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The screen is black as the gentle piano of "Run This Town (E.S. Posthumus Remix)" by Jay-Z, Rihanna, and E.S. Posthumus begins to play. The spotlight lights up slowly, the screen monochrome. We see an empty locker room, with an empty chair sitting in the middle of it. The scene is serene. I"m ready. The scene switches to the Epicenter Ring, empty as well. C"mon. The sun is shown in twice the normal speed, racing towards the horizon, hiding from the coming war. Feel it comin’ in the air We look down the entrance ramp of the Epicenter now, down to the ring. Slow motion images of the fans cheering their heads off. It’s a dangerous love affair An image of someone, the camera distorts just who, screaming back to the fans as they enter the arena. We finally see someone we recognize, as Trey Willett stands on the turnbuckle, staring out at the sea of fans. The music ERUPTS as we see Azrael Goeren SHATTER a lightsaber of Cronos Diamante"s head. Eryk Masters: OH MY GOD! We are The camera shows Kenji Yamada, Adrian Corazon, and Isaac Entragian standing in the shadows, glaring back at the camera. Osbourne Kilminster glares the camera down as he stands behind Sinnocence, who is grinding her fist into her open hand. Ron Barker is shown, obliterating Tanya Black with the Perfection. Other Guy: This could do it! Cade Sydal is up next, taking Azraith DeMitri down with the Ninjaguiri. Eryk Masters: Come on! The Bad Ass Brotherhood flashes on screen, holding the SHOOT Project World Tag Team Championship belts high in the air. Donovan King is shown, looking up to the spotlight, his eyes filled with hope and his hands are open. X-Calibur drops Rocky Stellar while Azrael Goeren looks on with the X-TERMINATOR. Other Guy: WHAT?!!!! Back to runnin’ circles ’round niggas The Gunslingers stand in the spotlight, sneering at the camera. It quickly switches to Thomas Manchester Black, shaking his head as he loosens his wrists. Quickly, the camera switches to Mike Dexter, bloody, holding the Laws of Survival Championship belt which was just buckled around his waist. Eryk Masters: …this is YOUR moment! We cut back to Jaime Alejandro with the Iron Fist Championship on his shoulder, his arm curled around his title like a proud champion in the spotlight. We cut to Lennox Ferguson being SPEARED THROUGH BARBED-WIRE by Isaac Entragian! Other Guy: NO WAY! Jester Smiles is up next, hooking the Last Laugh on Azraith. Other Guy: WHAT!?!?? Eryk Masters: NO!!! As quickly as the images hit, they black out again as the music dies down. The piano returns…and Rihanna"s voice does as well. Feel it comin’ in the air We come back to Trey Willett, his head down, sitting in the corner of the ring. He looks up to the camera, and a confident smirk slides across his face. Hear the screams from everywhere Dave Dymond stands in the spotlight, his monster Akuma Satsui oddly bleeding and grinning evilly in the background. The screen flashes with the screen as we see Isaac Entragian hitting the White Death on Azrael Goeren onto Lennox Ferguson, strapped to a gurney. Donovan King is shown, the Carolina Crossface locked on tightly against Azraith. Victory’s within the mile Pyro rains down as the silhouette of someone standing at the entrance to the Epicenter is shown, clutching the SHOOT Project World Heavyweight Championship in his hand. Cronos Diamante destroys Donovan King with a chair as King is tied up in the ropes. Cade Sydal is shown in the spotlight, his arms outstretched as he laughs cockily. The music hits its crescendo, we see Corazon lording over a fallen Trey, we see Frontline II TURBO entering the ring, the image of Crazy Boy nodding his head to the camera, VAS hamming it up in the spotlight, The UK Dragon pinning Jaime Alejandro quickly cut with Johnny Patriot standing as nobly as he can in the spotlight. Who’s gonna run this town tonight… The pyro continues to rain down as the silhouette slowly lifts the SHOOT Project World Heavyweight Championship belt up, the images of each and every Soldier is shown as quickly as possible before finally settling one last time…on the World Heavyweight Championship, the music dying down.
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I can almost taste it…
The lights drop and the fans begin to boo loudly.
Eryk Masters: I didn’t even get a chance to welcome everyone to the show yet!
It makes no sense to me…
What does it all mean?!
A spotlight slowly comes to a stop on the top of the ramp.
Other Guy: What are you complaining about? Can someone turn down the music? My head is killing me…
I can almost taste it…
I can almost see it!
It makes no sense to me…
What does it all mean?!
I can almost taste it…
Eryk Masters: It…hasn’t even started yet. Are you okay?
I just wanna be famous!
You dream of trading places
I have been changing faces
You can not fill these shoes
There is too much to lose
I wake up behind these trenches
You run around defenseless
There is too much to lose
You can not fill these shoes
Other Guy: I’m fine. Just…can that man party or what?
I just wanna be famous but…
Be careful what you wish for…
As "Almost Famous" by Eminem (featuring Lisa Rodriguez) continues Cade Sydal steps through the curtain, with Cassi Ryan hand-in-hand. The couple walk to the top of the ramp and stand there for a moment, a microphone in Cassi’s hand while the SHOOT Project World Heavyweight Title rests comfortably over Cade’s other shoulder, his hand holding it in place as he grins at the sea of booing fans.
Eryk Masters: Who?
Other Guy: Cade, of course. After he won at Revolution he invited me out to celebrate with him…and the party just ended last night!
Eryk Masters lets out an audible groan as Cade and Cassi begin to make their way down to the ring, ignoring the booing fans, Cassi raises the microphone to her lips.
Cassi Ryan: Ladies and gentlemen! Descendants of degenerate criminals, one and all! Please, put your hands together as we welcome the greatest man that ever lived! A two-time Iron Fist Champion of the World, and a two-federation Hall of Famer! The champion all others aspire to be, but fall short of! I’m of course talking about our brand new, two-time SHOOT Project World Heavyweight Champion!
The fans continue to boo as the couple make it to the bottom of the ramp and Cade holds his hand out to allow Cassi to walk ahead of him in their customary manner. Cassi grins over her shoulder at Cade as she walks up the steps, and continues to talk.
Cassi Ryan: The Emperor of Excitement! The Ambassador of Amazing!
Cade sits on the middle rope, pushing the top rope up with his arm, Cassi bends at the waist to step through the ropes, with Cade following right behind.
Cassi Ryan: He is a true pioneer, a trail blazer like no other! Here he is. Your champion, and mine! God’s Favorite Wrestler! CAAAAAAAAADE SYYYYYYDALLLLLLLL!
The fans continue to boo as Cade plants a lingering kiss on Cassi’s cheek, taking the microphone from her hand he kisses her knuckles as she lets go of it, with a smile.
Cade Sydal: Thank you, Love. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
More booing, and Cade shakes his head with a roll of his eyes.
Cade Sydal: Have you people learned nothing? If I want to say something, I’m going to say it. Whether you listen or not…I’m the one with the microphone.
Cade lowers the microphone for a moment and readjusts the title belt on his shoulder, looking into the faceplate with a grin. The name Cade Sydal already engraved into a new nameplate and put in place.
Cade Sydal: Its a beautiful thing, isn’t it? Joining a list of only a very select few to have ever held the most coveted belt in this sport not once, but twice? And at such a young age, too…its got to be eating at so many of you forty-somethings out there that are still at your mediocre jobs, barely able to afford tickets here tonight, to see someone so young become so successful. And without a college education, too. Oooh, I know that stings, huh?
Cade shrugs.
Cade Sydal: Well, I’ve got news for you…I don’t care how any of you feel about seeing me hold this title. That means you, too, Efrain Markout. OG told me what you had to say, and that’s cool…hate all day, every day. Because while you do that, I’ll be keeping my shine on.
Eryk Masters: You really did party with him? And you sold me out?
Other Guy: Hey, he would have seen it on his DVR anyway.
Cade Sydal: For every one of you haters out there, I’ve got more than enough fans and supporters. Those with a true insight into what real brilliance is. OG went and partied with me. Cronuts Deviance sacrificed a goat in my honor, I’m not really sure but he’s the Devil so if that’s how he gets his party on, who am I to stop him? Hell, even Bill Jockstrap is back from the wrestling retirement home to come and see what a real champion looks like.
Eryk Masters: I think he means Ben Jackman, who’s here tonight to do some guest commentary later on…
Other Guy: Well of course that’s who he means.
Cade Sydal: I thought I’d invite a few people in the ring with me, to join in my moment…to join in and celebrate my achievement with me while I spoke to you masses for the first time as a two-time World Champion. But…nah, fuck that. This is my moment, and the only person that gets to share that is my girl…the one that chases cloudy days with her sunshine-bearing smile, and the warmth of May when its cold outside. Yes, I’m talking about my girl. My girl…
Cade grins over at Cassi, who blows him a kiss while he paces the ring.
Cade Sydal: All songs and jokes aside, though? It feels good. No…It feels great, to be your champion again. With me as your champion, rating swill skyrocket and buy-rates will increase hundred-fold! Everyone on the roster, and even the staff monkeys, are going to be able to earn higher wages and maybe even sell a little bit more merchandise. Higher ticket sales means more people paying for shirts and shit, after all. And I promise that I will do everything in my power to defend my championship with the same honor…
Cade smirks.
Cade Sydal: Dignity…
The smirk grows.
Cade Sydal: And integrity that I won it with.
The smirk grows, until he starts to laugh for a brief moment.
Cade Sydal: Hahaha…who am I kidding? I’m not going to do that! No, instead I’m going to do everything in my power to keep it! By all means necessary, the SHOOT Project World Title will never be taken away from me! If you people thought the things I did to win this belt were dastardly? You’re in for quite the rude awakening…there are no lows I will not stoop to, to ensure that I do just that. Let this serve as a warning to all of you in the back, licking your lips…thinking that now you have a "weak" champion.
Cade stops and looks into the hard camera, narrowing his eyes and no longer smirking.
Cade Sydal: If you want this title, you’ll be in for the fight of your life. It doesn’t matter if you’re Asherroth DeMisery, wanting to get it back. Or Tammy Blows, looking for your first chance at a real spotlight. I will ruin lives if that’s what it takes, make no mistakes. Whether you’re trying to make a name for yourself, like Mistress Harp or you’re one of those retirees looking to make a run at it again, Dead Cadaver, I’m lookin’ at you.
Cade raises the title belt off of his shoulder.
Cade Sydal: Get used to seeing this, each and every time SHOOT is on the air. Because I will be the face of this company for a very…very…long time. I dare any of you to try and prove me wrong.
Cade lowers the belt and turns around, looking at Cassi he slowly starts to smile.
Cade Sydal: Now, if you all will excuse us, Cassi and I have some more…celebrating to attend to. In the back. Away from cameras…probably with some whipped cream…
Cade grins at her, as she smiles back with a playful wink, her fingers twirling through a strand of hair. Cade drops the microphone and quickly grabs her other hand, as "Almost Famous" by Eminem hits again. The fans begin to boo again as Cade holds the ropes open for Cassi, before following her out of the ring, raising the belt high over his head as they walk up the ramp.
Other Guy: What an encouraging speech!
Eryk Masters: You mean a load of bullshit! He just came out here to toot his own horn and gloat, like he does all the damn time!
Other Guy: But he’s backed it all up. He’s living proof that if you believe it, you can achieve it! That’s what’s so encouraging!
Eryk Masters: Yeah, if you cheat and take shortcuts, you can get to where you want…that’s a real great message to send to kids!
As the commentators argue, Cade and Cassi make it to the top of the ramp, and Cade turns around, raising the belt in the air again with a grin as the fans continue to boo. The booing slowly turns to cheering, though, as a man steps out from the back right behind Cade! Cassi starts tugging on his hand, still facing the back. The music cuts off, as the man has a microphone in his hand.
Eryk Masters: Wait! That’s…THAT’S BEN JACKMAN!
Ben Jackman: You know kid, you talk too damn much.
Cade turns around, his eyes going wide as he hears the voice, he lets go of Cassi’s hand and is rewarded for it by a straight jab from Ben Jackman’s right hand! Cade rocks back and drops the title belt to the top of the stage, as Cassi quickly steps out of harm’s way! Jackman drives a second fist into the side of Cade’s face, rocking him back again as the fans cheer louder!
Other Guy: What is he doing?! He’s just supposed to be here for commentary later!
Eryk Masters: He’s shutting Cade up, that’s what he’s doing! And it’s about damn time!
Cade reels back toward Jackman, swinging a fist of his own, but Jackman blocks the incoming punch and responds with his third, and Cade hits the stage! Jackman bends and looks down at Cade, when suddenly Cassi seems to have decided she’s seen enough, and she jumps on Jackman’s back, wrapping her arms around his neck! Jackman reaches back and grabs her hair, forcing her to let go of his neck, he turns around and stares at her, the fans encouraging him to strike her!
Eryk Masters: Do it! She deserves it, too!
Other Guy: E! She’s not a wrestler, you can’t condone that!
Eryk Masters: Whatever! She keeps putting herself in these situations, she deserves what she gets!
Jackman, however, appears to have a different opinion as he lets go of her hair and turns around as Cade is back to his feet! Cade throws a hard forearm into the side of Jackman’s face, sending him stumbling sideways! Cade snaps his body around in a reverse spin, throwing his leg up for a reverse roundhouse kick! But Jackman catches under the leg, and wraps his other arm over Cade’s shoulder, locking his fingers together, Jackman snaps back, dropping Cade on his head and neck with a reverse capture suplex!
Other Guy: No! He just broke the champs neck!
Eryk Masters: It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy, either!
Jackman pushes back to his feet, and looks down at Cade, before turning to look at Cassi as she holds her hands up and cautiously approaches Cade to check on him as he cradles his neck in pain. Ben Jackman raises his right fist into the air, a small smile on his lips as the crowd cheers loudly for him again, before he turns around and heads to the back, leaving Cade and Cassi alone on the stage.
Eryk Masters: Major moment here as Ben Jackman makes his return to the SHOOT Project and does so in a big way!
Other Guy: I’m not a fan of it. Cade Sydal didn’t see that comi–
“(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do” by The Crystal Method and Filter hits over the PA, and the crowd erupts as Trey Willett makes his way to the ring. He stops for a second, soaking in the fans cheers, but then he makes his way to the time keepers area, slapping hands with a few fans.
Samantha Coil: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to SHOOT Project, live from the ACER ARENA!
Another pop for the home stadium as Trey Willett takes his seat at the time keeping station.
Samantha Coil: This first match is scheduled for one fall and will be contested under NO HOLDS BARRED SHOOT rules! Introducing, the guest time keeper, the FAN FAVORITE of 2010…TREY WILLETT!
Trey Willett stands and smiles, waving at the fans.
Other Guy: Strange request, asking for Trey Willett to be the guest time keeper.
Eryk Masters: Jester said he wanted Trey to watch what he does to his opponent, Tanya Black. I wonder what kind of evil things Jester is planning in front of these Australian fans today.
The lights dim down for a moment and the video wall springs to life showing various images of men and women being laid out and taken out with one person being a constant. Seeing the video the fans begin to focus their excitement as the speakers spring to life. As “Keep The Beat Up” kicks into the second verse Tanya Black emerges out of the back dancing to the beat while walking to the ring shaking hands with the fans and giving a few hugs.
Eryk Masters: Tanya Black did not back down at all in the promos. She looks excited and determined tonight, and if she can keep up that positive, aggressive attitude, we might see an upset and a new Sin City Champion.
Other Guy: I just hope, if Jester wins, he just takes the victory and calls it a day. Tanya may be able to hold her own against the big boys of SHOOT, but lately, Jester hasn’t just been beating people. He’s been sending messages. Bloody ones.
Having gotten to the ring Tanya stands in the middle of the ring and sings along to the song as it concludes.
Samantha Coil: Introducing first, the challenger, from Boston, Massachusetts…TANYA…BLACK!
With that the song dies down as Tanya paces the ring and stretches, waiting for the match to begin.
WHEN IIIII GROW UP…I’M NEEEEEEVER GONNA SLEEEEEEEP!
Black pyros go off, and Jester Smiles emerges from the back. The crowd begins to boo loudly, and boos even LOUDER when they see the “Fuck Australians” shirt Jester is wearing. He takes the Sin City Championship off his waist, slings it over his shoulder, and makes his way to the ring, grinning ear to ear.
Eryk Masters: Kind of an asshole move there.
Samantha Coil: Introducing next, hailing from Richmond, Virginia, he is the Sin City Champion…JESTER…SMILES!
