and starts down the hallway in the direction the technician was going. The assistant shakes his head in dismay, shoulders drooping comically low, as he turns and makes his way back towards the Lady's office.
Narrowly and likely surprisingly, Sergio survived his encounter with Francis’ giant spider. Not only did he survive the encounter, but he came away with a new friend as a result. He opted to name the Spider “Herbie.”
Initially he had considered Henry, after the late-great Henry Fonda, but felt it was a bit, “on the nose.”
SERGIO: Well Francis, you have bested me on this day. The bad moon has indeed risen for me and at the very top, was your butt crack.
Sergio pats the side of the spider he’s riding atop.
SERGIO: You and I, Herbie. Now that we are on the road, we will find a way to bring Mr. Crappola to his knees. Both literally and figuratively. I think I may make him kneel on frozen peas. I saw an awful clickbait about a girl made to do that. The impressions were terrible. I wanted to poke at them.
The spider squeaks softly.
SERGIO: Sorry, I know you’re shy by nature, Herb. I’ll dispense with the cruel language. Apologies.
The spider squeaks again in response.
SERGIO: The beard? It took years to grow.
Ennio Morricone’s “Ecstasy of Gold” ramps up as the singer calls out loudly as the camera zooms out to reveal Sergio riding off into the sunset atop his new friend, Herbie the spider.
We’ll give you the option to either, A. Believe the spider is real or B. The spider is an incredible work of animatronics.
The music keeps calling out as Sergio and Herbie ride off. Sergio lights a cigar as they go.
SERGIO: You’ll see me again Francis! Never get too comfortable!
The scene fades back to ringside.
PRESS: What's got you so rattled?
Ji, thinking he may have finally found an ally, launches into his tale.
JI: Where do I even begin! Lady Munin's gone missing, and I haven't seen her since just after the first match. Then I ran into the Enhancement Talent, and sent them searching for her, but no one's bothered to message me back. Fat lot of good that did me. Those idiots are probably getting high in the basement, or God...no...they wouldn't. Not her office again. And..and..and..
Press places a calming hand on Ji's shoulder. That, or he was bringing the man back to reality through a sharp jolt of pain. Either way, Ji seems to calm down and stops sounding like a broken record long enough for Press to speak.
PRESS: The Lady can take care of herself, Ji. She probably just stepped outside of all of this so that she can focus on what needs to happen next. We got to television two weeks from tonight, and there's a lot on her plate. Just relax, and give her a call, text her, or something.
JI: You don't understand! That's what I've been doing, and I've gotten nothing. She's never done anything like this before.
Press' eyebrows arched once again, and he considered the assistants words. Just then, a ring tech passed by, and pointed down at his watch as he did, and Press snapped out of his thoughts.
PRESS: Listen, Ji. I'm sure she's fine. I've got to go out here and do my thing, but if she's not around by the time I get back, I'll help you look for her. Deal? Good.
Without giving Ji a chance to say anything, Press turns and starts down the hallway in the direction the technician was going. The assistant shakes his head in dismay, shoulders drooping comically low, as he turns and makes his way back towards the Lady's office.
MEANWHILE
Narrowly and likely surprisingly, Sergio survived his encounter with Francis’ giant spider. Not only did he survive the encounter, but he came away with a new friend as a result. He opted to name the Spider “Herbie.”
Initially he had considered Henry, after the late-great Henry Fonda, but felt it was a bit, “on the nose.”
SERGIO: Well Francis, you have bested me on this day. The bad moon has indeed risen for me and at the very top, was your butt crack.
Sergio pats the side of the spider he’s riding atop.
SERGIO: You and I, Herbie. Now that we are on the road, we will find a way to bring Mr. Crappola to his knees. Both literally and figuratively. I think I may make him kneel on frozen peas. I saw an awful clickbait about a girl made to do that. The impressions were terrible. I wanted to poke at them.
The spider squeaks softly.
SERGIO: Sorry, I know you’re shy by nature, Herb. I’ll dispense with the cruel language. Apologies.
The spider squeaks again in response.
SERGIO: The beard? It took years to grow.
Ennio Morricone’s “Ecstasy of Gold” ramps up as the singer calls out loudly as the camera zooms out to reveal Sergio riding off into the sunset atop his new friend, Herbie the spider.
We’ll give you the option to either, A. Believe the spider is real or B. The spider is an incredible work of animatronics.
The music keeps calling out as Sergio and Herbie ride off. Sergio lights a cigar as they go.
SERGIO: You’ll see me again Francis! Never get too comfortable!
The scene fades back to ringside.
{Main Event}
Singles Match
-PAW Heavyweight Championship-
Calvin Harris versus Press(c)
PERCY: What in the hell did we just witness?
CAT: I don't know, but this whole god damn show has given me one anxiety attack after another. First with that fucking bear, and now GIANT SPIDERS!?! What the hell?
PERCY: Well, maybe this springboard back to violence will help alleviate your worries, cause it's Main Event time! Calvin Harris has consistently goaded and one upped the PAW Champion, Press, in the past few shows, but you've gotta believe one on one, with no interference thanks to an electrified steel cage, Press is going to get himself some retribution!
CAT: Are you kidding me, Percival? Calvin Harris has been claiming to be the real deal from the start, and despite nay-sayers like 'YOU', he's done more than prove that he should be the next PAW Champion.
PERCY: Yeah, everything but actually become the champion.
CAT: You know...Percy, I hope you're paying attention, cause you're going to eat those words after this is over. Rhonda, take it away!
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: Ladies and Gentleman, this is your Main Event of the evening, and is an Electrified Steel Cage Match for the PAW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP! Both competitors will be locked within the structure, and then 50 watts will be run through the cage at random intervals. The only way to win is by pinfall, submission, or escaping the cage.
Bullet For My Valentine's "Your Betrayal" hits over the arena's speakers, the guitar riff kicking it all off, and the boo's coming instantaneously. Out of the curtain steps Calvin Harris, his eyes scanning the packed out house of jeering fans with a smug smirk on his lips. The boo's intensify, if that were even possible, as Calvin rolls his head around with his neck, and then looks straight ahead at the ring. The smirk never leaves his face as he stretches both arms out to either side of him, nodding as the fans poured on the hate as if it were fueling him. After a few moments he lowered his arms back down at his side and begins to slowly make his way down the ramp.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: Introducing first the challenger, from Chicago, Illinois. Weighing in at 227 pounds. Representing the Power Trio, he is the #1 Contender, The Martyr of Pro Wrestling. . . CALVIN HARRIS!
Calvin continues his confident saunter down to ringside, and if the crowd's reaction bothers him, he doesn't show it at all. He stops once he reaches the bottom of the ramp, and stares up at the steel structure around the ring, seeming to be satisfied with it's design. He steps around the cage until reaching the steps leading up to the single door entry, and he climbs up onto the ring apron, and then swings into the ring through the ropes. He grabs the cage and shakes it, knowing that in a few short minutes it would be electrified, and he cockily laughs before climbing up on the nearest corner. Again he stares at the crowd who has such venom for him, and again he throws his arms out at his sides, just taunting them for no other reason that there wasn't anything they could do about it. Finally, he drops down from the corner, and stretches along the ropes, watching the entrance where his opponent will be.
PERCY: Calvin looks more than ready for this experience, Cat, and now that this match is a reality, I think the champion may just have met his match.
CAT: You say that like it's the first time anyone's ever said it, Percy. Calvin Harris has done everything he needed to do in the past few months to undermine the champion, leave him and his partner laying, and this steel cage is the final nail in the coffin of Press' championship reign, if not his career.
PERCY: You know, Cat, everything you're saying is true, but the more you build this guy, the more I want Press to cram it down his throat.
CAT: Well then you'll be crying along with everyone else, cause Harris is going to deliver on his promises.
The lights go dim as "Strangle Hold" begins to blare across the arena, and the fans pull a complete 180, the cheers nearly drowning out the music. Red strobe-lights begin to flicker all around the ring and ramp way, and finally settle on the entry way where the silhouette of the massive Press can be seen standing in the curtain. These words can be seen clearly up on the four small screens.
As soon as the words begin the figure moves out into the lights, the PAW Heavyweight Championship dangling from his right hand, a steel chair with the words 'Press Pass' written across the seat in the other. He stares straight down at the ring, his face stoic and etched in stone. The hand holding the championship slowly rises into the air and the fans go completely berserk, while the lights suddenly come back to full.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: And his opponent, hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, and standing at 6 foot 10, and weighting in at 365 pounds, representing one half of The BombTrax, he is the PAW Heavyweight Champion, PRESS!
