THE OUTLAW TORN
Backstage, the Metal Militia are standing in front of a camera, patently ready to deliver a message. The four members of the team appear, however, in different moods, with the two older siblings wearing stern expressions, while the two younger brothers appear more contrite. As the camera fixes on them, Hayley Robinson is seen nudging the smallest (and youngest) member of the family, Aiden Destruktor, who promptly lets out a few halting, faltering words.
“We done wanted to say that…”
This is patently not good enough for “the Raven”, who just as swiftly smacks her brother upside the head, much to the teenager’s indignation.
“OW! Hell’s bells, Raven, I’m fixin’ to GET to it!”
Destruktor pauses for a moment to rub the back of his head and shoot baleful glowers at his sister, before finally composing himself and going on to deliver the required message.
“Hey yo Angel…Mr. Morgan…Miz V…Me’n’my family done wanted to say…we’s sorry. We done wanted to say we respect y’all, an’ we ain’t want none o’ that mess the other week to end the way it did. Only reason we done gone ‘head with it is ’cause we needed the money. We needed to put food on our table. If not, we would’a stopped it. Lawd knows we sure ain’t feel GOOD about it.” Only here does the teenager halt his earnest torrent of words, leaving his brother to pick up where he left off.
“Honestly, y’all. We sure hope y’all ain’t hold that mess against us, ’cause far as we’re concerned, y’all friends. An’ if y’all wanna do it ‘gain once Miss V done healed up, y’all just say the word, y’hear?”
His piece said, Chris Brutalizer steps back, glancing at his sister for approval. While Hayley does nod at him in acknowledgment, though, Destruktor is not QUITE off the hook yet, as she once again shoots his a meaningful look.
“Got anythin’ else you wanna say?”
Destruktor hesitates for a moment, blushing slightly, before deeming it best to go for it, rather than prolong the situation any longer. He clears his throat, takes a deep breath, then finally speaks up.
“Ange…’m sorry I done lost my temper on you. I oughtn’t’a done that. I ain’t the type to hit girls, an’ even if I was, you sure ain’t deserve it.” The teenager grins sheepishly. “How ’bout I buy ya an XL bucket from KFC next time I see ya? How’s that?”
Destruktor shrugs in a manner which belies his ring name, as Hayley’s body language finally relaxes, a grin creeping across her features as she turns towards the camera.
“It’s like they said, y’all…we ain’t want no beef or no bad blood with y’all. Anytime y’all ready, come get some. ‘Till then…y’all heal up an’ take care a’ ya’selves, y’hear?” The blonde has the briefest of pauses before concluding. “In the meantime…we done got ourselves some moves to make. Let’s go, y’all.”
With that, all four members of the family (or rather, the Militia) walk out of frame, leaving viewers at home to ponder what said “moves” might be…
JOIN, OR DIE (II)
The strip lighting of an old abandoned warehouse flicker slowly into life.
Sitting in the centre of the warehouse, still wearing his ring gear, is Jerry David.
He looks thin and pale, his skin covered in goosebumps from the cold air of the unheated and windowless warehouse. His head is slumped to one side allowing him to get some rest and he remains duct taped to the throne, his mouth also taped shut.
Footsteps scuff along the dry debris of the warehouse floor.
The Jester.
The Jester gently runs his gloved hand across the cheek of Jerry David, his stubble crackling as the material of The Jester’s glove drags across his skin.
SLAP!
The Jester slaps Jerry hard. His eyes open slowly and he adjusts his neck which is clearly uncomfortable after sleeping in an awkward position.
The Jester rips the tape from Jerry’s mouth, leaving behind a deep red strip where the tape had been.
“Jerry, Jerry, Jerry…”
The Jester begins to pace around the throne.
“My liege, King Henry Eighth of England once said, ‘We are not only Prince and King, but set on such a pinnacle of dignity that we know no superior on Earth’. That could be us, Jerry. I could be the Prince to your Kingdom. Together we would know NO SUPERIOR on this Earth.
“We are the chosen two. Ready to rule this GLOBE together, hand in hand.”
The Jester stops in front of Jerry and leans into him, grasping each of his hands gently.
“You and I, Jerry, we are MEANT TO BE. Without this union, the entire Globe will fall from its axis. So I must know now, Jerry… Yes, or no?”
Jerry David spits in the face of The Jester.
The Jester closes his eyes for a moment and then he smiles.
He wipes his cheek, smudging his face paint down his cheek before standing up once more.
“Very well, Jerry. Here you shall remain, for the remainder of your days. Strapped to your throne of self-righteousness. Sitting alone, in the dark, with nobody to hear your SHIT jokes. Whilst I go out and CONQUER THE WORLD!”
The Jester does a backwards roll, landing on one knee. He lifts his head, and both hands.
“PAHHHHHHHH!” is the noise he makes.
JAZZ HANDS!
The lights go out and Jerry David is left alone once more, plunged into darkness.
JUMP IN THE FIRE
‘FRISCO, MAKE SOME NOOOOOIIISEEEE!!!’
The cue is once again emitted over the arena’s PA system ahead of the arrival of the GLOBAL World Tag Team Champions, ensuring that, by the time the two girls step through the curtain (clad, naturally, in Metallica t-shirts) the atmosphere in the stands is already electric. This is only compounded when Izzy takes up her usual air-guitaring stance off to the side, while Teagan hits her two drumsticks together before launching them into the crowd, all while counting along with Cockpit’s frontwoman on the lead-in to their driving hit “Mission to Rock”. Both members of Trouble Roxx then step in to the center of the entranceway for an “exploding” fistbump, precisely timed with an actual explosion of pyro from either side of the curtain. They then begin their march down to ringside, stopping at every possible occasion to interact with the fans in the front rows.
“Always a warm reception for our Tag Team Champions, and it’s no surprise, when these girls not only have big personalities, but have also been defending those belts every single show, against all comers!”
“There’s something to be said for keeping your promises, Lucas, and of course the fans acknowledge and appreciate that. We can only hope whoever eventually takes those titles away from Izzy and Teagan – IF anyone does – will do as good of a job as they have so far…”
As Allie does not waste an opportunity to praise the roster’s most prominent female athletes, the two women in question have finally made it into the ring, having successfully fulfilled all requests for selfies, or simply a high-five. As such, and having already procured microphones from somewhere backstage, they are quick to launch into their, by now, familiar introductory speech, which is gleefully echoed by large sections of the San Francisco crowd.
“If you don’t know who we are…”
“….you should have been paying ATTENTION!”
“WE ARE…GLOBAL Wrestling’s ONLY officially sanctioned streamers…sucks to be you, Players…” Teagan halts herself a moment to allow for the gasping, yet also delighted reaction to this seemingly offhand comment, before moving on. “…wrestling’s very own Team Rocket…the little girls in the middle of the ride…the foxes you’ve been waiting for…and YOUR! WORLD! TAG! TEAM! CHAMPIOOOONNNNSSS…!” Teagan and Izzy hold the belts up, to a massive ovation from the crowd, before the former reaches the expected conclusion. “I’m Trouble…she Roxx…and together, we’re…” The two girls come together for the outro, as usual. “…TROUBLE ROXX!!”
Another cheer is heard, as the camera briefly focuses in on a young fan holding a sign that reads “FRISCO LIKES TO ROXX”, before cutting back to Teagan Trouble’s widely grinning face as she once again brings the microphone to her lips.
“And Frisco…you know what’s up. It’s the start of the show, ya girls are out here…so you know what time it is.” The redhead turns to her partner. “Tell ’em, Iz.”
The equally smiling Izzy is happy to oblige. “It’s OPEN CHALLENGE O’CLOCK!”
The two young women once again hold their titles aloft, to the delight of the crowd, as Teagan officially issues the challenge. “So, anyone who wants a crack at our precious metal babies…get your butts out here and COME GET SOME!!”
A pregnant pause elapses, as fans and Champions alike wait to see who will answer the challenge, and the commentators find themselves forced to fill dead air.
“Trouble Roxx’s open challenge has always been answered so far…let’s see if that’s the case this—-”
Mark Deltzer’s remark is abruptly interrupted as another theme song – by Metallica, no less – explodes through the speakers, indicating the arrival of GLOBAL’s fan-favorite gaggle of proudly Southern misfits!
“THE METAL MILITIA!!! THE METAL MILITIA ARE HERE!!! TROUBLE ROXX’S CHALLENGE HAS JUST BEEN ANSWERED BY THE ONLY TEAM TO EVER DEFEAT THEM!!”
Mark Deltzer can hardly contain his enthusiasm as the four siblings – each and every one clad in a matching Megadeth “Killing is My Business” t-shirt, despite their choice of entrance theme – line up just outside the entrance curtain, with ring leader Hayley Robinson taking up the central position. The blonde has a microphone in hand, and appears ready to address the Champions in the ring, but whatever she had planned on saying is cut off by a delighted Teagan Trouble.
“I was wondering when you guys were gonna turn up!” She assesses the Robinsons’ shirts, then glances down at her and Izzy’s own. “Metallica versus Megadeth, huh? Battle of the Bay Area Big Four? I can dig it. As long as I get to be Kirk Hammett…he has the best hair…”
The Militia members chuckle right along with the Champions – and the crowd – before Hayley drops her microphone, deciding whatever needed to be said has been, and that actions speak louder than words anyway. Then, she and brother Chris Brutalizer step forward, indicating they will be the team in contention this evening – a fact Teagan and Izzy do not at all seem opposed to.
“The Robinsons making use of the Freebird rule here, and it appears little Destruktor will be cheering from the sidelines tonight…”
“That’s right, Mark. If you ask me, though, he’s perfectly fine with it. They clearly wanted to bring in Hayley’s extra experience for such an important match…plus it keeps things more evenly matched, and most importantly, keeps little Aiden from having to hit women, which we know he’s not too fond of.”
“Speaking of Hayley’s experience, did you know that girl held a title in her rookie year? At nineteen years old?” Never missing an opportunity to show off her wrestling knowledge, Allie actually manages to surprise the two men with this information. “That’s right. She was crowned the youngest ever Paradigm Champion for her very first company…too bad she rubbed some veteran talent the wrong way and had to end up leaving…”
“Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me…”
“…of course it doesn’t, Mark.”
As the announcers discuss the career of Hayley Robinson, GLOBAL head referee Barry Snider has made his way into the ring to join Trouble Roxx and the two Robinsons, making the contest official – as Deltzer points out a moment later.
“Here we go! Snider’s in the ring, and this one’s about to get under way!”
TROUBLE ROXX Vs. METAL MILITIA
TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
Before the bell, Teagan Trouble holds a fist out to Hayley Robinson, who promptly steps in and touches it with her own. “The Raven” is then seen pointing at the redhead half of the Tag Team Champions and speaking a few inaudible words, to which Teagan responds simply with a smirk and a motion to “bring it on”. “The Raven” nods, then – as the bell rings – immediately does as much, pouncing on Teagan with a series of quick punches, which drive her to the corner. Hayley promptly leaps onto the second turnbuckle and lets loose with the traditional ten-count, which the fans gleefully count along to. Surprisingly, even this early in the match, she is able to complete the sequence, her quickness having caught Teagan off-guard. Then, with her opponent dazed in the corner, Hayley runs in for a quick splash, before dropping down and pulling Teagan down into an arm drag! The redhead goes sprawling across the mat, and Raven rushes in…but gets arm-dragged herself, as Teagan is suddenly able to shake off the cobwebs long enough to deliver a counter! Hayley promptly scrambles to her feet and runs in again…only to be taken down by another arm-drag, which sends her hurtling into the far corner. It is Teagan’s turn to rush in, perhaps looking to connect with a corner strike, but “the Raven” is quicker, literally springing out of the corner to counter with yet another arm-drag, throwing Teagan ass-over-teakettle to the exact same spot Hayley herself was in moments earlier! She then connects with a running basement dropkick, pinning the redhead to the corner, before finally pausing to take a breather. As both women pull themselves to their feet, the fans applaud what was a lightning-quick sequence between two remarkably even competitors, which draws an awed remark from a clearly impressed Allie Reece.
“They are SO evenly matched…”
“A fast-paced exchange to start us off…and if this is the speed these young people intend to go at for the rest of this encounter, let’s just hope they don’t run out of gas!”
For now, there is no risk of that, as, despite the quick start, both women clearly have plenty left in their tank – as they show when they start over, with Hayley going for a kick and Teagan spinning out of the way, causing “the Raven”’s boot to connect solely with the turnbuckle, then – as Hayley turns around – does a backwards somersault, planting her with an Asai DDT!