Jester walks to the ring and stops right at the apron, staring at Tanya black, grinning. He then walks around the side and stares down Trey Willett, who stands up. Jester just grins and signals for Trey to ‘watch’. He then slides under the ring and hands the title to Austin Linam. He walks back and leans against the top rope, lackadaisically staring down Tanya Black, who paces back and forth.
Other Guy: The rules of this are simple. No hold or strike is illegal, in any way shape or form, and there are no rope breaks.
Austin Linam signals for the bell and the match is on, but it starts off very slowly. Jester gets off the ropes and pops his neck, not even taking a defensive stance. Tanya puts both fists up and begins to circle, and Jester moves just enough to keep her in front of him. After a moment of circling, Jester motions for Tanya black to hurry up. Tanya moves in, but quickly eats a perfectly placed leg kick. She jumps back, wincing. Jester just laughs, putting both his hands up.
Eryk Masters: He’s an asshole, a bit of a psycho, but you can’t ignore how GOOD Jester’s striking game is. Arguably the best in the industry today when it comes to precise, well timed, and oddly angled strikes.
Tanya begins moving in again. She fakes a leg kick and goes for a punch, but Jester times it perfectly, dodges, and catches Tanya hard with a right! Tanya staggers, and Jester moves in, hitting a hard thrust kick that catches Tanya in the chest and knocks her flat. He backs off, though, allowing Tanya to get up, grinning and once again motioning for her to come on.
Other Guy: Not sure why Jester isn’t jumping all over this right now. He clearly had an advantage right there.
Eryk Masters: He’s toying, I think. Just trying to prove that he’s the one in control.
Tanya Black again stands, and she looks pissed. She again slowly makes her way in, and again, she fakes for the kick, but when Jester throws out his left hand for the punch, Tanya blocks, grabs his shoulder, leaps, and locks in with a flying armbar! Jester’s eyes go wide in shock and pain. Tanya yanks hard, but Jester manages to power her up and slams her in the face with his right hand! Tanya recoils, but holds on, and keeps the hold! Jester drops to his knees, and he manages to get Tanya’s neck on the ground. When she is in reach, he begins slamming her with fists until she is forced to release the hold! She rolls away, and both competitors stand up. They again circle, Tanya checks her mouth and nose for blood, and Jester tries to loosen up his arm.
Eryk Masters: A nice display of offense by Tanya Black right there, clearly showing the submission game is her domain.
Other Guy: But Jester shows he’s got a clear power advantage, and those fists of his are like stone.
Jester comes forward this time, launching a leg kick. Tanya jumps it, leaping forward and catching Jester’s head in a front chancery, going for a DDT. However, Jester catches this and catches Tanya in the stomach with a fist. He wiggles free and throws a hard right, but Tanya jumps down and leg scissors Jester’s legs, tripping him down and locking in an ankle lock!
Eryk Masters: Another big submission hold. Jester’s grabbing the ropes, but-
Other Guy: But his own rules are working against him!
Jester realizes that there are no rope breaks and just wildly starts throwing his leg back, trying to kick Tanya off of him. He finally catches her in the jaw, and Tanya briefly lets go, giving Jester time to get out of the hold. Tanya recovers quickly, and both competitors stand. Jester launches out with the Virginia Sidekick-Tanya catches the foot! Dragonscrew! Tanya attempts another ankle lock, but Jester is able to get free quickly, but Tanya is up quickly, and she dashes forward and catches him with a running knee! Jester rolls out of the ring, checking his jaw and his nose for blood. Tanya, however, wastes no time. She climbs to the top rope, does a mock Hogan “look to the stars pose”, and right when Jester turns, Tanya leaps…
And gets caught with the Virginia Sidekick! Tanya collapses on the canvas outside, and Jester falls back into the guardrails, resting for a moment.
Other Guy: That’s how deadly dangerous is. Just when you think you’ve got the advantage, he hits you with some wickedly precise and devastatingly well timed strike.
Eryk Masters: An amazing offensive set from Tanya Black is ruined by a moment of celebrating and an incredibly devastating counter by our Sin City Champion.
Other Guy: I already said devastating.
Tanya rolls on the ground clutching her jaw, not making any signs that she is getting up soon. Jester moves forward and lifts Tanya up by the hair, tossing her into the guard rails! Tanya arches her back, but she doesn’t have time to focus on how much that hurts, as Jester launches two quick kicks into her sides and a hard right into her face! Tanya collapses forward, and Jester catches her, before slamming her to the ground with a belly to belly suplex!
Eryk Masters: Come on, Jester, take it back in the ring!
Other Guy: Jester knows his rules, Eryk, unlike you. He can stay out here as long as he wants.
Jester grabs Tanya by the hair again and walks her over to where Trey Willett is positioned. He holds her face to Trey and begins screaming at Trey.
Jester Smiles: Look at her!
Jester punches her hard in the face and throws her to the ground, punting her in the ribs.
Jester Smiles: Are you fucking watching?
Jester lifts Tanya up and slams her head into the apron. He then rolls her back in the ring and slides in after her. Jester once again gives Tanya a hard rib punt, knocking her down. He picks her up and shoves her into the turnbuckles, slamming Tanya with fist after fist. Austin Linam pleads Jester to stop, but there is no rule to stomp him, so Jester keeps punching and punching. Once Tanya finally collapses, he finally drops down and pins her.
ONE!
TWO!
THR-Kickout! Tanya Black gets out with authority. Jester looks frustrated and a little surprised, but he stays on the attack, lifting her up. However, Tanya suddenly shoves Jester away, kicks him in the stomach, and DROPS him with a DDT! Tanya rolls away, and neither opponent looks to be getting up. Austin Linam, however, does not begin the count, because count out is not an option!
Other Guy: Where the hell did she get that burst of energy. I thought she was completely unconscious.
Eryk Masters: She said he’d have to kill her to keep her down. Maybe it wasn’t an exaggeration.
Both competitors slowly begin getting up. Jester lashes out with a hard right hand, but Tanya catches it and whips Jester to the ground using his momentum…CROSSFACE APPLIED!
Eryk Masters: She calls that one “Tap Out Bitch!’ and Tanya Black has that locked in TIGHT!
Jester reaches for ropes, but he remembers that does him no good. A panicked look gets in his eyes as he claws and struggles, trying to figure out someway to get out of the hold. He rolls over, trying to shake free, but Tanya lands right back into the crossface! Jester again goes into panic mode, and he keeps searching for a way to get out, but Tanya has the hold in tight, and Jester raises his hand as if he was about to tap! Austin Linam is right there, watching carefully, ready to call the match if Jester gives up.
Other Guy: I think Jester is going to tap. I think we might have a new Sin city Championship.
Jester’s hand begins shaking, and as he raises it high. Finally, after a few more moments in the painful hold, Jester drops his hand…
And rolls with the slap! He has Tanya in a pinning predicament!
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
NO! Tanya releases the hold at the last minute! Both competitors scramble quickly, and they both stare each other down, both panting hard.
Eryk Masters: This hasn’t been a long match, but it’s been a fast paced match, and both competitors are exhausted right now.
Jester comes in and plants a perfect shot to the skull, knocking Tanya back to the ropes. However, Tanya does a quick hand stand, catches Jester’s head, and does a quick headscissors takedown! Jester lands on his back and sets up quickly. Tanya launches herself from behind towards Jester and launches a hard kick to the back of Jester’s skull…and slams Jester so hard in the back of the head that he completely crumbles and hits his face on the mat. Tanya grabs both of Jester’s legs, flips over, she’s got the pin, and Austin Linam is right there for the pin!
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
Jester kicks out a millisecond too late, and the fans go nuts! Tanya Black lies on the ground, panting, but smiling and holding her arms in the air. Jester has, meanwhile, crawled into the turnbuckle and sits, glaring.
Samantha Coil: Ladies and gentlemen, your winner, at a time of FOURTEEN minutes and THIRTY-SEVEN seconds…and NEW SIN CITY CHAMPION…TANYA…BLACK!!
Tanya Black is still on her knees, holding the title and smiling ecstatically, as "Keep the Beat Up" hits the PAand the fans celebrate with the new Sin City Champion!
Eryk Masters: I knew Black would bounce back, and she’s done so in a big big way!
Other Guy: Definitely an exciting win for the newcomer, to be sure.
Cut to the backstage area. The camera is zoomed in on the closed red door of one of the locker rooms, with the slightly-more-than-faint sound of dance music echoing out from door jam. The door is pushed open by the cameraman, and a logo appears at the bottom left hand side of the picture, with ‘DS’ in script, and a silhouette of one of SHOOT Project’s superstars behind it. As the camera enters the room, a massive group of people are using it as a dance floor, with dark lighting and a disco ball hanging over in one of the corners, giving off extra light, obviously cleared out for just a few people to sit down in
As the camera walks to the open room, the people dancing seem to part like the red sea, finally leaving just one man standing alone.
Dan Stein. With his arm in a sling, Stein smirks to the camera as the music begins to get softer.
Dan Stein: That’s right, ladies and gents. Don’t adjust those monitors, Dan ‘The Lights’ Stein is back on your TV sets. And, in case you missed it, I’m back – for good.
The fans erupt. Stein pauses for a second before continuing on.
Dan Stein: Now, obviously I’m flying with a broken wing, so I’ve got a bit of an…insurance policy… Fellahs?
Stein beckons out of the view of the camera, as two men walk towards him – twin brothers. The Collins Twins. Stein smirks again as they stand behind him.
Dan Stein: So all of you goofs out there thinking I’m ripe for the picking, maybe you should think twice… or we’ll have ourselves an Irish Table Dance-off, if you know what I mean.
Stein smirks as his cousins fold their arms in front of their chests. Smiling, Stein continues to speak.
Dan Stein: So, without further delay, I, Dan ‘The Lights’ Stein, present to you, the SHOOT Project faithful, FOR THE FIRST OF MANY TIMES…
The Midnight Show. And my first guest is none other than…
Stein steps to the side, causing his cousins to split and let the camera peak into the back corner, revealing one of SHOOT Project’s newest stars…
Dan Stein: Crazy Boy!
Stein walks back to the man, extending his good left hand for a fist bump. Tyrone smirks as he bumps Stein’s fist, before sitting down on the leather love seat behind him. Stein sets in the large leather chair, with his cousins standing on either side of him.
Dan Stein: Thanks for being here, Crazy Boy. Can I call you CB? I’ve always wanted to call you CB.
Crazy Boy laughs as he nods his head.
CB: Yeah, CB is fine. Appreciate you giving me the chance to speak to the people of SHOOT.
Stein nods, folding his leg over his knee.
Dan Stein: Absolutely, Ceeb. I was in your position once – the new ‘kid’ on the block – of course not with your accolades. LEGACY World Champion – that’s not something to snort at.
Stein looks at Crazy Boy as a woman carries a tray over to the two of them. Stein takes a water from the tray, and Crazy Boy takes the same, the woman walks off as Crazy Boy continues.
CB: Thank you for the kind words. It’s true what I did in Legacy but that is in the past. This is SHOOT and I have to work my way up again.
Stein nods.
Dan Stein: Absolutely, but I think with your win over a former Revolution Champion in Pestalance, and your credentials, people are starting to look at you in a different light.
CB: Thank you for the kind words. I just go out and do what I do. Whatever happens, happens for a reason. I still have a ways to go to actually make my mark here. But it’s okay.
Stein nods, chuckling to himself.
Dan Stein: Quit thanking me, Man. You’re the superstar here; you’re doing me the fa… vor.
Stein’s voice trails off as his cousins unfold their arms and step forward, standing in front of Dan. The camera turns to the side, revealing the frame of…
Dan Stein: Cronos Diamante! That’s right ladies and gentlemen! The first edition of The Midnight Show is a special surprise double dose of SHOOT Project Soldiers! So surprising, in fact, that I had no idea!
Cronos grins at the twins and pats Crazy Boy on the back before he pulls a chair up and sits on it backwards. He leans forward with Stein and Crazy Boy both in his sights opposite him.
Cronos Diamante: Hey guys! I was down the hall and heard all the commotion and wanted to come see what’s going on.
Cronos Diamante nods up at the twins.
Cronos Diamante: Take it easy, fellas. I’m harmless. Heh. Hey Tyrone!
Tyrone looks at Cronos with a little uneasiness to him, but shakes it off and smiles at him, still not keeping his eyes off of him.
CB: Hey how’s it going, Cronos? Long time no talk, old friend. How’s everything going here for you?
Cronos grins.
Cronos Diamante: Fan-fucking-tastic! Thanks for asking. Don’t let me interrupt though. I’m a spectator. Continue on.
The twins ease back into their original stance, not taking their eyes off Cronos. Dan shuffles in his chair slightly.
Dan Stein: Back to people looking at you in a new light, Ceeb. After your win over Pestalance, what’s next for you? Do you have anything in mind?
Tyrone looks back at Dan Stein and shrugs his shoulders slightly and shakes his head.
CB: You know, I really haven’t thought about it yet. All I want to do is make a name for myself and at this point, being this early in my career here, I’ll take anything they give me right now, ya know? Even though I do hold that victory over Pestalance, I don’t think that is enough to garner quite enough attention quite yet. I have to get more under my belt.
Stein nods, smiling to himself.
Dan Stein: Ever the modest man. So then what, in your mind does it take to make a name for yourself in SHOOT? Are we talking wins over other wrestlers, work ethic, how you conduct yourself or something entirely different? That is to say, an X factor of some kind that we don’t know about you here at SHOOT.
Cronos chuckles.
Dan Stein: Did I say something funny, Cronos?
Cronos leaned forward and put his hand on CB’s shoulder.
Cronos Diamante: Don’t you know, Dan? It’s about the boy’s heart. He’s all fuckin’ heart. That’s all you need to know. There’s nothing funny about that.
Tyrone looks at Cronos with suspicious eyes as he reaches up and shoves Cronos’ hand off of his shoulder.
CB: Thanks Cronos. I got this. But what he said was correct. I do have a lot of heart, but it’s more than just that. Most of the things you mentioned have a lot to do with this. Wins over quality opponents, work ethic, how I present myself, it all factors in what I thrive to do in SHOOT. I don’t just do this for myself, but for all the paying fans that come out and watch me and all these guys every single week, ya know? It’s them that makes this makes all of this worthwhile.
Dan eyes an agitated Cronos closely and turns his attention to him.
Dan Stein: Cronos. You said CB here has a lot of heart and you’ve heard his explanation on what it takes to make a name for oneself. What is your opinion?
Cronos shrugs as he eyes a girl in the corner.
Cronos Diamante: I don’t echo a single thing Tyrone has had to say. The fans don’t mean shit for one. They’re fickle. They’re a controllable mob.
Cronos brings his attention back to Stein then eyes CB up and down.
Cronos Diamante: I’ve been in the ring with Tyrone here. And I made a name for myself without just beating a guy like him but making an impact in other ways. I haven’t won a single match since I arrived here but you can’t say I haven’t “made a name” for myself in that short span of time. Winning has nothing to do with it.
Dan nods and the twins are seen whispering something amongst themselves. Dan begins to ask a question but is interrupted by CB.
CB: Cronos, I have indeed known you a long time! You are a hell of a competitor and I know what you are capable of. But you know as well as EVERYONE else knows that you have to, you know, WIN to become a champion and to get anywhere in this business. You can’t keep on losing like you have. And also, Cronos, I have seen what you have been doing lately, not just to Sinnocence, but to others around here. The bullying HAS to stop. I know that you THINK you are the big, bad man on the block, but you aren’t. Bullying just shows the cowardice in you.
Before Cronos can say anything to the contrary, Stein interrupts.
Dan Stain: Spoken like a true World Champion. I’d say Cade Sydal should be looking in his rear view mirror for this guy right here. The new rising star on the block is Crazy Boy.
Cronos stands up abruptly and eyes CB closely.
Cronos Diamante: World Champion, you say? When’s the last time you beat anybody that mattered, Tyrone? Insane and nuts-o X-Calibur? Pfft. Laura Seton could have done that. I’ll also remind you that your biggest losses came at the hands of myself and well… do I need to say his name? And Stein… how about you? Oh wait. You’re a cripple thanks to my boy Cade. Maybe that should be the indication of what your work ethic and goodie two shoes attitude gets you.
The Collins twins step forward and speak in unison.
Collins Twins: You should leave now before you get hurt.
Cronos looks at them and then to Crazy Boy whose knuckles are turning white from gripping his chair so hard and he holds his hands up in the air and begins back peddling.