The Championship drops to his side and he stalks down the ramp without anymore bravado. When he reaches ringside, he tosses the chair to the floor, and hands the belt to A-Ref before climbing the steps and entering the ring. Calvin Harris rushes in to meet him, but Press doesn't give him the chance before catching with a right hand that sends him down to the mat. Harris bounces up quickly, and he's thundered back down with another right. One more time Harris comes to his feet, and this time Press takes him by the hair of the head and rushes him head long into the steel door that A-Ref is desperately trying to latch. The door flies open on impact, tangling Calvin up in the ropes, and striking A-Ref which sends him sailing into the steel guard rail at ringside, while the championship he was holding skitters across the cement floor. Calvin scrambles to get untangled as Press wades in, contempt clear upon his face. Just as Calvin gets himself unhooked, Press comes in with a double axe handle down across Calvin's shoulders which hammer through the ropes and out onto the steps. Before he can get too far, Press grabs him by the hair of the head, and rams him face first into the door jam. Calvin falls off of the steel steps down to the concrete, and the big man steps through the ropes to come out after him.
PERCY: GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY THE BELL HASN'T EVEN RUNG!
CAT: Get that cheater back into the cage!
PERCY: Who, Cat? A-Ref's still laid out on the outside! You had to know this was going to happen! Calvin has pushed Press too far in recent weeks, and he's not out here to win. He's out here to cripple the man!
CAT: He can't do that, Percy!
PERCY: Who's going to stop him?!?!
Press, now on the outside, snatches Calvin, who was almost up to his feet, by the back of the head, and launches him back first into the steel guard rail. Calvin strikes and his back arches, mouth open in pain, but he doesn't get a rest, as Press already grabs him by the wrist and propels him into the steel cage across from them. Harris strikes the cage painfully, and then stumbles out in a haze before Press thunders in with a clothesline that causes him to cut a flip and land stomach first on the concrete. The fans are near pandemonium when the champion turns to face them, and beats his chest while roaring.
CAT: Somebody put that monster back in the cage, for Christ's sake, this isn't fair!
PERCY: Was it fair when The Power Trio beat the hell out of Press? Was it fair when they cost The BombTrax their first loss in fifteen years? Was it fair that they cost them a chance to be Tag Champs?
CAT: But...but...but this is different!
Press has Calvin back up again and walks him along the outside of the cage towards the announcers area, and when the two commentators notice this, their argument is cut abruptly short. Press slams Calvin's head off the announce booth, and without ever letting him go, drags him backwards to shove him into the steel cage. The back of his head hits one of the support beams, and he cradles his noggin in pain. Press grabs him by the head, and places his head between his legs, looking out at the crowd in satisfaction, before lifting him up onto his chest, and Press Release Powerbombing him down onto the announce booth. Calvin crunches against the surface, but the reinforced table doesn't break, leaving him there to writhe in agony. Press stares down at the broken man, shaking his head 'No' as he pulls him from the surface to try again. Just when Press is about hoist Calvin up one more time, The Martyr of Wrestling drops to both knee's, and drives his forearm up into his crotch. Press leans forward holding himself in shock and pain, before toppling down beside his nemesis, who falls back into a seated position against the announce booth, still smarting from all the damage that's been done.
CAT: THE GREAT EQUALIZER!
PERCY: I wouldn't get too comfortable yet, Cat! These two are still dangerously close, and I don't want to be anywhere around when they decide to finish off our table!
After a few seconds, both Calvin and Press begin climbing towards the steel cage to help pull themselves up. Once on their feet, Press makes a grab for Calvin, but the smaller man rushes towards the announce table, leaps up onto the announce table, and then bounds back at the champion, catching him right in the jaw with a vicious right hand. The momentum knocks the back of Press's head back into the steel cage, and he crumples, as Calvin stumbles around holding his aching back, looking for a weapon.
PERCY: That was a version of Meeting Kryptonite right there, and it's got Press off his feet. Oh No! Calvin has the ring bell, and he's just lying in wait off to the side of Press.
CAT: That's right. Ring that big bastards bell!
Press is slow to get back to his feet, but as soon as he is, Calvin comes rushing in with the Ring Bell aimed directly at the big man's head. Press, however, manages to sidestep the attempt, and when Calvin turns back to face him, he's met with a back elbow that forces him to drop the bell. Press pushes Calvin up against the cage, and rares way back with his right hand. He brings the fist forward, but Calvin manages to drop under him at the last second, and Press' fist strikes the steel instead. Press recoils back, shaking his hand, and trying to rub some feeling back into it. Meanwhile, Calvin looks up above him, and begins climbing the cage from the outside.
PERCY: What the hell is Calvin doing?
CAT: He's taking this match back inside the cage where it belongs, Percy! That's what a real champion would've done from the start.
PERCY: Well Calvin is about twelve feet above us now, halfway up the structure, and Press just noticed that his prey is making an escape!
Press reaches to try and grab Calvin's foot, but The Martyr of Wrestling Kicks at him, and continues to climb. Press, seeing no alternative, grabs hold of the steel mesh, and begins to climb as well. He moves much slower because of his bulk, and once he's midway up, Calvin is already swinging his legs over the top, and climbing down to stand on the top rope. Calvin starts shaking the cage furiously, forcing Press to hold on for dear life. He abandons this train of thought after a second, realizing that it's doing no good, and then drops down the rest of the way into the ring. He turns towards the door, and makes his way over there, when Press finally reaches the top.
PERCY: A-Ref is finally back on his feet, and he's trying to get Calvin Harris to stay in the ring. Calvin is arguing with him, and WHAT THE HELL! Calvin Harris just decked A-Ref!
CAT: Lay off of him, Percy. What business does A-Ref have telling Harris 'no'.
Harris searches through A-Ref's pockets until he finds what he's looking for, and despite his battered and beaten face, he grins out at the crowd as he holds the object up for all to see.
PERCY: Oh God!
CAT: That's the power relay! OH HELL YES!
Press has made it into the ring, and is standing tentatively on the top rope, still gripping the side of the cage, when Calvin Harris slips back into the ring. Press looks over his shoulder, and yells an insult at Harris, right as The Martyr of Wrestling pushes the button. 50 Watt's of electrical current hit the steel cage, and when it reaches the PAW Champion sparks fly as he is sent soaring into the air from the jolt that just ran through his body. He crashes to the mat, gyrating and convulsing, his hands smoking from the burns now on his palms. The smell of burnt flesh fills the arena, and everyone in attendance blanches, except for the man holding the controls. Calvin Harris wears a huge shit eating grin as he tosses the controls back out to the downed referee, and moves in on his opponent.
PERCY: That modulator is supposed to cycle the electricity on and off randomly, but apparently the initial start up causes it to go off, and Press is the first to feel it's effects! What am I saying? The bell hasn't even sounded on this match!
CAT: Maybe not, but Calvin has Press right where he wants him, and that's all that really matters.
Press moves to get to his knee's, his muscles still jerking from the electrocution. Harris meets him with a soccer like kick to the midsection that sends him back over onto his back, holding his ribs. From there, The Martyr of Wrestling begins laying the boots to the champion with abandon, forcing Press into a fetal position to try and block some of the strikes. The Ref appears on the stage, and power walks down the ramp to ringside, reaching the door and closing it shut and securing it. He then calls for the bell before turning to check on his brother, who is rubbing his jaw. The cage sparks up once more with electricity, one of it's intervals starting for an undisclosed amount of time.
PERCY: The cage is back to having electricity running through it, and Calvin Harris is looking around now. Looks like he's formulating a plan.
CAT: I can only imagine what vicious thoughts are running through the challengers mind at this moment. This is going to be awesome!
Harris plunges both hands into Press' hair, and jerks him to his feet so that he can look the big man in the eye. He starts mouthing off to him, the cameras on the outside unable to pick up the words, but it's obvious by his body language that it isn't pleasant. He retains one fistful of hair while he takes the other, and slaps Press right in the face, to which the fans react with a chorus of boo's. Finally, Calvin points at the cage, and with a running go, throws Press face first into the electrified steel.
PERCY: MY GOD! Press just struck the cage head first, and he's suspended there, convulsing like crazy. The smell of burnt flesh is filling the arena, God, this makes me sick.
CAT: It smells like victory, to me, Percy! And it's everything that Calvin Harris promised us and then some!
The sparks fly as Press finally dislodges himself from the side of the cage, and stumbles down to his knee's holding his smoking face. When the camera zooms in there are burn marks upon his forehead, and a patch of hair up front has been singed away. Blood oozes out of a laceration across his nose, and he pats at the area while wincing. Harris maneuvers in behind him, grabs both of his arms and pulls them back, and then places his boot in the center of the big man's back. He grins at everyone, before pushing down hard while releasing the arms, curb stomping Press face first into the canvas. Press rolls around the canvas clutching at his face, droplets of blood leaving a trail behind him.