“High Voltage DDT connecting, and Teagan Trouble is pulling out the big guns early on here…!”
“As you should, when you’re in there against somebody who’s taller than you are, just as strong as you are, just as agile as you are, and who’s already beaten you once, to boot!
“Well put, Allie. And here’s the cover!”
ONE!
TWO!
—Hayley puts her foot on the ropes!
“Teagan could have ended it early there, with just a couple of inches more towards the center of the ring…”
“…only goes to show that Trouble Roxx have more in their arsenal than meets the eye – move-wise AND strategy-wise!”
“Indeed. That may be the one advantage they have over the Metal Militia. We’ll see if it’s enough to secure the titles for them here tonight.”
As the announcers discuss the near-fall, in the ring, an impressed-looking Hayley gives Teagan time to recover, even shooting her a “well done” wink and a smirk…before immediately pouncing on her again with punches to the head, which she delivers while holding Teagan in a headlock! The redhead fights back with elbows to the stomach, and does manage to create some separation, but her attempt at a crescent kick is blocked when Hayley spins out of the way, then profits from Teagan’s now off-balance stance to throw her over the ring ropes and to the outside!
“Raven showing she brought a gameplan to this match as well…forcing Teagan into a brawling context, which she is not used to, and throwing her off her own game that way!”
“And doing it all while still fighting fair, Lucas – which is the most surprising and refreshing part of it!”
“I don’t know that it’s all flowers and rainbows, you two…remember, the last time the Metal Militia were in the ring, two weeks ago, they had no issues working over Valorie Vitality’s injured leg in order to win the match, forcing Saul Morgan to throw in the towel for his team-mate and cost them the match!”
“Yes, Mark, but if you had been paying attention backstage, you would have known just how eaten up they all are about it.”
“Yeah, right…!”
“No, seriously. They were talking about going to see Valorie and bringing her flowers. They want my girl to get well soon just as much as I, and the fans, do.”
Before Deltzer can counter again, a cry of “Oooohhhh!” from the stands brings his attention, forcibly, back to the match, where Raven has just leapt off the turnbuckle and onto Teagan on the outside with her trademark inverted Shooting Star Press!
“RAVEN’S FLIGHT TO THE FLOOR ONTO TEAGAN TROUBLE!!!”
“These ladies BOTH brought their A-game to this contest!”
“Clearly…”
As Mark Deltzer is, for once, lost for words, the crowd have at least two that they make a point of directing at the two women, in the form of a chant.
“HO-LY-[BLEEP]! HO-LY-[BLEEP]!”
“Holy [BLEEP] is right! Hayley absolutely did not have to do that, and the fact that she did only showcases how much she and her team want these tag team titles!”
“You got that right, Mark. The new and improved Players may have been Roxx’s biggest challenge to date in terms of size and strength, but the Metal Militia have the grit and the determination to make this work out for themselves which make them just as much of a threat.”
As the announcers discuss the big move, the two women – who have both been lying on the concrete floor for a long moment as a result of the stunt – slowly, gingerly make their way to their feet, as referee Barry Snider’s count passes the halfway mark. By “SIX!”, both competitors are on their feet and staggering by the apron, and by “SEVEN!”, Hayley has regained the upper hand and rolled Teagan Trouble under the ropes, re-entering herself just as Snider counts “EIGHT!” Still, as she prepares to start over, “the Raven” is just as shaken up as her opponent, if not quite as woozy, and takes another moment to steady herself before finally regaining the center of the ring.
“That right there is the downside of a move like that – it hurts your opponent, but it also takes the wind out of your sails in a big way…as Hayley Robinson has just discovered.”
Even reeling from her own move, however, the blonde is still able to run in behind Teagan and plant her with a bulldog! She then pulls herself to her feet and scales the near turnbuckle, looking for a big crossbody…
…which Teagan plucks off the air when she suddenly springs up with an uppercut!!
“WHAT?!?!”
“UPPERCUT COUNTER FROM OUT OF NOWHERE!!”
“HOW IS SHE STILL FIGHTING?!”
As all three announcers attempt to out-yell one another, Teagan is quick to seize her chance, executing her usual elbow drow and fist drop combination before leaping onto the turnbuckle and launching off with a springboard moonsault, which connects flush! Teagan hooks the leg, and Snider slides in to count!
ONE!
TWO!
…foot on the ropes by Hayley yet again!!
“I’ll tell you what…Hayley the Raven may have had the best of the early exchanges, but that makes twice now she’s saved herself by the skin of her teeth! Sooner or later, Teagan Trouble’s ring awareness is going to kick in, and her luck’s going to run out.”
As Deltzer manages to get a rare chuckle out of his broadcast partners with his good-natured jape, in the ring, Teagan starts over, pulling herself to her feet and allowing Hayley to reach a kneeling position before connecting with a leg lariat, which takes “the Raven” right back down again. Once again, Teagan allows her blonde opponent to pull herself up, only to then get behind her and trap her head under her arm yet again, this time for a rolling cutter! She hooks the leg again, and Snider drops down!
“Teagan Trouble can Feel the Energy of this crowd, and here’s the cover!”
ONE!
TWO!
TH—at was close!
“Yet another big move from the Tag Team Champion here…she knows…”
“She DOES know, Lucas. Which is why she’s taking precautions against it.”
Indeed, as the redhead starts over, she appears determined to ensure her team retain the upper hand, as she brings Hayley to her feet and Irish-whips her into the ropes, looking to connect on the rebound with the Trouble Callin’ bicycle kick; “The Raven”, however, has other ideas, ramming into her opponent with a shoulder tackle as she barrels towards the corner to tag in her brother!
“Brutalizer coming into the match here…and let’s hope he does not, well, Brutalize Teagan…”
“Unlikely, Lucas. He may not be as much of a wimp as his baby bro, but word backstage is, he’s not so fond of hitting women himself…though, judging by his actions last week, he could’a fooled me…”
“That was different, Mark…but we shall see…”
Right from the off, it appears that will not be a problem for young Chris here tonight, as he surprises Teagan with a quick bulldog, planting her on the mat face-first. Even still, he then gives her time to fully come to her feet, and appears reluctant to engage. Seeing this, the redhead directs a few playful words at him, then – faced with his continued hesitance – takes it upon herself to strike him with a leaping forearm smash, which sends him tumbling back.
“I think that was Teagan giving young Chris permission to hit her back!”
And hit her back he does, a look of relief dawning on his face as he lunges forward with a headbutt, which sends Teagan reeling back. Chris rushes in with a clothesline, but Teagan drops down and – like his sister – Brutalizer finds himself flying across the ring as the result of an arm drag! He pulls himself to his feet…only to find Teagan already mid-handspring! The redhead then seeks to connect with a back elbow, but Chris dodges, landing a clubbing blow of his own to the back of Teagan’s head, and driving her face-first into the turnbuckle. The redhead whirls around quickly, but Brutalizer is faster, and already waiting with a series of knee shots to the gut, which trap Trouble in the corner. Profiting from this, Brutalizer connects with a duo of uppercuts, then Irish whips his opponent across to his team’s corner, following close behind for a big corner splash. He then tags his sister in, watching on as she connects with a splash of her own before tagging him in again. As he re-enters the ring, Hayley delivers a second splash to Teagan, then stays in place, allowing her brother to barrel onto her with one of his own, thus dogpiling the redhead Tag Team Champion!
“Teagan has just been taken to Splash Mountains One AND Two!”
“Indeed, Mark. And the Metal Militia continue to show they have done their homework VERY well ahead of this match. They must have been planning to answer this challenge for a while now…”
“…Lucky for them nobody else did this week, then…”
As the announcers continue to discuss the Militia’s preparations for the bout at hand, in the ring, Brutalizer is once again the legal man, and has Teagan trapped in the Southerners’ corner, where he continues to connect with elbow and knee strikes, the better to wear down his opponent. He throws in a couple of headbutts, then more uppercuts, before concluding by driving Teagan’s face into his knee. The redhead slumps to the mat, unresponsive, and the camera focuses on a suddenly worried Izzy Roxx, forced to watch on as the Militia isolate her partner in their corner.
Having successfully worn down his opponent, Brutalizer now brings her back up to her feet and throws her into the far set of ropes, meeting her midway with a big running crossbody, which takes her down to the mat and creates a pinning predicament for the Militia!
“Brutalizer just flattened Teagan Trouble with that crossbody, and now here’s the cover!”
ONE!
TWO!
TH—ere is still fight left in Teagan!
“Teagan Trouble is still fighting….somehow. I don’t know where these girls get all that extra resilience, but I love it!”
“That’s what makes them Champions, Allie…amongst other things, of course.”
After the nearfall, and still in control of his opponent, Brutalizer brings Teagan to her feet, planning to continue her strike-based wear-down. The redhead, however, has other ideas, and connects with a few strikes of her own, driving her knee into Brutalizer’s stomach enough times for him to release the grip; then, with her taller opponent bent over slightly, she grips his head and connects with yet another Asai DDT, planting Brutalizer.
“Feel the Energy connecting a second time, and Teagan hooks a leg…”
ONE!
TWO—bad Brutalizer is fresh enough to kick out!
“Great effort there by Trouble, but still not enough to put her opponent away!”
Still, the move has achieved the desired effect of giving Teagan an opening against a larger and stronger opponent – one which the visibly exhausted redhead is not about to squander. With Brutalizer still pushing himself up to one knee, Teagan connects with a leg lariat, taking him down again, then rolls through to her feet and makes a dash for her team’s corner. The San Francisco crowd comes alive when, with a final leap, she slaps her hand against her partner’s, tagging the smaller half of the team in for the first time in this match!
“Izzy Roxx is in, and this could make for a huge momentum shift in the match!”
“For sure, Lucas. Izzy is even faster and more agile than Teagan, AND she hasn’t been wrestling against two opponents for the better part of ten minutes!”
“She is also SMALLER than Teagan, though, which does give both Brutalizer and Hayley an advantage in this particular confrontation…”
“She’s smaller than most people on the roster, Mark. That’s never been a problem so far, though, and I doubt it will be a problem here. If anything, I’d point to her lack of confidence as her real handicap…but she has been displaying none of that lately, either.”
Indeed, Izzy enters the fray in style, being lifted up by her partner, then – at the exact right moment – launched onto Brutalizer with the (very) high crossbody the girls call Lift-Off! The move connects flush, and Izzy transitions directly into a cover!
ONE!
TWO—soon for that, Izzy!
No sooner has Brutalizer kicked out than Izzy is up on her feet and putting some distance between herself and her opponent, looking to do what she does best – fly. As a result, Chris Robinson barely has time to get up before he is knocked back down by the force of his opponent crashing down onto him with a springboard shooting star press off the turnbuckle! Izzy hooks the leg again!
ONE!
TWO
TH—ere’s a foot on the ropes by Brutalizer!
“Izzy Roxx clearly trying to work around her size disadvantage with quick covers here.”
“That’s a good strategy, Quinn. You don’t give your opponent time to breathe, let alone come up with a counter-strategy. The only problem is, you can’t just go on doing it forever…”
Even still, Izzy Roxx is going to take advantage of it for as long as she can, and promptly rolls through to her feet and scales the turnbuckle again, this time waiting for Brutalizer to stand up fully before connecting with a missile dropkick! No cover is attempted this time, however; instead, Izzy kips right back up to her feet, crosses through the ropes onto the apron, then slingshots back in with a leg drop. The move connects flush, but the youngster still clearly has more in mind, as she scales the turnbuckle again and lets fly with an aesthetically pleasing diving elbow drop. THIS time, she covers, as Barry Snider slides in to count.
ONE!
TWO!
TH—warted yet again, as Brutalizer kicks out!
“Great sequence from the little girl in the middle of the ride…and if she keeps on this way, it does seem everything, everything will be just fine, everything, everything will be, all right!”
“That was BAD, Allison, and you should be ashamed of yourself.”
Allie’s giggle indicates, however, that she is anything but, as, in the ring, Izzy starts over after yet another unsuccessful pinfall attempt. This time, however, rather than head for the turnbuckles, she stays close at hand, letting Brutalizer get up, only to throw him off-balance and into the ropes with a dropkick, then back the other way with a hurricanrana! Chris scrambles to his feet as Izzy launches into a slingshot high cross body..
…which gets caught and transitioned into a back body drop!!
“Brutalizer back in this match WITH AUTHORITY after that counter!!”
“Could this be the beginning of a comeback for the Robinsons?”
Seeing, and seizing his opportunity, a worn-down Chris dives into his corner and tags in his sister!