Cronos Diamante: No problem here, ladies. I wouldn’t wanna make a mess in front of the fans. Neither of you need another beat down do you… Dan… Tyrone… ?
Cronos eyes the Collins twins and disappears out the door. Crazy Boy looks at Stein and stands up from the chair that he was sitting in and stares out the door, thinking about what just happened.
CB: What the hell is his problem?
Tyrone extends his hand out for a handshake from Stein as he takes the hand firmly and shakes it as CB starts to head out of the room.
CB: I apologize for Cronos’ brash behavior, Stein, and I’m sorry to cut this interview short, but I’m going to find out what that was all about and get to this bottom of this… RIGHT…. NOW!
Crazy Boy walks past the Collins Twins and walks out of the room, leaving Stein and the twins alone to their thoughts. Dan sighs and shrugs as he looks up at the twins.
Dan Stein: I guess that’s it folks. Never a dull moment here at The SHOOT Project. This is Dan “The Lights” Stein signing off. Have a good night!
Backstage…
There are workers surrounding a locker room door, some walk away, a look of disgust across their faces.
Some are covering their mouths.
Some are covering their eyes.
The camera comes in, as Mike Dexter comes into view.
Eryk Masters: Oh god… is that…
On his door, reads "Mike Dexter" and below his name is a picture of Dexter with his son… it’s attached to the door with a screwdriver that is stabbed through what appears to be some kind of organ…
Other Guy: I’m… I’m no anatomy expert, but that looks like a cow liver.
Eryk Masters: A LIVER? A COW LIVER?
Dexter stares solemnly at the image, and as the camera moves closer into view, some text comes into view…
"Tick… tock…
-CZN-"
And of course, the bloody smiley.
That damned… bloody… smiley.
The lights in the arena die down, leaving only an old fashioned, black and white film countdown on the ADC-Tron, the film flickering and a beep heard after every digit as the string quartet intro of Disillusion’s "Back to Times of Splendor" is heard.
The melody continues as guitars fade in, and a roll of the drums brings a spotlight onto the curtain as the main riff of the song begins bellowing over the PA system. The attention of all in the arena is brought to the duo of Corey Lazarus and Hiro Takawa, with Gregory Price not too far behind.
Samantha Coil: Making their way to the ring at this time…
Hiro stares out across the arena as Corey adjusts his trademark silver-rimmed Ray Ban’s, the camera focusing on both men and their shared manager at the top of the ramp. As the first verse comes in, both Corey and Hiro begin marching down the ramp, Price following suit with a casual stroll.
Samantha Coil: Weighing in at a combined weight of 450 pounds, and being accompanied to the ring by Gregory Price…
Laz jogs around the ringside area, slapping a few high-five’s with some of those in the front row, and Takawa calmly stretches out next to Price, the F2T agent/manager trying to talk strategy to him.
Samantha Coil: They are the team of Corey Lazarus…
Corey and Hiro slide under the bottom rope and into the ring, both flipping up to their feet simultaneously.
Samantha Coil: …and Hiro Takawa…
Takawa and Corey stand back-to-back in the center of the ring, each man taking in deep breaths as they slowly turn, facing every corner of the audience.
Samantha Coil: They are…
Hiro and Laz stop turning and rush to opposite corners, leaping up onto the second ropes and holding their fists high above their head.
Samantha Coil: …FRONTLINE II TURBO!!
"Back to Times of Splendor" dies down at the start of the second verse as both men hop down from the opposite corners, walking over to their assigned corner as they talk strategy.
Samantha Coil: And their opponents…
"The Mission" by Puscifer takes over the Acer Arena’s sound system.
Samantha Coil: Coming to the ring weighing in at a combined weight of 510 pounds… Evan and Logan Garcia…
Both member of The Crimson Riot comes out and stand on the stage to acknowledge the crowd before making their way down to the ring.
Samantha Coil: THE CRIMSON RIOT!
Dennis Heflin calls the for the bell and this one is on, with Evan Garcia and Corey Lazarus starting with a collar and elbow tie-up, Laz quickly counters into a hammerlock which Evan reverses into his own. Evan pushes Laz away from hold and resizes him up.They circle each other and we get another collar and elbow tie-up. Laz quickly brings Evan Garcia around into a front facelock.
Eryk Masters: These teams seem to be sizing each other up.
Other Guy: Have you got anything more obvious to say, Masters?
Garcia pushes Corey Lazarus off into the ropes and ducks a clothesline attempt from Lazarus on the rebound. Garcia goes for a dropkick but Lazarus hooks the ropes on the far side and Evan Garcia eats mat. Lazarus picks Evan up off the mat and whips him into the ropes and connects with a spinning back elbow as Garcia bounces back off the ropes.
Eryk Masters: Quick cover by Laz.
ONE!
TWO!
KICKOUT!
Other Guy: I can’t believe he thought he was actually going to get a pinfall there.
Lazarus picks Evan Garcia and whips him into a neutral corner. Laz follows with a stinger splash, but Evan spots the move and gets out of the way just in time for Laz to eat nothing but turnbuckle. Evan quickly capitalises with a belly to back release suplex and he follows up with a quick elbowdrop.
He picks Laz up and drags him to his home corner and tags Logan Garcia into the ring who quickly enters the ring and rams a shoulder into the midsection of Laz. Logan drags Laz out of the corner and lifts him into the air.
Eryk Masters: Delayed vertical suplex. Logan goes for the cover.
ONE!
TWO!
KICKOUT!
Other Guy: That wasn’t even close to enough to keep Lazarus down. Logan picks Laz up and whips into the ropes, Laz leapfrogs Logan and comes back off the other side and hit Logan with a flying forearm. He quickly tags out to Hiro who spring into the ring and drops a forearm across the throat of Logan. Hiro lift Logan off the mat and places him the Piledriver position, but Logan thinks quickly and backdrops out of the move.
Hiro quickly to his feet but Logan catches him with a shoulder tackles as he charges towards him. Logan makes the quick tag to Evan Garcia and they double team whip into the corner. Logan follows with a running shoulder into the midsection and Evan Garcia leaps over Logan to connect with a huricanrana as Hiro staggers out of the corner.
Laz reacts quickly and tosses Logan from the ring, before nailing a few quick forearms to the back of Evan’s head before Dennis Heflin can remove him from the ring.
Hiro comes forward and plants Evan with a massive lariat. He doesn’t waste any time immediately picking him up off the mat and landing with a high angle release german suplex. Hiro tags Laz and both enter the ring and hammer on Evan Garcia with forearm after heavy forearm.
Hiro rolls out of the ring. Lazarus launches himself at a stunned Evan Garcia.
Other Guy: End Credits!
Eryk Masters: This is it! This is over! Corey Lazarus going for the cover!
ONE!
TWO!
TH-NO!!
Eryk Masters: I absolutely do not believe Logan Garcia was barely, just barely able to make the save.
Laz looks frustrated in the ring. He slaps the mat with his hand while getting in Heflin’s face about a slow count. Hiro is screaming at him to maintain focus. Evan Garcia quickly rolls Laz up while he is not paying attention.
ONE!
TWO!
KICKOUT!!
Eryk Masters: Despite being surprised, Corey Lazarus was alert enough to kick out of that surprise roll up.
Laz quickly springs to his feet as does Evan Garcia as both men stare each other down, they both make lunging tags to their respective partners. Logan Garcia and Hiro Takawa both storm the ring, but Hiro is marginally quicker and manages to nail Logan with a lag lariat sending him down to the mat. Hiro pounces and drops a knee into into the shoulder/neck area of Logan. He drives a second and a third knee into Logan before lifting him to his feet.
Hiro tags out to Laz. Laz quick hits Logan with a series of rapid fire chops to stun the bigger of the Garcia boys. He slides around the back and lifts Logan onto his shoulders but Evan Garcia quickly hits the ring and dropkicks Laz in the back allowing Logan to getting a rolling pin attempt.
ONE!
TWO!
NO!! Hiro breaks the pinfall attempt up and clotheslines Evan out over the top rope before flying over the rope with a splash taking Evan Garcia out. Laz meanwhile has Logan out on his feet after an elbow to the side of the head. He slips around behind and lifts him onto his shoulders. Hiro has made his way to the top turnbuckle.
Other Guy: BACK TO THE FUTURE!!!
Eryk Masters: Now this must be it.
ONE!!
TWO!!
THREE!!
Evan Garcia gets to the pinfall attempt but not before Dennis Heflin’s match slaps the mat for the third time.
Samantha Coil: Your winners, Corey Lazarus and Hiro Takawa, Frontline II TURBO.
Backstage, already you can see the hustle and bustle of SHOOT superstars preparing for their matches and talking amongst themselves. Not too much is going on until you see a blur zip past the camera. Like a flash of lightning, the camera picks up the blur as it is revealed to be one of SHOOT’s newest superstars, Tyrone "Crazy Boy" Smith. He doesn’t even notice the camera as he seems to be frantically looking for something… or someone.
Tyrone starts walking past the crowds of people and rushes up to a road agent, breathing heavily and almost growling through his teeth.
CB: Where is he?
The road agent looks at Crazy Boy with a look of confusion on his face, not sure who he is talking about.
Agent: Who are you looking for?
Crazy Boy sighs as he looks around, trying to find who he is looking for, not seeing him. He turns back to the road agent.
CB: Cronos Diamante. WHERE IS HE?!
The agent points down the hallway.
Agent: He’s probably in his locker room. Down the hall and turn the corner. Can’t miss it with the big crown of thorns on a skull decal he has on it.
Crazy Boy doesn’t even thank the road agent as he rushes down the hallway and turns the corner. He looks at the nameplates on the doors before he notices a door slightly cracked open with the crown of thorns and the name "Cronos Diamante". Tyrone takes a deep breath and rushes into the locker room, not even knocking on the door.
CB: Cronos what has happened to you? What the hell was that about?!
Cronos sits on his couch with the Goth girl, previously seen on Revolution, straddling him just above the waste and leaning down kissing and biting his lips. She and Cronos are both topless and as a result of this, she presses even tighter against Cronos to avoid a slip.
Cronos Diamante: Tyrone… Tyrone… Tyrone…
Cronos slams his hand down hard and leans his head back over the arm of the couch. She glances at Crazy Boy for a second with a wicked grin then goes back to kissing and biting Cronos, this time on the neck, ignoring his presence in the room.
Cronos Diamante: Do you not know how to knock? As you can see, I’m kind of busy here.
Crazy Boy cautiously walks into the locker room, so as not to ignite a ticking time bomb with Cronos and the half-naked Goth girl. He walks halfway into the room and clenches his fists, a scowl appearing on his face.
CB: I just need to know what the hell that was about back there, Cronos. Here I am, the new face in SHOOT project, trying to get my name out to the fans and superstars, naming some of the people that I respect around here, INCLUDING YOU, and you have to go in my grill and interrupt me and mess up my concentration and momentum.
Cronos leans down to pick up a shirt from the floor. He aims for hers but accidently picks up his own. He hands it to her and she covers up as Cronos slides out from underneath her and stands up with his Crow tattoo gleaming in the light.
Cronos Diamante: I can appreciate the fact that you’re a new face here in SHOOT, same as me, sort of, but I’ll not have Dan Stein, of all people, calling you the new face of the SHOOT Project and a contender for the World Championship. You may have done some great things in Legacy but you’re not being protected by anybody at all anymore, Tyrone. No Outlaw here.
Cronos pauses for a moment then grins.
Cronos Diamante: You may have beaten X-Calibur, but as far as I’m concerned you didn’t prove anything to me by doing so. I’ve beaten him. But unlike you, I beat him when he wasn’t stressed out and nuts. Understand this, Tyrone… you’re not half as good as you’re hyped up to be. Nor are you half as good as you believe you are. Maybe it’s time you realize that and move on.
Tyrone chuckles and shrugs his shoulders, cocking his head to the left slightly. He tries to absorb all of the information that Cronos just delivered to him and stands his ground.
CB: That may be the case. Perhaps I was a little hyped up. But you have seen me out there, Cronos. You’ve FACED me before. Although I was unsuccessful in beating you, but at that point, I was still early in my Legacy career. And plus, Cronos, I did something in Legacy that you NEVER did. I won the Legacy World Heavyweight Championship. You didn’t. Maybe it’s time for YOU to realize that maybe you are underestimating my abilities, like everyone else seems to do.
Cronos chuckles at what he thought to be the underdog complex shining through.
Cronos Diamante: You’re right. You did win the World Championship. But at least you had a fair shot at it with no real interference. I had my shot at Crash when he was Legacy Champion. When it turns out to be a four on one fight, not even a devil like me can win. Even I have limits. So I ask you to recall how many matches…. How many matches did I lose due to interference? Too many. More than I can recall. And how many did I win when the odds were even and it was one on one? More than you.
Cronos steps toward Crazy Boy with a grin growing wider on his face.
Cronos Diamante: To be perfectly honest with you, Tyrone, there was one little itch that you considered more important than anything that you just couldn’t scratch. Yes, I’m talking about your monumental failure at taking down Mirage. You and everybody else can win your titles and tell me how important they are. But you swore to do something and you failed. I tend to keep my promises, revenge or otherwise. And that’s something you’ve proven that you just can’t do.
Cronos takes a step closer to Crazy Boy, three feet away from him now.
Cronos Diamante: The one man, the one man you despise more than anyone, the one man you swore you’d get revenge on, the one person you said was most important to beat… when it came time, you just couldn’t deliver. Make no mistake about it, Tyrone… you may be a recent World Champion, emphasis on recent, but there’s no soul better at beating a man, and I mean truly beating a man, win or lose, than me. You’d do well not to forget that I spared you in my title defense against you and Ron Bailey. God it was so quick, wasn’t it? When you watched the replay, I bet you were asking yourself “how the hell did he destroy Bailey so quick and so easily?” Bailey was no chump. That could have been you, Tyrone. But it wasn’t. The one man I refused to touch was you. Take care not to spoil that, chief.
That seems to get Crazy Boy in a fit of rage as he starts charging at Cronos, but stops himself a foot away from Cronos and grinds his teeth, resisting the urge to deck Cronos right in the face.
CB: Way to hit a man down low, Cronos. It’s true that you took care of Bailey instead of me in that triple threat match, but that is because you were an honorable man and wouldn’t attack me after I was brutally beat down by someone that wasn’t in the match. You taught me that, Cronos. You taught me to ALWAYS do the honorable thing at all times and it will get you far in life. Now as I look at you, you are a shell of that man I looked up to back in the day. Now, I don’t even know who you are anymore.
Cronos smirks.
Cronos Diamante: Honor? Shell of my former self? Who was it that attacked you? Hmm. Let me think. Mirage! Who did I align myself with not too long after that? Mirage! Think about that, Tyrone. Was I REALLY some honorable man, looking for redemption for all the wrong-doing in my past or was I playing a part until I finally joined forces with the man you hate? They do keep heralding me as the master chess player, Tyrone. Aww. Look at you turning all red. So cute. It’s all registering now, isn’t it? The games I played with you. You want to hit me so bad, don’t you? Do it. Give in. You’ll feel a lot better. I did play you after all. I was aligned with Mirage that entire time. You’re a failure for not having beaten Mirage and you’re a failure for not realizing I played you. Now what do you have to say to your fallen hero?
Crazy Boy looks at the Goth chick that is sitting up in the couch now and glares at her with a "I’m Sorry I’m about to do this" look as he rears back and slaps Cronos right across the face. Cronos takes it full force and his head snaps to the side. He growls almost menacingly at Cronos as he brings his face back eye to eye with Crazy Boy. Crazy Boy stares him right in the eyes.
CB: Fuck you, Cronos. Just fuck you. Don’t ever say that scum of a man’s name around me. It’s bad enough that I DIDN’T finish the job like you said, but now I have to hear it from someone I LOOKED UP TO. You have reached a new low, Cronos, even for yourself. Do you think I LIKE doing this? I don’t! But you are really starting to push me over the edge, old man, and I will not hesitate to tear you from limb to limb. I hope you understand that, you arrogant motherfucker.
Cronos grins as if he’s accomplished exactly what he wanted to accomplish.
Cronos Diamante: I’m glad you stood up for yourself, Tyrone. Both verbally and physically. Slapping me, however? Big mistake!