PERCY: Calvin is relentless, and is already back on Press, getting him to his feet. He takes him by the hair of the head, and is running him back into the steel cage...NO! WAIT! Press got his boot up! He elbows Calvin in the bread basket, and now swings at him with a clothesli-Calvin ducks....leaps up to the ropes, and delivers a springboard flying knee that catches Press right in the jaw! Press thunders to the mat, and Calvin scrambles for a cover!
On the outside, The-Ref has in his hand a stick with a giant hand on it, and he slaps the side of the cage. The fans laugh, and count along with him.
1...
2...
PERCY: THRE-KICK OUT! Press is still in this thing, but for how long. With the way this all started, I thought it would be a short night for Calvin Harris, but the challenger has completely turned things around thanks to that electrified cage, and you have to wonder if that wasn't his plan all along?
CAT: Of coarse it was, Percy. Calvin Harris provoked the champion like no one else ever has, not even Stevie Harris, and got him all worked up so that he came down here like the mindless gorilla that he is and tried to destroy the man. Shit backfired when Calvin introduced the electricity though, a feature in this match that HE asked for. It's genius!
Calvin delivers a scathing comment to The-Ref outside the ring, and then starts pulling Press up to his feet and to the center of the ring. He hooks the man around the head while taking him by his left arm, and then swiftly rockets to the right, dropping the big man to the center of the ring with a rolling neck breaker. Press cradles his already injured head and neck, and Calvin sits up, looking out at the crowd with a satisfied expression while they heap on the hate. He gets to his feet, and looks over at the cage, which at some point has returned to normal. He nods, making his way over to the nearest corner, and begins to climb up to the top rope. He stands, perched on the top turnbuckle, and holds his arms out to either side of him, before leaping off and crashing down on Press with a breathtaking frog splash. He bounces off momentarily, holding his own rib cage, but quickly scrambles back over for a cover.
1...
2...
THRE-KICK OUT! At the very last second, Press barely rolls his shoulder up, and Calvin pops up and comes to the edge of the cage where he threatens The-Ref's life if he doesn't start swinging that stick faster.
PERCY: Calvin Harris showing signs of frustration here...
CAT: He has every right to be frustrated, Percy! That idiot is slow with the count!
PERCY: I didn't see any indication of that, but anyways. Calvin has decided it's time one way or the other to gain a victory, so he's going to try and climb the cage.
Just as Calvin steps over to the side of the cage, electricity suddenly sparks across the top, indicating that it has electrified once again. The fans all jeer and laugh at him, and he steps back with his hands on his hips, eyebrows raised at their reaction. That's when he reaches down into his boots, and pulls out a pair of heavy rubber gloves, causing the capacity crowd to fall in silence. He snidely laughs as he slips them on, and then safely grabs hold of the cage, and begins his climb.
PERCY: Are you kidding me? Of all the low down, under handed, bull shi....
CAT: You forgot genius, Percival! That man right there should run for office! He could fix this country!
PERCY: God, can you imagine, folks? We'd end up in World War 3 before he was ever sworn in.
As the two announcers bicker back and forth, Calvin has made it more than halfway up the side of the cage. He reaches up to grab hold of the top, and carefully begins to lift himself up, knowing that if he touches the cage, he'll be electrocuted. Down below, Press slowly stirs, but upon seeing Calvin starting to swing a leg gingerly over the top of the cage, he pushes himself to get back to his feet. He rushes the side of the cage, and throws his boot up, delivering a big boot to the steel mesh. The whole structure lurches, and Calvin grips the top for dear life, managing to keep any part of his exposed body from touching. This doesn't help him, however, when Press uses the bottom rope as a step stool, and latches on to the ankle that is still on this side of the cage. Harris looks down at the big man and shakes his head 'no' furiously, but all Press can do is smile, his burned and battered face looking like some sort of demon from a horror movie. With a yank downwards, Calvin's thigh hits the cage, and he cries out as he violently convulses. Eventually, in order to save himself from electrocution, he pushes himself back over the edge, and comes crashing down to the mat still in agony. Press steps down from the bottom rope, but is forced to a knee, fatigue from all that's happened evident on the big man's beleaguered body.
PERCY: Well, Calvin Harris doesn't look too much like a genius now, does he?
CAT: Shut up, Percy!
Calvin manages to roll himself to the other side of the ring, and uses the ropes to help pull himself up. He still twitches from time to time, but otherwise he finds his footing. He stares across the ring at his opponent, who gets to his feet and does the same. The two men eye each other for a moment, hatred apparent in their eyes. The crowd begins a chant to go along with what everyone else in the room is thinking.
CROWD: THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME!
Neither man acknowledges the chant, but instead, they rush at one another in a flurry. Press swings hard for a clothesline, but Calvin ducks it, putting on the breaks to catch the big man with a boot when he turns around. He hooks Press around the head for a DDT, but the champion lifts up unexpectedly instead, sending Calvin up high into the air with a back body that drops him spine first to the canvas. Calvin pops back up clutching his back, more out of instinct than where-with-all, and walks right into Press' waiting arms. He lifts Calvin up into a back breaker position, but instead sits down abruptly in a side walk slam. He remains over Calvin for a pin, hooking the man's leg for good measure.
1...
2...
THRE-KICK OUT! Calvin manages to get his shoulder up, and Press rolls off of him, and gets back to his feet. He pulls Calvin up, and then hoists him up onto his shoulder. The fans come to their feet as he takes off in a sprint towards the side of the cage, but at the last second, puts on the brakes, sending Calvin like a lawn dart into the side of the steel. Fortunately for Harris, the electricity appears to be off, none-the-less the unforgiving structure has busted him wide open across the top of his head.
PERCY: Somehow Calvin Harris came out of that on his feet, but he just fell back into that corner, and he's a bloody mess! OH GOD! HERE COMES PRESS WITH A SPLASH!
CAT: CALVIN MOVED! He got out of the way! Press stumbling back now, and Calvin just spun him around, boot to the midsection....THIS IS IT!
PERCY: ART OF BETRAYAL! Calvin just hit his patented Package Pile Driver on Press, and this one is over if Calvin can somehow find the strength to cover the man.
CAT: Come on, Calvin!
Both men are laid out on the mat beaten and bloody messes, sucking in air to try and find the will to continue. As there is no count outs in this match, this goes on for quite a few seconds, but eventually it's Harris who slowly begins to roll, arm raised high into the air, until finally he limply falls over onto his stomach, his arm draped over the champion's chest.
1...
2...
THRE-NO! Press arm shoots off the mat at the last possible second, and both men lay there again for several seconds without moving. Finally Calvin pushes up to his knee's, beating his fist into the mat and shaking his head.
PERCY: These two men have put it all out there, and I don't know how they keep going, but they are.
CAT: SO you admit it! You admit that Calvin Harris deserves to be Champion!
PERCY: Cat, I admit that Calvin Harris is a tremendous competitor, and that if he leaves here tonight as Champion, I won't be surprised. But the same can be said of our current champion, and time and time again we've seen him miraculously come back from situations where we thought it was over. The only thing I know for sure, is that when this is all said and done, both of these men deserve our respect and our accolades, as this has been one hell of a ride from start to finish.
Calvin gets to his feet and starts stumbling his way towards the cage once more. Still wearing his gloves, he grabs the steel mesh, and looks up at the top before starting to climb once more. Meanwhile, Press has managed to get to a seating position, using the ropes to help hold him up. He watches as Calvin slowly makes his way up the side of the cage, before reaching up and grabbing the top rope to pull himself to his feet. He steps over and grabs Calvin by his ankle, but The Martyr of Wrestling kicks out at him, knocking his hands away, and hoisting himself up to the top. The steel is still not electrified, and upon realizing that, he lays there for a minute, before starting to swing his legs over the side. Press grabs the cage, and uses the ropes to climb halfway up, managing to grab a fist full of Calvin's hair before he can get himself completely over. He takes his other hand and grabs the top of the cage, using it to stabilize himself as he tentatively uses the steel mesh to push him up to a greater height. Calvin begins to hammer right hands down into the big man's head, each blow rocking Press' head back, but also pulling Harris further back into the interior. A loud sparking noise emits from the other side of the cage, and both men look up at each other with wide eyes right about the time that the electricity completes it's circuit, and shoots through both superstars. The men convulse wildly, Calvin laid across the top, Press hanging from the side, before both fall helplessly to the mat below. They crash awkwardly, their bodies seizing as the fans come to their feet open mouthed.