“Sure…leave the GIRL to finish the job, why don’t ya?”
“Actually, Mark, that IS a clever strategy. Raven is a more accomplished wrestler, she has a more varied arsenal, AND she has had time to recover since tagging out of the match. I don’t see why she SHOULDN’T be the one to finish it!”
As Allie shuts down her would-be sexist partner, in the ring, Izzy is caught completely by surprise by somebody crashing down on HER, for once, as Hayley connects with a diving bulldog, immediately transitioning into a hook of the leg.
“Raven’s Swoop connecting, and the cover!”
ONE!
TWO!
TH—at was almost it!
“Close, but no cigar again, and Izzy Roxx survives!”
“Maybe not for long, though…Raven is going for it again – and taking Izzy with her this time!”
Indeed, undaunted, the blonde immediately gets up from the pinfall and heads to the nearest turnbuckle, dragging her opponent with her. She then takes Izzy all the way to the top turnbuckle, from where she attempts to dive off with another bulldog…
…only for Izzy to reverse it into a top rope diving cutter!!!
“WHAT A REVERSAL FROM IZZY ROXX!!”
“What a match we are having to start us off here tonight!!”
The Frisco crowd clearly agree, as a chant of “THIS-IS-AWE-SOME!” arises from the stands, mixing and mingling with a reprise of the “HO-LY-[BLEEP]!” chants from earlier. It is not certain, however, that either of the two women can hear this, as both are rolling on the floor after the high impact move.
“Izzy Roxx may have just saved herself with that impromptu move, but she still took quite a tumble, and this could now be down to who gets up first!”
Both competitors seem to know this, and both make a valiant effort to get up, as the referee’s standard ten-count reaches “THREE!” By “FOUR!”, both women are near the ropes, and by “FIVE!”, each have a set in their grasp. As Snider reaches “SIX!”, both begin to pull themselves up, and the referee’s count has not yet reached “SEVEN!” before both are back on their feet and tottering on wobbly legs as they once again face off against one another. As Izzy staggers away from one set of ropes, across the ring, Hayley Robinson throws her opponent a half-demented grin and a two-fingered salute as a sign of respect, then promptly rushes in swinging a discus lariat!
“RAVEN’S BITE—-DODGED BY IZZY ROXX!!!”
Indeed, the smaller half of the Tag Team Champions manages, at the last second, to duck under “the Raven”’s outstretched arm, letting her momentum carry her into the ropes, from which she bounces off into a dropkick on Hayley! The move connects flush, but Izzy does not attempt to follow up; instead, she once again clambers to her unsteady feet, then heeds her partner’s deafening cries from the corner, hobbling over to tag her back into the fray.
“Izzy Roxx tagging out of this match, and who can blame her?! She has to be exhausted!”
“Yes, but how much more exhausted is Teagan? She has been in there once already!”
If she is tired, however, the redhead does not show it, as, upon re-entering the ring, she simply holds a fist up in the air and calls out for her trademark move.
“Teagan Trouble is looking to kick things into OverDRIVE!!!”
Mark Deltzer’s raised tone coincides with the moment when the larger half of Trouble Roxx connects with a superkick square to Hayley’s jaw, dropping the blonde like a stone. Rather than going for a cover, however, Teagan whirls around to check Izzy is in position atop the turnbuckle, then promptly walks over to tag her partner back in and wrap things up the right way.
“Tag made to Izzy Roxx…and now ROCKETSHIP IZZY……….CONNECTING!!!”
The San Francisco crowd, who had been holding their breath as Roxx took off for her corkscrew shooting star press, explode with relief as the move connects, and Izzy lands atop the still out-cold Hayley Robinson, completing the combo move known as Roxx’n’Roll. Visibly as relieved as anyone in the stands, the brunette is then quick to hook her opponent’s leg, as Barry Snider slides in to count yet again.
“Roxx’n’Roll complete, and this should be a formality now!”
ONE!
Brutalizer shoots out of his corner, rushing towards center ring..
TWO!
…only to be barrelled into by Teagan, whose running tackle sends them both hurtling onto the apron and out of the ring, leaving the coast clear for Izzy to get the…
THREE!
…and the win for her team!
“THEY’VE DONE IT AGAIN!! Trouble Roxx get their win back against Metal Militia, and retain the GLOBAL World Tag Team Titles, in an absolute barn-burner!”
“That’s right, Lucas. The challenge level has been ramping up for Roxx ever since getting the titles, but these girls have proven themselves up to it time and again!”
“They’d better not get cocky, though – there’s teams like the Rich Family and the Prime Time Athletes waiting in the wings for a shot at those titles…not to mention the potential return of the Master Sisters, who still have a rematch clause…”
“They’ll cross that bridge when they get to it, Mark. For now, they are still the Champions, and deservedly so.”
As Allie puts a full stop on the discussion, in the ring, “Downtown” Brown is all too happy to announce the outcome of the match.
“Ladies and gentlemen…the winners of this match…”
To his surprise, however, the ring announcer has his microphone snatched away by Teagan Trouble, who completes the spiel herself.
“…and STILL YOUR GLOBAL! WORLD! TAG! TEAM! CHAMPIOOOOONSSSSS….THE hottest prospects in FIFTY-ONE STATES and TWO continents! Teagan Trouble! Izzy Roxx! TROUBLEEEEEEE ROOOOXXX!”
With that, the redhead takes the hand of her partner on her left, and of Brutalizer on her right, and holds them both up in the air, as the San Francisco fans respond with a huge cheer. Then, the two girls step over to where Barry Snider is waiting to lift their hands and give them their titles, while Brutalizer attemps to bring his sister back around to full consciousness. A moment later, the two Tag Team Champions also join in on that effort, eventually managing to bring Hayley back round, and promptly helping her to her feet. As the blonde, too, has her hand raised, Brutalizer retrieves the Metal Militia’s cooler from his younger brother, promptly pulling out three cold ones, which he hands to the two Champions and his sister. He then reaches in again to grab a beer for himself, as well as a non-alcoholic one for Aiden, whom he brings into the circle at the center of the ring. There ensues the usual chug-a-thon, which is met with a very warm welcome from the San Francisco crowd, before the five athletes round up their belongings and head out of the ring and up the entranceway together, chatting amicably.
“This is great to see. Young people having fun, being sporting, and no hard feelings at the end of the match. It’s refreshing.”
“Yes, Lucas, though the stakes in this match were a little higher than just ‘having fun’…”
“Of course. You won’t hear me say otherwise…”
As the announcers comment on the friendly rivalry between the teams, by the entrance curtain, Teagan Trouble delivers her usual sign off line – with a somewhat expected twist.
“We’ve been Trouble Roxx, from Beverly Hills, and Metal Militia, from Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Thank you, goodnight!”
Then, with one more joint raising of arms, the five youths disappear through the curtain to the backstage area, leaving behind a suitably pumped-up crowd, ready for what is yet to come on the night.
THE MASTER PLAN
“The Legend” Sean Darring is in San Francisco, California, fully prepared for tonight’s upcoming battle. Chaos ensues as the Global Champion stands backstage, awaiting his cue to address the recent turmoil.
Suddenly, a voice from off-camera calls out, “CHAMP!” Darring turns, only to be blindsided by the Paul Sanders and Kid Chameleon duo, also known as The Players. Caught off guard, Steve Blaine quickly retreats, surprised by the sudden attack on the champion.
The Legend withstands a barrage of strikes from the tag team, refusing to go down easily. With lightning-fast chops, Darring fights back, momentarily forcing both men to retreat. However, Paul Sanders seizes an opportunity and delivers a vicious chop block to Darring’s knee, causing the champion to crumble in pain.
Exploiting the opening, The Players unleash a relentless assault, launching a barrage of kicks and stomps on the fallen champion, targeting his ribs and injured knee. Kid Chameleon orders his partner to pull Darring up, and together they hurl him head-first into a stack of pallets.
CRASH!
The pallets scatter, creating a chaotic scene. GLOBAL Security rushes to the area, attempting to regain control, but The Players, driven by their agenda, continue to fend off security, fighting and shoving them aside. Amidst the commotion, Darring, fueled by instinct and resilience, rises to his feet, gingerly supporting himself on his injured knee, and leaps back into the fray, reigniting the intense confrontation.
A surge of excitement fills the air, causing even the security personnel to momentarily back off as Darring valiantly takes on the two assailants single-handedly. Driven by a combination of old-school fighting spirit, adrenaline, and unwavering determination, he quickly levels the playing field. Seizing the opportunity, he grabs the back of Kid Chameleon’s masked head, forcefully propelling him forward and into the unforgiving cement wall.
With a resounding smack, Kid Chameleon’s body collides with the wall, leaving him dazed and disoriented. However, Darring’s triumph is short-lived as Paul Sanders retaliates by grabbing a camera from one of the Global Camera crew and ruthlessly smashing it into the champion’s vulnerable face.
As the chaos intensifies, Global Security, joined by additional backstage personnel, rushes to regain control of the situation. Meanwhile, Kid Chameleon, recovering from the impact, seizes a nearby metal pole and ruthlessly strikes Darring’s left knee, aiming to exploit the injury for future advantage.
Darring emits a pained cry as the assault takes its toll. The Players find themselves overwhelmed and surrounded by the swarming security and staff. Paul Sanders turns to his partner, conveying that their mission has been accomplished. Kid Chameleon nods in agreement, responding, “Tonight is just the beginning.”
Amid the turmoil, the camera briefly captures a glimpse of Benedict Beel Zebub lurking in the shadows, observing the unfolding events with a sinister presence and smile.
SOLDIERS DOWNFALL
July 3rd; Time: 10:00am
Valorie sighs quietly as she lays in her bed, her bad knee once again elevated and now sporting a medical brace per the doctor’s orders. Looking down, she can see her black cat curling up against her stomach, as if comforting its owner. She reaches down to pet the cute feline, smiling more as it begins to purr before relaxing once more, running her fingers through her black hair as the events of Domination rolls through for the fifth time today, specifically how it ended.
“… I was fine… I didn’t need Saul to throw in the damn towel like that. I could’ve fought.” she mumbles to herself, an arm resting over her eyes as she grits her teeth, “Saul knows I hate giving up, and even if it was for my sake, he oughta know that I don’t go down until I can’t swing no mo’… I don’t need them… babying me.”
Interrupting her thoughts is her cellphone going off, catching her attention as she grabs a few pillows to prop herself up, seeing it is a text from Angel, wishing her a speedy recovery. The message warms her heart, despite her small anger and disappointment from how the previous fight ended, and she sends a simple heart in reply. She then dials a number and after a few quiet rings, the line clicks and Valorie speaks up.
“Hey Sug’! It’s Val. I was wanting to check in. Sorry about having to call a sub last minute for the gym, had a wrestling match come up last minute that I had to partake in. So how did class go?” she inquires with a smile.
As the person on the other line speaks, the smile slowly starts to fall, drifting to a look of unhappiness, and then to worry and fear.
“A-Are you serious? The trampoline snapped?! How?! Are the kids okay?!” Valorie shouts into the phone, tears pricking at her eyes as she sits up even further on the bed.
The conversation continues for a long time as she just sits there, listening to how one of the children was practicing their moves for one of the upcoming competitions when the trampoline coils suddenly snapped after he jumped, causing them to fall to the floor. She even asks about anyone checking the equipment before letting the children on like she always does, to which the answer was a guilty “no”. Any other conversations after this become nothing but a garbled mess as Valorie just sits there, her head in her hands and tears falling more and more.
‘I couldn’t help them… Even if I was there… with my bad knee, I wouldn’t have been able to help them… For God’s sake… I can’t even help myself right now, let alone the damn kids…’ Valorie thinks to herself, gritting her teeth before suddenly jumping out of bed, not even caring about her knee as she grabs the phone.
“Hey… I’m sorry… I’m gonna be busy for a while. I’ll be checking in on the kid, just text me the hospital address. Take care.” she mutters before hanging up, throwing the phone back on the bed and with a limp, makes her way to the garage where she has quite a few workout equipment.
“I’m not gonna let this happen again. Not on my life.” she growls to herself, grabbing her work-out gloves and sliding them on.
Taking a bottle of aspirin and water, she takes the ibuprofen and makes her way to the weights, ready more than ever to get started and get back to where she was before, and maybe even more.