Cronos quickly buries his right hand into Crazy Boy’s gut, bending him over and knocking the wind out of him. Cronos takes a step back and explodes with a jumping knee to Crazy Boy’s face that sends him backward into the wall. Crazy Boy instinctively slides under Cronos’ legs and kicks his right knee out from under him, but Cronos using instincts of his own spins backward to connect with a spinning punch as Crazy Boy is starting to stand up. Crazy Boy slams his head onto a steel chair just off to the side of the couch and rolls around on the floor, clutching his ear.
Cronos Diamante: Once upon a time I would have said I’m sorry for doing this, but now… now I just don’t give a fuck.
Cronos picks Crazy Boy up by the collar and holds him a foot off the ground for a moment before he shifts his momentum backward and explodes with a monster head butt between the bridge of Crazy Boy’s nose. Cronos smirks as the blood begins to pour from Crazy Boy’s nose. As Crazy Boy is starting to fall forward, Cronos kicks him high at the pectoral muscle, sending him back into the wall, then goes low with a side kick to his knee, followed by a jumping kick to his temple and Crazy Boy falls to the ground nearly unconscious.
Cronos Diamante: Not yet, Tyrone.
Cronos grabs Crazy Boy’s right foot and begins dragging him out of his locker room face down, blood staining the floor as he does. Cronos stops near a table and picks up the helpless Crazy Boy with ease. As security rushes toward Cronos from deep down the hall, he simply grins and drops Crazy Boy across the table with Lucifer’s Hammer. It doesn’t knock him out much to Cronos’ surprise.
Cronos Diamante: Nighty-night, Tyrone.
Cronos, with all the force he can muster, launches forward with a side kick to Crazy Boy’s jaw and he hits the cement so hard blood now begins to seep from the side of his head. Cronos stands there for a moment, admiring his handy work. He shifts his glance to the right at security closing in and runs toward his locker room, grabbing the girl’s hand and takes off down the hallway. Three security guards give chase but by the time they turn the corner, he’s already out of sight.
Backstage we see Jacob Fisher wearing a SHOOT Project Viva LA Revolution! T-shirt. He is standing outside of the women’s locker room/shower area when Tanya walks out after just getting dressed after her post match shower, her hair still dripping a little. JAcob waves to get her attention.
Tanya smiles and walks over using a brush to comb her hair into place and out of her face. Standing in front of Jacob Tanya leans in to whisper to him like they are plotting some henious scheme.
Tanya: Do you always wait outside women’s showers? Or is this some new training Stan is putting you through?
Jacob smiles and laughs.
Jacob: I try not to make a habit of it, it does make me looka little creepy and desperate.
He laughs again and continues.
Jacob: Honestly, I was looking for you. I wanted to apologize for Stan’s comments a couple weeks back. He comes from a different time, sometiems he jsut doesn’t understand how much things have changed.
Tanya: Oh it’s fine. I have heard that kind of talk before from old wrestlers. I mean I don’t appreciate anyone having that attitude but he has a right to his opinion. Besides you shouldn’t apologize for his faults. Stan Should.
Almost as if summoned Stan appears behind Tanya and walks over to Jacob.
Stan: I should what.
Jacob: I was apolgzing for your comments about Tanya.
Stan: She’s right I can speak for my self.
Stan turns towards Tanya.
Stan: I was out of line for the ring rat comment, and I’ll apologize for that. On the other hand I stand by my comment of women don’t belong in the ring with men. It’s something the promoters due to attract horny male ticket buyers. Sorry if it offends, but I’ve found it to be true for the most part.
Tanya flashes Stan a forced smile as she avoid her instinctive remark and chooses a better one.
Tanya: Well I think the key phrase there is "for the most part". The fact is I have hung in the ring and pushed TWO of SHOOT’s best wrestlers to work hard in that ring. So I’d say I am more than just a pretty body. Besides it’s 2011. A large chunk of the horny male population enjoys "rugged outdoor men". Cowboy
Jacob feeling a bit uneasy takes a half step between the two to make sure things don’t get to heated.
Jacob: The point really isn’t about why they are showing up and tuning in as loong as we are entratianing the fans enough to be a ticket.
Stan:: In my day it was more than entertainment, it was also a sport.
Jacob: I just had an idea. Stan, times have changed but you are right the most importnatn thing should be hwo things get done in the ring. So to show you that Tanya deserves to be here jsut as much as any of us how about we ask the office to set up a showcase match. Tanya vs. myself. That is if your interested Tanya?
Tanya: I will fight anyone, anytime, anyplace with any rules. Stan one way or the other I am going to show you what it means when I say "I Fear No Beating". As for you Jacob, you are going to learn the hard way that I am not just competitive I am flat out dangerous in that ring. But don’t worry. I’ll leave the Career Killer gloves in my suitcase. I might need you watching my back one day. This will be a showcase indeed.
With that Tanya walks out from the shower area blowing a kiss to both members of the Gunslingers, humming to herself as she walks down the hall.
Stan: If you want to go from beating former Wolrd champions like Donovan King to wrestling an exhibition match, that’s up to you. I have no say in your bookings. I’ll catch up with you back at the hotel.
Stan walks off as Jacob wonders what exactly he has gotten himself into.
"1000 Cigarettes" by MSTRKRFT kicks in and the fans instantly begin to boo. Out from the back comes Jay Skylar, a grin on his face as he stands there with the duffel bag on his shoulder.
Samantha Coil: The following match is scheduled for ONE FALL! Introducing first…from Redondo Beach, California…he is one half of VAS…he is…JAY SKYYYYYYYYYYYYYYLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!
Skylar rolls under the bottom rope as he looks around, laughing as he sits his duffel bag on the corner of the ring.
Eryk Masters: You don’t think he’s gonna give Charles Brandon Magnus a challenge, do you?
Other Guy: I’m quickly of the understanding that VAS might have no idea whatsoever about what a challenge actually is in the physical sense that doesn’t involve bitches.
I look to the sky but there’s nobody watchin’
Left here behind all alone and forgotten
SO NOW…THE WORLD BELONGS TO ME
THE WORLD BELONGS TO ME!
“The World Belongs To Me” by My Darkest Days kicks in, the fans jumping to their feet as the initials “BAB” are on the SHOOT Tron. Out from the back emerges Charles Brandon Magnus, glaring at the ring.
Samantha Coil: And his opponent…hailing from Somewhere AMAZING…he is one half of the SHOOT Project World Tag Team Champions…a member of THE BAD ASS BROTHERHOOD…he is…CHARLES…BRANDON…MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGNUUUUUUUUUUS!
Magnus slides into the ring, glaring at Skylar. He looks the smaller opponent of his up and down, shaking his head.
Other Guy: I don’t think Charles here has much of an opinion of Skylar.
Eryk Masters: Then he speaks for us all.
Austin Linam calls for the bell and the match is on! Magnus immediately gets into a wrestling stance as Skylar bats his eyes in confusion.
Other Guy: Hmmm…Magnus certainly seems ready.
Skylar flips Magnus off and bursts out laughing and Magnus charges him! Skylar ducks under Magnus’s Lariat attempt and drops to his knee behind the Bad Ass Brotherhood member…and BLATANTLY LOW BLOWS HIM IN FRONT OF AUSTIN LINAM! Linam calls for the bell and the fans are…LIVID.
Samantha Coil: YOUR WINNER AS A RESULT OF A DISQUALIFICATION…CHARLES…BRANDON…MAGNUS!
Skylar prances around the ring, laughing until suddenly…BUCK DRESDEN CHARGES THE RING! Skylar quickly hightails it, but he spins around to grab the duffel bag only to see Magnus has his hands on it! The fans POP as Skylar says FUCK THIS and runs, leaving the bag! Dresden stands there, microphone in hand as Skylar is at the arena entrance, Ray Valjean out now with him.
Buck Dresden: Y’ALL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?!
Valjean nods his head as Skylar laughs.
Buck Dresden: You spit on the art of wrestlin’, you spit on the prestige of them titles you flat out STOLE from us…
Magnus unzips the bag, looking for the belts…or at least something that gives them a lead on the belts.
Buck Dresden: What’s in there, Charlie?
Charles Brandon Magnus: A book…Tag Team…for Dummies.
Magnus looks up at Skylar who waves back at him.
Charles Brandon Magnus: …and pictures…of…
Magnus throws the pictures on the mat and the camera catches them…and they’re of Jay Skylar…NUDE…on a chaise lounge, with only the SHOOT PROJECT WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP BELTS AS CLOTHING.
Eryk Masters: OH they are gonna need to sanitize those things…
Charles Brandon Magnus: Laugh it up, you two…go ‘head, laugh.
VAS is certainly doing that, pointing at the Brotherhood and laughing mockingly.
Charles Brandon Magnus: I think we don’t have any other choice, Buck.
Buck Dresden: For what?
Charles Brandon Magnus: These two really wanna be champions, Buck.
Buck Dresden: So? They gotta beat US to earn that right.
Charles Brandon Magnus: Exactly.
Magnus glares at VAS.
Charles Brandon Magnus: Tell you two jokes what. At Salvation, we’ll give you what you do desperately want…we’ll give you a reason to matter. The Bitch Ass Brotherhood land themselves a TAG TEAM TITLE SHOT…against US…THE BAD ASS BROTHERHOOD.
The fans POP as VAS huddle together and begin to plot and scheme.
Charles Brandon Magnus: But…bottom line? This is DONE, do you hear me? You win, we don’t get any rematches, it’s over for us. And if WE win? This little game? This cat ‘n’ mouse trick or treat show you’re putting on? It’s done. Over. No more Bitch Ass Brotherhood ruining the division the Bad Ass Brotherhood is working so hard to rebuild. No more Bitch Ass Brotherhood taking pornographic photos with our belts…
Jay Skylar: THOSE ARE ART, YOU PRICK!
Charles Brandon Magnus: You figure out how you two jokes want to play it. Meanwhile? We’re gonna give you one more thing.
VAS look at one another and then look at the Brotherhood.
Buck Dresden: A head start.
With that, The Bad Ass Brotherhood slides from the ring and SPRINTS up the ramp at VAS! VAS turn tail and run FAST to the locker room area, the damage done!
Other Guy: I guess that’s it then huh?
Eryk Masters: I think so…The Bad Ass Brotherhood and the Bitch Ass Brotherhood at Salvation!
Other Guy: I think you mean the Bad Ass Brotherhood and VAS.
Eryk Masters: What did I say?
Other Guy: You called VAS the Bitch Ass Brotherhood.
Eryk Masters: Meh. Either way, they get what they pissed and moaned for…a chance at glory against the Bad Ass Brotherhood for the SHOOT Project Tag Team Championship of the WORLD at Salvation!
We see Dutch Harris standing in the ring, and suddenly the sound of “Brotherhood of Man” by Motorhead starts to echo throughout the arena. The boos and jeers are instant, and they are deafening. Dave Dymond appears on the ramp, and heads toward the ring. He is looking beat up, as he is limping and he is sporting a black eye. Dymond climbs the steps into the ring, his music dies down and Dutch Harris starts to speak.
Dutch Harris: Dave Dymond is here, and Dave I have to ask you. Rumors have been circulating that Akuma Satsui has been hospitalized. Is this true?
At the announcement, a massive cheer goes up from the fans, and Dave Dymond looks out at them with a look of total and utter disgust.
Dave Dymond: SILENCE! You people are nothing more than one big collectied mass of uneducated, unclean, unwanted human debris.
But yes, I am sad to say that is true, Harris. Jonas Coleman injured Akuma Satsui in his match at Revolution so badly, that Akuma has been confined to his bed ever since.
Before Dave Dymond can say anything else, “Station” by Russian Circles starts to play, and the fans erupt. A spotlight appears at the top of the ramp, and we see Jonas Coleman standing there with a microphone.
Jonas Coleman: So it’s true? Fatty is in the hospital? And I put him there?
Dave Dymond: That’s right, Coleman. You reprehensible reprobate. I hope you’re happy. And now I’m hearing rumors that you want to fight Akuma Satsui again, in some sort of no disqualification match?
Jonas Coleman: If he can’t do it because he’s in the hospital, maybe I can kick your ass instead, Dymond. Of course, you only attack people when they have their backs turned. You don’t have the balls to fight.
Dave Dymond: I resent that! It is a well known fact that I CAN’T wrestle because I have a medical condition! I have Spinal Jaundice! I have a note from my Doctor which excuses me from wrestling!
But I think you’re just jealous, Coleman. You’re upset because Akuma Satsui has a friend like me who watches his back. Where are YOUR friends when you need them, Coleman? Didn’t you brag you were part of some tag team called Prediction, or something? Weren’t you supposed to be partners with some border jumper named Diego Sanchez or something like that? If he is such a great partner, why isn’t he in your corner when you need him?
Jonas Coleman lifts the microphone to answer, when suddenly from behind, Akuma Satsui appears out of the shadows. He looks healthy, and he has his familiar crazed expression on his face as he sneaks up and SMASHES Jonas Coleman over the head with a steel chair! As soon as Coleman goes down, Satsui repeats the process again and again, smashing Coleman with the chair and knocking him out cold.
Dutch Harris leaves the ring, and the fans are irate, and are screaming for blood, as Dave Dymond keeps the microphone in his hand, exits the ring and walks up the aisle toward Satsui and Coleman. Of course, as he walks, he keeps talking.
Dave Dymond: I’m so sorry, did I say that Akuma Satsui was in the hospital? What I meant to say was that I leaked the fake story about Akuma Satsui being in the hospital so I could bait Jonas Coleman out here, thinking I was all alone.
Let’s get one thing straight, Coleman. A chain around the neck, a couple of cuts on the head, that is nothing to Akuma Satsui. He does that to himself every morning just for fun. If you really want to fight him in a No DQ match, you must be dumber than you look – and that is REALLY saying something.
But Coleman, I don’t think you’re going to be fighting anybody for a long time.
As Dave Dymond stands there at the top of the ramp, Akuma Satsui rolls Jonas Coleman over onto his back, and then places Coleman’s left hand inside the folded up steel chair, right between the back of the chair, and the seat. Satsui smiles evilly, yells something unintelligible out in Japanese, and leaps into the air, landing on the chair butt first!
The fans scream, as Akuma Satsui has performed a “Banzai Drop” onto a steel chair, which has Jonas Coleman’s right hand stuck in the middle! Coleman screams in unbelievable agony and starts to thrash around. Dave Dymond is laughing maniacally and shouting orders at Satsui in Japanese.
Akuma Satsui STANDS on the chair, while Jonas Coleman’s hand is still stuck inside! If that is not bad enough, Satsui jumps up and down on the chair a few times, before walking over and standing next to Dave Dymond.
Dave Dymond: First we tore you open. Then we threw your Mommy into an open grave. Now we are taking away your ability to make a living. You won’t be able to use this hand ever again, Coleman. I want you to think about something. You put that hand on ME, and THIS is what you get for it!
Jonas Coleman is rolling around on the stage in absolute agony, and he pulls his hand out from under the steel chair. His right hand is grotesquely twisted and mangled, and there can be little doubt that his fingers are broken, if not his entire hand.
As the fans continue to boo so loudly it seems like the arena is shaking, Akuma Satsui reaches into the pocket of his gi pants, and pulls out one of his now infamous sharpened wooded sticks. Dymond says something to Satsui in Japanese.
Satsui looks insane, he has a crazed smile on his face, and his eyes are wild. He brandishes the wooden stick like a knife, and with a final scream, he falls on Jonas Coleman and violently stabs him in the right hand with the wooden spike! The fans scream, as the wooden stick is literally driven right into the hand of Jonas Coleman.
Dave Dymond: This is what happens when you get in my way, Coleman. This is what happens when you are too stupid to know when you are beaten. Now look at you. For the rest of your life, you can look at the scar this wound will leave on your hand, and it will remind you. Let this remind ALL of you. STAY OUT OF OUR WAY, OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES.
And I DO mean SUFFER.
Dave Dymond drops the microphone, and he and Akuma Satsui disappear into the back. The camera slowly zooms in on Jonas Coleman, half unconscious, laying on the stage, holding his mangled hand, which still has the wooden stick protruding from it.
Entragian sits alone in the Project: SCAR locker room, white hair hanging about his pale face as he stares forward at a concrete wall. His expression is one of grim determination. He very slowly begins to wrap his wrists in white tape.
Kenji: I hope you’re ready for this.
The words seem to seep out of the darkness, like a putrid aroma wafting over Issac. Kenji’s face soon follows, oozing out of the dark and standing over Issac.