PERCY: GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY! These two might be dead. A fall from that height is bad enough, but they just had 50 Watt's run through them to boot.
CAT: I....I can't believe I'm saying this, but somebody might ought to stop this match.
PERCY: I think I agree with you.
The two men lay on the canvas for long moments, trying to regain some control over their motor functions. Finally, Press rolls over onto his stomach, and crawls for the ropes to assist him in getting to his feet. Calvin begins to stir as well, and pushes up to one knee. Press, now vertical but shaky, starts towards Calvin, but when he reaches down to grab the man, he's met with a hard forearm to his midsection. This gives him pause, but he moves in once more, only to receive another forearm to the midsection. Press abandons Calvin for a second, holding his midsection, which gives Harris a chance to get fully to his feet. He moves in on the big man, leaping up onto his back and wrapping his arms around his throat for a rear naked choke. Press struggles, moving around the ring sluggishly with fatigue and the extra weight wearing him down. Just when it looks like he is about to succumb to the hold, he grabs Calvin's legs, pulls them up on either side of his body, and runs backwards to crush the challenger against the steel cage. Luckily, the cage wasn't electrified, but that still doesn't take away from the impact, as Harris slumps down to sit on the middle rope. Press stumbles forwards to the other side of the ring, falling across the top rope to keep him up. He turns to look back at his opponent, who still sits in the same spot. Without warning, the big man charges at the propped man, rushing in for a big splash. Calvin, however, slips out of the way to avoid the impact. Press, unable to put on the brakes, throws his boot out to stop his momentum. He spins back around to face The Martyr of Wrestling, who is unaware that Press didn't collide with the steel, and rushes at Harris once more. Calvin manages to look up, just as Press throws his boot forward, damn near taking the mans head off.
PERCY: SUDDEN STOP! GOOD GOD! Calvin Harris might be unconscious!
CAT: Please, if there is a god, we've already seen two black and white clowns become Tag Team Champions. Don't let this gorilla retain!
Press, a little woozy from the sudden bursts of speed, falls to his knee's, and drapes his bulk across Harris for the cover.
1...
2...
THRE-KICK OUT! Calvin's arm thrusts into the air at the last possible second, much like Press' had earlier, and the big man rolls off of him bringing his hands up to his face in disbelief.
PERCY: Press can't believe it, and quite frankly neither can I! I was sure he had him there.
CAT: Thank God! I was almost doubting myself.
Press finally sits up, looking over at Calvin with a mixture of emotions, before getting to his feet. He stares down at the man for awhile, until he looks up with wide eyes, like a thunderbolt had just went off in his brain. He reaches down to grab Calvin by the arms, and peels the heavy rubber gloves from the man's hands before slipping them onto his own. They don't fit exactly, but they would do the job. He stalks over to the cage, which isn't electrified at this moment, and uses the ropes to aide in getting him halfway up the side. He reaches up and grips the top, and begins to haul the rest of him up there, when Calvin Harris sits up in the center of the ring. He's already moving to get to his feet when Press swings his first leg over, and is now sitting on the edge. The Martyr of Wrestling literally takes off in a sprint and leaps up to the top rope, grabbing hold of the cage for support, before trying to make a grab at Press' dangling limb. He grabs hold, managing to unsettle the big man, who grips the top of the cage with both hands. The Champion begins to kick at Harris, who bares the brunt of the attacks in order to retain his hold, but with a sudden burst of speed, Press swings the leg back while leaning forward, and slips it right over the top of the cage.
PERCY: Press has got his lower half on the other side of the cage now, and he's making his way down! Calvin better hurry if he hopes to stop him!
CAT: Come on Calvin!
Calvin grabs at the top of the cage, and springs off the top rope to come up on his stomach, and come to a seated position much like Press was. He reaches down with one hand to grab a handful of the big man's hair, while grabbing with the other hand to hook him under his massive arm. He pulls with all his might, and actually starts to force the big man back up the side of the cage towards the top. Press' free hand shoots up and snatches Harris around the throat, while he continues to hold on with dear life with the other. Calvin spits and tries to breathe, as Press squeezes with everything he has on the mans trachea. Calvin's strength begins to fade, and first he lets loose of the big man's hair, and then the other arm goes limp freeing him completely. Press gives him a shove backwards, but Calvin doesn't fall, instead grabbing the top of the cage with one hand. Unfortunately he slips to one side, and not the side that he wants to be on, and he finds himself hanging onto the top from the interior of the cage. Press, now with both hands, continues to slowly make his way down, while Calvin scrambles to get back up to the top. Suddenly, a popping sound from the other side of the ring near the power relay booms out, and Calvin looks over to see sparks flying, the current running along the cage. He's forced to release the cage, and makes a desperate leap down to the ring, landing on his feet. He whirls around to see Press hanging his body away from the cage, the rubber on the soles of his boot and the gloves that Calvin brought with him keeping him safe from the electricity.
PERCY: Are you seeing this!
CAT: No! I can't look!
Press lowers all the way to eye level with Calvin, who if looks could kill, would have murdered the PAW Heavyweight Champion at that moment. He beat his chest, and yelled into the big man's face, but Press shook his head, and put one boot down on the ground, followed by the other. Calvin kicked at the bottom rope, almost beside himself with rage, slumping to his knee's fuming.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: The winner of this match, and STILL PAW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION....PRESS!!!
The big man falls back against the announce table, allowing it to help keep him upright as every muscle in his body screams for rest. His face is still black from the electrocution, but the blood has finally started to slow. A-Ref presents him with his belt, while The Ref lifts his arm in victory. Press winces from the motion, and pulls his arm down, clutching at the belt that he had carried for so long now. He gave one final look at Calvin, who remained in the center of the ring with his head hung low, before making his way around the outside to the ramp.
PERCY: I'm going to tell you right now, the man in the ring did an outstanding job. He has nothing to be ashamed of here, and there were so many times we thought this thing was over with him the winner. But in the end, those rubber gloves backfired on him, and gave Press what he needed to take home the gold.
CAT: I just don't have the words, Percy. I thought there'd be a huge celebration in the back, fireworks, champagne. Harris has been so unstoppable, I just didn't believe he could be beaten.
PERCY: Every man has his day, and I for one hope to see these two go at it again in the near future, but right now it looks like they could do with some medical attention.
Press reaches the stage area, and doesn't even have the strength to give his usual fanfare after a huge win. He turns back around with a stumble in front of the curtain, and points out at the crowd, slapping his chest, and holds out the championship. The fans explode in cheers, until the lights suddenly go out. The big screen behind the big man lights up, and a mask appears on the screen, drawing everyone's attention.
PERCY: What the hell is this?
CAT: Do I recognize that mask?
The lights suddenly come on, and Press continues staring up at the screen, a confused look spread across his face. The crowd reacts to something, and he looks from side to side, unsure of what they are going so crazy for.
PERCY: OH MY GOD!
CAT: IS...IS THAT......
PERCY: DEUS! DEUS IS STANDING RIGHT BEHIND THE PAW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!
Press finally clues in that whatever has the crowd on edge is back in the ring, and he turns around expecting to see Calvin Harris barreling up the ramp after him. Instead, he finds a person, non-descript in their gender, wearing a solid black jump suit, and a full black mask with an almost roman design around the brow, that streak down the sides like a helmet. Press cocks his head to the side in confusion, and takes a step forward, just as Deus' hand flashes out in front to strike the champion in the face. Press drops like a sack of potatoes, and Deus lifts the black glove, adjusting it with the other hand to pull it tight. The camera zooms in, and brass knuckles can be seen along the fingers.
PERCY: Oh no.....this is a repeat of what happened nearly 10 months ago when The BombTrax first made their return to main stream wrestling in EW! They came out and attacked Deus after her championship match, and he was never seen again!
CAT: How do you know it was a he? I heard it was a her!
PERCY: EITHER WAY SHIT'S ABOUT TO GET BAD!
Deus drops down to straddle the PAW champion's chest, and with one hand cradles his head tenderly, while raising the fist with brass knuckles high above her head. The fist drops like a bomb down into Press' forehead, and continue like the pistons on an engine, until the blows go from a hard thudding sound to a wet packing sound. Blood splatters every which way, and the fists keep reigning down until finally they come to a sudden stop. Rising in one fluid motion, Deus takes a step back, and the lights drop. Screams can be heard throughout the arena, phones flashing all over the place, until as quickly as they had went out, they came back on.
PERCY: Oh God....someone get out here.
CAT: I...