DON’T TREAD ON ME
The latest upload to the GLOBAL Wrestling YouTube channel, named ‘Untitled (2).mp4’, turns many a viewer away after a simple glance at the thumbnail, which indicates they are about to withstand a grainy, fuzzy-sounding rant from the company’s most unbearable employee; and indeed, that is exactly what those brave or foolish enough to actually click on the video are faced with, as John J. Truth (flanked, as ever, by his security goons) wastes no time venting whatever grievances he has this week – preceded, as ever, by what is quickly becoming his catchphrase.
“My name is John J. Truth, and I call bullshit.”
One beat, one breath, is all the controversial wrestler needs to take before launching into his tirade.
“I call bullshit on companies who suspend hard-working employees for having the courage to stand up for themselves, and do something everybody else has thought of doing at some point, but no one was ever man enough to do!”
Blissfully ignorant to having just alienated and discriminated against at least one entire gender, the patently unlikable man merely pushes on, punctuating his next point with one of his trademark mirthless chuckles.
“You asshats aren’t even subtle about what you’re doing. You all hate us. You all want us gone. Every last one of you. You think we don’t know that? You think we can’t tell? This ‘sUsPeNsIoN’…” (Truth might as well have actually pronounced it like that, for all the sarcasm in his voice and air quotes hand gestures). ‘…is just the latest bullshit way you bastards found to try and screw us over. And you know what?” Truth leans forward, his gaze boring a hole into the camera, his unpleasant smirk uncomfortably close. “You bastards go on ahead and have your fun. Danny, have your little title match. You and your boys have fun with Darring. Watch your asses, though…’cause the next time me and MY boys show up…we’re gonna be coming for ’em.”
Truth snorts in amused derision again.
“GLOBAL…you ought’a know by now that nothing can stand in the way of the Truth. You may have won this battle, but we’re going to make damn sure you don’t win this war. You may have gotten us out of the way for a while, but sooner or later, we’ll be back. And we’re going to be better and stronger than ever. And then…all of you bastards are going to pay for what you did to us.”
Truth smiles, a predatory and genuinely unsettling grin, matched by his bodyguards, who lean forward right along with the superstar as he delivers his last, impactful sentence.
“Now our teeth and ambitions are bared…be prepared.”
With that, the feed is cut off, and the video ends.
—————————————————————————
Somewhere in Middle America
Moments after the upload of “Untitled (2)”
“Hey, boss, where you goin’? I thought we was goin’ out to Chick-Fil-A…”
“We can go later, Lincoln. Right now, I need you boys to help me open that package we picked up this morning.”
“Oh, yeah, that big one? What is it, boss?”
“You’ll see when we open it, Washington. But let’s just say…those sons of bitches up in LA want to make us out to be a joke? Well…we’ll see who gets the last laugh.”
WRESTLETRONIC Vs. XIANG
“We’ve got our next match on deck!” says Lucas Quinn. “Fresh off a win over “Verified” Chett Marx in his debut two weeks ago, the masked luchador Wrestletronic goes one-on-one against the returning Xiang of Xiang Dynasty! And where Xiang goes, The Great Wall isn’t far behind.”
“The last time we saw either member of The Xiang Dynasty, The Great Wall was robbed of a victory in a steel cage thanks to the other members of Truth Control back at Gold Rush,” Mark Deltzer explains. “They were competing for a few weeks on a wrestling tour overseas to recharge and now that they’re back, I wouldn’t want to be Wrestletronic.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Allie says. “Wrestletronic put out an open challenge earlier today for thesis match and Xiang of all people accepted it. I believe this is Xiang’s formal in-ring debut for GLOBAL. He’s a crafty technician who can ground Wrestletronic. And with The Great Wall at ringside, that’s a heck of an equalizer.”
With the story behind the next match out of the way, “Downtown” Jason Brown is ready for intros.
“The following singles match is set for one fall!” Brown shouts. “Introducing first… from Beijing, China, weighing in at 221 pounds, accompanied by The Great wall. Representing The Xiang Dynasty… this… is… XIANG!”
“War Dance” by Shen Yi.
The lights begin swirling in two different shades of red as out from the back, Xiang steps out. With The Guangzhou Goliath standing tall and proud right behind him, Xiang gives the jeering fans a disdainful gaze in their respective directions and unzip his track jacket as he approaches the ring. Once the two men reach ringside, Xiang stands on the ring apron and casts one more look before stepping over the ropes. He has a microphone.
“Oh, boy, what does he want?” Allie asks.
His music fades out.
“The Great Wall and I were… as you simple people like to put it in your country… we were screwed. A victory was STOLEN from The Great Wall at Gold Rush! And tonight, we are taking our frustrations out on some dancing chimpanzee under a mask… somebody who put out an open contract for any opponent tonight… Wrestle… tronic?”
He says the name of his opponent and appears it leaves a sour taste in his mouth? The crowd seem to be with the mystery DJ by the response Xiang is given.
“You WOULD cheer and applaud this costumed buffoon. You’re practically CONDITIONED to do so any time some simpleton who can perform a few of your little “flips” you enjoy so much. Tonight, those tired tactics won’t work on me. I’m going to GROUND him to this very mat and I’m going to show him the gulf in skills between his and mine!”
He shoves the microphone into the arms of the timekeeper and then waits for the arrival of his opponent.
On stage, a DJ’s soundboard is on stage with a slender man wearing a sky blue leather jacket and pants, and a blue luchador mask on his face with gigantic DJ headphones over his head. He’s spinning the records as the cameras light up.
“SAN FRAN!” he shouts. “ONCE AGAIN… MY NAME IS MC GRAPS AND YOU ARE NOW IN! THE! MIX!”
There are more cheers now than there were two weeks ago!
“WELCOME ONCE AGAIN… even them byters, Xiang and The Great Wall… TO GLOBAL WRESTLING’S FIRST-EVER GLOBAL DANCE PARTY! CAUSE UNLIKE THEM, EVERYBODY IS WELCOME IN THE MIX! I AM HERE TO SUPPLY THE TUNES FOR THE MAESTRO OF MOVES AND GUARDIAN OF GROOVES! THE DJ OF LUCHA LIBRE HIMSELF! HE… IS…”
The lights all fade out and go black. After a few moments of silence, the screen lights up in bright shades of green and yellow…
WRESTLETRONIC!!!!!
“Earthquake” by Labrinth feat. Tinie Tempah plays and the crowd cheers for the unnecessarily gaudy entrance! A man wearing a neon helmet and vest walks out with the vest and helmet glowing in yellow and green amongst the darkness of the arena! He paces down to the ring, slapping hands with the fans with the glow of his customized helmet and vest shining brightly. Once he reaches the ring, the vest and the helmet come off.
“And his opponent… from The Electric Daisy Carnival, weighing in at 217 pounds… WRESTLETRONIC!”
Wearing a yellow mask with all facial features obstructed with a black fabric, green/yellow sleeves and a half-green/half-yellow pattern on his tights adorned with musical notes, microphones and turntables, The Maestro of Moves leaps off the middle buckle and gets ready for the match with The Artist of War. Once both sides are ready, the official calls for the bell.
DING DING!
Xiang approaches Wrestletronic and bumps him on the shoulder disrespectfully. He says something that might be no doubt disrespectful in Chinese, then goes for a quick slap…
But Wrestletronic ducks!
He jumps up and then snatches Xiang over in a quick headlock takeover much to the surprise of his opposition! Xiang has no idea which way is up and tries to struggle when Wrestletronic makes with the graps on the mat. The Artist of War gets his legs up to counter with a tight leg lock around the neck…
Only for Wrestletronic to slip out and then grab an ankle! He holds him in a classic toehold of all things, forcing Xiang to go back on the defensive. The Great Wall watches from the outside of the ring when Xiang turns on his heel, forcing The DJ of Lucha Libre to cartwheel his way out of harm’s way. When Xiang leaps back to his feet, he’s met with a flying snapmare this time around from Wrestletronic! The Artist of War scrambles through the ropes and is halfway out of the ring when The Record-Scratcher calls for it…
“DANCE BREAK!” Wrestletronic yells.
And with that…
“I’m Good (Blue)” by David Guetta Bebe Rexha starts blasting over the PA with the arena lights turning into one giant rave! The GLOBAL Nation cheer on Wrestletronic as he starts a breakdance routine in the ring, kicking his legs and getting the fans into the match… all except Xiang.
Wrestletronic kips back to his feet when Xiang comes charging. Wrestletronic ducks into a splits! Then when he comes back, Xiang gets taken over with a hiptoss… NO…
HIPTOSS DON’T LIE!
The hiptoss leads to a cartwheel then to a basement dropkick on Xiang! The dance break is over when Wrestletronic goes for the first cover of the match!
ONE!
TWO!
NO!
Xiang kicks out and makes a hasty retreat from the ring to check his jaw after being sufficiently embarrassed by the masked newcomer to GLOBAL. Wrestletronic points up to MC Graps at the edge of the stage, then goes for a dive through the ropes…
…But he gets cut off by The Great Wall standing in front of where Xiang is.
“BOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
The GLOBAL Nation boo The Artist of War for his tactics when Wrestletronic.
“You wanna dance, too, big boy?! Let’s go!”
He’s focused on The Great Wall, but Xiang sneaks in through the ring on the side and then tries to attack the DJ of Lucha Libre, but Wrestletronic sees him coming at the last second and pushes him into the ropes! He springboards to the middle rope and snaps Xiang over with a big arm drag that sends The Artist of War sailing across the ring. Wrestletronic kips up just as Xiang rises up…
PUNCH UP THE JAM!
The kip-up into the Superman Punch cracks Xiang on the button and he goes down in a heap! Wrestletronic shakes the pain away in his punching hand (the right for the none of you who asked) and then gets dazed!
“Ahhh!” Xiang screams in frustration as he nurses a sore jaw.
Wrestletronic looks out to the San Francisco crowd and they give him cheers as he goes to follow through on Xiang…
But out of desperation, Xiang catches him with a throat chop!
“BOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
The GLOBAL Nation jeer for Xiang’s cheap tactic, then it gets worse when he grabs him in a neckbreaker set up near the ropes before DROPPING him with a big neckbreaker variation across the middle rope!
With a great tactic set up by Xiang, The Artist of War’s trap finally pays off as he stands up and hits a sliding kick to the side of Wrestletronic’s head that sends him out to the floor!
Xiang takes a moment and it’s clear he’s still feeling the effects of being dropkicked and punched upside the head. Once he takes a moment to clear himself, he goes outside. Wrestletronic has landed at the feet of The Great Wall, who looks like he’s about to intervene, but an angry Xiang nods and tells him in their native language that he’ll get this. The Great Wall nods as Xiang slides back into the ring. Wrestletronic tries to get back up, only to catch a STIFF thrust kick to the side of the head from Xiang, sending the DJ of Lucha Libre stumbling into a corner. With the target now in his sights, The Artist of War runs back to the opposite corner before charging back to his opponent…
XD KICK!
The running big boot in the corner catches Wrestletronic square in the side of the head! Before he can fall to the mat, Xiang throws him out of the corner and away from the ropes himself as he goes for a cover.
ONE!
TWO!
TH… KICKOUT!
The shoulder of Wrestletronic comes up and Xiang looks angry at the official’s count.
“Let me say it in your language,” Xiang hisses. “Count… faster.”
He goes to grab Wrestletronic by the side of the head and hits him flush with an uppercut. He staggers back and tries a second one when Wrestletronic catches him with a backslide!
ONE!
TWO!
Xiang kicks out!
Then when both men get back up to their feet, The DJ of Lucha Libre catches him with a leg roll-up!
GET LUCKY!
ONE!
TWO!
But lucky, he is not when Xiang kicks out again. As Wrestletronic gets to his feet, Xiang clips the knee with a sharp kick as he’s in a kneeling position…
SNAP DDT!
The DDT connects and Xiang goes for another cover!
ONE!
TWO!
NO!
The GLOBAL Nation cheers, getting themselves an unexpected surprise of a match tonight between a determined Xiang and a game Wrestletronic! Xiang scowls again and goes back to the corner and the middle rope. He has a finishing move called the Blood Red Sunset and if he can successfully hit the middle rope flying facebreaker, the match could be considered over.
Xiang looks out to the jeering GLOBAL Nation and waits for Wrestletronic to get back to his feet. When he rises…
PUMP KICK!
Wrestletronic counters with a big kick and knocks the wind out of Xiang as he collapses to the mat and gets knocked out of the ring once more, this time on the opposite side of The Great Wall!
Wrestletronic collapses to a knee and it’s clear the match is taking more out of both men than they probably realized at first, but The DJ of Lucha Libre gets back to his feet. He makes sure that The Great Wall isn’t near…
Suicide dive to Xiang on the outside!