Kenji: That man, he’s not unlike us, Issac. He’s not at all unlike us. He’s just lost. Tainted, like most of the blessed children are. Stained with what he thinks is righteous beauty. But you can see it too, can’t you? It’s growing inside of him. Maybe it’s Ichiro, maybe it’s not. But you can see it, can’t you?
The monster’s head raises when he hears the voice of his kin. He continues to wrap his wrists while watching Kenji earnestly.
Isaac: Oh you know me brother…always ready.
His eyes widen, his head already swarming with gore-drenched thoughts.
Isaac: And yes, I see what lies beneath, but now it’s time for Lennox’s potential to be brought to the surface. How I LONG to see what he’ll become when I carve away that defiant expression, replacing it with a mess of blood and bone.
Kenji kneels down and places a hand on Issac’s taped wrist. His eyes full of nothing, his eerie smile a testament to his psychosis.
Kenji: Save him, Issac.
His nails grip Issac’s wrist tightly, piercing through tape and skin. Four blotches of blood seeping through the pure white tape, tainting its visage.
Kenji: Save him.
Entragian watches the little rosebuds of blood appearing under his tape. He feels almost no pain, but the sight of the blood calls to something inside of him, igniting that slow burning rage.
He rises from the bench, a maelstrom of dark emotions overtaking his body. His eyes roll back to the whites at the preview of pain to come, and a grin eclipses his face.
In flash of his left hand, he uses his sharp thumb nail to slash Kenji along the bicep. Then very slowly, he reaches out and places a fingertip in the blood of his brother, proceeding to smear in under both eyes, a perverse form of warpaint. Kenji doesn’t even flinch.
Isaac: With pleasure, sweet brother! We often hear of the hand of God, but tonight, I act as the HAND of Project: SCAR. And I will…show him the way….OUR WAY.
Having uttered this cryptic decree aloud, Entragian wheels around and heads for the door, eager to step into the killing field. Kenji stands there, alone, with blood trickling from his arm.
Kenji: And shepherds we shall be…
The roar of the crowd is ethereal, the sound shakes the foundations of the arena – the whole building seeming to tremble as it struggles to contain this capacity crowd.
Darkness descends, and the roar of the crowd is drowned out by the roar of grinding guitars and the primal beat of heavy drums. Maynard’s haunting voice begins to resonate through the Acer Arena, the first set of lyrics from Tool’s “Jambi” washing over the masses.
HERE FROM THE KING’S MOUNTAIN VIEW
HERE FROM THE WILD DREAM COME TRUE
FEAST LIKE A SULTAN…I DO
ON TREASURES AND FLESH, NEVER FEW!
Eryk Masters: And we all recognize that music, I think it’s safe to say that something wicked this way comes…
As this last line is spoken, the entity we’ve come to know as The Ivory Terror emerges from behind the curtains, taking a few steps forward to stand at the head of the ramp.
Samantha Coil: Making his way to the ring, he hails from Mideon, Nebraska…he is a member of PROJECT: SCAR….THE IVORY TERROR, ISAAC ENTRAGIAN!!!!
The crowd reaction is BLISTERING, hatred for this pallid hell-beast being vocalized from all sides of the arena. Isaac throws up his pale hands, a HUGE predatory grin on his countenance as he seems to FEED off of the fan’s disdain.
Eryk Masters: LISTEN to our Australian crowd! They loathe this individual…and who can blame them!
Isaac’s white mane of hair is swept back from his head, and his eyes are bright and feral, they seem almost to reflect the evil that lives inside of him. His mouth is open and hungry, teeth glimmering with specks of saliva.
He wears white tights, white strike gloves and white wrestling boots. IVORY down one leg and TERROR down the other. And as per usual, his right knee is sporting the rattlesnake skin kneepad, bleached so that it matches the rest of his attire.
The monster finally starts to stalk down towards the ring, yet JUST before he reaches the apron a young fan suddenly catches his eye. The boy holds up a simple sign made out of a notebook paper with a crudely drawn message in green and yellow crayon.
It reads “LET’S GO OX!”
Eryk Masters: Please tell me he’s not going to start terrorizing the fans…
Other Guy: Shut up…I wanna see what he’ll do.
Entragian stares down this little boy for a moment, to the point where the child starts to get extremely nervous, his innocent blue eyes growing wider by the second. Finally with a thrust of his pallid hand, Isaac RIPS the sign out of the hands of the child, crumpling up the notebook paper and placing it into his MOUTH.
Entragian begins to chew loudly, his teeth SHREDDING the sign until he finally allows it to roll out and rest on his forked tongue, displaying the spit-covered remains for the little boy to see.
Isaac then plucks the ball of paper from his tongue and THROWS it back into the child’s face, putting the fear of GOD into this little boy. The unlucky lad immediately buries his face against his mother’s bosom, a few hot tears running down his smooth little cheeks.
Eryk Masters: OH MY GOD, that was DIGUSTING! This guy is a certifiable freak, I feel sorry for that poor kid…
Other Guy: Oh lighten up Eryk, now that little brat will have a memory he’ll keep with him for the rest of his life! He can tell his grandchildren that he was once within spitting distance of Project: SCAR’s great white demon!
The monster just laughs it off and continues walking, leaping up onto the apron and stepping over the top rope-
Lights. Out.
Eryk Masters: Here we go!
The lights in the arena go out and the fans, already on pins and needles, erupt as “Lights Out” by MSI begins:
Who the hell said any of you get a taste? STUPID!
The lights come back on with a yellow hue and Ichiro Seppuku is standing at the top of the rampway staring ahead at Isaac Entragian but turns his back to the beast as Samantha Coil makes her introduction:
Samantha Coil: And his opponent! Accompanied by Ichiro Seppuku… is LENNOX “THE OX” FERRRRRRRGUSON!
The fans and Entragian are watching the rampway, waiting for The Ox to come through the curtain and join Ichiro.
Other Guy: Eryk LOOK!
The entire arena is now turned facing a section of the arena directly across from the ring where Lennox Ferguson stands with his arms crossed, his eyes glaring a hole into Isaac Entragian – who stands in the ring with a broad smile on his face, showing off his unnaturally sharpened teeth.
The Ox raises a hand and MOTIONS FOR ENTRAGIAN TO COME AFTER HIM!
The fans roar as the Ivory Terror obliges – sliding underneath the ring and rushing to hop the barricade as literally ROWS of fans escape the scene and referee Willie Dean tries to follow behind Entragian.
Entragian leaps up, attempting to get a shot in on Ferguson but The Ox quickly grabs a baseball bat that had been laying on the seat next to where he was standing and CRACKS it across Isaac Entragian’s skull, shattering it into a thousand pieces and dropping the monster like a sack of bricks.
Other Guy: OX JUST KILLED ISAAC ENTRAGIAN!
Eryk Masters: JESUS!
With that one move, the fans are all on their feet and chanting for the former Iron Fist Champion and Willie Dean is calling for paramedics while Ox is just standing over Isaac Entragian waiting for him to get up… WHICH HE DOES!
Entragian shoves himself up, shakes his head and refocuses on Lennox Ferguson who is no longer in front of him because he’s hopped up onto a row of empty chairs and is making a crazy b-line for the Ivory Terror!
Ox leaps off the end chair with a dropkick but Isaac grabs a hold of Ferguson’s legs from underneath the heel and just THROWS him into the crowd, knocking over several chairs – and fans – who hadn’t created space for the two men.
Other Guy: How is he still standing!?
Eryk Masters: I don’t know Eryk, but you remember what Ox said in his message to Entragian? Expect the unexpected!
Other Guy: I’m expecting to get SUED is what I’m expecting – these two are certifiably insane!
As Lennox tries to pick himself back up, Isaac looks for a weapon… and he walks over to one of the Fosters beer signs on the wall and smashes it open with his fist! The fans are smartly moving away as he rips OUT one of the fluorescent light tubes in the sign and grabs some duct tape sitting on the floor.
He reaches out and grabs a hold of one of the fleeing fans and pulls him over, shoving the duct tape at him – telling him to take it. The fan looks absolutely terrified as he cautiously takes the duct tape.
Then, Entragian roars at him and immediately rips it back out of his hands, sending the fan running in fear as he begins to wrap around the still BURNING light around his wrist – completely ignoring the pain it must be causing.
Lennox is back up now and rushing towards Entragian but he can hear Ferguson’s footsteps and spins around to CLOTHESLINE Ox with the light tube but Ox ducks underneath and tries to bowl Isaac over with a spear but Isaac merely staggers back – not falling – allowing him to KICK Lennox backwards and, as he’s recoiling, SLAMMING the burning light tube into Lennox Ferguson’s eyes sending Lennox down to the floor screaming in pain.
Eryk Masters: DEAR GOD!
Other Guy: MEDICS! WE NEED MEDICS!
Isaac ignores the pleas from Willie Dean to pin Ox and, instead, pulls Lennox up by his neck and begins to drag him back towards the ring!
Lennox is flailing due to a mixture of pain and desire to be free from Entragian’s grasp when, suddenly, a fan grabs The Ox’s hand and shoves something into it…
Eryk Masters: What was that OG?
Other Guy: I couldn’t see it Eryk!
Entragian manages to get Ox up and over the guard rail before shoving him backwards against the ring post stepping back, looking to do something VERY painful to the nearly-blind Ferguson who is looking around and trying to open his eyes.
Eryk Masters: Don’t DO THIS! HE’S DEFENSELESS!
Entragian smirks as he runs head first toward Ox but LENNOX MOVES and ISAAC CONNECTS HARD WITH THE METAL RING POST!
Other Guy: HE WAS PLAYING POSSUM ERYK!
Lennox Ferguson’s eyes are indeed WIDE open and burning with anger as he opens his closed hand to reveal… a shoelace.
Eryk Masters: Wait. What?
Isaac tries to get up but Lennox LEAPS onto the big man’s back, locks his legs around his sternum and then WRAPS the shoelace around Isaac’s neck and PULLS BACK!
Other Guy: OH MY GOD! HE WANTS TO KILL HIM!
Eryk Masters: Both of these men want to kill EACH OTHER Eryk.
Isaac is flailing wildly, trying to get Lennox off of his back but The Ox strengthens his hold on The Ivory Terror whose normally white face has turned pink from the rush of blood to his head.
Entragian’s eyes roll back in his head as his knees hit the ground and he falls forward with Lennox still on his back!
Lennox rolls over Isaac and lies down to pin the big man.
One!
KICKOUT!
Not so much of a kick-out as a SIT-OUT as Isaac Entragian sits straight up and wraps his hand around Lennox’s throat and begins to return the favor – choking the life out of Ox now as he stands up and SOMEHOW just HOLDS Ferguson up off his feet for several seconds before spinning around and CHOKESLAMMING HIM onto the metal steps!
Lennox screams in pain as the small of his back connects with the edge of one of the steps and Entragian is already on the prowl for another weapon and now that they aren’t in immediate danger fans are quick to oblige!
All along the front of the barricade fans are reaching out with 2x4s, metal pipes, plywood, nunchaku, reams of barbed wire, chairs, rope, and many other variants. Entragian’s eyes immediately lock in on the barbed wire and he begins to quickly wrap it around his feet as Lennox stands up.
On Lennox’s side fans are literally throwing weapons at Lennox to use against Entragian who is still wrapping the barbed wire around his feet and is unaware that Ferguson is up! The Ox makes a quick decision and grabs a steel chair, grabs a hold of it by its legs and runs full speed at Entragian who turns around just in time to see Lennox on him!
Lennox brings the chair down as hard as he can with two hands and Entragian instinctively jumps and raises his boot to kick it out of the way… and misses but STILL CONNECTS WITH LENNOX FERGUSON’S FACE AS FERGUSON BENDS THE CHAIR IN HALF OVER ENTRAGIAN’S SKULL!
OOOOOOOOOOO
Eryk Masters: MY GOD OG! MY GOD! MY GOD!
Other Guy: Ugh. I’m going to be sick.
Both men are down in a crumpled heap laying on top of each other as Isaac Entragian appears to be out cold with his barbed-wired boot STUCK into Ferguson’s cheek as blood is pooling rapidly around his face.
Willie Dean looks around at the carnage for a second before dropping down next to Lennox Ferguson, looking to see if he can safely remove the barbed wire from the side of his face.
Eryk Masters: WHY ARE THERE NO EMTS DOWN HERE DAMMIT!
The fans are loving the action as they start a new chant!
HOLY SHOOT! HOLY SHOOT! HOLY SHOOT!
Neither man has moved yet as cameras shift to the rampway where Ichiro Seppuku is watching the action with a smile on his face as… JAIME ALEJANDRO APPEARS FROM THE BACK!
Other Guy: What’s he doing here!
Eryk Masters: STOPPING THE MATCH HOPEFULLY!
Indeed, Jaime tries to rush right past Ichiro Seppuku but Seppuku grabs a hold of Jaime’s arm and pulls him back, yelling at him and shaking his head no. Jaime is FURIOUS, pointing to the pile that is Entragian and Ferguson, absolutely SCREAMING at Ichiro to let him go.
Down at ringside, Willie Dean seems to have removed the barbed wire but Lennox’s face is absolutely covered in blood at this point and as he is slowly coming to – touching his face and pulling back a blood-covered hand. And Isaac, as well, is getting up, turning away from Ferguson who is trying to stand up against the protests of Willie Dean, whose referee shirt is also covered in blood now.
Other Guy: These two men… they can’t be human! Ox apparently doesn’t FEEL pain and Entragian just seems to ABSORB IT!
Eryk Masters: Why isn’t Ichiro helping his partner! Why is he stopping Jaime from helping him! THIS IS UNCONSCIONABLE!
Lennox Ferguson is shoving his way away from Willie Dean, looking for Isaac Entragian who appears behind Ox and SLAMS his bloody head onto the ring mat leaving a gory splatter pattern. Willie Dean yells at Entragian to stop it but Entragian ignores Willie Dean and presses his knee into the small of Lennox’s back and pulls out a SCALPEL!
Eryk Masters: NO! STOP THIS!
Other Guy: He can’t! This isn’t a normal match Eryk!
Eryk Masters: YOU’RE DAMNED RIGHT IT’S NOT!
Dean is calling for EMTs as he pleads with Entragian to stop whatever he’s going to do to Lennox Ferguson who is unconscious from the blow to the head on the mat.
Entragian finds what he’s looking for and begins to slice open Lennox Ferguson’s stitches.
Other Guy: Okay, I AM going to be sick… excuse me.
The fans have grown absolutely silent as Entragian is laughing and trying to PRY OPEN Ferguson’s old wounds from their Laws of Survival match and Lennox’s screams cut sharply across the arena setting up a cavalcade of boos from the crowd, which quickly turns into a chant for Lennox Ferguson to try and motivate him to fight back.
OX! OX! OX!
Up on the rampway Jaime is trying to shove his way past Lennox Ferguson to help Ox but Ichiro finally CLOCKS Jaime Alejandro upside the head sending him staggering backwards in surprise before he roars in anger and leaps at Seppuku for a cross-body block that sends both men rolling down the ramp as the crowd cheers even more!
Meanwhile Entragian stands up from his handy work and raises a bloody hand to the crowd and roars:
Entragian: TOUCHED BY PROJECT: SCAR!
The boos are absolutely scathing as Entragian smiles to himself and turns around and sets the groggy and gory Lennox Ferguson up against the ring post once again as Lennox starts to fight back!
Entragian has none of it as he kicks Lennox Ferguson in the stomach with his still barbed-wire covered shoes and lifts him up AND HITS THE DISEMBOWLER INTO A POOL OF FERGUSON’S OWN BLOOD!
Dean is yelling at Entragian who finally seems satisfied with his handywork and lands a foot on top of Ox’s chest, driving even more barbed wire into his skin, as Dean makes a count:
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!!
Eryk Masters: Thank GOD! GET HIM SOME HELP!
Samantha Coil can’t even raise the microphone to speak before “The Mission” by Puscifer hits the speakers as The Crimson Riot rushes down and immediately tackles Ichiro Seppuku to get him off Jaime Alejandro!
Other Guy: What’s GOING ON HERE!?
EMTs have started to make their way down to the ring as well but they are passed by the rest of Project Scar! Adrian Corazon and Kenji Yamada blast past the EMT gurneys and DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE the Crimson Riot to a much hate from the crowd.
Isaac Entragian soon joins them as Ichiro Seppuku and Jaime Alejandro both stand up from the double team surrounded on equal sides by the Crimson Riot and Project Scar! Ichiro is the first to move, locking eyes with Isaac Entragian before the Ivory Terror lets him pass through to go attend to Lennox as the EMTs circle around the Mexican standoff at the base of the rampway!