At the top of the ramp, Press is sitting his famed 'Press Pass' chair, his head tilted forward for all to see. His face is nearly unrecognizable from all of the blood, and his arms hang limply at his side. Calvin Harris, who has finally exited the ring, looks up at the scene with hands on his hips, and then shrugs with a laugh, before walking beside the ramp to the back through the bottom exit. The screen flickers on behind the seated mess of flesh that is Press, and everyone's eyes are drawn to the unfolding story backstage.
CAT: I don't know, but this whole god damn show has given me one anxiety attack after another. First with that fucking bear, and now GIANT SPIDERS!?! What the hell?
PERCY: Well, maybe this springboard back to violence will help alleviate your worries, cause it's Main Event time! Calvin Harris has consistently goaded and one upped the PAW Champion, Press, in the past few shows, but you've gotta believe one on one, with no interference thanks to an electrified steel cage, Press is going to get himself some retribution!
CAT: Are you kidding me, Percival? Calvin Harris has been claiming to be the real deal from the start, and despite nay-sayers like 'YOU', he's done more than prove that he should be the next PAW Champion.
PERCY: Yeah, everything but actually become the champion.
CAT: You know...Percy, I hope you're paying attention, cause you're going to eat those words after this is over. Rhonda, take it away!
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: Ladies and Gentleman, this is your Main Event of the evening, and is an Electrified Steel Cage Match for the PAW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP! Both competitors will be locked within the structure, and then 50 watts will be run through the cage at random intervals. The only way to win is by pinfall, submission, or escaping the cage.
Bullet For My Valentine's "Your Betrayal" hits over the arena's speakers, the guitar riff kicking it all off, and the boo's coming instantaneously. Out of the curtain steps Calvin Harris, his eyes scanning the packed out house of jeering fans with a smug smirk on his lips. The boo's intensify, if that were even possible, as Calvin rolls his head around with his neck, and then looks straight ahead at the ring. The smirk never leaves his face as he stretches both arms out to either side of him, nodding as the fans poured on the hate as if it were fueling him. After a few moments he lowered his arms back down at his side and begins to slowly make his way down the ramp.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: Introducing first the challenger, from Chicago, Illinois. Weighing in at 227 pounds. Representing the Power Trio, he is the #1 Contender, The Martyr of Pro Wrestling. . . CALVIN HARRIS!
Calvin continues his confident saunter down to ringside, and if the crowd's reaction bothers him, he doesn't show it at all. He stops once he reaches the bottom of the ramp, and stares up at the steel structure around the ring, seeming to be satisfied with it's design. He steps around the cage until reaching the steps leading up to the single door entry, and he climbs up onto the ring apron, and then swings into the ring through the ropes. He grabs the cage and shakes it, knowing that in a few short minutes it would be electrified, and he cockily laughs before climbing up on the nearest corner. Again he stares at the crowd who has such venom for him, and again he throws his arms out at his sides, just taunting them for no other reason that there wasn't anything they could do about it. Finally, he drops down from the corner, and stretches along the ropes, watching the entrance where his opponent will be.
PERCY: Calvin looks more than ready for this experience, Cat, and now that this match is a reality, I think the champion may just have met his match.
CAT: You say that like it's the first time anyone's ever said it, Percy. Calvin Harris has done everything he needed to do in the past few months to undermine the champion, leave him and his partner laying, and this steel cage is the final nail in the coffin of Press' championship reign, if not his career.
PERCY: You know, Cat, everything you're saying is true, but the more you build this guy, the more I want Press to cram it down his throat.
CAT: Well then you'll be crying along with everyone else, cause Harris is going to deliver on his promises.
The lights go dim as "Strangle Hold" begins to blare across the arena, and the fans pull a complete 180, the cheers nearly drowning out the music. Red strobe-lights begin to flicker all around the ring and ramp way, and finally settle on the entry way where the silhouette of the massive Press can be seen standing in the curtain. These words can be seen clearly up on the four small screens.
WITH THIS PASS
I CAN GO ANYWHERE I DAMN WELL PLEASE!
As soon as the words begin the figure moves out into the lights, the PAW Heavyweight Championship dangling from his right hand, a steel chair with the words 'Press Pass' written across the seat in the other. He stares straight down at the ring, his face stoic and etched in stone. The hand holding the championship slowly rises into the air and the fans go completely berserk, while the lights suddenly come back to full.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: And his opponent, hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, and standing at 6 foot 10, and weighting in at 365 pounds, representing one half of The BombTrax, he is the PAW Heavyweight Champion, PRESS!
The Championship drops to his side and he stalks down the ramp without anymore bravado. When he reaches ringside, he tosses the chair to the floor, and hands the belt to A-Ref before climbing the steps and entering the ring. Calvin Harris rushes in to meet him, but Press doesn't give him the chance before catching with a right hand that sends him down to the mat. Harris bounces up quickly, and he's thundered back down with another right. One more time Harris comes to his feet, and this time Press takes him by the hair of the head and rushes him head long into the steel door that A-Ref is desperately trying to latch. The door flies open on impact, tangling Calvin up in the ropes, and striking A-Ref which sends him sailing into the steel guard rail at ringside, while the championship he was holding skitters across the cement floor. Calvin scrambles to get untangled as Press wades in, contempt clear upon his face. Just as Calvin gets himself unhooked, Press comes in with a double axe handle down across Calvin's shoulders which hammer through the ropes and out onto the steps. Before he can get too far, Press grabs him by the hair of the head, and rams him face first into the door jam. Calvin falls off of the steel steps down to the concrete, and the big man steps through the ropes to come out after him.
PERCY: GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY THE BELL HASN'T EVEN RUNG!
CAT: Get that cheater back into the cage!
PERCY: Who, Cat? A-Ref's still laid out on the outside! You had to know this was going to happen! Calvin has pushed Press too far in recent weeks, and he's not out here to win. He's out here to cripple the man!
CAT: He can't do that, Percy!
PERCY: Who's going to stop him?!?!
Press, now on the outside, snatches Calvin, who was almost up to his feet, by the back of the head, and launches him back first into the steel guard rail. Calvin strikes and his back arches, mouth open in pain, but he doesn't get a rest, as Press already grabs him by the wrist and propels him into the steel cage across from them. Harris strikes the cage painfully, and then stumbles out in a haze before Press thunders in with a clothesline that causes him to cut a flip and land stomach first on the concrete. The fans are near pandemonium when the champion turns to face them, and beats his chest while roaring.
CAT: Somebody put that monster back in the cage, for Christ's sake, this isn't fair!
PERCY: Was it fair when The Power Trio beat the hell out of Press? Was it fair when they cost The BombTrax their first loss in fifteen years? Was it fair that they cost them a chance to be Tag Champs?
CAT: But...but...but this is different!
Press has Calvin back up again and walks him along the outside of the cage towards the announcers area, and when the two commentators notice this, their argument is cut abruptly short. Press slams Calvin's head off the announce booth, and without ever letting him go, drags him backwards to shove him into the steel cage. The back of his head hits one of the support beams, and he cradles his noggin in pain. Press grabs him by the head, and places his head between his legs, looking out at the crowd in satisfaction, before lifting him up onto his chest, and Press Release Powerbombing him down onto the announce booth. Calvin crunches against the surface, but the reinforced table doesn't break, leaving him there to writhe in agony. Press stares down at the broken man, shaking his head 'No' as he pulls him from the surface to try again. Just when Press is about hoist Calvin up one more time, The Martyr of Wrestling drops to both knee's, and drives his forearm up into his crotch. Press leans forward holding himself in shock and pain, before toppling down beside his nemesis, who falls back into a seated position against the announce booth, still smarting from all the damage that's been done.
CAT: THE GREAT EQUALIZER!
PERCY: I wouldn't get too comfortable yet, Cat! These two are still dangerously close, and I don't want to be anywhere around when they decide to finish off our table!
After a few seconds, both Calvin and Press begin climbing towards the steel cage to help pull themselves up. Once on their feet, Press makes a grab for Calvin, but the smaller man rushes towards the announce table, leaps up onto the announce table, and then bounds back at the champion, catching him right in the jaw with a vicious right hand. The momentum knocks the back of Press's head back into the steel cage, and he crumples, as Calvin stumbles around holding his aching back, looking for a weapon.
PERCY: That was a version of Meeting Kryptonite right there, and it's got Press off his feet. Oh No! Calvin has the ring bell, and he's just lying in wait off to the side of Press.
CAT: That's right. Ring that big bastards bell!