The Record-Scratcher gets back to his feet, then yells out.
“ONE MORE TIME!”
Then runs back into the ring to hit suicide dive number two! Then back to his feet as Xiang is down!
“ONE MORE TIME!”
Then slides back into the ring and hits a third consecutive suicide dive before he picks up Xiang and throws him back into the ring!
Wrestletronic shouts at the GLOBAL Nation to make some noise and they do as he gets ready to strike. Xiang is hurt when he starts to stand. The Great Wall starts charging towards Wrestletronic, but he runs and then rolls through the ropes right into…
WHEN THE BEAT DROPS!
The rolling thunder into the stunner DROPS Xiang and Wrestletronic goes for the cover just as he sees The Great Wall coming!
ONE!
TWO!
The Great Wall is in…
THREE!
DING DING DING!
…And Wrestletronic rolls out of the ring just before The Guangzhou Goliath can get his hands on him!
“Here is your winner of the match…” Jason Brown announces. “…WRESTLETRONIC!”
The Great Wall is having a fit in the ring and the normally stoic giant kicks the bottom rope in frustration before looking down at the defeated Xiang!
Hobbling back up the ramp, Wrestletronic lets his music play and he starts dancing to “Earthquake” halfway up with MC Graps joining him to celebrate!
“That makes two wins in a row for Wrestletronic!” shouts Lucan Quinn. “Xiang clearly underestimated what the DJ of Lucha Libre could do in that ring and it came back to bite him!”
“The Great Wall is frustrated, but I don’t think either of these men are done with this kid.” Mark Deltzer says.
“Be that as it may, tonight was not the day the music died!” Allie Reese says. “Great match and two wins in a row for Wrestletronic!”
CHOW DOWN & THROW DOWN
Just after the conclusion of the Wrestletronic/Xiang match, none other than Steve Blaine is standing by backstage getting ready to interview a very special guest or two.
“Greetings, GLOBAL Nation,” Blaine starts. “On our last edition of GLOBAL Wrestling, we saw a couple of big returns! One of those was the BIGGEST return yet. I’m talking about my guests at this time… “Big Aug” August Lazar and his manager, Del Waterstone!”
A rousing ovation can be heard as the camera backs up… ALL the way up… for The Largest Athlete in The GLOBE, along with Del Waterstone. The 7’4” former NBA player and World’s Largest Foodie greets Blaine with a very light handshake as to not crush bones.
“Augie so happy to be back, Steve,” Big Aug says. “Thanks for warm welcome.”
“Yeah, it’s been too long,” Del adds.
“So we understand that you had to go back home to Romania for a few months, is that correct?”
Big Aug nods solemnly. “That’s right, Stevie. Big Aug had to go back home. My father. He’s very sick. Had to go home and take care of him after I lost my chance to compete for the GLOBAL World Championship. But… things work out. He okay. And now…”
He balls up a fist.
“BIG AUG IS BACK!”
That gets a big cheer!
“Very happy to hear that things worked out with your father,” Steve says. “And now let’s take it back to Domination 12. Aleczander was involved in a verbal altercation with The Best of British when you made your return and cleared the ring! I take it your business with those men isn’t over?”
Big Aug nods and Del takes the microphone.
“That’s right,” Del says. “Big Aug?! This bigass dude is as big as an elephant and we don’t forget like an elephant, either. Aleczander The Great pissed away his title shot at Sean Darring, but he only got there in the first place because it took Aleczander AND the Best of British to keep Augie down. We want to get Big Aug back to the title picture. Big Aug wants big gold and to do that, we’re gonna big STOMP whoever’s in front of him and that starts with Rupert Royston-Fellowes tonight!”
Now The Boss of the Sauce balls a hand into his fist.
“That’s right. Best of British like to act like they so hoity-toity… but they’re DEEKS. They cost me the chance to be the Number One Contender and tonight, Big Aug gonna give Rupert a STOMPING on the way back to the gold! GLOBAL Nation…”
Big Aug looks down to the camera.
“Tonight, we chow down and we throw down!”
The Giant Tasty Snack marches off camera with Del Waterstone shortly behind him as Steve Blaine greets the fans.
“Big Aug” August Lazar goes one-on-one with Best of British member Rupert Royston-Fellowes later tonight!”
THE UNFORGIVEN
The latest video uploaded to the GLOBAL YouTube channel is clearly the product of a hasty amateur recording, with limited means. Not only is the image vertical, in a manner more befitting TikTok, but the background clearly indicates the filming location to be someone’s apartment. None of this deters the man in the foreground, GLOBAL Wrestling star Saul Morgan, who takes a moment to angle the camera so that it captures the other two people in the room – a bruised and bandaged Angel Ramirez and Valorie Vitality, the latter with her leg propped up in an ottoman – before starting his unusually irate address.
“Listen up, Wright, or whatever your name is. I don’t know who you are, where you came from or what kind of kick you get out of attacking teenagers, but I do know this: you don’t mess with one of the Corps and get away with it. You mess with one of us, you mess with ALL of us. Just ask Jed Johnson.”
Behind “The Tramp”, his partner makes assorted noises of encouragement and taunting; rather than indulge her, however, Saul shoots her a stern look, which stuns her into silence and allows him to continue on with his speech.
“Wright…right now, you’re on our radar. And trust me…we may have more important things to deal with right now, but sooner or later, you’re going to pay for what you did in Portland. I already gave you a little taste of what you’ve got coming back at the arena. You got the best of me that time, but I’m not the type to give up after one setback. No Marine is. You knocked me down – knocked US down – but we got right back up. And when these two ladies are healed up and fighting fit, and we’ve taken care of the other business we have going on right now…we’re coming after you.” He gestures towards Angel and Valerie, whose glaring frowns (and, in the teenager’s case, double-bird salute) say more than words ever could. “In the meantime, you better hope we don’t cross paths. You better hope you’re not even on the same lane as us on the highway. Because you know what? As of two weeks ago, the gloves are off. You set a precedent, and real soon, it’s going to come back to bite you.”
“The Tramp” punctuates his words with another glower as he concludes.
“Wright…in Portland…you made your bed. And before too long…you’re going to lie in it. Like I said, we have bigger fish to fry right now, but don’t get complacent. Don’t sleep on us. Don’t think we’re just going to go away and forget about you. You may be Police, but soon, you’re gonna learn why even police officers won’t mess with Marines.”
With that, he holds his fist out to the two women behind him, who promptly bring theirs forward for the Angel Corps triple-fist bump, and the usual rallying cry to go along with it.
“Hoo-rah.”
A moment later, the camera is shut off, and the video concludes.
JOIN, OR DIE (III)
I am alone.
It’s dark.
Why is it so dark?
Where am I?
What day is it?
Am I alive, or dead?
I’m cold.
If I feel cold, I must be alive.
If I can feel, I must be alive.
What, then?
Ah, a blindfold. I must be blindfolded.
Am I blindfolded?
Have I pissed my pants?
Is that piss?
My nipple. My nipple. My nipple…
Jerry David is cold, and alone.
A CLUE FROM A CHILD
Before the black screen breaks we hear shrieks of ladies seemingly frightened.
Then the orange portal is shown and The Naked Man is seen lying on the ground between rows of empty chairs. He looks up and sees a few people wearing suits and dresses, all looking very formal, standing near a man with a black suit and white collar standing beside a long metal box. The narrator is heard, as usual.
“‘Where is this place now?’ thinks our hero, not sure at all what he is seeing, a small group of people scared because of his sudden appearance in the state of dress he has always held. He sees a large stone with the faint orange hue he recognizes all too well. He must know the secret of this stone…”
He rushes to the stone and looks down in the hole to see a metal box with some dirt on it. He drops down into the hole as the family and priest freak out completely. The din of screams ranging from “what the hell?” to asking what he is doing are heard. He tries to get into the box, but cannot do it and jumps out of the hole just in time to see a small, 10 year old giggling.
“Why is this child laughing when the rest are decidedly angry? Very curious, but only one cause for such an odd emotion in this setting…”
He jumps out of the hole just in time to see the extended middle finger of the one he has been chasing disappear around a tree. The reddish orange glow is bright behind the tree and then suddenly isn’t.
“Closer now than ever before, he must catch this monster before any other innocents pay the ultimate price…”
He takes off for the tree where the glow was around rounds the corner, and he disappears as we see an orange glow behind the tree the moment he goes around. Off to wherever it is taking him next.
MISTRESS DREAD
Backstage, a roving cameraperson catches a glimpse of someone in a rather odd position, their body half in and half out of one of the many doors lining the hallway. As they creep in further to investigate, the person – the same tall, lithe, muscular woman seen attacking Saul Morgan and Angel Ramirez on the last Domination – spots them, and promptly points a finger in their direction.
“YOU! Get your ass over here!”
Reticent at first, the cameraperson eventually chooses against crossing the woman, whose authoritative body language, all-black denim-and-leather ensemble, angular haircut, aviator shades, workboots and overall menacing aura denote someone not used to being talked back to. So it is that, a few moments later, the technician finds himself peering into what appears to be a darkened storage room, from which the woman pulls out another human figure, recognisable as impossibly average GLOBAL everyman Joe Public. A look of terror crosses the also-ran’s face as he gets unceremoniously shoved towards the camera and barked at by his apparent captor.
“Tell ’em what you’re going to do out there…!”
“D-destroy her, Officer Wright, m-ma’am…” The response comes as more of a whimper than a statement, which appears to please the woman. Still, she does not let up, squeezing Public’s arm as she lets out a growl.
“Or else…?!”
“…o-…or else I get a boot to the b-ballsack, Officer Wright, ma’am…!”
Only here does the woman finally let up the overbearing pressure on her quarry, whose relief is visible in his expression as he scurries off-camera as fast as possible. Officer Wright herself, however, is in no hurry to leave; on the contrary, she makes a point of turning back towards the camera and adding a few words of her own.
“See that, GLOBAL? That’s how it’s going to be from now on. You thought I was only here for the kid and the bum and the little rodeo queen?” She lets out a high bark of laughter. “You thought wrong. I’m not just some cleanup-crew jackass coming in to pick up the pieces of the mess The Law made. I AM The Law. And AS The Law, I’m going to make absolutely damn sure each and every one of you low-life, bottom-feeding maggots, back here AND out there in the stands, respect my presence. I’m going to make sure each and every one of you worthless excuses for a waste of oxygen understand that might…makes Wright. And if you don’t like it…” Wright gives another dry chuckle as she begins to walk off-camera. “…well, you have the Wright to remain silent. Otherwise, you may just end up like that kid the other week…”
With that, the former policewoman strides off-camera, leaving her threat to linger for as long as it takes for the feed to be cut off and transition elsewhere…
"BIG AUG" AUGUST LAZAR Vs. RUPERT ROYSTON-FELLOWES
“Earlier tonight, we saw a very spirited interview with “Big Aug” August Lazar!” Lucas Quinn starts. “We saw him make his return two weeks ago in grand fashion while another returning star, Aleczander The Great, was having a spat with his former United Kingdom teammates, Best of British.”
“And earlier tonight, Lazar explained where he’s been!” Allie Reese adds. “He was away for the past few months taking care of his father, but now that he’s back in GLOBAL, he wants payback for Aleczander The Great and Best of British cheating him out of a Number One Contender spot back on our first PPV!”
“Big Aug against Best of British member Rupert Royston-Fellowes up next!” says Mark Deltzer. “August Lazar is the largest man in GLOBAL Wrestling, but Rupert will have Nigel Kensington III in his corner, so he’ll have to keep them eyes in the back of his head open, too.”
Yo
I go by the name of Dame Jones
I’m with my crew
And we gon’ show y’all what we be snacking on
Ya dig
“Hot Cheetos and Takis” by Da Rich Kidzz.
TOWERING through the entrance, the dirty-blonde monster with hair tied back in a bun, wearing a red and black sleeveless bodysuit walks out and raises a finger in the air! He looks out to the cheering crowd with a box in hand. Just like his prior appearances, August Lazar’s best friend and manager, Del Waterstone, records the entrance on his phone while wearing the first bit of August’s GLOBAL merchandise, a red “Chow Time” apron with a pair of cartoon teeth around the logo while Big Aug has Big Aug’s Snack Box!
“GLOBAL WRESTLINGS! IT’S BEEN TOO LONG, BUT BIG AUG IS GLAD TO BE HOME!” yells Big Aug to the hard camera in front of him.
August Lazar passes out various snacks and throws them out into the audience for people to grab (pre-packaged, of course, we aren’t germ-loving savages here).