Jaime Alejandro stays put, flanked by Evan and Logan Garcia, staring down Adrian Corazon, who is flanked by a bloodied Isaac Entragian and Kenji Yamada.
Other Guy: Looks like trouble brewing between Crimson Riot and Project Scar! Not to mention Ichiro Seppuku and Jaime Alejandro!
Meanwhile EMTs and Ichiro Seppuku are helping a blood-covered Lennox Ferguson up onto the stretcher as fans are stretching out their arms to pat him on the shoulders and arms as others in the arena continue to chant his name and clap.
Eryk Masters: You can deny this man’s intelligence all you want but DAMNED if you can’t deny his tenacity and drive to win.
Other Guy: You said it Eryk.
Eryk Masters: Let’s go to the back while we get this mess cleaned up.
The camera shifts to the backstage area where we find the newest member of the SHOOT Project’s staff: Mary. Her hair is now brown with dark blonde highlights, her breasts are pushed tightly together, and she clutches her microphone tightly as she stands in front of the fabled SHOOT Project Helmet backdrop.
Mary: Ladies and gentlemen, with me at this time is a member of Sovereign, former World Heavyweight Champion Donovan King.
The camera pans back to reveal King standing next to her, wearing a black t-shirt with KING written across the chest in green, with a matching colored crown on the arm of the shirt as well. He has a rodeo-style belt buckle with "SP" in platinum, with his shirt tucked in to show the buckle off, while the rest of the shirt remained untucked.
Mary: So, Mr. King…
Donovan King: One second.
He looks her up and down.
Donovan King: How are you?
Mary: I’m…um…I’m…fine?
Donovan King: Good. I know sometimes Eric can get a little bit outta hand.
Mary: No, I’m fine. I’m over it.
Donovan King: Good…good. Why you called Mary? You got a last name?
Mary: Well…I do…but I can’t really think of how…you know, what name I want to go by here. I thought Mary Kelly or Mary Wilde, since my name is Mary Kelly Wilde…but then, you know, I don’t know. I could go with something different and new, you know, like…like…like Mary Crawford! Because Cindy Crawford was really pretty years and years ago…and she still is, but she’s like forty or fifty and I’m twenty-four, you know…and…
King presses his fingers to her lips.
Donovan King: Sh. Don’t ruin this moment right here…with your…talking.
He cringes.
Donovan King: A lotta people are comin’ up to me in Aussie an’ they wanna know what’s up with Sovereign. Are we officially, finally, completely finished? They wanna know if when I tossed that Fisher kid into X and Goeren and the Russian…that that was intentional.
King smirks.
Donovan King: Now, let me explain. I came to SHOOT to make an impact. From day ONE I was about the impact. I raised armies for this place, I raised armies against this place. Now? Now the army’s walked away from me. Adrian’s decided to hang with some ghost lookin’ retard an’ some carved up Ronin. Jester needs a hero like that one song. So now? I have a choice…I stand with Azrael Goeren and X-Calibur, who Eddie brought to Sovereign without my knowledge…or I stand alone.
He thinks for a long moment.
Donovan King: Me an’ Goeren? We don’t like one another. That’s a given. He think I’m an idiot, I think he’s a bitch.
There’s a pop from the crowd.
Donovan King: But we still down for the cause. Until he gives me reason to think otherwise, I can’t turn my back on him…yet.
There’s the boos again.
Donovan King: An’ everybody’s askin’ me about Thomas Manchester Black…where the beef comin’ from, what kinda history me an’ Tommy B have. Well? It’s real simple. Too simple, in fact.
He faces the camera now.
Donovan King: Tommy Black an’ Donnie King ran them streets together. Long time ago. It was me, him, an’ pretty much every hood stereotype you could think of. Slingin’, runnin’, just livin’. From the jump, there wasn’t much loyalty…but since Tommy ran shit, he thought we was all on his side. Problem was, we was kids back then. We was on our own side. An’ when things got rough on us? Guess what we did.
He purses his lips.
Donovan King: We sold each other out. To rivals, to parents, to whoever…we ratted on one another as soon as it got hairy for us. Only problem was…I ratted everybody out to the po-lice.
Mary gasps.
Mary: You were a snitch?!
King looks at her for a long moment. She goes quiet again.
Donovan King: So, yeah, Tommy. I killed our crew. That was me. I saved my own ass when I was down because most young’uns in my position woulda did the same. Am I proud? Nah, man. I can’t sleep some nights, knowin’ the shit I sang put folks under lock an’ key. But you? You hunted me for years…an’ I ran. I kept runnin’ from you. Now?
He shakes his head.
Donovan King: I ain’t runnin’ no more. You an’ me, Tommy…whether you like it or you don’t…we gonna dance at Salvation, my nigga. An’ when it’s all said an’ done? I don’t give a damn how you want it, homie. You came to SHOOT to get me, right? So the time has come for me stop runnin’…an’ for you to start fightin’. No more cat an’ mouse, Tommy. At Salvation, Donovan King faces Thomas Manchester Black one time…one single time. Win or lose, after this? You make your own way. Donovan King ain’t in your front no more, I’m in your rearview. Likewise on my side, feel me?
Mary: Wow…is there anything else you’d like to say?
King smirks. He looks her up and down once again and chuckles.
Donovan King: You have a good night, Miss Mary Kelly Wilde.
He winks at her and leaves her there, her face as red as the Revolution logo.
Eryk Masters: Ladies and Gentlemen, we are just moments away from tonight’s Main Event.
*POP*
A row of lights goes dark.
*POPPOPPOP*
Almost instantly three more go out.
Other Guy: What the hell?
In a matter of seconds the entire arena is bathed in darkness.
Eryk Masters: What just happened? I’ve lost my monitor. Is yours still up, OG?
Other Guy: Nope
Eryk Masters: Its looks like we’ve got some kind of power outage here in the arena.
Other Guy: No way, Masters. I see what you’re doing and I’m not playing along.
Eryk Masters: Play along? What’re you talking about?
Other Guy: You know exactly what I’m talking about. I refuse to play along with this lame ass pun.
Eryk Masters: What pun? Obviously we’re in the middle of a bl-
The darkness is split as the opening guitar licks of The Black Keys “Thickfreakness” blast across the arena and the Jumbotron springs back to life, the word “Blackout” plastered across the screen in huge green letters, seconds later two more words slide to the foreground of the screen “Ben” and “Jackman”. The crowd explodes into rapturous cheers as the man himself steps through the curtain, pausing momentarily at the top of the ramp to look out over the packed house, and soak in the cheers.
Eryk Masters: Ladies and Gentlemen, Its Ben ‘The Blackout’ Jackman joining us on commentary for tonights’ Main Event.
Other Guy: What pun,my ass.
Jackman makes his way slowly down the ramp toward the announce position sliding back and forth across the walkway to high-five fans throughout the crowd, pausing occasionally to sign a quick autograph.
Eryk Masters: Like I said, Jackman will be joining us for commentary. I’m sure he’ll have plenty to say about what happened earlier.
Other Guy: You should be pissed about him coming out here earlier and ruining that pun I’m sure you spent weeks putting together.
Eryk Masters: I have no idea what you’re talking about. Man these fans are really eating this up. Look at them — hey wait! Turn around!
Jackman notices someone in his peripheral vision while slapping hands at ringside but before he can turn around Cade Sydal has finished his sprint down the ramp, and pastes Jackman right in the face with the SHOOT Project World Heavyweight Championship! Jackman staggers backwards, blood almost instantly beginning to flow from his forehead, as his legs give way the back of his head slamming awkwardly against the opposite barricade!
Other Guy: Now who’s the Blackout?
Eryk Masters: Fuck you.
Jackman sits slumped against the barricade, barely conscious, his face a crimson mask, as Cade begins to lay kicks into his chest and head, leaning in he grabs Jackman by the throat and pushes the title belt into his face before shoving Jackman’s head back into the barricade one more time. He gets up and marches to the timekeeper’s table, snatching a microphone away from Samantha Coil as the fans boo loudly.
Cade Sydal: SHUT THE FUCK UP!
Cade marches back to Jackman and presses his foot into Jackman’s throat, looking down at him.
Cade Sydal: You want to come out and ruin my moment of live celebration?! Huh?! You want to come out and get a cheap pop at MY expense?! Do you know who the fuck I am, Benjammin’ Johnsons?
Cade lifts his foot just enough to scrape the bottom of his shoe across the cut on Jackman’s forehead and push him into the barricade for a third time! Cade takes a step back away from Jackman and watches him, as he lifts his title in the air.
Cade Sydal: I’m the SHOOT Project World Champion! I’m the fucking top of the pile, the cream of the mother fucking crop! The best of the fucking best! And you want to come out here and fuck my shit up? No! That’s where you fucked up…because now we’re even. I came out here and ruined YOUR moment! Now take your ass back to Tejas and forget you ever wanted to become a professional wrestler in the first place, you big dumb son–
Jackman pulls himself slowly to his feet, the look of pure distilled rage on his face evident even through the blood and starts to stagger toward Cade. The cockiness that has built up drains from Cade’s face in an instant as he starts to slowly back away, before spinning on his heels and running like hell back up the ramp and through the curtain with Jackman right behind him.
Eryk Masters: Looks like the Champ didn’t think his plan all the way through.
Other Guy: No way, he lets that big idiot catch him.
We go to the ring, and see Samantha Coil standing in the spotlight. She takes the microphone in hand, as the bell rings three times to inform the fans that it is time for the Main Event of the evening. The fans quiet down, in hushed anticipation…
Samantha Coil: Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time for your MAIN EVENT of the evening! This next contest is a GAUNTLET MATCH and will determine the new SHOOT Project RULE OF SURRENDER CHAMPION!
The fans cheer loudly as Tony Lorenzo holds up the brand new championship belt. Lorenzo walks all around the ring, holding the belt high in the air, and then hands it to Mark Kendrick outside the ring, who places it on the timekeeper’s table.
Samantha Coil: The rules for this match are as follows: earlier tonight, all five competitors drew random numbers, to determine in which order they would participate in this match. Two men will start, and the two men will complete until there is a winner, by SUBMISSION ONLY. As soon as one wrestler has been eliminated, the man who drew the next number will enter. This process will continue until there is only one man left, and that man will declared your winner, and your new SHOOT PROJECT RULE OF SURRENDER CHAMPION!
As Samantha finishes explaining the rules, “Combat” by The Rza & P-Dot starts up over the PA system.
Samantha Coil: And now introducing the first two competitors! The first hails from Tokyo, Japan by the way of Charlotte, North Carolina…
Thomas Manchester Black comes out from behind the curtains wearing Black and White MMA shorts and boots. He is also wearing a Grey North Carolina Tar Heels Hoodie, with his forearms and fists taped up. Black hardly looks out from the hoodie as he walks toward the ring. He stops and cracks his knuckles before raising his hands in the air. TMB continues to make his way down the ramp way, soaking up the reaction from the crowd. TMB makes his way up the steel steps and steps over the top rope and doesn’t even look at the ref as he makes his way to the middle of the ring.
Samantha Coil: Known as the Queen City Hitman, this is THOMAS MANCHESTER BLACK!
TMB takes off his hoodie and tosses it to a ring hand, before slinking down into a sitting position in the corner. Black eyes remain focused as he waits for his opponent. TMB’s music fades out, and “Natural One” by Folk Implosion starts to play.
Ron Barker appears at the top of the ramp, soaked from his pre-match warm-up. He starts to walk down the aisle, decked out in his black singlet with gold trim, and black wrestling boots.
Samantha Coil: His opponent, drawing number two in the Gaunlet, hails from Toronto, Ontario, Canada – this is RON BARKER!
Barker enters the ring and shouts at Samantha Coil to get out of “his” ring. Samantha shakes her head as she exits the ring. Mark Kendrick rings the bell, and Tony Lorenzo gestures for the two men to lock up, as we are underway!
Ron Barker and TMB tie up in the center of the ring. Barker and Black jockey for position as Barker goes behind, and slaps on a rear waistlock, but Black immediately reverses. A back elbow by Black to the side of the head of Barker breaks the hold. Black turns and fires a right hand at Barker, and then whips him into the ropes. Barker comes off the ropes and is met by a kick to the face from Black!
Eryk Masters: We’re underway fans, in what promises to be a great exhibition of technical and submission based wrestling.
The Other Guy: Everybody knows that Black has some serious technical skills. Both these guys are great technical wrestlers – which is one of the reasons they were picked for this match I am betting – but when it comes to grappling I might give the edge to TMB.
Barker starts to get up, and Black stays on him with a kneelift, and then goes behind into another waistlock. Barker reverses, but Black sits out and escapes! Black gets back up, and fires another quick knee to the gut of Barker, and attempts to toss Barker over the top rope to the outside. Barker lands on the apron, and grabs Black by the back of the head, and drops…dropping Thomas Manchester Black neck first on the top rope!
Barker slides back into the ring, and throws the choking Thomas Manchester Black into the ropes. Black reverses the Irish whip, but Barker comes off with a leapfrog, and lands on the other side of Black. Black spins around, and is met with a vicious boot right to the face!
A rapid-fire right hand by Black stuns Barker, and Black takes advantage, and ties Barker in the ropes. Black hits a punch on the helpless Barker. Thomas Manchester Black backs up, and takes a run at Barker while he is tied in the ropes. Thomas Manchester Black leaps into the air, going for a flying knee on Barker while he is tied in the ropes, but Barker pulls himself free and moves! Thomas Manchester Black lands crotch first on the ropes, as the crowd groans in sympathy.
Eryk Masters: Well, that wasn’t quite technical, but it took the steam out of Thomas Manchester Black.
The Other Guy: Barker might break the rules to soften Black up for a while, but I don’t believe he’ll do it for long. He’s smart. He knows he has to find an area of weakness, and then work on it, in order to get that submission.
Holding his groin in agony, Thomas Manchester Black rolls outside of the ring to try and recover, but Barker follows outside. Barker jumps right on Black, running him shoulder first into the stairs! The stairs and TMB both go flying, and Thomas Manchester Black immediately grabs his shoulder, wincing in pain. Barker rolls the stunned Black back in the ring, and follows him. Barker starts stomping on the right shoulder of Thomas Manchester Black relentlessly. Barker picks Black up, and tucks his arm under his body.
Barker gets back up, and starts stomping away at the shoulder of Black again. Barker backs off for a mere second, rubs his hands together, and then shoots down and applies a reverse armbar on the right arm of Thomas Manchester Black! By using this move, Barker continues to focus on he shoulder area.
Eryk Masters: You were right, OG. Barker bent the rules for a while but now he has spotted an area of possible weakness, and he’s working it!
The Other Guy: Of course I was right. You can see, and we can hear Black cursing in pain, trying to get to the ropes…and he makes it!
Barker lets go at the orders of Tony Lorenzo, but as soon as Black is free from the ropes, Barker starts pounding way on the shoulder again. Barker starts to drop repeated knees into the sore right shoulder of Thomas Manchester Black. Barker then grabs Thomas Manchester Black by the ankle and pulls him into the middle of the ring.
Barker slaps the reverse armbar right back on!
Lorenzo checks the free left arm of Black…and it drops!
He checks it again…it drops again!
He checks a third time…NO!
Cursing in pain, Thomas Manchester Black shouts that he does not wish to verbally submit. Even though he is locked in the armbar, Thomas Manchester Black gets to his knees, shaking with pain. As the crowd stomps and claps, he slowly struggles to his feet. Barker releases the armbar, and secures Thomas Manchester Black around the left wrist and tosses Black into the ropes…but the whip is reversed.
Barker comes off the ropes, but launches himself at Black and drops him with a running clothesline. Barker up, gets back up, comes off the ropes again, but gets caught with a surprise back elbow, right to the face! Black fires off a shortarm clothesline. As Barker starts to get to his feet, Thomas Manchester locks him up and then plants Barker with a DDT! Barker immediately stumbles back to his feet, but is totally rocked, and staggers backwards into the corner holding his head.
Eryk Masters: TMB in the driver’s seat now.
The Other Guy: He has to keep the advantage and go for a submission fast. This match could go for over an hour, you have to take your breaks where you get them!
Thomas Manchester Black charges at him, but Barker gets the leg up at the last minute. Thomas Manchester Black collides face first with Ron Barker’s boot, and he stumbles backward, stunned. Barker staggers out of the corner, trying to get away, but he walks right into a Belly To Belly Suplex!