Press is slow to get back to his feet, but as soon as he is, Calvin comes rushing in with the Ring Bell aimed directly at the big man's head. Press, however, manages to sidestep the attempt, and when Calvin turns back to face him, he's met with a back elbow that forces him to drop the bell. Press pushes Calvin up against the cage, and rares way back with his right hand. He brings the fist forward, but Calvin manages to drop under him at the last second, and Press' fist strikes the steel instead. Press recoils back, shaking his hand, and trying to rub some feeling back into it. Meanwhile, Calvin looks up above him, and begins climbing the cage from the outside.
PERCY: What the hell is Calvin doing?
CAT: He's taking this match back inside the cage where it belongs, Percy! That's what a real champion would've done from the start.
PERCY: Well Calvin is about twelve feet above us now, halfway up the structure, and Press just noticed that his prey is making an escape!
Press reaches to try and grab Calvin's foot, but The Martyr of Wrestling Kicks at him, and continues to climb. Press, seeing no alternative, grabs hold of the steel mesh, and begins to climb as well. He moves much slower because of his bulk, and once he's midway up, Calvin is already swinging his legs over the top, and climbing down to stand on the top rope. Calvin starts shaking the cage furiously, forcing Press to hold on for dear life. He abandons this train of thought after a second, realizing that it's doing no good, and then drops down the rest of the way into the ring. He turns towards the door, and makes his way over there, when Press finally reaches the top.
PERCY: A-Ref is finally back on his feet, and he's trying to get Calvin Harris to stay in the ring. Calvin is arguing with him, and WHAT THE HELL! Calvin Harris just decked A-Ref!
CAT: Lay off of him, Percy. What business does A-Ref have telling Harris 'no'.
Harris searches through A-Ref's pockets until he finds what he's looking for, and despite his battered and beaten face, he grins out at the crowd as he holds the object up for all to see.
PERCY: Oh God!
CAT: That's the power relay! OH HELL YES!
Press has made it into the ring, and is standing tentatively on the top rope, still gripping the side of the cage, when Calvin Harris slips back into the ring. Press looks over his shoulder, and yells an insult at Harris, right as The Martyr of Wrestling pushes the button. 50 Watt's of electrical current hit the steel cage, and when it reaches the PAW Champion sparks fly as he is sent soaring into the air from the jolt that just ran through his body. He crashes to the mat, gyrating and convulsing, his hands smoking from the burns now on his palms. The smell of burnt flesh fills the arena, and everyone in attendance blanches, except for the man holding the controls. Calvin Harris wears a huge shit eating grin as he tosses the controls back out to the downed referee, and moves in on his opponent.
PERCY: That modulator is supposed to cycle the electricity on and off randomly, but apparently the initial start up causes it to go off, and Press is the first to feel it's effects! What am I saying? The bell hasn't even sounded on this match!
CAT: Maybe not, but Calvin has Press right where he wants him, and that's all that really matters.
Press moves to get to his knee's, his muscles still jerking from the electrocution. Harris meets him with a soccer like kick to the midsection that sends him back over onto his back, holding his ribs. From there, The Martyr of Wrestling begins laying the boots to the champion with abandon, forcing Press into a fetal position to try and block some of the strikes. The Ref appears on the stage, and power walks down the ramp to ringside, reaching the door and closing it shut and securing it. He then calls for the bell before turning to check on his brother, who is rubbing his jaw. The cage sparks up once more with electricity, one of it's intervals starting for an undisclosed amount of time.
PERCY: The cage is back to having electricity running through it, and Calvin Harris is looking around now. Looks like he's formulating a plan.
CAT: I can only imagine what vicious thoughts are running through the challengers mind at this moment. This is going to be awesome!
Harris plunges both hands into Press' hair, and jerks him to his feet so that he can look the big man in the eye. He starts mouthing off to him, the cameras on the outside unable to pick up the words, but it's obvious by his body language that it isn't pleasant. He retains one fistful of hair while he takes the other, and slaps Press right in the face, to which the fans react with a chorus of boo's. Finally, Calvin points at the cage, and with a running go, throws Press face first into the electrified steel.
PERCY: MY GOD! Press just struck the cage head first, and he's suspended there, convulsing like crazy. The smell of burnt flesh is filling the arena, God, this makes me sick.
CAT: It smells like victory, to me, Percy! And it's everything that Calvin Harris promised us and then some!
The sparks fly as Press finally dislodges himself from the side of the cage, and stumbles down to his knee's holding his smoking face. When the camera zooms in there are burn marks upon his forehead, and a patch of hair up front has been singed away. Blood oozes out of a laceration across his nose, and he pats at the area while wincing. Harris maneuvers in behind him, grabs both of his arms and pulls them back, and then places his boot in the center of the big man's back. He grins at everyone, before pushing down hard while releasing the arms, curb stomping Press face first into the canvas. Press rolls around the canvas clutching at his face, droplets of blood leaving a trail behind him.
PERCY: Calvin is relentless, and is already back on Press, getting him to his feet. He takes him by the hair of the head, and is running him back into the steel cage...NO! WAIT! Press got his boot up! He elbows Calvin in the bread basket, and now swings at him with a clothesli-Calvin ducks....leaps up to the ropes, and delivers a springboard flying knee that catches Press right in the jaw! Press thunders to the mat, and Calvin scrambles for a cover!
On the outside, The-Ref has in his hand a stick with a giant hand on it, and he slaps the side of the cage. The fans laugh, and count along with him.
1...
2...
PERCY: THRE-KICK OUT! Press is still in this thing, but for how long. With the way this all started, I thought it would be a short night for Calvin Harris, but the challenger has completely turned things around thanks to that electrified cage, and you have to wonder if that wasn't his plan all along?
CAT: Of coarse it was, Percy. Calvin Harris provoked the champion like no one else ever has, not even Stevie Harris, and got him all worked up so that he came down here like the mindless gorilla that he is and tried to destroy the man. Shit backfired when Calvin introduced the electricity though, a feature in this match that HE asked for. It's genius!
Calvin delivers a scathing comment to The-Ref outside the ring, and then starts pulling Press up to his feet and to the center of the ring. He hooks the man around the head while taking him by his left arm, and then swiftly rockets to the right, dropping the big man to the center of the ring with a rolling neck breaker. Press cradles his already injured head and neck, and Calvin sits up, looking out at the crowd with a satisfied expression while they heap on the hate. He gets to his feet, and looks over at the cage, which at some point has returned to normal. He nods, making his way over to the nearest corner, and begins to climb up to the top rope. He stands, perched on the top turnbuckle, and holds his arms out to either side of him, before leaping off and crashing down on Press with a breathtaking frog splash. He bounces off momentarily, holding his own rib cage, but quickly scrambles back over for a cover.
1...
2...
THRE-KICK OUT! At the very last second, Press barely rolls his shoulder up, and Calvin pops up and comes to the edge of the cage where he threatens The-Ref's life if he doesn't start swinging that stick faster.
PERCY: Calvin Harris showing signs of frustration here...
CAT: He has every right to be frustrated, Percy! That idiot is slow with the count!
PERCY: I didn't see any indication of that, but anyways. Calvin has decided it's time one way or the other to gain a victory, so he's going to try and climb the cage.
Just as Calvin steps over to the side of the cage, electricity suddenly sparks across the top, indicating that it has electrified once again. The fans all jeer and laugh at him, and he steps back with his hands on his hips, eyebrows raised at their reaction. That's when he reaches down into his boots, and pulls out a pair of heavy rubber gloves, causing the capacity crowd to fall in silence. He snidely laughs as he slips them on, and then safely grabs hold of the cage, and begins his climb.
PERCY: Are you kidding me? Of all the low down, under handed, bull shi....
CAT: You forgot genius, Percival! That man right there should run for office! He could fix this country!
PERCY: God, can you imagine, folks? We'd end up in World War 3 before he was ever sworn in.
As the two announcers bicker back and forth, Calvin has made it more than halfway up the side of the cage. He reaches up to grab hold of the top, and carefully begins to lift himself up, knowing that if he touches the cage, he'll be electrocuted. Down below, Press slowly stirs, but upon seeing Calvin starting to swing a leg gingerly over the top of the cage, he pushes himself to get back to his feet. He rushes the side of the cage, and throws his boot up, delivering a big boot to the steel mesh. The whole structure lurches, and Calvin grips the top for dear life, managing to keep any part of his exposed body from touching. This doesn't help him, however, when Press uses the bottom rope as a step stool, and latches on to the ankle that is still on this side of the cage. Harris looks down at the big man and shakes his head 'no' furiously, but all Press can do is smile, his burned and battered face looking like some sort of demon from a horror movie. With a yank downwards, Calvin's thigh hits the cage, and he cries out as he violently convulses. Eventually, in order to save himself from electrocution, he pushes himself back over the edge, and comes crashing down to the mat still in agony. Press steps down from the bottom rope, but is forced to a knee, fatigue from all that's happened evident on the big man's beleaguered body.