“Let ‘em know, Augie, let ‘em know!” Del shouts behind him as he’s filming on his phone.
The GLOBAL Nation give August Lazar a nice ovation as he raises a hand to either side of the stage and encourages the crowd to make some noise! Big Aug finally arrives at the ring, he reaches up and grabs the ropes. He pulls himself up onto the ring apron and then steps over the ropes to enter the ring. Once inside, Mr. Spice Guy gets ready as Jason Brown gives him his specialized intro!
“Introducing first… from Clearwater, Florida, by way of Romania… accompanied by manager, Del Waterstone… he stands SEVEN-FOOT FOUR and weighs in at THREE-HUNDRED EIGHTY pounds…
Big Aug holds a finger up for every nickname given…
“He is Everyone’s Zest Friend… Boss of the Sauce… Mr. Spice Guy… One Giant Tasty Snack… The Man with an Appetite For Life… The Man With The Iron Stomach… and The Largest Athlete in The GLOBE…”
Brown takes an exaggerated breath as Big Aug poses in the ring.
“BIG AUG” AUGUST LAZAR!”
Wrestling’s Largest Foodie raises his hands in the air to cheers from the crowd! Del takes off the “Chow Time” apron and then gives it over to a young kid in attendance to take home! The game face of Big Aug remains as he gets ready to get his hands on one of the men who took away his chance to be Number One Contender several months ago.
“Rule, Britannia!”
The theme plays and unlike all of the pomp and circumstance that normally comes with August Lazar, the members of Best of British both march through the entrance.
“And his opponent…” Jason Brown announces. “Being accompanied to the ring by Nigel Kensington III… from London, England, weighing in at 231 pounds… representing the Best of British… RUPERT ROYSTON-FELLOWES!“
With Rupert in his gear, he heads towards the ring and shows a little trepidation about his massive opponent in the ring, but the well-dressed Kensington whispers something in his ear as they approach the squared circle, both men nod and then part ways quickly as Rupert walks up the steel steps. The London native yells at the official to get Big Aug back from the ring before he’ll step foot. When the official turns to Lazar, he does so and then steps back to allow Rupert the chance to enter the ring. August Lazar looks equally happy to be back and happy to have a chance at payback.
The official looks at both men and calls for the bell as Big Aug hands off the Big Aug Snack Box away to Del Waterstone at ringside…
DING DING!
And when the bell rings, Nigel Kensington III starts approaching Del on the other side of the ring.
“HEY!” August shouts.
Nigel does so… but Big Aug turns and leaves himself wide open for a big flying uppercut from his opponent at the jump!
The big blow knocks August into his corner as the GLOBAL Nation jeer the Best of British member for his actions! Rupert attacks the leg of The Boss of the Sauce quickly by kicking away at the knee to try and ground the monster early. After he’s thrown a few shots, he tries to control the big man by grabbing a headlock (brother). Rupert charges out of the corner and starts looking for a bulldog of some sort…
…
But August isn’t going anywhere! The former NBA star HOISTS Royston-Fellowes up in the air and then sends him FLYING across the ring to gasps from the crowd!
“Yeah! Throw him across the pond and back!” Del laughs.
Nigel Kensington III looks shocked that their early plan to distract August didn’t pay off and now Big Aug is in control. When Rupert starts to get up in the opposite corner, The Snack Daddy is already closing in and nails him with a BIG chop! The London native is doubled over and clutching his chest in pain when Big Aug looks out to the crow and asks if they want to see the Best of British member take another flight! Rupert gets grabbed by the arm and he shakes his head before…
BIEL THROW ACROSS THE RING!
After being thrown one way, he’s thrown back the other way with a big biel throw! Royston-Fellowes is reeling now and clutching his lower back. He tries to stand up, but that ends up being a big mistake when Big Aug mows him right over with a massive shoulder tackle!
NOT TODAY!
The same running shoulder block that he used to knock Aleczander The Great out of the ring two weeks ago strikes Royston-Fellowes! He goes flying for the third time in this match and then rolls out of the ring near his tag partner to regroup!
“RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”
As Big Aug poses in the ring, The GLOBAL Nation shows Lazar some love for his first match back since his sabbatical from GLOBAL Wrestling. Both members of the Best of British try and talk up a new strategy on the outside, but they have to regroup.
The Man with the Iron Stomach doesn’t give them much time to make any plans as he steps over the ropes and starts coming their way!
“Get him back, ref! Do your job, you ponce!” Kensington shouts as the official watches the monster lurk their way.
They both see Del Waterstone still filming clips on his phone for Big Aug’s YouTube show, Big Aug’s Grub Vlog (new episodes coming soon) and when they see him, he waves. Both men turn around and Big Aug is already there to snatch Royston-Fellowes! Kensington knows he can’t do anything at the moment without getting his tag partner disqualified. Big Aug has Rupert on his shoulders in a fireman’s carry…
THEN THROWS HIM BACK THROUGH THE ROPES INTO THE RING!
After Royston-Fellowes bounces off the mat, more noise from The GLOBAL Nation is made as Big Aug goes over to bump a few fists with some kids in the front row. Nigel starts to take off his coat and starts pointing at August.
“You bloody ogre!” Nigel shouts. “Why don’t you get back in that ring and FIGHT?! You’re in the middle of a bloody match!”
The Boss of the Sauce shoots Kensington a stone-cold stare and then points a finger at him.
“You next, buddy.” Lazar snarls.
Big Aug climbs back in…
CHOP BLOCK TO THE LEG BY ROYSTON-FELLOWES!
The distraction appears to pay dividends and Auggie gets tripped up against the ropes just after reentering the ring! He’s hanging by a leg against the ropes and that gives the Best of British member the opening to head to the nearby middle rope, only to leap off and hit a second flying forearm to the exposed leg, sending Big Aug to the mat!
“BOOOOOOOOOOO!”
Royston-Fellowes finally has an opening he can exploit since the onset of the match. The 230-pound London native looked small standing next to Auggie at the start, but as the expression goes in wrestling, everyone’s the same size on their back.
“You should have stayed gone, you sideshow,” Rupert shouts before he runs and delivers a big jumping stomp to the leg of Big Aug!
The Boss of the Sauce starts hobbling on the one leg and starts to try and get back to his feet, but Royston-Fellows charges off the ropes behind and then nails a running clothesline to once again chop the leg out from under the former NBA player. Lazar is brought back to the mat when Rupert gets back up and then hits another running sliding clothesline to the neck of Big Aug, putting him down on the mat! Right after that, he leaps into the cover.
ONE!
TW… NO!
Not even a full two-count on the big man as Big Aug POWERS him off! Rupert looks shocked after this development, but he’s bound and determined to stop the big man. Big Aug rolls over onto his stomach to push himself up, but as he has his hands out, Fellowes jumps up and delivers a double stomp to both hands!
Lazar shouts out in pain as Royston-Fellows continues stomping. He hits a few stomps to the legs of Big Aug…
THE DOWNTRODDING!
The series of stomps lead to a big jumping curb stomp that puts Big Aug on the mat! The London native has to work hard to roll him on his back, but does it!
ONE!
TWO!
NO!
Big Aug kicks out again and Rupert looks shocked, but looks to his partner outside and decides now’s the time to go for the kill. When The Boss of the Sauce tries to get back to his feet, Rupert goes for the knee again and tries to get the massive Lazar in position for a move he calls, appropriately enough, Assume the Position. But before he can fully lock in the double underhook facebuster…. BIG AUG COUNTERS WITH A MASSIVE BACK BODY DROP!
The big monster is back on his feet and hobbling to a corner while Royston-Fellowes is arching his back in pain and trying to get back to his feet!
When Big Aug has him lined up… he smacks Rupert with a big clothesline of his own. The London native stands up a second time only to get run down by a second big clothesline. After the second shot, Big Aug grabs him by the throat on the mat… and smacks him into the mat repeatedly…
THE COOKIE DUNK!
The World’s Largest Foodie then grabs Rupert with both hands and snatches him up off the mat in a rage before throwing him up on his shoulders for a big snake eyes in the corner. Big Aug favors the leg briefly and tries to get some feeling back into it before heading off the side to CRACK Rupert with a big boot!
THE FOOD CHAIN!
After the big combo connects, The Boss of the Sauce yells out to the crowd and then calls for the end as well as Rupert is laid out on the mat…
He goes to pick him up by the side… and The Food Coma appears to be next. He sets up for the back suplex into the chokeslam…
…
HALL OF FAME INDUCTION!
Out of nowhere, the big man gets RUN DOWN by a massive spear, courtesy of Aleczander The Great! The fans BOO and the official calls for the bell!
DING DING DING DING DING DING!
Aleczander backs up as he lines up Big Aug in the corner.
“Here is your winner as a result of a disqualification… AUGUST LAZAR!“
The Largest Athlete in the GLOBE is clutching his rib cage and as this is going on, Nigel Kensington is going over to help his tag partner and neither of them look particularly happy…
HALL OF FAME INDUCTION!
A second big spear from the 267-pound GLOBAL Hall of Famer is enough to put the giant down to loud jeers!
“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
After mowing the giant down with a second Hall of Fame Induction, The GLOBAL Hall of Famer is seething as he stands up and demands a microphone.
“Gimme one! Now!”
Del angrily watches from ringside as Aleczander The Great has a microphone.
“Kensy, Rupes, you two did a great job softening up this wanker and just for the both of you, my good friends… I’m gonna finish the job once and for all, mates!”
He turns to face Big Aug, downed on the mat and holding his rib cage.
“You want to put your hands on ME?! ME?! GLOBAL Wrestling Hall of Famer Aleczander The Great?! And ruin my return?! This was me returning the favor, you massive wanker! If you got the stones, I’ll see you in this ring in two weeks! But you can show your proper respects to a wrestler of me status! You can BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW…”
The Gilded Great laughs.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW!”
Aleczander The Great spikes the microphone down on the mat and gets jeers as “Hall of Fame” starts to play over the PA. Aleczander goes over to Nigel and Rupert side by side and raises both of their hands as if they were in on Aleczander’s plan to blindside Big Aug…
But their faces seem to indicate otherwise.
“Rupes, Kensy, great work! ” He pats them both on the back, but both members of Best of British look angry with this turn of events as Aleczander leaves the ring and throws both hands in the air.
“YOUR GLOBAL HALL OF FAMER IS LEAVING THE BUILDING!”
RAISED STAKES
7:45pm
Valorie sighs as she waits in the locker room, nerves slowly getting the best of her as even she can’t help but wonder if her leg is going to give out again despite her still training on it and having gotten over the limp. Anything can happen at the show, and Valorie is trying to mentally prepare herself for it. Standing up and stretching, even doing some high jumps to test her legs out, she receives a text from an unknown contact.
“Who on earth could that be?” She asks herself as she reaches for her device.
The number is indeed foreign to her, but the picture has her concerned. She sees a picture of the injured child that endured the accident a few weeks ago from outside of his hospital room, staring straight ahead with a bright smile on his face, as if watching something amusing on the television in front of him. Seconds later though, a second, more ominous message appears, sending harsh chills down Valorie’s spine.
“Good Luck.”
Thoughts quickly flood her mind as she tries to figure out who this is, how they got her number, and why they are at the hospital with the child. She isn’t given much time to think though as just a few minutes after seeing the image, she is told by an official that her match is next, and she needs to prepare. She needs to get this done quick, as she starts to piece together who sent that message, and thus who is at the hospital. And if she doesn’t get there in time, she won’t forgive him, or herself
VALORIE VITALITY Vs. JOE PUBLIC
The feed returns to ringside to find Joe Public already in the ring, and looking remarkably anxious, a little scared, even – a demeanor which raises questions from the commentators.
“What’s up with Joe? He looks like he’s expecting bad news, or something…”
“Maybe he’s just worried because he’s up against one of the most exciting rising stars in GLOBAL – my girl Valerie!”
“Speaking of which…”
The San Francisco crowd rise to their feet as “Blow Me Away” by Breaking Benjamin starts up on the arena speakers, heralding the arrival of the fan-favorite former Marine. “Downtown” Brown takes this opportunity to make the formal introductions.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is scheduled for one fall! Already in the ring, from Lynchburg, Virginia, weighing 196 pounds….JOOOOEEEE PUUUUBLIIIICCC!”
“OBJECTION!! Joe only weighs 195.8 pounds!!”
“Yeah, Mark…and Peter Parker’s name is The Human Spider…”
Suitably cowed, Deltzer pipes down, allowing Brown’s voice to once again dominate.