Black pulls Barker to his feet, and then angrily throws him over the top rope to the outside of the ring. Thomas Manchester Black then sprints, rebounds off the far ropes, and flies across the ring and dives through the ropes with a suicide dive, nailing Barker just as he was getting up!
The fans chant “HOLY SHIT” as the stunned commentators show a replay from various angles. Both men stay down for a moment. Slowly, Thomas Manchester Black gets to his feet, and painfully rolls Barker back into the ring and heads to the top. Barker opens his eyes, catches him, and staggers to his feet. Barker runs to the corner, grabs the ropes, and shakes them to prevent him from getting up. Barker climbs up himself, and looks to be going for the superplex, but Black fights back…and shoves Barker backward. Barker hits the mat, and Black leaps off the top rope with the flying elbow, but Barker rolls out of the way!
Both men are now laying on the mat, out of it.
Eryk Masters: Awesome action here, like you’re only going to see in SHOOT Project!
The Other Guy: Maybe so, but neither of these guys are really doing what they need to do any more, picking one body part, softening it up, and going for submissions.
Barker is up just before Black, and he stumbles towards TMB. As Thomas Manchester starts to get up, Barker grabs him around the back of the neck and starts to fire a rapid barrage of knees to the face! Barker hammers knee after knee into the jaw of Thomas Manchester Black, who falls to his knees. Ron Barker locks Thomas Manchester Black’s head between his knees, leaps into the air, and then hammers him into the mat face first.
As Black lays on the mat, stunned, Barker grabs both TMB’s legs and locks them into a figure four with his arms, placing Black’s straight leg into his arm pit. Barker steps over Black rolling him on his stomach and then sits back!
THE ARGO STRETCH! Ravishing Ron Barker has slapped on his patented submission hold! Black screams in agony and starts to thrash around, trying desperately to break the hold! The fans are on their feet…Ravishing Ron Barker has a huge grin on his face, and he continues to lean back with The Argo Stretch!
Thomas Manchester Black taps out!
The bell rings and Barker’s music starts to play over the sound system, as Tony Lorenzo grabs Ron Barker’s arm and holds it in the air. Thomas Manchester Black gets up, holding his head and cursing in anger.
Samantha Coil: RON BARKER HAS ELIMINATED THOMAS MANCHESTER BLACK!
Eryk Masters: Like you said OG, it’s all about the tap outs, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen ANYBODY get out of Ron Barker’s Argo Stretch!
The Other Guy: It is one of the best submission moves in SHOOT Project, no doubt. Now let’s see who is next in line?
As Ron Barker celebrates in the ring, and TMB heads up the aisle with a look of disappointment on his face, “Learning to Fly” by the Foo Fighters starts to play, and the fans leap to their feet, and cheer loudly.
Alex Brooks, the good looking blond haired young star appears, and starts to make his way to the ring. Brooks slaps hands with the fans as he makes his way down, but it is obvious that he has a look of concern on his face.
Samantha Coil: And now the number three entrant in the Rule of Surrender Gauntlet, here is ALEX BROOKS!
Ron Barker looks down at Brooks, and laughs. Barker starts primping and preening, mocking the good looking Brooks. Brooks stops for a moment at ringside, and psyches himself up, before he makes his way up the stairs into the ring.
As soon as his music dies down, Brooks nods to Tony Lorenzo, who motions to start the second leg of the Gauntlet. Barker and Brooks lock up, hand over wrist. Ron Barker clearly has the size and strength advantage, and he easily shoves Brooks backward to the mat.
Alex Brooks starts to get up, and Barker throws a hard knee to the gut of the scrappy young man. Alex Brooks doubles over, but has the presence of mind to reach out and grab the wrist of Ron Barker, and throws the surprised Barker into the ropes. The Irish whip is reversed by Barker, but Alex Brooks comes off with a leapfrog, and lands on the other side of Barker. Barker spins around, and is met with a dropkick!
Eryk Masters: Some gutsy, high flying offence put in by Alex Brooks!
The Other Guy: Come on Masters, really. What the hell is this kid even doing in this match? Does he even know a submission hold? Look at his face! Even he knows he’s screwed.
Barker is staggered, but he doesn’t go down, and a right hand by Barker stuns Alex Brooks. Ron Barker backs up, takes aim, and then fires a vicious looking kick right at the left knee of Alex Brooks! Brooks grabs his knee and screams in pain, falling to the mat.
Ron Barker starts stomping away at the knee of Alex Brooks. He backs off for a mere second rubs his hands together, and then shoots down and applies a spinning toe-hold on the left leg of Alex Brooks, putting torturous pressure on his knee.
Ron Barker pulls Brooks to his feet, shoots behind, and using a classic Greco-roman wrestling technique, throws Alex Brooks down again onto his face on the mat, and he starts to stomp the left knee of Brooks again, but this time he is working on the back of the knee! Brooks is in obvious pain, but he struggles to get to his feet.
Eryk Masters: Barker doing things the way they need to be done.
The Other Guy: Yeah, he’s smart. He’s already softening that knee up for the next victim of the Argo Stretch!
Ron Barker hurls the limping Alex Brooks into the ropes, but the whip is reversed. Alex Brooks comes off the ropes, launches himself at Barker and drops him with a flying clothesline! Alex Brooks up, gets back up, comes off the ropes again, but gets caught with a surprise BOOT, right to the face!
As Alex Brooks starts to get to his feet, Ravishing Ron locks him up and then plants the youngster with a legbreaker – right on the left shin! Alex Brooks immediately staggers backwards into the corner. Barker charges at him, but Alex Brooks gets the right leg up at the last minute. Ravishing Ron Barker’s head snaps back, and he stumbles backward. Alex Brooks staggers out of the corner, trying to get away, but he walks right into a legsweep.
Barker grabs Brooks by the wrist, pulls him to this feet, and whips him into the opposite corner. Ron Barker charges again, this time with a running clothesline, and this time he hits Alex Brooks so hard that Brooks literally shakes from the impact, and falls face first on the mat.
Eryk Masters: Ron Barker is clearly in control here.
The Other Guy: The kid has had a few little shots here and there, but be real. Ron Barker has held this title before. He belongs here. Alex Brooks belongs on the cover of Tiger Beat.
Ron Barker starts to stomp on the left knee that he was working on earlier. Barker pulls the leg out flat on the mat…and drops his knee on the back of Alex’s left knee! Brooks is tired of getting kicked, catches the left foot of Ron Barker, and gives him the dragon screw legwhip!
Barker spins through the air, and lands flat on his back. He angrily pulls Brooks to his feet, grabs a handful of hair from Alex Brooks and slams his head to the buckle. Alex Brooks staggers back, but as he stumbles he grabs Ron Barker from behind, jumps on his back, and slaps on a SLEEPER HOLD!
Ron Barker starts to thrash around wildly, as the fans cheer. Brooks clamps both his legs around the body of Ron Barker, and tightens his grip around Barker’s head and neck, as he leans back and keeps the sleeper locked on! Barker stumbles around the ring like a drunken man, trying desperately to shake Alex Brooks off his back, but he can’t do it. Alex Brooks has his hooks in, and he will not let go.
Eryk Masters: SLEEPER HOLD! SLEEPER HOLD!
The Other Guy: He has the thing locked in tight too! He ain’t letting go! He’s hanging on to Barker like his life depends on it!
Ron Barker’s face starts to turn red, and then slowly it turns purple. As the fans turn up the heat, cheering louder and louder, Ron Barker starts to move slower and slower. He cannot get to the ropes, and finally, he drops to one knee. He starts to swing his arms with less and less strength. Finally his arms drop to his side.
Ron Barker’s eyes roll back in his head, and he topples face first to the mat!
Tony Lorenzo shoots down, and checks on Ron Barker, as Alex Brooks stays on his back, and continues to clamp on the sleeper. Lorenzo looks closely at Ron Barker’s face, tries to pry his eye open, and then shakes his head, and turns and shouts to Samantha on the outside.
Samantha Coil: ALEX BROOKS HAS ELIMINATED RON BARKER!
The crowd goes insane! The noise is unreal as Alex Brooks stands up. Brooks looks more shocked than anybody, as he looks down at the motionless form of Ron Barker. The noise is so loud, and the fans are so out of control, that nobody even notices Osbourne Kilminster jogging down the ramp and towards the ring, at full speed.
Eryk Masters: I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! WHAT AN UPSET! Like you said, it looks like even Alex Brooks can’t believe what he just did.
The Other Guy: Never mind that! Everybody is paying attention to the replay on the video screens and celebrating, but here comes Osbourne Kilminster!
Ozzy leaps into the air, sails right over the body of Ron Barker, and catches Alex Brooks around the back of the neck, and drives his face down into the rising knee of Osbourne Kilminster! Alex Brooks’ head snaps back in a grotesque manner, and he falls back, stunned!
As Ron Barker slowly rolls out of the ring, holding the back of his neck and cursing up a storm, Osbourne Kilminster pulls Alex Brooks to his feet, and starts to repeatedly smash the youngster in the face with knees, as he has the underdog locked up in a perfect Muay Thai Clinch. Ozzy fires knee after knee after knee into the face of Brooks.
Samantha Coil: Your fourth entrant in the Gauntlet: OSBOURNE KILMINSTER!
There is a loud burst of cheers from the crowd, as Ozzy is all business. He finishes smashing Brooks in the face with knees, and he grabs the young man around the midsection, spins around, and absolutely plants him into the canvas with a bone crushing takedown!
Eryk Masters: The MMA Master is here! The popular Osbourne Kilminster is out, all business and on the attack!
The Other Guy: I hope Alex Brooks enjoyed his fluke, because his moment is over. I don’t like Kilminster much, but he knows his grappling, I’ll give him that!
Ozzy maintains his top position over the stunned Alex Brooks, and he tucks his head under the jaw of Alex Brooks, and starts to bury a blur of body shots to the sides of Brooks. We can see that Alex Brooks now has a bloody nose thanks to the knee shots to the face from Ozzy, and now Kilminster is pulverizing the popular young star with body blows.
Finally Osbourne stands up, and looks around. The fans come to their feet, and Ozzy smiles and raises a hand to acknowledge the response from the sold out crowd. He looks down at Alex Brooks, who is bleeding from the nose, and holding his ribs. Ozzy reaches down, pulls the kid to his feet, locks him up, and then replants him right back into the canvas with yet another belly-to-belly takedown!
This time, both Brooks and Ozzy actually bounce from the canvas due to the massive impact of the takedown from Osbourne Kilminster on Alex Brooks. Once again, Osbourne Kilminster focuses on repeatedly battering the body of Alex Brooks, trying to soften him up for whatever submission attempt he has planned.
Eryk Masters: Shades of Matt Hughes! Osbourne Kilminster is a takedown machine!
The Other Guy: Never mind Matt Hughes, more like shades of Brock Lesnar, except Ozzy not as dumb as Lesnar.
As Ozzy continues to maintain top position, Alex Brooks starts to wriggle around, and manages to tuck both his knees under the body of Osbourne Kilminster. He then places both feet on Kilminster midsection, and flips him through the air in a monkey flip!
Kilminster sails over Alex Brooks, and crashes to the mat. As he starts to get up, Alex Brooks goes deep, and hurls Kilminster through the air with a deep arm drag! Kilminster sails over Alex Brooks and hits the mat again, but Alex Brooks keeps him locked up in an arm bar.
Ozzy is now flat on his back, and Brooks kneels over him, keeping him locked up in an arm bar. Kilminster calmly pats his arm, cautiously looking for any sign of weakness in the grip of Alex Brooks. Despite the fact that Brooks is exhausted, Ozzy cannot seem to find any sign of weakness at all in the arm bar, so he tries rolling to his right. Alex Brooks smiles, and keeps the hold locked on, and then leans back to increase the strain.
Eryk Masters: I have to give it to Brooks, he is scrappy.
The Other Guy: There’s nothing worse than an underdog who doesn’t know when his moment has passed. This runt needs to get out of the ring already and let the men fight it out.
Suddenly, Kilminster leans his entire body back as far as he can, and then vaults himself into the air “kipping up” and breaking the arm bar hold! Kilminster spins, lands on his feet, and crouches, ready for Alex Brooks. Alex Brooks scrambles to his feet, and charges at Kilminster!
Alex Brooks slides down to the mat, and tries a spinning leg trip, but Ozzy jumps nimbly into the air, so Alex Brooks’ slide misses. Kilminster tries dropping an elbow on Alex Brooks while he is down for the leg trip, but Alex Brooks rolls out of the way just in time! Both men scramble back to their feet, and face off, in the middle of the ring. The fans come to their feet, giving both men a standing ovation!
The two men lock up again, and start to tussle. Alex Brooks forces Ozzy down the mat by using his leg and tripping the fresher man, and as soon as they land, Brooks slaps on a front facelock. Kilminster is now face down on the mat, with Alex Brooks laying over top of him, bearing down with the wear down hold. Kilminster starts to attempt to wriggle free, but Alex Brooks has the hold cinched in tight.
Eryk Masters: This is more of that textbook grappling we all wanted to see.
The Other Guy: I expected that with Ozzy in here.
Kilminster manages to struggle to his knees, and then, with an incredible effort, he stands up! By standing up straight while Alex Brooks has him in a facelock, Ozzy has tossed Alex Brooks over top of him, back first to the mat!
Alex Brooks starts to get up, grabs Kilminster by the wrist, and quickly whips him into the ropes. Osbourne Kilminster comes off the ropes, and is met with an unbelievably high dropkick from Alex Brooks!
Kilminster hits the mat, stunned from the kick by Alex Brooks. In one graceful motion, Alex Brooks vaults himself to the top rope, balances himself for a single moment, and then launches himself off in a perfectly executed 450 Splash!
Eryk Masters: Now this is Alex Brooks like we expect to see him. High flying!
The Other Guy: Yeah well, nobody has ever tapped out from a 450 Splash.
Brooks stands up, and pulls Kilminster to his feet by the back of the head. Alex Brooks whips Kilminster into the ropes, but Ozzy plants one foot, and reverses the whip, sending Alex Brooks into the ropes. Kilminster times it perfectly, for as soon as Alex Brooks rebounds the ropes, Kilminster is there to meet him with a back elbow to the face!
Kilminster reaches down, pulls Alex Brooks back to his feet, and then hooks him up. In one smooth motion, Kilminster hoists the kid high into the air with a vertical suplex. Kilminster holds Alex Brooks aloft for a moment, and then drops him back first to the mat.
Kilminster sets his jaw in determination, and pulls the kid back to his feet. Kilminster whips Alex Brooks into the ropes. Alex Brooks comes off, and Ozzy launches Alex Brooks high into the air with a back bodydrop…but Alex Brooks lands on his FEET behind Osbourne Kilminster!
Eryk Masters: Holy Crap! Alex Brooks used his amazing balance to land behind Ozzy, and Ozzy doesn’t know it!
The Other Guy: You see the look on that kid’s face? He knows he has to go for broke now!
Seeing his only chance, Alex Brooks jumps onto the back of Osbourne Kilminster and slaps on a sleeper hold again. He grapevines his legs around the body of Ozzy, and even locks his ankles, so there is NO way Ozzy can shake the kid off! This time, Alex Brooks isn’t squeezing the chin either, he has his arm under the jaw of Osbourne Kilminster, right on the neck and he is pulling back, with all his might.
Ozzy only has one chance of getting Alex Brooks off his back, and that is by dropping backward and crushing him. Osbourne Kilminster leans forward as far as he can, with Alex Brooks still hanging on tight. Then, he swings up and backward, and slams himself back first to the mat!
Alex Brooks grimaces in pain from the impact. It was bad enough that Osbourne Kilminster has been hammering his body with constant bodyshots, but now he has been crushed down to the mat, and wasn’t even able to get his arms up to cushion the blow.
But he will not let go.
Eryk Masters: Unbelievable! Alex Brooks has clamped on to the back of Osbourne Kilminster and he will NOT let go!
The Other Guy: He can’t! He knows that if he does, he’s screwed. Ozzy is fresher than he is, and a better wrestler too! If Brooks has one chance, this is it.
Alex Brooks has a look of pure determination on his face as he keeps the chokehold clamped on. Ozzy’s face contorts, and he reaches out, and taps Alex Brooks on the arm, three times.
A tap out.