PERCY: Well, Calvin Harris doesn't look too much like a genius now, does he?
CAT: Shut up, Percy!
Calvin manages to roll himself to the other side of the ring, and uses the ropes to help pull himself up. He still twitches from time to time, but otherwise he finds his footing. He stares across the ring at his opponent, who gets to his feet and does the same. The two men eye each other for a moment, hatred apparent in their eyes. The crowd begins a chant to go along with what everyone else in the room is thinking.
CROWD: THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME!
Neither man acknowledges the chant, but instead, they rush at one another in a flurry. Press swings hard for a clothesline, but Calvin ducks it, putting on the breaks to catch the big man with a boot when he turns around. He hooks Press around the head for a DDT, but the champion lifts up unexpectedly instead, sending Calvin up high into the air with a back body that drops him spine first to the canvas. Calvin pops back up clutching his back, more out of instinct than where-with-all, and walks right into Press' waiting arms. He lifts Calvin up into a back breaker position, but instead sits down abruptly in a side walk slam. He remains over Calvin for a pin, hooking the man's leg for good measure.
1...
2...
THRE-KICK OUT! Calvin manages to get his shoulder up, and Press rolls off of him, and gets back to his feet. He pulls Calvin up, and then hoists him up onto his shoulder. The fans come to their feet as he takes off in a sprint towards the side of the cage, but at the last second, puts on the brakes, sending Calvin like a lawn dart into the side of the steel. Fortunately for Harris, the electricity appears to be off, none-the-less the unforgiving structure has busted him wide open across the top of his head.
PERCY: Somehow Calvin Harris came out of that on his feet, but he just fell back into that corner, and he's a bloody mess! OH GOD! HERE COMES PRESS WITH A SPLASH!
CAT: CALVIN MOVED! He got out of the way! Press stumbling back now, and Calvin just spun him around, boot to the midsection....THIS IS IT!
PERCY: ART OF BETRAYAL! Calvin just hit his patented Package Pile Driver on Press, and this one is over if Calvin can somehow find the strength to cover the man.
CAT: Come on, Calvin!
Both men are laid out on the mat beaten and bloody messes, sucking in air to try and find the will to continue. As there is no count outs in this match, this goes on for quite a few seconds, but eventually it's Harris who slowly begins to roll, arm raised high into the air, until finally he limply falls over onto his stomach, his arm draped over the champion's chest.
1...
2...
THRE-NO! Press arm shoots off the mat at the last possible second, and both men lay there again for several seconds without moving. Finally Calvin pushes up to his knee's, beating his fist into the mat and shaking his head.
PERCY: These two men have put it all out there, and I don't know how they keep going, but they are.
CAT: SO you admit it! You admit that Calvin Harris deserves to be Champion!
PERCY: Cat, I admit that Calvin Harris is a tremendous competitor, and that if he leaves here tonight as Champion, I won't be surprised. But the same can be said of our current champion, and time and time again we've seen him miraculously come back from situations where we thought it was over. The only thing I know for sure, is that when this is all said and done, both of these men deserve our respect and our accolades, as this has been one hell of a ride from start to finish.
Calvin gets to his feet and starts stumbling his way towards the cage once more. Still wearing his gloves, he grabs the steel mesh, and looks up at the top before starting to climb once more. Meanwhile, Press has managed to get to a seating position, using the ropes to help hold him up. He watches as Calvin slowly makes his way up the side of the cage, before reaching up and grabbing the top rope to pull himself to his feet. He steps over and grabs Calvin by his ankle, but The Martyr of Wrestling kicks out at him, knocking his hands away, and hoisting himself up to the top. The steel is still not electrified, and upon realizing that, he lays there for a minute, before starting to swing his legs over the side. Press grabs the cage, and uses the ropes to climb halfway up, managing to grab a fist full of Calvin's hair before he can get himself completely over. He takes his other hand and grabs the top of the cage, using it to stabilize himself as he tentatively uses the steel mesh to push him up to a greater height. Calvin begins to hammer right hands down into the big man's head, each blow rocking Press' head back, but also pulling Harris further back into the interior. A loud sparking noise emits from the other side of the cage, and both men look up at each other with wide eyes right about the time that the electricity completes it's circuit, and shoots through both superstars. The men convulse wildly, Calvin laid across the top, Press hanging from the side, before both fall helplessly to the mat below. They crash awkwardly, their bodies seizing as the fans come to their feet open mouthed.
PERCY: GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY! These two might be dead. A fall from that height is bad enough, but they just had 50 Watt's run through them to boot.
CAT: I....I can't believe I'm saying this, but somebody might ought to stop this match.
PERCY: I think I agree with you.
The two men lay on the canvas for long moments, trying to regain some control over their motor functions. Finally, Press rolls over onto his stomach, and crawls for the ropes to assist him in getting to his feet. Calvin begins to stir as well, and pushes up to one knee. Press, now vertical but shaky, starts towards Calvin, but when he reaches down to grab the man, he's met with a hard forearm to his midsection. This gives him pause, but he moves in once more, only to receive another forearm to the midsection. Press abandons Calvin for a second, holding his midsection, which gives Harris a chance to get fully to his feet. He moves in on the big man, leaping up onto his back and wrapping his arms around his throat for a rear naked choke. Press struggles, moving around the ring sluggishly with fatigue and the extra weight wearing him down. Just when it looks like he is about to succumb to the hold, he grabs Calvin's legs, pulls them up on either side of his body, and runs backwards to crush the challenger against the steel cage. Luckily, the cage wasn't electrified, but that still doesn't take away from the impact, as Harris slumps down to sit on the middle rope. Press stumbles forwards to the other side of the ring, falling across the top rope to keep him up. He turns to look back at his opponent, who still sits in the same spot. Without warning, the big man charges at the propped man, rushing in for a big splash. Calvin, however, slips out of the way to avoid the impact. Press, unable to put on the brakes, throws his boot out to stop his momentum. He spins back around to face The Martyr of Wrestling, who is unaware that Press didn't collide with the steel, and rushes at Harris once more. Calvin manages to look up, just as Press throws his boot forward, damn near taking the mans head off.
PERCY: SUDDEN STOP! GOOD GOD! Calvin Harris might be unconscious!
CAT: Please, if there is a god, we've already seen two black and white clowns become Tag Team Champions. Don't let this gorilla retain!
Press, a little woozy from the sudden bursts of speed, falls to his knee's, and drapes his bulk across Harris for the cover.
1...
2...
THRE-KICK OUT! Calvin's arm thrusts into the air at the last possible second, much like Press' had earlier, and the big man rolls off of him bringing his hands up to his face in disbelief.
PERCY: Press can't believe it, and quite frankly neither can I! I was sure he had him there.
CAT: Thank God! I was almost doubting myself.
Press finally sits up, looking over at Calvin with a mixture of emotions, before getting to his feet. He stares down at the man for awhile, until he looks up with wide eyes, like a thunderbolt had just went off in his brain. He reaches down to grab Calvin by the arms, and peels the heavy rubber gloves from the man's hands before slipping them onto his own. They don't fit exactly, but they would do the job. He stalks over to the cage, which isn't electrified at this moment, and uses the ropes to aide in getting him halfway up the side. He reaches up and grips the top, and begins to haul the rest of him up there, when Calvin Harris sits up in the center of the ring. He's already moving to get to his feet when Press swings his first leg over, and is now sitting on the edge. The Martyr of Wrestling literally takes off in a sprint and leaps up to the top rope, grabbing hold of the cage for support, before trying to make a grab at Press' dangling limb. He grabs hold, managing to unsettle the big man, who grips the top of the cage with both hands. The Champion begins to kick at Harris, who bares the brunt of the attacks in order to retain his hold, but with a sudden burst of speed, Press swings the leg back while leaning forward, and slips it right over the top of the cage.
PERCY: Press has got his lower half on the other side of the cage now, and he's making his way down! Calvin better hurry if he hopes to stop him!
CAT: Come on Calvin!