“And his opponent, from San Antonio, Texas, weighing 127 pounds…VALORIE! VIIIITALITYYYY!!!”
“Speaking of something being up with people, what’s the deal with Valorie? She doesn’t look her usual self…”
Indeed, as she makes her way down to ringside, the former Marine shows none of her usual showmanship and “joie de vivre”; much to the contrary, actually, as young fans are left hanging, their hands outstretched for a high-five or their phones at the ready for a selfie, as Valorie simply limps to ringside in a straight line, almost as if in a daze, the usual competitive fire in her eyes replaced by a scorching mixture of concern and anger. Nor does she go through any of her usual motions upon entering the ring, instead simply walking up to official Gabrielle Harris and exchanging a few words with her. Harris nods and, a moment later, calls for the bell, getting the match under way.
“I’m not sure whose idea it was to make Valorie compete here tonight, when her leg is not even fully—WHOA!!”
“Joe Public targeting that injured leg of Valorie’s, but Miss Vitality has other ideas!!”
Indeed, Valorie has spun out of the way of Public’s attempt at a kick to her injured knee, instead gaining his wrist and performing a judo-like arm drag; then, the minute Public is on the ground, she transitions into an armbar, which has her opponent tapping out in seconds! The whole thing is so quick, the commentators are still trying to catch up as the bell rings.
“Arm drag…armbar locked in…wait, that’s IT?”
A moment later, “Downtown” Brown’s voice indicates that yes – that is, indeed, it.
“Um…wow. How…how long did that take?”
“Um…six seconds, I think…”
The sound of the bell does not, however, cause Valorie to release the hold; much to the contrary, Harris is forced to pull the fan-favorite off Joe Public, a mission in which is only just about successful, Vitality then immediately brushes the official off as Harris goes to raise her hand, never even looking back as she walks out of the ring and back up the entranceway, still seemingly in a daze.
“That wasn’t so much a match as a statement from my girl Val…but something is DEFINITELY not right with her. I should try and have a word later, see what’s up…”
Allie Reece is far from the only person to have noticed Valorie’s odd behavior; as the former Marine attempts to walk through the curtain, her two fellow Angel Corps members come out to confront her, arms wide open in surprise and shock as they point towards the ring and ask “What was that about?” To their surprise, however, they, too, get summarily brushed off, as there is seemingly nothing stopping Valorie from returning to the back as quickly as possible; as such, Saul and Angel have no choice but to follow her, still clearly attempting to reason with her as they disappear towards the backstage area.
“I don’t like this. Valorie is not herself.”
“Wait…who’s THAT?”
A surprised hush emerges from the stands as a black-clad female figure in denim, leather and aviator shades emerges through the curtain moments after Valorie has crossed it, making a beeline for the ring. A moment later, she is inside, seemingly helping Joe Public to his feet.
“Wait…does…does Joe Public have a GIRLFRIEND?!”
In another moment, however, it becomes painfully clear that that is not the case at all – literally, as the terrified-looking Joe Public finds himself at the receiving end of a kick square between the legs, which leaves him on his knees and whimpering. The woman, however, does not so much as glance back towards the hapless journeyman as she makes her way back up the entranceway and through the curtain, leaving the entire arena with a long list of questions – which Mark Deltzer unknowingly ends up voicing.
“Can anybody tell me what the HELL happened in the last five minutes? Like, ANYTHING after Joe Public came down?!”
“Well, ‘Downtown’ Brown introduced the contestants, and…”
“…yeah, Quinn, that was about the only part I DID understand…”
The three positively befuddled announcers (and, undoubtedly, the crowd as well) are still trying to make sense of what transpired as the feed transitions elsewhere.
MOTIVATION
Time: 10:49pm
The sound of a car screeching inside of a large parking garage echoes loudly throughout the halls as a black sedan speeds through and soon pulls into a parking spot. Once there, a very nervous Valorie steps out and after grabbing her bag hurries to a door that connects the garage to the hospital. Time is of the essence to her, for if that monster gets his hands on that child, she will never forgive him, or herself.
Glancing at her phone, she manages to quickly find the hospital room the child was in and to her relief, sees he’s awake and happy to see his teacher. Nothing but pure joy is on her face now as she goes over and hugs her student, only to hear a slow, quiet clap from outside in the hallway.
“Congratulations Valorie. That was even more decisive than I expected.”
She snaps her head back and sees Alex Reyn walking in, still clapping slowly before he lets his arms casually rest at his sides. Slight chills of nervousness run down Valorie’s spine but she doesn’t let it show as she frowns at him.
“… I was tryin’ to get to the kid, Reyn… I wasn’t gonna let you hurt him more than he already is…” she says, turning around and crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“That’s all?” He walks closer. “Four weeks. A month of being a burden. Of letting everyone around you down… Look me in the eye and tell me it didn’t feel good to finally achieve something for yourSELF.”
A twitch of anger can be seen from her as she walks closer to him “… That AIN’T the point right now, Reyn. You were ’bout to go out of your way to harm this child who didn’t, nor couldn’t, lift a damn finger to hurt you! Why on God’s green earth would you even CONSIDER doing that!!”
Reyn glares. The first look of anger from him.
“The FACT that that thing cannot fight for itself should be reason enough to exterminate it.” he growls. Then his voice resumes its calm tone, “But I have not harmed it. And I had no intention of harming it so long as you performed well. Which you did. In fact… the only one to blame for its current state… is yourself.”
Valorie is trying to control her emotions, though her restraint is starting to waver as her hands clench together in tight fists, almost turning white at the knuckles.
“The fact that you would harm an innocent child is sickening… And how in the hell is it my fault?! Accidents happen! With or without me there!” she shouts, taking another step towards him, only for Reyn to respond quickly.
“If you had survived your encounter with me. You might have been at the gym to help. You could have won the match faster and returned in time to check the equipment. Like you always do. Instead, not only does your own team need to save you… AGAIN. But your weakness means the people you swore to protect were injured. Tell me something Valerie. Can you name a single moment before today that you WEREN’T a burden on those around you? Your teammates had to help you against the biggest fool on the roster, and all that got them was weeks of suffering at his enforcer’s hands. The only reason you joined the marines was because of NEPOTISM. You have been a leech. Parasitically feeding upon the goodwill of all those around you.”
Valorie opens her mouth to speak with her right hand raising into the air, but not a single word comes out, the hand also slowly falling to her side again. Her eyes break contact with his own to look at the injured child and then to the floor in front of her. She wants to tell him deep down how wrong he is, but even she can’t deny it; he’s right… Seeing her fall silent, Reyn continues.
“But you weren’t tonight. Tonight YOU won a match with every handicap possible stacked against you. YOU earned that victory. You weren’t some weak victim who needed someone to throw in the towel out of pity, YOU were the one rushing to the aid of someone ELSE. You weren’t a failure tonight. So again I ask: Look me in the eye and tell me that it didn’t feel good when your opponent tapped in mere seconds to YOUR hold.”
Valorie just stares at the floor, her hands naked into tight fists. Conflicting thoughts are running through her head as she can’t deny that Reyn has a point and his logic is sound, even though she wants so badly to find a fault in his reasoning and be able to prove him wrong. She heaves a soft sigh and keeps her gaze away from him, giving Reyn the confirmation he was expecting.
“Think about it.” he says, stepping around her.
Then he pauses.
“Oh, and since the spawn is such an… excellent motivator for you,” Reyn says, turning to look at the hospital bed. “I’ll be sure to keep my eye on it.”
A RICH RETURN
Steven Blaine is standing by with the returning Rich Family. Todd and Declan Rich are standing by, dressed in jeans and a nice shirt, looking the part for their return to GLOBAL. Warm smiles sit across both men’s faces as Steve Blaine seems to be talking with them before the interview begins.
As the camera cues the start of the interview, the ever-professional Steve Blaine begins. “I am standing by with wrestling royalty—Todd and Decan Rich of the legendary Rich family. Guys, the last time we saw you was at Gold Rush. It’s great to see you back in Global.”
Todd nods, thanking Steve Blaine, responding. “Thank you. It’s great to be back. It was good to get away and recharge the batteries and spend time with family back at the Rich Family ranch. We were able to spend time with our families and honestly get away from the wrestling business for a bit.”
Declan agrees with his partner. “It’s always good to get home. The prior few months were taxing not only mentally but physically. We healed, recharged, and refocused. It was good to spend some time with Freddie. He was in great spirits.”
Steve Blaine quickly adds. “That is great to hear. We all continue to wish Freddie a healthy recovery. Let’s return to Gold Rush, where you defeated the Prime Time Athletes in that grueling respect match.”
Todd and Declan look at one another and smile. Declan is the first to respond. “That was a fun topic at the dinner table. Freddie laughed while talking about us teaching the Prime Time Athletes a lesson in respect. Todd and I have been at the end of some tough, Rich Family respect rumbles with Freddie and some of our family. The Prime Time Athletes learned the hard way how we handle disrespect.”
Todd a bit more elegantly adds. “In this business, all you have is your name. The Prime Time Athletes disparaged the Rich Family name and crossed the line. At Gold Rush, we gave them a little Rich Family justice.”
Steve Blaine nods, agreeing. “I think we all enjoyed it too. We discussed this before the interview started, but the word just came down: next Domination, you guys will return to the ring and challenge the Trouble Roxx for the GLOBAL Tag Team Championships. What a way to make your in-ring debut!”
The excitement in Steve Blaine with the huge announcement as Todd respectfully responds. “We look forward to stepping back inside a Global ring and challenging the worthy champions. Trouble Roxx has been on a roll since winning those titles. It won’t be an easy task, but our batteries are recharged. Our bodies have healed. Declan and I – “
The sounds of loud hand clapping are heard off camera interrupting the interview as it gets louder and louder as Jimmy Classic and “The Suplex Ninja” Trae Larkin appear.
Jimmy Classic shouts. “Congratulations. Finally, the legendary Rich Family returns.”
Declan looks ready for a fight, but Todd puts his hand in front of the younger Rich Family member stopping him as Trae Larkin on the opposite side looks ready to receive him. Jimmy Classic continues sarcastically.
“We wanted to be the first to welcome you guys back. You have been missed! All the Global fans have been waiting patiently for you to return.”
Steve Blaine tries to intervene politely, saying. “Guys, this is Todd and Declan’s time. If you could – “
Again Jimmy Classic cuts off Steve Blaine, completely ignoring him and talking right to the Rich Family. “We just wanted to stop by and wish you two luck against Trouble Roxx next Domination. What a story it would be for the legendary Rich Family to return and win the Global Tag Team Titles.”
Declan is not buying Jimmy’s sarcasm responds while he pulls his leather belt from his jeans. “If you have something to say, spit it out. Or do you need another lesson in respect?”
Trae Lark snarls, shouting. “Remind us!” However, Jimmy Classic continues with a smile. “No need to get upset. We aren’t here to ruin your special night back. Good luck next Domination. Trae and I …. We will be watching in the back.”
The Prime Time Athletes turn and leave the Rich Family as they shake their heads.
The smell of processed BBQ-flavored powder wafts across the wide open space of a cold and isolated abandoned warehouse.
In the centre of the room, strapped to a folding steel chair, a shirtless man sits, his head slumped forwards. On his head is an upturned bag of Doritos.
Footsteps slowly crackle through the aged and dried debris on the warehouse floor.
Clip.
Clop.
Clip.
Clop…
The person slaps a piece of crumpled paper onto the chest of the sleeping gimp and straightens it out with their hands. They reach into their pocket and pull out a staple gun, stapling the note to the nipple of the unconscious gimp.
Clip.
Clop.
Clip.
Clop…
On the chest of the gimp the front of the paper reads “FAO: Naked Man” written in blood.
"THE LEGEND" SEAN DARRING Vs. ???
The arena was filled with anticipation as the main event of the evening was about to begin. The crowd roared excitedly, eagerly awaiting the clash between “The Legend” Sean Darring and Paul Sanders, one-half of the notorious tag team, The Players. The air was thick with tension, fueled by the earlier attack on Darring by The Players that left him with a wounded knee.
Lucas Quinn’s voice boomed over the arena speakers, resonating with the crowd’s energy. “And here they come, ladies and gentlemen, the Players! The air is thick with disdain as the audience unleashes a torrent of boos, still seething from the heinous attack the Players launched on Sean Darring earlier tonight.”
Allie, the color commentator, chimed in. “It was advised that Sean Darring should sit this one out, given the severity of his injuries. But true to his warrior spirit, he adamantly refused to back down.”