The fans go berserk as Alex Brooks releases the chokehold and just lies on the mat, soaked in sweat and exhausted. Osbourne Kilminster gets to his knees, rubbing his neck and gasping and shaking his head. Ozzy looks down at Brooks and then actually slaps the kid on the shoulder affectionately. The fans cheer the show of sportsmanship by Ozzy, and he rolls out of the ring, still rubbing his neck.
Samantha Coil: ALEX BROOKS HAS ELIMINATED OSBOURNE KILMINSTER!
The arena lights go black. Suddenly, the SHOOTron lights up with a giant “X”, and the arena fills with merciless boos.
9%.
16%
23%.
Eryk Masters: Uggggggghh. Well, I think I know who’s coming out next, OG.
37%
50%
The Other Guy: Really? I have no idea who it is.
61%
78%%.
84%.
Eryk Masters: Fuck this right off.
The Other Guy: Easy, Eryk. We’re almost through!
91%
100%
BUFFERING.
Eryk Masters: I hate you, Eryk Van Warren.
The Other Guy: Hey now… I wouldn’t say that too loudly. Never know where Yuri could be lurking.
INITIATE.
As the exhausted Alex Brooks sits on his knees, soaked in sweat and watching the entrance area for X’s arrival, the lights come back on fully.
Eryk Masters: Wait a second… no music?! What the…
The Other Guy: LOOK! X CAME THROUGH THE AUDIENCE!
Jumping over the barricade in his full ring gear, X slides underneath the bottom rope. Alex Brooks senses something is happening, so he stands up and starts to turn around but before he can see behind him, X CLIPS him behind the knee with a forearm shot!
Eryk Masters: Oh come on, X!
The Other Guy: X trying to gain the upper hand early.
Alex Brooks starts to roll around on the mat, holding his leg as X-Calibur looks down and sneers. X-Calibur stands over Brooks, calling him on. Alex Brooks tenuously gets back to his feet, rubbing the back of knee ruefully.
Alex Brooks goes to lock up, and X-Calibur looks at Brooks as if he is crazy. Brooks calls X-Calibur on! Shaking his head in disbelief, X-Calibur locks fingers with the kid, and then the two men collide chest to chest in the middle of the ring. The two competitors raise their arms higher, back into the tie up position…and X-Calibur has the clear size, strength, and leverage advantage!
X-Calibur easily hurls Alex Brooks back to the mat, where the kid lands flat on his back! Alex Brooks rises to his feet. Suddenly, Alex Brooks backs into the ropes, bounces off for momentum, and charges at X-Calibur!
Alex Brooks runs right into X-Calibur, and nails him as hard as he can with a shoulder tackle, but X does not budge one inch, and it is Brooks who collides with the superstar at full speed, and then flies back first to the mat again from the impact!
Eryk Masters: This kid Alex Brooks will not quit!
The Other Guy: What fucking nerve! He’s in there with one of the true legends of SHOOT Project, and he’s acting like he actually has a shot in hell. Who does he think he is, trying to tangle with X-Calibur like this?
Alex Brooks lays on his back for a moment, staring at the lights. Finally, Brooks gets up again. Once again, the kid backs into the ropes, and bounces off for momentum. This time however, he criss-crosses the ring to the other side, and bounces off the far rope. Then, as X-Calibur slowly turns around, Alex Brooks leaps into the air as high as he can get, and nails the huge newcomer with a flying dropkick right in the torso!
X-Calibur easily absorbs the impact, and it is Alex Brooks who deflects off him like a pinball, crashing backward to the mat. Brooks quickly gets to his knees, and pounds both his fists on the mat in frustration. Brooks very slowly gets to his feet goes to tie up with X…AGAIN!
This time, Alex Brooks goes red in the face, as he leans into X-Calibur’s chest as hard as he can, and PUSHES with all of his might! Incredibly, Brooks actually starts to budge X…and as the fans slowly come to their feet…Alex Brooks slowly backs X-Calibur up…step by step…until X is forced back first into the ropes!
Eryk Masters: What is happening here? What the hell is going on?
The Other Guy: I’ll tell you what. That little train that could is starting to grow confidence! He beat Barker, he beat Ozzy, and he’s starting to think he can actually do this! He just doesn’t know any better!
Tony Lorenzo inserts himself between the two men, and calls for a clean break. Alex Brooks takes one step backward, X-Calibur looks at Alex Brooks in shock. Suddenly, he reaches out and grabs Brooks around the back of the head, and swings him through the air, roughly switching positions as he places Alex Brooks back first into the ropes. Before Brooks can react, X-Calibur lifts one of his arms over his head, and swings it down like a crane, smashing his fist across the skull of the kid.
Brooks grimaces and actually stumbles from the impact. X takes a few steps back, and Alex Brooks walks forward limping slightly, and then pitches forward face first…flopping to the mat!
Brooks lays on the mat for a long moment, one of his legs tapping in pain. Finally, he slowly gets to his feet, and X-Calibur goes on the offensive! X-Calibur grabs Brooks by the back of the head, picks him up, and tosses him back first into the corner, against the turnbuckles! X-Calibur follows in with a HUGE running clothesline which almost moves the ring.
Eryk Masters: X-Calibur, starting to exert control now!
The Other Guy: Welcome back to reality, Alex Brooks. You had your big shocking moment, now go away.
As Alex Brooks starts to slump down, X backs up, measures him off, and then starts to fire a barrage of repeated forearm smashes across the chest of Brooks. X-Calibur is repeatedly slamming his forearm across the kid’s chest so quickly that the motion is almost a blur. Brooks is quaking from the impact, and rocking back and forth every time X lands another bone crunching forearm shot across his chest. X-Calibur lands at least 15 solid shots on Alex Brooks, and then he finally steps back to survey the damage.
After X releases him, Brooks takes two steps forward and falls to his knees, holding his chest…and then keels over onto his side, in obvious agony. X-Calibur looks pulls the kid back to his feet. Suddenly, Alex Brooks shoves X back with both hands across his chest! Brooks keeps both hands on the chest of X-Calibur, and like a bulldozer, he stubbornly digs in and forces X-Calibur back first into the far corner, against the turnbuckles! As soon as X is up against the turnbuckles, Alex Brooks goes to work!
Alex Brooks stands back, and unleashes a blinding flurry of knife edge chops across the chest of the shocked X-Calibur! With blistering speed and uncanny precision, the popular young underdog fires a rapid succession of repeated chops across X’s torso! The echo of Brooks’ forearm slicing across X-Calibur’s chest can be heard all around the packed arena, as the fans once again come to their feet! Alex Brooks nails X with chop after chop after chop, so fast his arm is a blur…and finally…when he can chop no more, he steps back, raises both his arms over his head and SLAPS down across the chest of X!
Eryk Masters: Where the hell is the kid getting this energy from?
The Other Guy: More like where is he getting the nerve? Doesn’t he know when he’s beat? Doesn’t he know when he’s been outclassed?
X-Calibur winces with the pain, and his chest is now bright red from the burst blood vessels, but he reaches out, places one huge hand over Brooks’s face…and SHOVES him backward! Brooks hits the mat. X-Calibur charges toward Alex Brooks, and throws a frightening looking roundhouse! Just getting to his feet, Alex Brooks leans back, nimbly missing the wild shot from X-Calibur.
Alex Brooks fires a sharp looking right cross of his own, right at X-Calibur’s torso, but the veteran sees it coming, and as the kid leans forward, X-Calibur raises one of his boots up, and clobbers Alex Brooks right in the mouth with a boot to the face! Brooks goes down again, like a ton of bricks!
Alex Brooks is laying on his back, holding his face with both hands. X-Calibur stands over him, and then leans down, grabbing Brooks by the back of the head, to pull him to his feet. X-Calibur throws Brooks into the ropes and as Alex comes off, X throws a wicked lariat, right at the head of Alex Brooks, that looks powerful enough to kill.
Alex Brooks ducks, and deftly goes under the clothesline attempt by X-Calibur! Brooks comes up behind the veteran, and before X-Calibur can turn around, Alex Brooks jumps into the air, and with both feet, he dropkicks the back of X’s right leg, hitting him right in the thigh and knee!
Eryk Masters: Every time I think X is in control and is about to finish this kid off, he surprises me!
The Other Guy: He takes this underdog crap seriously, I’ll give him that. The problem is, you have to QUIT to lose this match, and I think somebody is going to have to kill Alex Brooks to get him to quit tonight. He’s got too much adrenaline going through his veins. He’s thinking about making history.
Alex Brooks quickly gets up, and grabs the right leg of X-Calibur. As X struggles as hard as he can, Brooks starts to fire a rapid succession of kicks to the back of his right leg! X rears back his head and yells in pain.
Alex Brooks has now knocked him down with a kick to the back of the knee, and he is following up by repeatedly booting him over and over in the same tender spot. X-Calibur’s hands instinctively go to his leg, but Brooks is like a pit bull, refusing to let go of the ankle, and continuing to boot the back of the knee!
X-Calibur is thrashing around trying to break the hold that Alex Brooks has on his ankle, but the popular youngster will not let go. Brooks nimbly steps over, and twists…wrenching X-Calibur’s leg in a Step-Over-Toe-Hold! X-Calibur screams in anger and pain! Referee Tony Lorenzo drops to one knee next to X-Calibur, and asks him if he wants to give up. X-Calibur shakes his head angrily, saying no.
Eryk Masters: Alex Brooks is riding a wave of momentum, getting the support of these fans, and despite all the people saying he shouldn’t be here, and couldn’t possibly win, he just keeps going!
The Other Guy: Like the damn Energizer Bunny, and he’s even MORE annoying.
Finally, seeing that X-Calibur is not about to submit to the Step-Over-Toe-Hold Alex Brooks stops twisting, but keeps his arm locked around the leg of the bigger man. Brooks starts to pull…dragging X-Calibur on his back, across the ring!
Finally, Alex Brooks has dragged the massive X-Calibur to the edge of the ring, by the ropes. Keeping his hands locked around X-Calibur’s right ankle, Brooks slides under the bottom rope! X-Calibur is now laying flat on his back, with Alex Brooks holding his ankle under the bottom rope, from the outside. Brooks stands on the concrete, holding X-Calibur’s leg down.
Alex Brooks lets go…but before X-Calibur can figure out what is going on, or react, Alex Brooks raises his right arm over his head, and sharply brings his right elbow down, as hard as he can…driving the point of his elbow right into X-Calibur’s right ankle!
Brooks releases X-Calibur’s ankle again, and lifts his arm to repeat the bionic elbow smash over the tender ankle of his opponent. Seeing his chance in a split second, X-Calibur raises his left boot, and fires it outward, nailing Alex Brooks right in the jaw!
The impact is so great, that Alex Brooks literally flies backward, into the steel crowd barrier! Alex Brooks is slumped lifeless against the crowd barrier. In the ring, Tony Lorenzo leans over the top rope, and starts to exhort Brooks to get up and get back in the ring. X-Calibur starts to slowly get to his feet…and he looks angry!
Eryk Masters: X-Calibur is starting to get angry, and even more aggressive.
The Other Guy: He doesn’t want this kid having the match of his career, and making history at his expense, Masters.
X stands up, and painfully rubs his knee. Brooks shakes his head, clearing the cobwebs. The referee starts to make the 10 count, so Alex Brooks pulls himself to his feet, and staggers back toward the ring. As soon as Alex Brooks reaches the apron, X-Calibur reaches down and grabs the kid by the hair, and pulls him up onto the apron in a standing position, and then rears back, and smashes Brooks across the face with a brutal backhand shot! The crowd gasps at the impact of the blow from X-Calibur, and Alex Brooks starts to fall backward, stunned.
X-Calibur will not allow Alex Brooks to fall off the apron. Instead, the superstar grabs Brooks by the back of the head, and pulls him forward roughly, over the top rope, into the ring. Brooks hits the mat face first, with a thud. X-Calibur reaches down, and grabs Alex Brooks by the back of his tights.
Eryk Masters: Now we’re seeing what happens when Eryk Van Warren gets mean. This man is just cruel.
The Other Guy: What the hell is he doing here, giving him a wedgie?
With a sudden jerking motion, X-Calibur literally hoists Alex Brooks into the air, by the back of his trunks. X-Calibur steadies himself for a moment, and then shifts, and hoists Brooks over his shoulder for a powerslam!
X-Calibur slowly walks over to the edge of the ring, keeping Alex Brooks over his shoulder. The fans at ringside start to make way, anticipating what they are about to see…and X THROWS Alex Brooks from inside to the ring…out into the crowd!
Alex Brooks spins through the air, across the ringside area, and lands in the third row, sending fans and chairs flying everywhere! The fans start to chant…
HOLY SHIT!
HOLY SHIT!
HOLY SHIT!
X-Calibur leans over the top rope, looking at Alex Brooks with a look of grim satisfaction on his face. Brooks looks like he has been in a car wreck as he lies amidst the jumble of twisted steel chairs.
Eryk Masters: I can’t believe what we just saw!
The Other Guy: I can! X is sick of this kid acting like he has a chance, so he tossed him out of the ring like trash!
As Alex Brooks slowly gets to his feet, holding his back and wincing in pain, the announcers show a slow motion replay of X grabbing Alex Brooks by the back of his tights, jerking him into the air, and then pressing him over shoulder and throwing him over the top rope into the crowd, like a bag of garbage!
As the shot returns to live action, we see Alex Brooks standing shakily on his feet. Brooks starts to march back towards the ring. Alex Brooks jumps up onto the apron, and swings wildly at X-Calibur. X steps back, and then sticks his arm out, grabbing Alex Brooks by the hair while Brooks still stands on the apron outside the ring. Referee Tony Lorenzo has stopped counting, since Brooks is back on the apron, and the official looks on helplessly.
X-Calibur hoists Alex Brooks back into the air, by the hair and then hurls him down to the concrete outside the ring! Alex Brooks body goes through an involuntary spastic motion, his leg twitching, as he lays flat on his back, on the concrete. Once again, the sold out crowd starts to chant…
HOLY SHIT!
HOLY SHIT!
HOLY SHIT!
Eryk Masters: I guess X didn’t want the kid back in the ring yet.
The Other Guy: It’s his ring. Brooks is just a visitor.
X-Calibur slides outside, grabs Alex Brooks, and rolls him back into the ring. Once X is back in, he pulls the kid back to his feet, and tosses him into the ropes. Alex Brooks bounces off, and X-Calibur bends over and then stands up, and Alex Brooks sails high into the air in a back body drop! Incredibly, Alex Brooks shifts his position as he flies through the air, and he lands on his feet, standing right behind X-Calibur!
This is the exact same advantage he took with Ozzy, and once again, seeing his only chance, Brooks jumps onto the back of X-Calibur just like a leech and slaps on a sleeper hold again. Just like before he hooks his legs around the body of X-Calibur, and locks his ankles.
This time, Alex Brooks has looped his arm through, and he has X-Calibur hooked up in what is known as “The Million Dollar Dream” and he is pulling back with every ounce of strength he has left in his body.
X-Calibur swings one way. He swings the other. He moves around the ring, thrashing his arms and stomping his legs. He drops to his knees and shakes, but he cannot get the smaller and sinewy Alex Brooks off his back, or get his arms out from around his neck.
Eryk Masters: You don’t think…
The Other Guy: Listen to these damn fans! They’re going apeshit! Every person in this arena is screaming at the top of their lungs!
Alex Brooks has his eyes clamped shut and he is shaking his head with effort as he keeps the sleeper hold clamped on. Finally X-Calibur falls to his side, and starts to go limp. The referee drops to one knee and asks X if he wants to give up, but X shakes his head no.
X-Calibur is starting to change colors, and he is moving slower and slower. Finally, his arm falls limply at his side. Tony Lorenzo lifts X’s arm up and lets it go. It drops! As the fans continue to cheer louder and louder, the referee holds up X-Calibur’s arm again, and let’s go. It drops again! As every fan comes to their feet, many standing on their chairs, Tony Lorenzo lifts the arm one final time and lets go…
IT DROPS!
The fans go insane and a cheer loud enough to shake the earth blasts throughout the arena, as Alex Brooks releases the sleeperhold and collapses backward on the mat. Tony Lorenzo moves over, lifts one of the arms of Alex Brooks in the air, and lays his brand new Rule Of Surrender Championship Title Belt across his battered, beaten and exhausted body.
Samantha Coil: ALEX BROOKS HAS ELIMINATED X-CALIBUR! YOUR WINNER AND YOUR NEW SHOOT PROJECT RULE OF SURRENDER CHAMPION IS ALEX BROOKS!!!
Fade to black.