Calvin grabs at the top of the cage, and springs off the top rope to come up on his stomach, and come to a seated position much like Press was. He reaches down with one hand to grab a handful of the big man's hair, while grabbing with the other hand to hook him under his massive arm. He pulls with all his might, and actually starts to force the big man back up the side of the cage towards the top. Press' free hand shoots up and snatches Harris around the throat, while he continues to hold on with dear life with the other. Calvin spits and tries to breathe, as Press squeezes with everything he has on the mans trachea. Calvin's strength begins to fade, and first he lets loose of the big man's hair, and then the other arm goes limp freeing him completely. Press gives him a shove backwards, but Calvin doesn't fall, instead grabbing the top of the cage with one hand. Unfortunately he slips to one side, and not the side that he wants to be on, and he finds himself hanging onto the top from the interior of the cage. Press, now with both hands, continues to slowly make his way down, while Calvin scrambles to get back up to the top. Suddenly, a popping sound from the other side of the ring near the power relay booms out, and Calvin looks over to see sparks flying, the current running along the cage. He's forced to release the cage, and makes a desperate leap down to the ring, landing on his feet. He whirls around to see Press hanging his body away from the cage, the rubber on the soles of his boot and the gloves that Calvin brought with him keeping him safe from the electricity.
PERCY: Are you seeing this!
CAT: No! I can't look!
Press lowers all the way to eye level with Calvin, who if looks could kill, would have murdered the PAW Heavyweight Champion at that moment. He beat his chest, and yelled into the big man's face, but Press shook his head, and put one boot down on the ground, followed by the other. Calvin kicked at the bottom rope, almost beside himself with rage, slumping to his knee's fuming.
RHONDA ARMSTRONG: The winner of this match, and STILL PAW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION....PRESS!!!
The big man falls back against the announce table, allowing it to help keep him upright as every muscle in his body screams for rest. His face is still black from the electrocution, but the blood has finally started to slow. A-Ref presents him with his belt, while The Ref lifts his arm in victory. Press winces from the motion, and pulls his arm down, clutching at the belt that he had carried for so long now. He gave one final look at Calvin, who remained in the center of the ring with his head hung low, before making his way around the outside to the ramp.
PERCY: I'm going to tell you right now, the man in the ring did an outstanding job. He has nothing to be ashamed of here, and there were so many times we thought this thing was over with him the winner. But in the end, those rubber gloves backfired on him, and gave Press what he needed to take home the gold.
CAT: I just don't have the words, Percy. I thought there'd be a huge celebration in the back, fireworks, champagne. Harris has been so unstoppable, I just didn't believe he could be beaten.
PERCY: Every man has his day, and I for one hope to see these two go at it again in the near future, but right now it looks like they could do with some medical attention.
Press reaches the stage area, and doesn't even have the strength to give his usual fanfare after a huge win. He turns back around with a stumble in front of the curtain, and points out at the crowd, slapping his chest, and holds out the championship. The fans explode in cheers, until the lights suddenly go out. The big screen behind the big man lights up, and a mask appears on the screen, drawing everyone's attention.
PERCY: What the hell is this?
CAT: Do I recognize that mask?
The lights suddenly come on, and Press continues staring up at the screen, a confused look spread across his face. The crowd reacts to something, and he looks from side to side, unsure of what they are going so crazy for.
PERCY: OH MY GOD!
CAT: IS...IS THAT......
PERCY: DEUS! DEUS IS STANDING RIGHT BEHIND THE PAW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!
Press finally clues in that whatever has the crowd on edge is back in the ring, and he turns around expecting to see Calvin Harris barreling up the ramp after him. Instead, he finds a person, non-descript in their gender, wearing a solid black jump suit, and a full black mask with an almost roman design around the brow, that streak down the sides like a helmet. Press cocks his head to the side in confusion, and takes a step forward, just as Deus' hand flashes out in front to strike the champion in the face. Press drops like a sack of potatoes, and Deus lifts the black glove, adjusting it with the other hand to pull it tight. The camera zooms in, and brass knuckles can be seen along the fingers.
PERCY: Oh no.....this is a repeat of what happened nearly 10 months ago when The BombTrax first made their return to main stream wrestling in EW! They came out and attacked Deus after her championship match, and he was never seen again!
CAT: How do you know it was a he? I heard it was a her!
PERCY: EITHER WAY SHIT'S ABOUT TO GET BAD!
Deus drops down to straddle the PAW champion's chest, and with one hand cradles his head tenderly, while raising the fist with brass knuckles high above her head. The fist drops like a bomb down into Press' forehead, and continue like the pistons on an engine, until the blows go from a hard thudding sound to a wet packing sound. Blood splatters every which way, and the fists keep reigning down until finally they come to a sudden stop. Rising in one fluid motion, Deus takes a step back, and the lights drop. Screams can be heard throughout the arena, phones flashing all over the place, until as quickly as they had went out, they came back on.
PERCY: Oh God....someone get out here.
CAT: I...
At the top of the ramp, Press is sitting his famed 'Press Pass' chair, his head tilted forward for all to see. His face is nearly unrecognizable from all of the blood, and his arms hang limply at his side. Calvin Harris, who has finally exited the ring, looks up at the scene with hands on his hips, and then shrugs with a laugh, before walking beside the ramp to the back through the bottom exit. The screen flickers on behind the seated mess of flesh that is Press, and everyone's eyes are drawn to the unfolding story backstage.
The lights flicker on. Then the Lady Munin drops unceremoniously into wakefulness, and the familiarity of her high-backed office chair, the impact forceful enough to have the wheels roll backwards. As her head sags, and her eyes blink hazily open unable to focus, her first thought was how dry her mouth is. She licks her parched lips and feels like she hasn't had a drink for days. The second is a strained, wince-filled curiosity as to what to make of the slight throb in her chest, and why her hands were bound uncomfortably behind her in the chair. Her ankles, she could tell, had been tied together as well.
And then she recoils with a frightened and sharp, recollection-filled inhale.
Outside her office, muted through the heavy wooden door, Ji’s voice. She could tell he was in panic mode, his pitch and inflection darts like a nervous rabbit as he barks at someone else in conversation.
JI: *Through the office door* No, we can’t find her! …… She hasn’t been here for the entire show! …. I don’t know!
MUNIN: I’m in here.
Her head rolls awkwardly. Her voice felt hollow and limp inside her chest. Ji didn’t hear her.
JI: Well, the show’s DONE now, and my boss may as well be AWOL, so—
MUNIN: I’M IN HERE!
The mustered strength was enough to make her groan. There was a second of uncertainty before Ji burst into the office door to lay stunned eyes on her.
JI: Holy…
He calls outside the door in a burst of galvanized energy.
JI: She’s in here! Get help.
Little time is wasted as Ji crosses the room from office door to Munin’s side, his face locked in concern. Munin blinks her eyes, and watches as heads poke into her office door frame to see what Ji saw. Her brow furls as she watches stagehands and production assistants look equally concerned and immediately dip their heads right back out.
MUNIN: Wha… what happened?
Munin’s steady recovery of alertness made her aware not only of the looks she was getting from still more curious backstage workers, but also Ji, whose eyes diverts from her chest to her face with confusion and ever heightening concern. Munin struggles momentarily in her bonds.
MUNIN: What’s happened?! Am I bleeding? What is everyone staring at?
Ji shakes his head incredulously.
JI: You’re not bleeding. You’re fine. There’s… a note stapled to your chest…
MUNIN: What…?
Ji calls back to those not displaying an appropriate level of tact.
JI: Quit staring and get some help.
He looks back to Munin who tries to shift her chest forward to see what the gawking was about.
JI: It’s uh… it’s…
She could see the staple through the sheaf of paper attached to the lapel of her blouse, stapled through the fabric and sticking into her skin. Vague pain and discomfort compounded with stiffness all through her body. Ji just stares, confused by what he read, and how best to proceed with the “memo” stapled into his boss.
MUNIN: Pull it out.
Munin murmurs as she rolls her neck in awkward frustration.
JI: …what?
MUNIN: PULL IT OUT!
Ji gulps nervously and springs into action. He winced, afraid of causing undue harm, as he rips the paper from it’s staple which stuck into Munin’s chest. Ji winces again.
JI: Oop…
Ji grips the staple in his fingers and plucks it from her skin. Munin barely flinches, her eyes falling on the paper gripped in Ji’s other hand.
MUNIN: What does it say?
Ji bit his lip, one hand flicking the staple into the nearby trash receptacle, the other hand setting the sheet of paper on the desk in front of her. Munin’s eyes fall on the words as Ji looks away awkwardly.
JI: I’ll… untie you.
He set to work, shifting her slightly forward to get at her bound hands. Munin’s eyes ran and re-ran over the words with a hint of numbness as she read the words scrawled in blood on her own office memo paper:
…AND DEUS SPOKE
EMTs move into the office and take over, and Ji steps back and watches Munin eye those words. The scene fades to the PAW logo, and then to black.