The Mark, always the astute observer, added his insight. “Take a look at Paul Sanders, that devilish grin plastered on his face. The Players are relishing in their vile actions, reveling in the chaos they have sown.”
As the Players made their way towards the ring, Kid Chameleon mockingly mimicked the limp of Sean Darring, the injured knee prominently displayed. The crowd’s anger grew palpable, fueled by the Players’ audacious antics.
But suddenly, a shift in the atmosphere occurred. The opening notes of “The Final Countdown” by Europe reverberated throughout the arena, electrifying the audience. The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers as Sean Darring, the Global Champion, emerged from the backstage area. Adorned with a protective brace around his left knee and the coveted Global Championship firmly strapped around his waist, he stormed down the aisle with unbridled determination.
The sight of Sean Darring sent shockwaves through the Players, forcing them to scramble out of the ring, escaping the wrath of the furious champion. The San Francisco crowd roared in approval, their voices blending into a chorus of support for the resilient warrior.
Allie’s voice reverberated through the arena. “Listen up, folks! The Champion has arrived, and he means business. Sean Darring is here to remind the Players that their actions will have consequences!”
Lucas Quinn always the charismatic commentator. Referee Barry Snider has his work cut out for him tonight. Trying to rein in the fiery determination of the Global Champion won’t be easy. Darring is eager to make both Players pay for their treachery.”
As the Global Champion stood in the center of the ring, his gaze locked on the Players, a moment of uncertainty washed over the arena. Referee Barry Snider approached the duo; his voice filled with authority as he addressed them.
“Which one of you will step up to face the Global Champion tonight?” Snider demanded, his voice cutting through the tension.
Kid Chameleon and Paul Sanders exchanged uneasy glances, their reluctance to face the wrath of the angered champion evident. Each player hesitated their desire to avoid Darring’s fury palpable. The crowd watched with bated breath, curious about who would dare to accept the challenge.
After a few moments of intense deliberation, an idea sparked between the two players. They locked eyes once again, this time with a mixture of determination and cunning. It was decided: they would settle the matter with a game of paper-rock-scissors.
The audience couldn’t help but chuckle at the unconventional method of determining the opponent. The tension momentarily eased as the Players prepared for their unique showdown. The two competitors extended their hands, their fingers forming shapes to decide their fate.
One, two, three!
In a synchronized motion, Kid Chameleon revealed his hand, displaying an open palm. Paul Sanders, on the other hand, presented a clenched fist, forming the shape of rock. A moment of silence engulfed the arena as the crowd eagerly awaited the outcome.
Barry Snider, with a bemused expression, declared the winner. “Paper beats rock! Paul Sanders is the chosen one to face the Global Champion!”
The audience erupted in a mixture of cheers and laughter, delighted by the unexpected turn of events. It was a whimsical twist in an otherwise intense encounter, showcasing the Players’ ingenuity in their attempt to evade the wrath of Sean Darring.
DING DING!
As Paul Sanders stepped forward to accept the challenge, the Global champion wasted no time and started unloading big right hands on the unexpecting Paul Sanders. With each blow, Kid Chameleon on the outside popped his back backward in sympathy for his partner. Sean Darring whipped Paul Sanders into the ropes and nearly took his head off with a clothesline.
The Mark marveled. “Paul Sanders learned the hard way you always flash scissors!”
Paul Sanders pops back up on instinct after that stiff clothesline and begins eating vicious knife-edge-chops. THWAAAP! THWAAAAP! The sounds of Darring’s chops echo through the arena as Sanders stumbles backward into the corner of the turnbuckles. The Global Champion grabs Paul Sanders and whips him across with a chest-first Irish whip. He slams into the corner and stumbles out and right into a waiting Sean Darring who lifts him up and backward with a belly-to-back suplex.
THUUUUUUUD!
“Unbelievable! Sean Darring is unstoppable tonight!” Lucas Quinn exclaimed, his voice filled with admiration.
As The Legend turned his attention toward Kid Chameleon, a daring challenge emanated from his eyes. With an outstretched arm, he beckoned his partner to join him in the ring, a silent invitation for a confrontation. Kid Chameleon, taken aback by the unexpected summons, pointed to himself in disbelief, questioning whether he was the chosen one.
Allie couldn’t contain her laughter at the sight. “Oh, look at Kid Chameleon! He seems to have lost his confidence now that he’s face to face with the champion!”
The Mark, pondering the unfolding events, voiced his curiosity. “I can’t help but wonder what Benedict Beel Zebub is thinking right now. His devious plan to weaken the champion seems to be backfiring before our very eyes.”
Kid Chameleon, seemingly flustered by the challenge, gestured towards his hand, indicating his choice in the earlier paper-rock-and-scissors game. “I picked paper! I picked paper!” he exclaimed, attempting to justify his hesitation.
The crowd erupted in a mix of laughter and disbelief, thoroughly entertained by Kid Chameleon’s feeble attempts to avoid the impending clash. The tension in the arena intensified as the Global Champion’s dominance became increasingly evident. Clearly, Kid Chameleon had underestimated the resolve of Sean Darring, the unwavering force standing before him.
Taking advantage of the distraction caused by Kid Chameleon’s antics, Paul Sanders seized the opportunity to approach the Global Champion stealthily. With a finger pressed against his lips, he urged the San Francisco crowd to hush, attempting to silence their supportive cheers. Sanders crept closer to his unsuspecting opponent, preparing to strike.
Just as Sanders reached striking distance, Sean Darring spun around, catching his adversary by surprise. The deafening roar of the Global-Nation faithful reverberated throughout the arena, fueling Darring’s determination. Sanders launched a right hand towards the champion, aiming to catch him off guard, but his blow was swiftly met with a block from Darring’s strong defense.
In a split second, the Global Champion seized the opportunity to retaliate. With impeccable timing and precision, Darring effortlessly hoisted Sanders into the air, shaking his head in defiance of the impending pain. Then, in a swift motion, Darring extended his knee, delivering a punishing inverted atomic drop that sent shockwaves of discomfort surging through Sanders’ body.
Allie couldn’t help but laugh at Sanders’ unfortunate predicament. “Oh, Paul Sanders is going to feel that one in the morning! That move has got to leave a lasting impact!”
The Mark, empathizing with the recipient of the devastating maneuver, winced in sympathy. “Ouch, that move should come with a warning label. It’s enough to make anyone cringe.”
The electric atmosphere inside the San Francisco arena reached its peak as the fans, fueled by the adrenaline of the match and the champion’s total control, rose to their feet in a thunderous wave of support. With unwavering determination in his eyes, the Global Champion turned his attention towards Kid Chameleon, pointing directly at Paul Sanders, who still clutched his lower regions in agony.
In a display of pure mastery, Sean Darring swiftly closed the distance between himself and Sanders, seizing the opportunity to showcase his signature move – the classic northern lights suplex. With impeccable technique and strength, Darring effortlessly hoisted Sanders off his feet, their bodies arching through the air in perfect synchrony.
The impact was thunderous as the two competitors crashed down onto the canvas, the resounding thud echoing throughout the arena. The San Francisco crowd erupted in a cacophony of cheers, their admiration for the champion’s dominance resounding through the venue.
Lucas Quinn, unable to contain his excitement, exclaimed, “Nobody does it better than Sean Darring! Complete and utter domination by the champion, even with that weakened left knee. This is a masterclass in wrestling excellence!”
With the match hanging in the balance, it became apparent that the showdown between the Global Champion and Paul Sanders was more than just a contest of skill and strength. It was a training session demonstrating the champion’s mastery for aspiring wrestlers fortunate enough to witness the spectacle unfolding before them.
Approaching the fallen Sanders with intensity and measured control, Sean Darring showed no remorse for the punishment he had dished out. With a focused gaze and a firm resolve, the champion’s movements were deliberate and calculated. He knew the time had come to end this battle and claim his well-deserved victory.
Expertly maneuvering his opponent into position, Darring applied his trademark submission hold – the Legend Lock. As he locked in the agonizing hold, it was clear that Sanders had no escape. The pain coursed through his body, causing him to desperately slap the mat in a desperate plea for mercy, surrendering to the relentless pressure exerted on him.
The sound of the bell pierced through the air, signaling the end of the match. Barry Snider, the referee, wasted no time in officially declaring Sean Darring the victor, acknowledging his complete dominance over the competition. The San Francisco crowd erupted once more, their applause echoing throughout the arena as they bore witness to the undeniable superiority of the Global Champion.
Allie’s voice resonated with a mix of caution and insight. “Well, it seems The Players have learned a valuable lesson tonight. Attacking Sean Darring may not have been the wisest decision.”
Lucas Quinn concurred, his tone laced with a hint of satisfaction. “Absolutely, Allie. The repercussions of their earlier actions are now evident. They must be regretting their choices.”
As Sean Darring raised his arm triumphantly, excitement filled the air. However, the jubilation was short-lived as Kid Chameleon, lurking beneath the ropes, seized the opportunity to strike. Swiftly and decisively, he targeted Darring’s injured left knee, eliciting a cascade of boos from the disgruntled crowd. The relentless assault continued, with Kid Chameleon ruthlessly stomping away at the vulnerable joint. Meanwhile, Paul Sanders, having regained his footing, eagerly joined his partner in the assault, forming a formidable two-on-one attack.
Amidst the chaos inside the ring, all eyes turned towards the entranceway, where Benedict Beel Zebub stood with a malevolent grin stretching across his face. The sinister mastermind reveled in the unfolding scene, his presence a testament to the success of his nefarious plan.
Allie’s voice dripped with concern as she observed the brutal onslaught. “This is ruthless. Kid Chameleon and Paul Sanders are showing no mercy, targeting that injured knee without remorse.”
Lucas Quinn’s tone grew tense with anticipation. “Someone needs to put an end to this assault. The Players have taken advantage of Darring’s vulnerability and are capitalizing on it.”
Kid Chameleon whispered instructions to Paul Sanders with a sinister smirk, urging him to extend Sean Darring’s injured leg and hold it steady. Seizing the opportunity, Kid Chameleon launched himself off the ropes, springing into the air before crashing down with both his knees targeting the braced knee of the Global Champion. A collective gasp escaped from the stunned crowd, their disbelief palpable as Kid Chameleon rolled out of the ring, retrieving a steel chair with malicious intent.
The Mark’s voice trembled with concern. “This is a perilous situation for the champion. Despite his dominant performance earlier, the Players have exploited the numbers game and turned the tables. It’s a troubling turn of events.”
A hushed silence fell over the arena as the fans anxiously awaited the next chapter in this harrowing tale. Suddenly, the number one contender and Sean Darring’s upcoming opponent, Daniel Dream, raced down the ramp, swiftly passing Benedict Beel Zebub, and slid into the ring, taking a defiant stance between the Players and his rival.
Lucas Quinn’s voice filled with surprise. “Daniel Dream has entered the fray, positioning himself as a barrier between the Players and the fallen champion. But why?”
Allie’s confusion mirrored that of the audience. “He’s pointing at the Players, seemingly pleading with them to reconsider their actions. Daniel Dream appears to be taking a stand, refusing to allow this assault to continue.”
The Players, perplexed by Daniel Dream’s intervention, glanced back and forth between him and Benedict Beel Zebub, their confusion evident. The carefully orchestrated plan seemed to have veered off course, leaving them in a state of uncertainty.
Benedict Beel Zebub’s displeasure was evident, his plans unraveled as The Players dropped the steel chair and rolled out of the ring, their confusion mirroring the audience’s bewilderment. Their gaze shifted towards Daniel Dream, who stood resolute, blocking their path to the fallen champion.
Lucas Quinn’s voice carried a note of uncertainty. “Ladies and gentlemen, the situation has taken an unexpected turn. We can only speculate on the motives behind Daniel Dream’s interference. However, at this moment, we can be grateful that no further harm has been inflicted upon the champion’s injured knee.”
The Mark’s voice reflected the tension in the air. “The champion is rising to his feet; his eyes fixated on Daniel Dream, the man who came to his aid in this time of need.”
Sean Darring and Daniel Dream locked eyes, a mixture of uncertainty and gratitude passing between them. With a sense of caution, Darring slid out of the ring, clutching the Global Championship, leaving Daniel Dream alone inside the squared circle.
Allie’s voice conveyed the shared perplexity. “Even the champion is confused, unsure of Daniel Dream’s motives and the sudden turn of events.”
The arena buzzed with speculation and anticipation as the unexpected alliance between Sean Darring and Daniel Dream unfolded. The air is thick with unanswered questions.